Last night at our 1st Mantra Night get together for 2018 we discussed New Year resolutions and how they are generally about wanting to become a better “me”. This, of course, leads to a conversation about our having two natures – a higher nature and a lower nature or Sat-svabhāvaand asat-svabhāvain Sanskrit. Our real happiness and true spiritual love are experienced when I am living in harmony with my higher nature or Sat-svabhāva. My lower nature arises from my body and mind and is not really who I am. Therefore identifying with the age, appearance, sex or the race of my body will always lead to unhappiness in so many ways. My eternal and spiritual nature (the nature of “me”, the soul itself) is my actual identity. My New Year’s resolution could be to renew my commitment to the practices which bring about my self-realization and therefore my happiness, peace, a restful heart, and spiritual love. Hari Auṁ