On this Christmas Day, I feel a deep sense of peace within and send the peace to all beings wherever you are. If I'm to conclude what I have learned this year in a single word, it is PEACE. May this Peace bring you a deeper understanding and compassion towards yourself and the people around you.
2014 is my 2nd year living a fully surrendered life. What do I mean by that? I listen to my heart, act upon what my heart desires and allow the Universe to bring me all that I need. I begin 2014 with the calling of my heart to build a Community of Love, a space where all who seek healing and spiritual harmony can come together to learn and grow. It has been a wonderful blessing to partake in this adventure! I see Love blossoms in the hearts of many who I met.
As I journey on with others, I get to face my own inner struggles. The Peace that I thought was there was disrupted. Those were the times when I would allow myself the time and space to feel my feelings. As the feelings surfaced, more thoughts surfaced. I noticed that during such times, my thoughts got uglier and less loving. And I allowed myself to feel those thoughts instead of pushing them aside. The deeper I went, the more pain I felt and the more doubts surfaced. In the past, I would just cry it off, make the whole world wrong, picked myself up and moved on. But, this year, part of my consciousness told me that it was not over yet. And I surrendered myself for further Divine's guidance.
The Universe sent me Teacher Thich Nhat Hanh this December! He said, "If there's mud in your life, there you will find the lotus." If there's suffering or struggle or pain in your life, go, look at it, face it. It is there that you will find the lotus, the Buddha. But, people rather not having the mud. No mud, no lotus. So, I dived into my mud. There, he shared about Duality, if there is Left, there is always Right, if there is Darkness, there is always Light. And yes, I remembered the lotus that I saw in one of my meditation. For me, I knew my lesson is more than that. Something within me needs to be looked at squarely. Thanks to the Joyful Garden Sangha, I realized where I was blocked during a Day of Mindfulness! My attachment to human civilization. Human civilization will also come to an end. Then, why am I here? Why do I choose to be in this human world when I already know that this world will end?
The answer came in my mindful eating! It is LOVE energy that creates. It is LOVE energy that transforms. It is LOVE energy that exists forever and ever. Human is just a form. Then why am I so attached to it? Ahhh..... I choose to let it go. I am Love... and Love flows...
The Seed of Divine's Love has been planted within me. I have been blessed with Divine's Peace. And I allow Divine's Joy to manifest and extend beyond my being.
May you and your family be blessed abundantly with Peace, Love & Joy!
Love Always,
Gladys Lee
