Blessings of the Lineage to you all. As we are drawn together in this celebration of illumination let us bring the light of the hearts, our compassion, to all those who have experienced hardships, trauma, and misery.
Let the fruits of our meditations be offered: may their suffering be alleviated.
And as to yourselves say, Thy will be done and not mine.
Having thus unburdened yourself of all the claims of ego,
remain a dweller of the heart-center, maintaining this awareness through breath and mantram.
I have thought about this extensively and tonight I’d like to share the two words that have come to mind: "resilience and silence". And I call this resilience and silence returning to the single “I”. For when you drop the “I” of ego, from the "silience" of resilience, you find that you are in silence. In that single presence.
For all of us around the globe, this year has been truly a stress-test of resilience and returning again and again to silence.
As we have removed the “I” of ego in resilience, we have become aware of our ability to change and flow with that change.
And as meditators, we have valued the quiet moments and have returned to silence, reminded of the fullness of re-silencing again and again throughout the day. This resilience and re-silence are two sides of the coin of personality and transformation. Let our meditations be a pause in the constant push and go with the flow of your breath. Let your meditations be a practice resilience and return to the single “I” of silence in stillness, in the fullness of your being.
Om, Shanti, srb
Today give a little more than you have given before; and love just a little bit more.
I want to see you expand your capacities. Becoming just a little larger than you think you are and see what fun that is. Just a little larger. Love just a little bit more. Try to open the door to your heart.
Are you afraid to use your key of volition? A sweet fragrance will come and touch you. With this start, with this sweet fragrance of volition, decision, expansion, your heart center opens, and you want to open just a little bit more.
Make a start today and give a little more than you have given before, and love just a little bit more.
With blessings of gratitude, Om
Swami Ritavan