Hi all,

Although Losar, Tibetan New Year, is not yet quite upon us, many Buddhist cultures celebrate Chinese New Year, which began this past weekend, ushering in the Year of the Horse, which I have written about here:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art179488.asp

Also this month I am featuring a powerful book on how Buddhism can aid those struggling with addiction:

The 12-Step Buddhist - Book Review
Drug and alcohol addiction is a huge source of suffering for many, and Buddhist teachings address the causes of suffering head-on. The 12-Step Buddhist outlines a way to integrate Buddhist teachings with traditional 12-Step recovery programs, applying Buddhist teachings to addictions of all types.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34033.asp

As many of you know, I work with sexual trauma and abuse survivors. I will be offering my next 4-week Energy Healing teleseminar on this topic soon. If you or anyone you know may be interested, you can view the details at my website here:

http://enlightenedenergetics.com/teleseminars/

As always, I would love to hear from you in the Bellaonline forum:

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=351

In closing, here is a version of the well-known passage in the Lotus Sutra, in which the Buddha affirms the essential Buddha nature of all beings:

Shariputra, you should know
that at the start I took a vow
hoping to make all persons
equal to me, without any distinction between us,
and what I long ago hoped for
has now been fulfilled.

May you know yourself as Buddha nature in the Year of the Horse!

In Peace,
Lisa Erickson, Buddhism Editor
http://buddhism.bellaonline.com

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