A big snowstorm in December brought the chilliness of winter.  The beauty of the four seasons is the most selfless gift from the nature.

This is the third New Year since I came to America.  From Thanksgiving, Christmas to New Year day, Americans have a really long holiday season.  I like the sense of holiday season a lot.  I remember, every New Year day, I always received a surprise gift from my great master.  Among many other gifts, the gifts from the master represent the precious and greatest connection between a master and a disciple.

A tiny square personal seal made of jade, an plain little ruler and a regular ear cleaning stick.  To me, these ordinary and easily obtained things have the most extraordinary meaning.

Every time when I remember my grateful master who had originally given me the ordination and passed away years ago, these gifts given by him to the Sangha members always trigger my endless reminisce and appreciation of him.

After several years since my ordination, these little gifts never leave me even when I studied overseas, they were always there to accompany me.   These gifts represent my compassionate master's sincere teaching and deep expectation.  Perhaps due to destiny, I did not bring them with me when I left quickly for America and had to stay unexpectedly.  But they have already resided deeply in my mind for a long time.

From time to time, my great master reminded us.  As Buddha's disciples, our determination to practice the path should be indestructible like a hard rock.  Despite the passage of time, after much beating by wind and rain, our practice should remain more and more unshakable.  A tiny stone carved with personal name is a very important personal seal.  In Taiwan, important personal documents have to be stamped with this tiny stone to be official, just like the signature in America.  In Taiwan, personal seal represents power and approval.  That is the reason why my great master gave every disciple a personal seal made of jade.

Before we become Buddhas, sentient beings always like to measure and judge others based on our personal views.  A ruler reminds me of my great master's intense teaching.  No matter how difficult the causes and conditions are, no matter how much the environments have changed, we must remain keenly aware in every moment at days and nights to learn the Bodhisattvas' loving kindness, compassion, blessing and renunciation and to examine whether our body, speech, and mind are suitable for the Dharma and not stepping beyond the normal rules and customs.  So, the little ruler is a gift to measure ourselves, as my master told us.

An ear cleaning stick can dig out our ear waxes.  Ears are the most sensitive organs for the sentient beings in Jambudvipa (the muddy world).  But, good advice is the most difficult thing for people to hear and accept.  Instead, people open their ears everyday waiting for flattering, untruthful compliments or some impure sounds, which confuse our mind.  Accumulated day-by-day and month-by-month, these untruthful words and impure sounds create misunderstandings, confusions and arguments among people.  From time to time, the arising of a thought of ignorant anger burns and destroys the supreme merits in our mind.

So, Buddhist practitioners should frequently clean up our ears.  With a pure and wisdom mind, let the pure words of Dharma enter our ears and follow the teaching to practice in order to eliminate the obstructions in our mind.

To a person who know how to appreciate, even the nature's phenomena will be received as a supreme gift.  The impermanence and alteration of the human life is like the dew in the early morning or the lightening in the sky that disappears at a glance.  The great dream of the human life is so short yet filled with more suffering than happiness.  In order to avoid suffering and obtain happiness, the ordinary beings are busy all day long in pursuit of the sources of happiness.   Yet, what we do not know is that the real source of the happiness is in our mind.  If we understand the interdependent origination of the causes and conditions as the Buddha taught us, there is nothing we could not let go.  Only when we truly let go everything can we realize the true skillful means to detach our enjoyment when we are successful, to reinforce our practice when we are faced with difficulties and to achieve the ultimate happiness of the liberation.

Over a year ago, we experienced the most impermanent stroke of September 11.  While everybody lived under the terrifying and depressing shadow without much happiness, the rescue of nine miners in Pennsylvania again brought us the hope of life.  When we have hope in our mind, even if we sow the seeds on the ice and snow, there is still a possibility that the seeds will sprout and grow.

Wish everybody that everyday is a good day and every year is a good year in the future.

Happy New Year!