2020 has made us wiser; it was a challenging year - all those who were on the run or never sat at home were forced to sit at home. Those into service like frontline health workers put their heart & soul, put their lives at risk. Places of worship like temples, mosques, even ashrams were shut down. Hotel industry and tourism almost disappeared.
But there’s 1 thing - the zeal/enthusiasm didn’t stop, the flame was alive. Our experience in caring /sharing for people has only grown.
Human mind has enormous capacity to adjust, accommodate and acclimatise to any eventuality. Many have discovered another dimension in their life - the spiritual dimension, that you don’t need to go to any place of worship to be spiritual and can sit and meditate wherever you are to find peace amid the chaos. These dimensions have made our lives richer.
Innovative spirit has been coming up in many parts of the world. Innovation comes when the mind is calm, serene and relaxed. This time gave us an opportunity to do things that we were either postponing or complaining about that we didn’t have the time to do. Now we say goodbye to 2020 and get ready to welcome 2021.
The coming year will definitely give us the much-needed spirit of enthusiasm and willingness to care & share for each other and move towards more progress in our personal and social life.
There are people who get stuck in time, then those who flow with time, then those who change time and there are others who surpass/go beyond time. As meditators / people in conscious living, you all have the ability to beyond time. That is spiritual wisdom. Know that you are beyond the body and events. This glimpse will make the foundation of love, thought and compassion unstoppable, irrespective of situations, with a smile & sense of celebration.
There are people who could not see through the year and exited the planet earlier and the families could not even say goodbye to them due to COVID-19. I tell them - there is a strength within you, of deep inner silence, through which you can bring peace, not just to everyone around you, but to realms that are unfathomable, which are beyond our apparent reach. Continue to meditate; your deep connection with with the silence within you will bring peace and solace to those who have crossed over as well.
Let’s welcome 2021 to bring more happiness and remove any traces of fear or uncertainty that we may have harboured or carried on with us. Let’s use wisdom to uplift our spirits in these times.
Art of Living is a global family and in the new year, we celebrate our 40th year. We will spend this year in reflecting on the path this movement has walked through. All those who have spent decades, many years, in AOL should recollect, write and compile their stories/ experiences for posterity. This is the icing on the cake, the real thing is the profound inner silence. In this 40th year, let’s spread the fragrance to all those in need so that people can feel the transformation in their lives and lead a happy, healthy life.
All those who are sincere, intense seekers - this would be a year in which you’ll go deeper in wisdom and be the lighthouse for the whole world.
We’ll do some celebrations in the year-end, after the pandemic and uncertainties looming over the entire planet are over. In this, ayurveda will help, yagnas (ancient ceremonies), they will all help.
And, this year will have many surprises for us all! Yes, pleasant surprises!
