On December 31st each year we celebrate the New Year of the Gregorian solar calendar and often on another day we celebrate the Chinese lunar new year and yet another day marks the Tibetan new year.
But every day is like a new year,
An opportunity to start new in our practice,
In our behavior,
And how we relate to others.
At the start of each new year we often wish for ourselves and others to have a happy new year.
We easily say happy new year,
Happy new year to you.
But often we act as if just wishing for our own and others happiness is enough to bring it about.
During one of his visits to Australia His Holiness the Dalai Lama began a series of teachings by looking out at the audience and saying,
I see many old friends here.
Since the last time we met I wonder has there been any change in your mind?
We can think back to a year ago and honestly assess if there has been any significant changes in ourselves,
Positive changes in our thinking,
In our behavior.
We can also imagine into the future and with intention and determination,
Imagine the kind of changes that we want to see in ourselves a year from now.
This indeed is the beginning of a happy new year for fortunate beings like us.
Due to many causes and conditions we have met with perfectly qualified spiritual teachers like His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
Ling Rinpoche,
Lama Zoka Rinpoche,
Venerable Tipton Children and many others.
These are spiritual mentors who are not just interested in making a name for themselves or building up a large following of students or amassing wealth.
We're incredibly fortunate to have a close association with genuine spiritual mentors who walk their talk,
Who exemplify the Buddhist teachings with everything they say,
Do and teach.
This is such a rare and precious opportunity.
Just like the Buddha himself taught in the Das Dhammasutta,
Our teachers encourage us to be mindful,
To be vigilant about what's truly meaningful and to make our lives truly meaningful by reflecting again and again that each day and night is relentlessly passing by without a pause and to ask,
How well am I spending my time?
To reflect that I'm no longer living according to worldly aims and values,
That my very life is sustained through the kindness of others.
To remember that I am the owner of my karma,
Heir to my karma,
Born of my karma,
Related to my karma,
Abiding,
Supported by my karma,
Whatever virtuous or non-virtuous karma or actions I shall do,
I will be the heir.
And to check,
Does regret over my conduct arise in my mind?
Could my spiritual companions find fault with my conduct?
Has my practice borne fruit with freedom or insight so that at the end of my life I don't need to feel ashamed about how I've used the opportunities I've had?
The greatest gift we can offer our spiritual mentors in any new year,
Any new day,
The best way to repay their immense kindness is the gift of our sincere daily practice,
Our moment-to-moment practice,
To continue transforming our minds and hearts day in and day out.
They've done their job,
They've given us countless teachings clearly explaining the entire path to awakening with nothing missing.
And now it's up to us to review those teachings,
To familiarize and habituate with those teachings again and again,
And to actualize those teachings.
Otherwise we will remain under the control of karma and mental afflictions and suffering endlessly.
Like so many of our kind Mother sentient beings who,
Although wanting happiness and not wanting suffering,
They ignore what is virtue and what is non-virtue.
They ignore that virtue leads to happiness and non-virtue leads to dissatisfaction and suffering.
They ignore how to engage in causes of happiness and how to avoid causes of suffering.
And they ignore the simple fact that things don't actually exist as they appear to.
So considering our kind Mother sentient beings with great compassion,
Then let's think for a moment.
