I think experiences like that in my life helped me to… to really dig deep into what is true… who am I. And of course in that instance I was just dealing with who am I in the sense how do I relate in certain ways with others in the world. But really, we have to let go of all those labels, all those identities, all of those things. Because who we are is not male or female, gay or straight, Buddhist or Baptist. I mean these are identities that we can take on and try to like bring in healthy ways of being in relation to those things in the world. But, ultimately we are not that, we are more than that. We are the vast sky of awareness. And no clouds can pull that or obscure that.

So our practice is to realize, remember, and relax into that. And that is the greatest source of self-esteem possible. It is no self-esteem. In the sense of… it is beyond any of these societal notions of what our self is. It is the source of greatest, just joy, and being-ness, and freedom, spaciousness. Because we know we are not confined or constricted by all of these expectations and labelings of the world. And when we practice coming back to who we are over and over and over again… Every morning when we sit in meditation… Every week as we gather together in mindfulness… Every month if we do a special day of mindfulness… Every season if we do a weekend retreat… Every year if we do a longer retreat. All of these cycles are just simply ways to help us not fully forget, and are just different ways to help us to awaken more and more to that which already always there: our true nature. And that brings and creates space around us, the kind of space that just radiates peacefulness, non-busyness, love, acceptance.

So true emptiness is not a feeling of sadness and lonliness. True emptiness is a spacious acceptance, joyful radiance. So that when people are around you, they feel that and they feel accepted. And they feel they can let go and relax. And they feel like it's ok to be who they really are. And they don't have to put up all these different masks. You know, in our society, we're so afraid of silence and so we want to like, chit chat about the first thing that comes to our mind and let the clouds take over. But in spaciousness, we don't need… it's not necessary. Someone can just sit next to you and feel and just enjoy that silently. Like the way your cat does, or dog.

So I will close my short talk, my spontaneous talk with something that I wrote this morning in honor of the first Sunday of Summer Solstice. Amitabha means infinite light and it's a symbolic Buddha symbolizing the infinite light that we all are. And Sukhavati: Sukha means happiness. Vati means place or land or dwelling or manifestion. So it's the pure land of great happiness, which is what a Buddha creates around him or herself. It is what we create around ourselves… this space of love and acceptance, of mindfulness, peace, freedom and wisdom, joy. That's what we are. And that's what we do.

Namo Amitabha Buddhaya June 24, 2007 A new beginning is dawning in your life and in your world. Old things are passing. Every moment is new. What used to work no longer does. It is time to open your heart to the Great Change, the Great Transformation that is taking place. Old habits, old patterns of thinking are being released now. Open your mind, open your heart, open your body — open your whole being to the Light that is now dawning afresh and anew. Dedicate every day to the Light. Begin every day in the Light. Live every day in the Light. Close every day in the Light. Sit in silent meditation every day in the Light with every breath: "Amitabha, Infinite Light" (Buddha). "Sukhavati, Happiness Manifesting" (Pure Land). You yourself are the Infinite Light. Your work here is only to manifest True Happiness for all beings. Let your Light shine. Don't hide it. Let your Light express as love, as clarity, as determination — as the Truth, Goodness and Beauty that you already and always are. You don't have to struggle so much to feel this love, to intuit guidance. Simply dedicate everything to the Light. Entrust yourself completely to the Light. And rest therein. The Light does all the work. The Light is love. The Light is wisdom. The Light is all there really is. It is your True Nature. And what the Light is, the Light does: The Light creates true happiness and joy and freedom. Amitabha creates Sukhavati. The Infinite Light creates Happiness Manifest. The Buddhas create Pure Lands. The Buddha is who you are. The Pure Land is what you do: Amitabha / Sukhavati. Being / Doing. Identity / Function. And so, perhaps you might like to practice this in your sitting and walking meditations: Sit with "Amit-abha" (Infinite / Light) as your mantra with every breath. Walk with "Sukha-vati" (Happiness / Manifesting) as your mantra with every step. Sit and walk as the Infinite Light of the Buddha creating a Pure Land of Great Happiness with every breath and every step for all beings. You can do it. You can do it, because You Are That! NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHAYA ~ Br. ChiSing