New Year's Message 2025

Recently, several people have asked me about making New Year’s resolutions. Typically, these resolutions focus on goals like losing weight, quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, or spending less time on social media. While these goals may be helpful, many resolutions fail because they don’t address the root of the issue.

There’s an old Zen saying: “Forget about the branches; get to the root.” Often, we try to mask or cover up the real problem. It’s like taking medication to relieve a symptom without understanding the underlying cause. Why are we drinking excessively? Why are we losing ourselves in social media?

If we dig deeper and truly ask ourselves “why,” we will likely uncover something within us—fear, anger, or a sense of incompleteness or dissatisfaction. But where do these feelings come from? What is their true source?

This is where meditation can help. It allows us to explore the human condition, understand the source of our dissatisfaction, and observe the patterns of our minds. By doing so, we can experience freedom—not necessarily from the problems themselves, but from their grip on us. We learn how to let go of them and see through them.

When we experience this clarity, a true resolution can appear naturally. It isn’t forced or superficial but is grounded in truth and compassion in the present moment. Look at the world today—it doesn’t need our New Year’s revolutions. What it desperately needs are actions rooted in love, compassion, and wisdom to help heal the wounds of suffering.

Have a clear New Year!