Happy New Year 2026
by Ajahn Anan
In this heartfelt New Year’s address, Ajahn Anan encourages us to use the turning of the year to renew our hearts and minds. He emphasizes that spiritual progress is built on "supreme effort." Even small acts of goodness—like giving alms or meditating—are significant. He compares these to drops of water filling a vessel; though they seem minor, they eventually lead to success if the effort is continuous. The path to a pure heart requires fighting long-accumulated mental states. Since wisdom may be small at first, we must rely on moral conduct and patient endurance. By restraining the mind, greed and anger gradually decrease. Ajahn Anan suggests that while we seek new clothes or houses, we should prioritize making the mind "new". He concludes with a blessing for health, success, and the fulfillment of all wholesome aspirations.
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