At the beginning of each year we join to renew our prayers for world peace in the coming year. On January 1st, 2020, we held a First Light Celebration at the Hay River KTC.  After chanting the first light prayers, we performed a fire puja to give thanks, remove obstacles, and increase favorable conditions for the coming year.  Then the group did the sadhana practice of Green Tara, with a vegetarian potluck feast following.

The focus of the Green Tara practice is freedom from fear, obstacles, and difficulties.  May all beings be happy and free of suffering!   Below are the First Light Prayers.  May all beings benefit.

A FEAST FOR THE FORTUNATE, A LAMP ASPIRATION
OM SVASTI
Dharmakaya, unchanging unity of appearance and emptiness,
Vast expanse of youthful great bliss,
Sky of spontaneously present joy free of defilement,
Bestow a feast of unchanging goodness upon us.
Through the seeds of inherently pure virtue
That arises from even a bit of glorious goodness,
And the bright smile of virtue revealed
By offering the light of these lamps to the three jewels,
May the well-being of a golden age arise
In this realm of the thousand-petaled lotus.
May the auspicious excellence, prosperity and goodness flourish.
Especially, through the land of America,
May the youthful lotus of teachings and practice bloom.
May innumerable oceans of realms be filled
With the melodious roar of the profound secret.
   H. H. Orgyen Trinley Dorje

The ground, self-awareness, is utterly luminous wisdom.
It is prajnaparamita, which thoroughly distinguishes among things.
Its nature is awareness unobstructed by ignorance.
It is emptiness and lucidity united, the very nature of luminosity.
The radiant rays of this light fill all quarters of space.
May the merit of this light bring happiness to all beings.
The nature of this light is the very nature of all things.
May the light of the Buddhas’ wisdom be revealed.
   H. E. Tai Situ Rinpoche

By offering these tranquil and beautiful lamps
In the presence of the perfect Buddha, the King of Illumination;
Gyalwang Karmapa, the lord of the world;
And all Buddhas with their children,
May the poison of malicious enmity
Never arise in the mind of any one of us.
With loving minds, like the meeting of mother and child,
May all the world be filled with peace and happiness.
   H. E. Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche 

The Hay River KTC Buddhist Meditation Center is located near Ridgeland, WI. The center is dedicated to the teachings and practices of the authentic Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Yeshe, a fully ordained monk in this tradition is the resident teacher. See our website at www.ktchayriver.org.