Spirit,
Every year’s end is the completion of a cycle, and an acknowledgment of our highs and lows. But this year we’ve experienced an awful lot. We grieve our losses, marvel in our constancy, and celebrate our survival. Some of us can even say we thrive in our recovery. We know now that beginning a new year we cannot clearly see or feel certainty about what lies ahead. May we allow the quality of presence and of community we’ve so lovingly cultivated this year to be a deep resource of resilience and trust. May we know that all sensations and emotions and thoughts are reminders we’re human beings capable of the richness and fullness of lived experience- the unpleasant, the hard, the messy, the beautiful, the inspiring, and the joyful.
A spotlight has fallen on us as humans this year, and we’ve been made so aware of ourselves and each other and our individual and collective failings and missteps and harms as well as our expressions of kindness, courage, and generosity. May we never again be led into the illusion of separation, and may we remain ever mindful of our interdependence. May our awareness of both our shortcomings and our gifts set a sure foundation of humility and grace, setting the stones of the path we tread, ever forward. May we know that what we may think are obstacles along the way, are in fact the path itself, as we walk along with you.
May the dissonance which our discomfort creates serve as a reminder that we’re always seeking new means to chart our way into clearer and more pure alignment with you. May we come to know you as the felt experience in our hearts of unconditional, unbounded love. May our expression of that love be shown in acts of radical self-study, reconciliation and a renewed commitment to honor and serve you, through our service to all beings.
May our spiritual awakening and the illumination of our path serve as a beacon to those who still suffer, that we may reveal ourselves courageously and respectfully to each other in ways that remind us we’re all on this journey together. May our shared experience, strength and hope serve as steady hands to help each other along.
May we see clearly the truths to come before us, may we abide with equanimity amidst times of both turmoil and harmony, and may we act with a depth of wisdom and compassion that comes with daily, lifelong practice.
May our practice be continuous, may our hearts be steady, and may our efforts be of benefit to all beings.
May all beings be safe, may all beings be happy, may all beings be healthy.
May all beings find our freedom, may we know peace, and may we move in the world with ease.
