My dear students, I greet you in the glory of a new season. Experience well all it has to offer in sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and physical sensation. Know that you are a planetary being; thus you are part of Earth and have ongoing opportunities to reflect her exquisite beauty and radiance. How truly special to be in physical embodiment and to enjoy Earth�s physicality! May that experience abundantly feed your soul, mind, heart, and body. May you share a joyous relationship with Earth, which begets wonder and, ultimately, liberation.

Last month we explored the potential of cultivating altruistic motivation and learned to fill our experiences and interactions with compassion. As the world seems to shrink under the influence of increasingly powerful technology, compassion and altruistic motivation are the inner forces that can draw people, institutions, and cultures closer in the quest for peace and true understanding. Actively practicing love in every situation has always been important for both personal spiritual evolution and overall planetary health. However, given the state of the world today, I think we could all agree that cultivating and encouraging loving interactions has never been more important.

Liberate the Mind

Often, the description of spiritual development is discussed and considered in terms of "liberation." While this connotation is familiar to spiritual students in the East, Westerners sometimes struggle a bit with the terminology. What does it mean, really, to liberate the mind? Physical liberation from domineering or oppressive situations is fairly straightforward and is easily understood. Yet, because the mind is not physical and therefore not subject to restraint by shackles and prisons, you must move deeper to ascertain what this liberation is and why it plays such a vital role in spiritual attainment.