Chinese Animal Powers 2008 Calendar: The Chinese Zodiac in the Year of the Rat

Chinese legend tells us that the Lord Buddha summoned the animals to hear of their power in his sermon under the Bodhi Tree. Representing all animals in the Kingdom, twelve creatures arrived one by one. Buddha taught them about their strengths and weaknesses, and then sent them into the world to guide people in their growth, linking each animal to a month and a year. Since that time, the Chinese have believed that each of us is born with some of the characteristics and powers of these twelve animals depending on the month and year of our birth. Through our identification with these animal powers, we hope to learn more about ourselves, to become more imaginative, creative and fully alive. Chungliang Al Huang is an authority of East-West cultural synthesis, and founder and president of Living Tao Foundation, a worldwide cross-cultural education network. Sample Caption: "TWOO (rabbit) is gifted with the attentive alertness to respond swiftly with graceful agility to life's many sudden changes. This lightning-quick bouncer with an uplifting gait and a happy personality is called a rabbit or a bunny. If you were born in the year or month of Twoo, you are clever, speedy, enthusiastic and capable of producing great works in life..."