A Buddhist Reading of “A Christmas Carol”

You’ve likely encountered some version of Charles Dickens’ 1843 A Christmas Carol in your life, where the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge despises the holidays and obsesses over money. That is, until one fateful year when he is visited by his late business partner and the “Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come,” warning him of the karmic consequences of his actions. As a Buddhist practitioner and a literature lover, I am always looking for dharma teachings within a story. A Christmas Carol is perhaps the ultimate holiday example.