1.  As always we start establishing ourselves in ourselves, “coming home to the breath,” creating space within us.

 

2.  Once I feel there is ample space within me, I contemplate my aspirations, my desires, my goals.  This is a contemplation without attachment, just noting that I aspire to work better with money, or be kinder to people, or learn Russian, or whatever.

 

3.  I now contemplate what I consider to be my “accomplishments” – again I do this without attachment.  I do these two stages relatively quickly in order to not get too swept by them.

 

4.  I now contemplate not having my accomplishments, not achieving my desires, not achieving my goals, and embrace the “not having” (which is actually neutral – it is only “not having” when it is in contrast to the idea of having it)

 

5.  I look at my shortcomings, my faults, my failures, the negative themes in my life.  I contemplate them without attachment, seeing them without judgment, perhaps seeing their roots in other qualities or events.

 

6.  Seeing my negative themes are universal.  They have a unique expression within me, but all people have these shortcomings, either as potentials or expressed.  They are expressed in me as part of the way life is expressed, just as a flower might be of many different colours or shapes, but is really a flower expressing life.

 

7.  If I knew I were to dies in a week, what would I be doing now?  (You can try shorter time periods, but you might end up only “making arrangements,” and it seems 30 days is a cut off point for this exercise having a clear effect).

 

8.  Sitting with the knowledge that “I already have all the conditions for my happiness.”  Just sitting!

With the new year starting out with fires, floods and threats of war, tonight we shall look at embracing suffering.