By Master Jingzong

A year is new only when our hearts feel new. A year can be a happy one only when our hearts are happy. If we wish to have a "happy new year," we need to cultivate "happy new hearts."

If our hearts stayed in an old state, every incoming year would feel the same as the year before, not a new one. But if our hearts are revitalized, every minute and second would be new. There would be no need to await a changing of the year.

Novelty, news developments and more knowledge do not refresh our hearts. By reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha and connecting our hearts with his, we renew them constantly. It's like providing a muddy stream with a source of fresh water, turning the waterway sparklingly clear.