Saturday 1 January 2011

Happy New Year

I wish you a Happy New Year.  May it be filled with many moments of sparkling appreciation.

The new year is often a time for making resolutions.  Usually our resolutions are about shuffling or adjusting the pieces of our life – to lose weight, to change jobs, to take more exercise, to start a new hobby. . .  These may be desirable and worthwhile, but such alterations to lifestyle will not bring lasting fulfilment and happiness.  Only the development of greater awareness will bring lasting fulfilment and happiness.

We can develop greater awareness through learning to know our mind through direct experience.  We can discover primordial wisdom through spaciousness of mind.  To do this we must practice meditation.  Practising meditation every day will introduce us to mind without thought.  Becoming comfortable in mind without thought will enable primordial wisdom to shine through.  This increased clarity will sparkle through into our everyday life and we will become more happy and fulfilled.  Through being happier and more fulfilled we will become kinder people.  Through becoming kinder people we will bring happiness to those around us.

The simple activity of our meditation practice can send ripples of kindness and awareness out into our family, and thereby into our neighbourhood, our community, our country, our nation . . . and eventually the whole world.

Let us resolve to practice at least ten minutes of meditation every day in 2011 for the benefit of everyone and everything everywhere.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for this message. Yes, I do agree with what you claim although lately my practice has slipped. I have however, increased my ability to be more present in my every day activities. I am a Friend of ARO but not very active. I live in a small village in Devon sans vehicle with a limited bus service and a good distance from a train station. I do believe I did meet you at the Bristol centre a few weeks ago when I accompanied Namgyal and She-zer to meet Ngak'chang Rinpoche and Kandro Dechen. Although we didn't speak, I believe I saw Ngakpa O-dzin sitting up front on my extreme left. I've read several of Rinpoche's and Kandro Dechen's books and do appreciate their special style. I guess your labels tell it all:
    awareness, kindness, meditation and resolutions.
    Resoluteness as well as attention are key.

    I do hope to attend other functions in Bristol in the future.

    Best wishes,

    Sky McCain

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for commenting!