Sitting here in this still calm place I am suddenly reminded of a lesson I was taught once that even though I do not understand why I feel that it is important to share it with you all. who knows maybe it is just what your looking for.

a few years ago my father brought me to the Samudrabadra Kadampa Buddhist Center for the first time after we moved to America.
I was having trouble adjusting to my new life since I was now in a completely unfamiliar place.
I felt that I did not fit in, i felt that know one could understand me and truth be told i felt very alone since no one could sign I felt that I was unable to make friends.

after a few weeks of my father dragging me to temple every day and me resisting as much as possible because i did not want to crawl out of my whole (bedroom) I had imprisoned myself in one of the monks i had seen in temple came and sat down by me.
At first he made no attempt to communicate with me he simply sad in a rather odd meditation style.
After a few minuets he looked down at me and he reached out and tapped me on my leg twice to get my attention when i looked up at him he raised his hands and began to sign .. it was crude and you could tell he was just learning but he began to say something to me and i guess at the time i did not understand it completely but over the last couple years it begins to make more and more since.

Every ray of light comes from a source
light can shine and cover they whole earth from only one source.
when we allow ourselves to shine we too can touch many people.
be the source of light.
you were made to shine.

Every now and then i see him at temple and he will sign to me since he has gotten much much better at it.
At the time I felt the lesson i needed to learn was that I should not be upset at this new life i should be embracing it so I did and now i am in love with this country and all my new friends and my job and everything..
However I continue to learn from this short teaching and every day I learn something new from it as though it is they first time I have heard it.

today as i think back on that teaching i realize that I am a source of light .. we all are.. and it is our job to shine on those who are in a dark place.
your light must be shared ... as my favorite quotes says ...

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."