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Greetings and Namaste!

As we enter the holiday season, which surrounds the winter solstice here in the northern hemisphere, we can see that every tradition has its rituals and celebrations related to darkness and light. These range from Deepawali in India, to the Buddha's enlightenment, the birth of Christ, the sustaining of light through Hanukah, the revelation of the Q'uran and on and on. Part of the celebration of these holy days is gathering in community - joining with family and friends in the spirit of love, generosity and joy.

These qualities are an integral part of the Light we celebrate in its many forms. By radiating those qualities ourselves, we participate in sustaining the presence of the Light through times of darkness. "Enlightened" ones continuously illumine those around them with compassion and love, giving selflessly to all. When we open the pathway within to those qualities of our own sublime nature, then we too serve as vehicles of the Light, becoming more luminous ourselves in the process.

Keeping good company, internally and externally, is a critical component of every spiritual path. When we visit family and friends through the holiday season we practice cultivating the inner companions of love, generosity, kindness, and patience and sharing these gifts with those we encounter, whether they are family, friends or strangers. I remember the Dalai Lama saying once that a stranger is simply an old friend whom we are meeting again for the first time! Such a generous and loving expression of awakened mind is something we are all truly capable of, if we choose to keep the company of the clear light of wisdom that is always shining within us.

Holidays aren't a time where we set practices aside as though we're on a vacation. Our ordinary mind may be conditioned to associate time off with holidays, while our inner Wisdom Source knows differently. It's a time to joyfully intensify our practices, perhaps to shift our focus to the relational side of our practices or to be more extroverted, while for others it's a time to be more introverted and contemplative. Through our meditation practices we can access the guidance we need to best use our holy days to draw nearer to the warmth and light of the Divine and be better able to share that with all.

What if during these weeks ahead we choose to feast on that Light and her qualities of boundless love, compassion, patience and generosity? What if we fast by abstaining from swallowing all the thoughts, feelings and desires typical of our ordinary ego-mind, driven to possess and consume so relentlessly? What freedom and joy we could share! How brilliant our holy days will be!

May the blessings of all our practices and celebrations truly benefit everyone and lead to the relief of suffering everywhere.