End of Year Blessings

I sit at my kitchen table in the hour before sunset, watching the day’s rain-sleet mix turn to snow. Flakes fall in every direction, pushed at a slant by the wind as the evergreens sway. I’ve lit a candle in remembrance of a loved one who made their transition on Christmas evening. A candle shines beside me, as does the loved one, whom I’ve felt close since taking down the Christmas altar and dedicating space to her and the treasure of her life. Going through pictures, I’m touched by the sassiness of her nature captured in so many shots. It shines as bright as the candle, as the sliver moon, transitioning to dark. 

As I light the altar candle and do a remembrance ceremony, a chant makes its way into my heart, sung at “The Gate of Sweet Nectar” ceremony:

Calling out to hungry hearts,

Everywhere through endless time.

You who wander, you who thirst, 

I offer you this Bodhi mind.

Calling all you hungry spirits, 

Everywhere through endless time.

Calling out to hungry hearts,

All the lost and the left behind.

Gather round and share this meal.

Your joy and your sorrow,

I make it mine.*

This chant is based on an ancient practice of offering care and compassion to every imaginable being, not only in physical forms we see, but beings in every stage and plane of existence. It announces—here I am, offering my alive and quiet mind, witnessing the pain of unending and relentless hungers, even those that can never be satisfied. I am you, gather round and receive care, compassion, relief….

For many, the holidays are a time of difficulty, when the insatiable hungers of addiction, loss, and loneliness become stronger. After holiday, the hunger may recede as we look to a New Year, new possibilities offered in every moment ~ every lighting of the candle, every chant, every breath. 

There is a line in the Chanting from the Heart Ceremony for the Deceased that says, "The peace and joy of the entire world, including the worlds of the living and the dead, depend upon our own peace and joy in this moment. With all our heart and one-pointed mind, let us begin anew for the benefit of ourselves and our beloved ones." 

As I write on December 29th, two days before New Year’s Eve 2025, I dedicate my actions, my thoughts, and my quiet mind to care and compassion in the midst of hunger. I gather with my community at the table. May we reflect the great heart of compassion, always flowing to us and our loved ones in every moment. 

If you or a loved one feel the impact of the holidays and are affected by addiction and recovery and could benefit from open hearts, turned toward living a happy and peaceful life in the midst, please come to Lotuses in the Mud online recovery sangha, Thursdays at 7:45a Pacific. Zoom ID 988-3428-9711 Password: LTMC

* Calling Out To Hungry Hearts by Krishna Das, created for Zen Peacemakers