Ajahn Chah once said: "As far as I understand, Christianity teaches people to do good and avoid evil, just as Buddhism does, so what is the problem? However, if people are upset by the idea of celebrating Christmas, that can be easily remedied. We won't call it Christmas. Let's call it 'Buddhamas.' Anything that inspires us to see what is true and do what is good is proper practice. You may call it any name you like."
Luang Por Chah is known as Ajahn Chah (1918 – 1992) was an influential Thai Forest tradition teacher.
There's an audiobook of the biography that I'm listening to.
One of his early teachers was Ajahn Mun. He spent 7 years in the wilderness. The tradition follows great austerity, the 13 Dhutanga. They had basic clothing, ate one meal a day that they got from lay people offering the monk food, not only going to rich houses, but to all houses. Living not in a house, but under a tree. Living near charnel grounds is good. Sleeping rough, wherever, though never laying down. Only sit, walk or stand. Pretty intense practices.
Like many revitalizing practices, this movement was a reaction to a kind of watering down of the tradition.
Like all teachers, a basic common sense and a kind of intensity seeps through the teachings. Ajahn Chah ran a tight ship for quite a long while at his monastery. His disciples found that he exemplified what he was expecting from others.
For whatever reason, after my upbringing in the Triratna Buddhist Community, I've been attracted to these teachings the most. And I find the biographies interesting. Heroes to admire.
I don't feel the need to resolve contradictory urges (I am large, I contain the multitudes). I also have the urge for self reliance, inspired by Emerson's essay. What I think and feel matters most. But I like to be inspired by others exemplification.
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