Advent

My dear friends,

The purpose of the Advent season is to prepare us for a radical spiritual transformation. Advent, derived from the Latin word adventus, means "coming" or "arrival." In the Christian tradition, it is a time of anticipation, preparation, and deep reflection leading up to the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. However, beyond commemorating a historical event, Advent is a call to awaken to the perpetual arrival of divine presence within the heart and the world.

In the context of spiritual teachings, this preparation involves cultivating an inner state that mirrors the vigilance and attentiveness required to recognize profound truths. It’s an invitation to clear the clutter of habitual distractions and deepen one's awareness of the sacred, fostering qualities such as hope, peace, love, and joy. This corresponds beautifully with the Bodhisattva path in Buddhism, where the seeker vigilantly cultivates bodhicitta, the awakening mind, in anticipation of profound transformation and spiritual maturity. In the Tibetan Lamrim and Lojong traditions, while this transformation proceeds in stages, its cumulative effect is indeed profound.

To fully embrace Advent as a path to radical spiritual transformation, one must engage in practices that refine the heart and mind: reflection, meditation, acts of kindness, and surrendering the ego’s hold. Just as the Bodhisattva trains to see beyond the illusion of separateness, Christians during Advent are called to recognize the birth of Christ not only in Bethlehem but in the sacred space of their own lives. This preparation stirs one’s awareness to recognize and respond to divine light that continuously seeks to be born anew within and throughout the world.

Therefore, Advent is not simply a season on the liturgical calendar, but a profound opportunity to awaken vigilance and openness to the transcendent moment of spiritual rebirth and transformation.