Dear Noble Sangha,
As the year of the Water Rabbit dawns and we usher in another new lunar year, Jetsunla and I wish you all a very Happy Losar.
This past year, we have all endeavoured, in various ways, to return and regain momentum in our lives and our spiritual practices after the many disturbances brought about by the pandemic. With great delight, we witnessed the efforts and diligence of so many sangha members who have continued to persevere with their studies and practices.
Our various sanghas, study groups and Mindrolling students worldwide have dedicatedly and with diligent effort studied and practiced throughout the year. And all your diligence and effort has enabled the continuity of the teachings and provided support for many sangha members. This is inspiring and marvelous to witness and we thank you all for your dedication, diligence and love for one another.
This year we are also delighted that the next Mahasangha and the first cycle of the Vajra Assembly in Europe will take place in the Czech Republic this year and we look forward to seeing many of you there.
Today as we joyfully celebrate the New Year, we encourage you all to persevere even more through this coming year to bring accomplishment of the Dharma practices and to gain deeper insight and understanding of the true meaning of Dharma.
Throughout this new year, I encourage you all to take to heart and embody the following essential key points of the Buddha’s teachings:
- Generate and deepen fervent devotion, bodhicitta and a mind motivated by weariness towards this cyclic existence.
- Cultivate mindfulness that steers mind away from non-virtue and directs one’s diligence towards merit and wisdom.
- Develop courage, humility and honesty in training your mind and enrich yourself with the precious pith instructions.
- Perfect uttpati and sampannakrama and realize the illusory display of all that arises.
- Maintain awareness that seals all with the absolute abiding within the nature that was never anything but awake.
May the year of the Water Rabbit, that adorns the brilliant moon, illuminate gently the minds of all beings with pristine wisdom and a shower of blessings of all the tathagatas.
From us all at Mindrolling, Samten Tse and Mindrolling Lotus Garden, we send you Losar greetings and all our prayers for an auspicious Lunar New Year.
JKR