Christmas is around the corner. And this is the second time I am sending out Christmas greetings to my beloved ones from the road. Who would have thought that?

I would like to use this special date to thank all of you! I am always amazed, that I have such good friends (both back home and the ones I have met “on the road”). Deeply grateful that you are all putting in sooo much effort to stay in touch with me. Thanks for all your love!

I wish all of you a blessed and holy Christmas!

Loving God, help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and the worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate
and open the door of love
all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift
and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil
by the the blessings which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning
make us happy to be thy children,
and the Christmas evening
bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven,
for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

[Robert Louis Stevenson]

My wishes for the new year for you and the world have been wonderfully expressed by a great Buddhist master a long time ago:

May all beings everywhere
plagued by sufferings of body and mind
obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
by virtue of my merits.

May no living creature suffer,
commit evil, or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled,
with a mind weighed down by depression.

May the blind see forms
and the deaf hear sounds.
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
be restored on finding repose.

May the naked find clothing,
the hungry find food.
May the thirsty find water
and delicious drinks.

May the poor find wealth,
those weak with sorrow find joy.
May the forlorn find hope,
constant happiness, and prosperity.

May there be timely rains
and bountiful harvests.
May all medicines be effective
and wholesome prayers bear fruit.

May all who are sick and ill
quickly be freed from their ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the world,
may they never occur again.

May the frightened cease to be afraid
ans those bound be freed.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of benefiting each other.

For as long as space remains,
for as long as sentient beings remain,
until then may I too remain
to dispel the miseries of the world.

[Shantideva]

God bless you & May you be happy.
Michael