Namaste, usually at the beginning of retreat we talk about the word namaste, I'm aware

that we didn't. And even for those of us that have said it a thousand times, it's, I think

it's one of the most amazing and beautiful rituals of greeting in the history of the

universe. I mean, think of it, we're saying these words that really mean, I see and I

think about the sacred that is shining through you, living through you, expressing through

you. Like, what if we really slow down enough to just even glimmer that when we, you know,

as a regular way of encountering each other? So I wasn't planning to go into that, but

that's what came to mind. So one of the nice things about New Year's Eve and kind of

the turning of the year, it can be a skillful means, like a useful marker where we sense as

we try to so often what really matters and what we want to deepen our attention to. I've

sent so much in the groups and just in the hall, this deepening of presence and a kind

of courageousness of heart. I mean, it's just, it's no small deal to choose to come here

and whether you are one of those people that choose to come here and found yourself taking

so-called breaks and spending more time, you know, walking somewhere else or whether you've

been right with the schedule still. There's some choosing to pay attention to your heart

and your awareness and there's a waking up that happens. And tonight I want to talk specifically

about the waking up of this heart. These are the words of Hafiz and for those of you that

don't know the name of the book is the subject tonight is love, translation of Daniel Ladinsky

and it's a wonderful book. So he writes, the subject tonight is love. Here we go. And for

tomorrow night as well, as a matter of fact, I know of no better topic for us to discuss until

we all die. So the subject tonight is love and my understanding is the most essence expression

of spiritual realization is love. And so in that spirit, it's not always the love that seems

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