A Lesson From Our Calendars; 121.6.29;4o6

A modest knowledge of humanity’s calendars provides that the oldest calendars of humanity’s “predominant” religions are Lunar-Solar;  those being the Hebrew calendar and the Hindu Vikram Samvat calendar.  This means that both of these calendars are based upon observance of the monthly cycle of the Moon.  And it may be considered that, amidst the monthly cycle of the Moon and the annual cycle of the Earth orbiting the Sun, ancient astrologers 1^st notice the repeated pattern of the Moon amidst the Earth before noticing the repeated pattern of the Earth amidst the Sun.  This is merely logical.

Yet, both of these ancient calendars are both Lunar-Solar:  the calendars are adjusted so that the months and days on the calendars correspond generally with the annual cycle of the Earth orbiting the Sun.  On both calendars, an entire leap month is added to make a general “Solar” adjustment, whilst maintaining the integrity of the “Lunar”-based months.  So, 1 conclusion to draw from this adjustment (which is interestingly common to both Judaism and Hinduism) is that the astrologers eventually notice the annual Solar patterns, but rather than completing abandoning and changing the structure of the Lunar month, the collective of Lunar Months is adjusted within the Solar cycle. 

Within this adaptation, there is the metaphysical/Theological consideration that amidst the respective progression of both of these religious traditions, respective new discoveries within each of these religious traditions is acknowledged and contextualised within the preceding understanding and teachings. 

Eventually, within Hinduism, Buddhism emerges;  and a Buddhist calendar.  Whilst the Buddhist calendar also maintains certain contemporary adaptability, the traditional Buddhist calendar is also Lunar-Solar and simply maintains a different set of observances and Holy Days during the course of the annual cycle.  Within Judaism, Christianity emerges;  and within Christianity, a new calendar.  The Christian calendar (specifically, the Christian Gregorian calendar) is strictly a Solar calendar:  it is based upon the annual cycle of the Earth orbiting the Sun, and the structure of months is based upon this annual cycle.

So this leads to the further questions:  what implications do these respective adaptations and progressions of Buddhism and Christianity have with respect to the established, respective traditions of Judaism and Hinduism?  What are the further implications regarding the respective teachings within each of all of these traditions? 

And when we consider that, after the emergence of Buddhism and Christianity, there emerges the tradition and calendar of Islam:  a strictly Lunar calendar, based exclusively on the monthly cycle of the Moon, without adjustments to correspond with the annual cycle of the orbiting Earth around the Sun.  So what implications does this revisitation to the presumable original structures of Judaism and Hinduism have?  What of the teachings? 

And what lessons does all this provide as we continue along the aggregate progression of humanity and continue along the experience of mutual learning and reconciliation of our respective histories and teachings and calendars? 

Love And Peace.