New Year Greeting 2011

So the year of the Tiger is coming to an end. Many people are afraid that it is going to be a hard, or difficult year in which to make a living. At the beginning of the year, there were many predictions about it what the year would be like – both good and bad. In the end, everything – both good and bad – passes. All things fall under the laws of the three characteristics; arising, remaining for a while and ending. Or, more simply, all things are impermanent. This New Year, the year of Rabbit, is fast approaching and once again, there are many predictions about what it holds for us, both good and bad. The predictions will be same every year, always both good and bad; but they will never rise above impermanence. In the end, all such predictions will pass. We should not panic, but just continue living our normal lives. Buddhism teaches, "Everything arises, remains for a while and in the end disappears. Whatever will be, will be." Learn what is wrong, or right in life, and make progress in your life through education. There is a Zen story, which illustrates this well. Here is the story:

There once lived a Zen student, who dedicated his life to learning Dhamma and practicing meditation. He worked very hard on his study and practice. But he could not live up to his own expectations. Most of the time his meditation was not very good. One day, he went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is terrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I’m constantly falling asleep. It’s just awful!"
"It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly and advised him to keep on meditating. He did as he was told by his teacher, because nothing was better than practice.

A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware! So peaceful, so alive! It’s just wonderful!" "It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly. The student just smiled and kept quiet and accepted the teacher’s comment that it will pass.

It is true that, as the Zen teacher said, everything will pass. Therefore, we should not worry about anything, neither the Old Year, nor the New Year, We just need to keep living, trying to practice, and making an effort to concentrate on our task. In this way success will be ours. Nothing else matters does it? Predictions are merely words. If we allow ourselves to be affected by them, we will be miserable, or confused. Bear in mind that everything comes and goes; all things will pass.