2Jan/060
New Year’s Eve and 108 Bells
On News Year's Eve, my wife and I went to the Berkeley Zen Center. There's a tradition in Buddhism to ring the bell 108 times running up to midnight. Some say each ring represents a path to enlightentment, others say each one represents a worldly desire, and that desire is driven away by the bell. Whatever the meaning, it's a lovely way to spend New Year's Eve.