I just finished celebrating New Year with about 765 people, mainly Europeans, at Drukpa Plouray. Many people took the Brahmacharya Vows, with very pure motivation. I didn't force them, they just decided by themselves, that's very nice. Some of them took the vows for their entire life, some for a certain period of time. Nevertheless, they will definitely have an experience that will help their development for the sake of all sentient beings.

I am happy not only because they put on their multi-colour robes, but also they are able to make a commitment to change and improve their day-to-day life, so that they will be more satisfied and contented and eventually, they will be able to share this positive experience with others.

Yesterday was the end of the retreat at Drukpa Plouray. Drubpon Ngawang performed a very grand mandala offering ceremony. Drubpon Ngawang, as usual, performed this with sincere heart while going through the entire ritual. I believe that this will make me come again and again, to meet all my friends and students here at Drukpa Plouray. I believe this was a very good omen.

In the morning, we did an extensive Ganachakra feast offering based on Sengey Tsewa practice. Speaking about Sengey Tsewa, everyone that came for the retreat was very familiar with the prayers and the chanting tune of Sengey Tsewa. I am very proud of this, even though I know that some of them were actually not sure of what's happening. It doesn't really matter, at least this would start them on the path, and I just want to encourage them to gradually go deeper into the practice.

You can see Drukpa Plouray's own report about this program in their website, there are many photographs which I don't think I should repeat here.

My short stay in Mexico was also quite refreshing, the only thing is that people need to sort out many issues with more gentleness, patience and open hearts. I believe that nothing is impossible if everyone has one direction, I hope and wish that when I visit Mexico the next time, there will be more people, especially young and active people among our members, helping out actively and that the existing members will help the new ones with kindness, patience and a great heart of openness. I also look forward to hearing good news about the setting up of a physical centre in Mexico City, so that members and friends of Drukpa Mexico can gather to work for the benefits of all beings.

The programs in America were also very well organised by my very old friend, Lama Surya Das, his Dzogchen community in Austin and New York, Carrie and Wendy Lee in Los Angeles as well as Lee Knight and the Rubin Museum in New York. I can see that a lot need to be done in America for the Drukpa Lineage. We need to have active people who are able to carry out regular activities based on Live to Love without imposing their own personal conditions and judgements. I am confident that our existing group in America will be able to start something rolling very soon.

I am not sure how the future will be for us in America, but I can see there is a great hope, needing to be actively and urgently materialised. There is a lot of interest in spirituality, a lot of interest in the Drukpa Lineage, I couldn't believe that none of our books, DVDs and other things were available at all in the entire America. That was quite a disappointment. If we don't do something now, then there is nothing we can do later on to help the people there. I hope Live to Love will be able to help many people in America and that my limited number of friends and students there will continue to be actively involved, even in my absence.

I watched the documentary produced by Kontrentreal, it was a great thing that they have done to introduce our school in Ladakh. I am looking forward to having this documentary available to my own community so that we will also be able to learn how to communicate with the world today with modern technology and skills. Here is a short version they have put up on Youtube:

I always think and feel that we should never be conservative, even though we keep talking about preserving traditions and cultures. Traditions and cultures should be enriching one's life and not limiting the growth and potentials. If we choose to benefit others on the spiritual path and if we want to practise Live to Love, how can we do so if we have such a judging attitude, discriminating what we see, what we perceive? It is very easy to love pleasant people, pleasant situations, pleasant things. But the true test comes only when you are faced with the most unpleasant situation and people, whether you can take it or not, whether you can accept and embrace with love or not.

This time, I was also quite surprised to hear some of my very old friends and students telling me how happy they were to see no other languages on my current website and that the Live to Love should have English and no other language. I really didn't understand what was happening. But now that I have time to think about it again, I feel it is not advisable for anyone of us on the genuine spiritual path not to accept anything, and try only to accept things that are matching with our own liking. No one will suffer except yourself. We can modify and improve whatever logo we have right now, but reasons should not be personal or emotionally negative, it should be because of us wanting to help more people and more beings.

We only have one earth, we are all members of the earth, the languages are only means to communicate, no other reasons for languages to be there. Moreover, everyone deserves to be different, live a different life, like different things. So long as there is LOVE, LOVE will bring everyone together towards the path of TRUE HAPPINESS.

The main reason why I am promoting Live to Love is really for the sake of breaking down all the barriers in terms of nationality, religions, languages and so on so forth. Our own unhappiness and dissatisfaction are caused by ourselves, our own limitations and our ego. Love has no conditions, it is like sunrays shining on the earth. The sun will not discriminate what it shines on, it will not say that "Your house is very ugly, you are very bad person, you are very evil, so I don't shine on you." Whether or not you will get the light of the sun, depends on how open you are, how great your loving heart is.

My New Year message for 2008 is that I ask my friends and students to work together with me and with each another, forget about race, language, nationality and so on, be loving, forgiving and patient towards everyone, at least within the Drukpa family. Nothing is impossible if you have an open heart and the willingness to reach out, to listen, to share, to work together and to live in genuine and not superficial harmony and peace.

I hope and pray that with true harmony and open-minded acceptance, starting from now, we should be trying our best to LIVE TO LOVE or LIVE WITH LOVE, so that we will eventually be messengers of LOVE, PEACE, JOY, HARMONY and HAPPINESS.

By the way, my nuns at Druk Gawa Khilwa in Kathmandu also sent their New Year Greetings in very creative way. You can see that in their web: www.drukpa-nuns.org