Every year we celebrate Tibetan New Year (Losar). Today, February 24th, begins the year of the iron mouse. May this New Year usher in robust health and boundless joy!

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about how crucial it is to identify where we have “agency” in our lives, and why we sometimes forfeit our agency either knowingly or unknowingly to make choices that don’t support our own or other’s wellbeing. By “agency” I am referring to our ability to make sane and conscious choices that allow us to bring our actions together with our intention to lead a sane and healthy life.

The word “aspiration” means to dream, to wish, to consider. When we make an aspiration we set ourselves in motion in the direction of our intentions.  It’s like riding a bicycle--wherever we gaze, the bike tends to steer in that direction. Like that, by consciously making an aspiration we steer our life and efforts in the direction of our dreams, our wishes; in other words, our aspirations help us bring our actions and our deepest intentions into harmony.

The first practice instruction Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche ever gave to me was: “Don’t create.” He told me, “Leave your mind in its natural state—don’t do anything. When thoughts and sensations arise, just let them arise. When they fall away, just let them fall away. Don’t try to manipulate them.” Then he went to Tibet for six months. 

This entire book hinges on the word faith. You may assume that you know what that means. You may think that it has a single, clear definition. But words are not definitive structures: one word can have limitless—even opposing—meanings. Language morphs over time and words take on different meanings depending on their contexts. You’ll likely find as many definitions of faith as there are people to define it. Try asking around.

It's National Pie Day and I have just the right thing to share. A few years ago a dear friend of mine, knowing about my deep interest in the teachings on pratityasamutpada, shared a Carl Sagan quote with me about pie that would prove to be so thought-provoking it served as the inspiration for one of the chapters in my upcoming book, The Logic of Faith. 

This month I want to share something personal with you that took place in my life at the end of last year: the death of my beloved father. At first I wondered how this topic would go over as a New Year’s blog...but there is something so poignant and relevant about loss for everyone.