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Entries from December 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024

Monday
Dec302024

A daily choice: 

self-indulgence or simple joys.

Running an errand at a mall, we were a group of nuns looking after one another and laughing. And observing. I saw a mother hugging her crying child, a young woman laughing along with the blind man who held her arm. 

But mainly I saw self-engrossed people amidst the upscale shops and numerous eateries.

A woman mindlessly eating her lunch while flipping through a catalog. A well-dressed man striding by while venting angrily into his earbuds. A couple looking at the store displays while ignoring each other. People were spending money, shopping, dining—doing things that were supposed to make them happy. But they weren’t. Perhaps they sensed the futility of searching for happiness in possessions and self-indulgence. 

No happiness there. 

Where was it?

In the laughter between friends. In the eyes of a mother and her child. On the face of an elderly, blind man laughing with his companion. The observed happiness was not from any self-indulgence. It was from friendship and caring for others.

Friday
Dec272024

From Rage to Forgiveness: What Lies Between (Part Twelve)

Tuesday
Dec242024

Sentient beings are innumerable; I vow to . . .

Saturday
Dec212024

Learn from guilt and do not become immersed in it.

Our difficulty in forgiving ourselves and others is worsened by our thoughts returning to what happened, over and over. First, when we have an argument or fight with someone, we consider how bad it made both of us feel. Then we resolve to try harder next time to not give in to the anger. We don’t want to feel terrible again!

For the other person, we forgive them by reminding ourselves that we have no idea what happened in that person’s life to result in their acting with such hostility. And we tell ourselves that we got to walk away from a person who was verbally abusive toward us. They couldn’t! What suffering. 

Finally, each time our thoughts return to what happened, we brush them aside and replace them with “Amituofo.”

We do this every time our thoughts return to the incident and our guilt. And we remind ourselves that our guilt wastes our time and energy. It will be much better to chant “Amituofo” and dedicate the merits to all being in suffering.

Wednesday
Dec182024