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Namaste, welcome friends. Glad that you're joining us for this part two of a three-part series that we're offering while I'm spending time with my family.

And these talks are based on an ancient teaching story from the Upanishads.

And each week unfolds a capacity we all have that's a key to our freedom.

And so this week offers guidance on awakening our spiritual aspiration, what we long for, which really helps energize us on the path.

So thank you for being here, for listening.

May this serve your heart.

The last class that we were together was the beginning of a three-part series on looking at the three key inner strengths that really support us as we move through the spiritual journey.

And for those of you who are tuning in fresh, it was based on a wonderful story from the Upanishads.

I've always loved the protagonist as a young man, Nachikata.

And he's gone through some very challenging times.

A few of his friends died and he got into a major and very painful conflict with his father.

And at the end of that conflict his father basically said, I give you to Lord Yama and Lord Yama is death.

So the young man very earnestly went seeking out the Lord of death, Lord Yama, and spent three days waiting for him and underwent exhaustion, fatigue, and hunger, and pain from his exertions.

And when Lord Yama finally arrived he was very impressed with Nachikata's dedication.

So he offered him any three gifts he wanted, any three gifts for continuing on his journey.

And Nachikata made his three choices and they reflect the wisdom of impermanence, the wisdom of really getting that this life is passing.

His first gift that he asked for was the freedom of a forgiving heart.

Because Nachikata knew that he really needed to free his heart from any armoring of hatred, or anger, or version in order to love fully.

It's in the same way that for each of us we know that if we are on our deathbed the smaller resentments, the ways we've held back our love from a partner or a child or a friend, it falls away in the light of impermanence.

And so Nachikata knew that, that given the reality of this living-dime world he wanted us heart to be open and awake.

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