My dear brothers and sisters, what we put out comes back to us.

Whether it’s a marriage or another kind of relationship there will always be conflicts that arise. How we deal with them affects our own peace, the peace of the other and the peace of the relationship.

If we get angry or jealous or fearful, we must remember first and foremost that the fault is in us, regardless of the action or words of the other.

If our heart is peaceful then there will be no reaction and we will respond with love.

However, if our heart is turbulent then surely we will respond in kind, with agitation and vengeance.

The trick to practicing the above is not to expect a reward from our peaceful response but to do it simply for the sake of its own goodness.

If we learn to do this much in the same way we stop at a red light or brush our teeth in the morning,
then we avoid accidents and sickness.

We can hope but never expect.

This attitude needs to become permanent. If this is done our whole lives will change.

It is miraculous but, like all things, takes time.

As the new year begins, I had a thought.

We all know from each of the religious traditions that at the center of each man and woman is a beautiful light  -  it is “the kingdom of heaven within.”

Yet, in each one of us it is surrounded and covered by emotions, perceptions, doubts, fears and a host of destructive qualities… such as impatience, greed, cruelty, envy, lust, intolerance, vengeance and the
like.

As a great sage once said, true peace or enlightment is not something to be gained – we already have it.

We simply need to remove the layers of ignorance and bad qualities that isolate it.

A good new year’s resolution.