The Chinese culture is the outcome of an amalgamation of several out of this world legends and ancient mythological stories. This is ever truer with regards to the Chinese zodiac calendar.
Many people in all countries around the globe now know well about the calendar that has 12 animals in it and its origins are hidden somewhere in history.
The calendar comes with an unusual mix of animals and it begins with the rat, the ox, the tiger and the rabbit. Other animals follow these four and the last animal on the calendar is the pig. The total number of animals in the Chinese Zodiac calendar is twelve and you will find a comprehensive library of the legends about the nomination and selection of the twelve animals represented in this calendar.
Among the legendary stories that seek to describe how the animals came to appear in the calendar, the one related to Buddhism is the one which most people know about. The legend states that Buddha ordered all animals to compete against each other in a race. The animal that would win the race was to receive an excellent position as the first animal to appear in the Chinese zodiac calendar. The legend states that many animals competed in the race, but the animals selected to represent the calendar were those who became number one to twelve as the calendar had a twelve-year repetitive cycle.
Amongst all of the fast and furious animals it was the rat that made it across the finish line first. So how did he manage to achieve that? Well, the tale goes to say that the cunning rat rode upon the ox's back all the way till the finish line where he leaped forward to claim the top spot.
The rat was therefore able to defeat the other animals in the race because he used his brain instead of his bodily strength. Buddha had no issue with the strategy that the rat used and he therefore awarded the rat the number one position in the zodiac calendar. The ox followed the rat in the race though he was unaware that the rat had hitched on his back and the animal that came third was the tiger. The rabbit took the fourth position and the other animals followed according to the positions they took in the race.
According to another story Buddha invited the entire range of animals to a feast for New Year or some similar occasion. Though Buddha had invited the whole animal kingdom only these twelve animals showed up. Being pleased with their attendance to his party Buddha granted them the honor of representing the Chinese zodiac calendar. In another version the feast was hosted by the Jade Emperor rather than Buddha.
There is obviously no way in which these legends can be tested or verified regarding which one holds true. Furthermore not many people today pay the legendary origins any mind in terms of their truthfulness.
For those who practice Buddhism and the people of China, they consider the zodiac calendar a major element in their culture. They still use the calendar in these modern days and the conservative locals take the calendar very seriously.
Many people in all countries around the globe now know well about the calendar that has 12 animals in it and its origins are hidden somewhere in history.
The calendar comes with an unusual mix of animals and it begins with the rat, the ox, the tiger and the rabbit. Other animals follow these four and the last animal on the calendar is the pig. The total number of animals in the Chinese Zodiac calendar is twelve and you will find a comprehensive library of the legends about the nomination and selection of the twelve animals represented in this calendar.
Among the legendary stories that seek to describe how the animals came to appear in the calendar, the one related to Buddhism is the one which most people know about. The legend states that Buddha ordered all animals to compete against each other in a race. The animal that would win the race was to receive an excellent position as the first animal to appear in the Chinese zodiac calendar. The legend states that many animals competed in the race, but the animals selected to represent the calendar were those who became number one to twelve as the calendar had a twelve-year repetitive cycle.
Amongst all of the fast and furious animals it was the rat that made it across the finish line first. So how did he manage to achieve that? Well, the tale goes to say that the cunning rat rode upon the ox's back all the way till the finish line where he leaped forward to claim the top spot.
The rat was therefore able to defeat the other animals in the race because he used his brain instead of his bodily strength. Buddha had no issue with the strategy that the rat used and he therefore awarded the rat the number one position in the zodiac calendar. The ox followed the rat in the race though he was unaware that the rat had hitched on his back and the animal that came third was the tiger. The rabbit took the fourth position and the other animals followed according to the positions they took in the race.
According to another story Buddha invited the entire range of animals to a feast for New Year or some similar occasion. Though Buddha had invited the whole animal kingdom only these twelve animals showed up. Being pleased with their attendance to his party Buddha granted them the honor of representing the Chinese zodiac calendar. In another version the feast was hosted by the Jade Emperor rather than Buddha.
There is obviously no way in which these legends can be tested or verified regarding which one holds true. Furthermore not many people today pay the legendary origins any mind in terms of their truthfulness.
For those who practice Buddhism and the people of China, they consider the zodiac calendar a major element in their culture. They still use the calendar in these modern days and the conservative locals take the calendar very seriously.
About the Author:
The Chinese baby calendar is used by millions of people around the world. If you enjoyed reading this article you may be interested in our page on Chinese zodiac calendar.
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