The most important is: we’re now beginning to have New Year, and the old year is almost going to cease.  And this is very important to remember that impermanence.  Life is changing.  Not only your life is changing; the outer phenomena are changing, your friends are changing, your business is changing, your job is changing. Your life is changing.  So the important (thing) is: you have to accept the impermanence.  If you don’t know how to accept impermanence, if you fight with impermanence, then that becomes most strong suffering.  If you know how to follow the impermanence, it’s joyful also. 

The Buddha said: recognizing suffering as suffering is one of the best ways to liberate from suffering.  Same here: if you accept the impermanence, your mind becomes more open, and you can see a lot of possibility in your life, and it is good for developing wisdom.  You can see more things; you can see situation more clearly.  Your mind becomes less sensitive.  If you don’t accept impermanence, your mind becomes tiny, small and sensitive.  You cannot see big problem, and you see small problem as big problem. So sometimes I am giving example that accepting impermanence and using impermanence as meditation practice: it’s like diving. In the ocean there is wave.  If you know how to play with the wave, then wave becomes cause of joyful experience.  You can play in the wave, water-surfing, diving… You can do many things.  You can play with the wave, and strong wave is nice.  But if you don’t know how to play with the wave, you’re against the wave, it will sink you; you may have full of water in your stomach.  That’s why one important (thing) is to remember that impermanence.  One year is almost gone.  It’s finished, almost gone.  So, think about impermanence.

And the second important is: prepare for New Year.  We’re going to a New Year, thinking that:

“OK, whatever past life, I mean, past year, is finished.  Now I am going to have New Year.  What should I do in New Year?  What kind of effort I want to put into positive action or helping others? ” So you try to bring up small idea.  Even you can not make big plan, its ok.  Small, which is you can do, according to your limitation, according to your capability, bring up one idea which is good for others.  For example, this year I am going to help others; I am going to practice certain things, I am going to contribute my time to others… whatever, small things, that’s very important. 

And also pray for this year. And I will pray for the coming New Year, because nowadays there’re lots of problems in the world: economy problems and outer environment problems.  And you can pray also, and it’s good for your life; good for the whole world, because you’re part of this world.  If you pray, there’s direct benefit for the world; if I pray, there’s direct benefit for the world, because we’re part of the world; we and the world have connection, karmic connection.  Because of the connection, if you pray for the world peace, the power, the benefit becomes strong.  Thank you.  And I will pray for all of you, and Happy New Year!

我想最重要的是，我们将开始新的一年，而旧的一年也即将过去。很重要的是忆念无常。因为生活在变化，而且不单单是你的生活正在变化，外在的现象在变化，你的朋友在变化，你的事业在变化，你的工作在变化。你的生活都在变化。所以重要的是：你必须去接受无常。如果你不知道如何接受无常，如果你反抗无常，那将是最大的痛苦。如果你懂得随顺无常，就会快乐。

佛陀说，认知痛苦为痛苦，是脱离痛苦的最好方法之一。同样的，如果你接受无常，你的心将变得更宽阔开放，你将在生命中看到无限可能，将有利于培养智慧，你能明了更多事情，你能跟清晰透彻的了解情况，你的心变得较不敏感。如果你不接受无常，你的心量变得窄小而敏感；你无法看到大问题，你会把小问题看成大问题。因此有时我会举这个例子说明如何接受无常并使用无常来进行禅修：就像在有波浪的海洋里冲浪，如果你知道如何与海浪游戏，浪头便成为快乐经验的来源。你可以与海浪游戏，冲浪，潜水，你能做很多事。如果你懂得如何与浪头游戏，那么大的浪头是非常棒的。但如果你不知道如何和浪头游戏，如果你反抗浪头，它将会淹没你，也许你还会灌一肚子水。因此，第一重要的是记住无常。一年即将结束，当忆念无常。

而第二重要的是：准备迎接新的一年。新的一年就要来到，我们应当思维：

“不管去年如何，都已经成为过去了。我即将迈入新的一年。新的一年我该做些什么呢？我应该如何行善利益他人呢？”可以试着想一些小的点子，即使不是什么大计划，也是很好的。基于你们的条件和能力，想一些小的你可以做得到的利他的事情，比如“今年我将去帮助他人，我将做某个修持，我将贡献我的时间给他人”等等。多小的事情都可以，这个很重要。

你们也要为今年而祈祷。我也为即将来临的新年祈祷，因为现今世界上有重重问题：经济问题和环境问题等。你们也可以祈祷。祈祷将对你的生活有利益，并对整个世界有利益。因为你们是世界的一份子，所以你们的祈祷，会对这个世界有直接的利益；我的祈祷，也会对这个世界有直接的利益。因为我们是世界的一份子，我们和世界有紧密相连的业力因缘。因为这业缘，当你们祈祷世界和平时，祈祷的力量和利益将十分广大。

谢谢大家。我为你们所有人祈祷。新年快乐！