When the force of the desire for Truth blossoms, selfish desires wither away, just like darkness vanishes before the radiance of the light of dawn.
We consider Christmas as the great, historical and decisive encounter between God and mankind. He who has faith knows this truly; let him rejoice.
Fasting in the monastic community is considered an ascetic practice, a “dhutanga” practice. Dhutanga means “to shake up” or “invigoration”. The Buddha, as is well known, emphasized moderation, the Middle Way that avoids extremes, in all things. Fasting is an additional method that one can take up, with supervision, for a time.
What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.
