Happy September!
Here’s wishing everyone cooler night and early morning temperatures as we glide into autumn this month. May we all marvel at the seasonal shifts Earth does so seamlessly, as we make our way through the seasons of our own lives. I notice that Earth grumbles less about her transitions than do some of us humans! I wonder if she suffers her own version of aches and pains as the forces for planetary erosion extract a price on her body. May she be blessed utterly for her patience with us and her willingness to serve as host for the evolutionary unfoldment of life and consciousness!
The teaching Master has generated for this month, Cultivating Joy, caught my interest in a couple of ways. First, it is a tribute to the late Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who came to the West at the end of the Vietnam war. I’m sure many of you are familiar with his impressive grasp of the dharma and his heart-centered style of teaching. He wrote over a hundred books that are available in English, and his deeply humble presence comes through to the reader in them all.
Probably most of us are familiar with his teachings on compassion and present moment awareness, as well as his sagely advice for living well. In this month’s teaching, Master borrows from Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings on generating happiness and joy. I find it touching that Master’s wisdom and guidance for this month flows so smoothly from last month’s teaching—almost like the seamless, season-to-season transitions of Earth. Until I received the daily thought in my in-box, I had forgotten that the final quote for August was one by Thich Nhat Hanh. How clever of Master! As we might expect, Master is again highlighting the joy theme, borrowing Thich Nhat Hanh’s five-step approach for “transforming suffering into happiness.”
The second point is, for me, the powerful demonstration of Oneness revealed between Master and Thich Nhat Hanh. Indeed, they become One through this beautiful teaching. Master’s love for this remarkable monk made me wonder how much Thich Nhat Hanh’s life and impeccable example remind Master of His own earthly incarnations. While last month’s lesson “filled my tank,” so to speak, with hope and joy, this month’s teaching deepens both, and has also elevated my aspiration to attain ever greater spiritual heights.
One other note is to remind us the autumnal equinox occurs on the 22nd of September here in the States, at 6:43 AM here in Mountain time. That’s, 2:43 PM in Europe, 6:13 PM in India, and 2:06 PM (vernal equinox) in Australia. Since both spring and autumnal equinoxes are the days on when Earth’s hours of light and darkness are balanced, Master urges all to focus on balance in our own lives at this time—particularly during the week leading up to the equinox and the one following. I wish you all supreme balance this month, and I truly hope you enjoy the teaching Master has just recorded.
May you have happiness, now and forever!
Kathlyn
To purchase the Recommended Monthly Teaching: Cultivating Joy
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