Prayers for Planet Earth

Fearless Love

…“O let us embrace

the unexpected moment of unity

as the atom of God…

Let us have the courage

to hold each other when we break

and worship what unfolds…

O nameless spirit that is not done with us,

let us love without a net

beyond fear of death

until the speck of peace

we guard so well

becomes the world…”

                                    Mark Nepo

                                    Excerpt from Earth Prayer

            Some days it seems as though the whole world is on fire and we human beings are reeling from one crisis to another with little time to process or understand.  Watching the images of devastation from the earth quake and tsunami on one side of the world, the fighting in the middle of the world, and protests in the streets of our own country, one could easily believe that there is no hope for peace.  One’s heart is so filled with fear and compassion for all who are suffering that it’s hard to breathe.  We send money, we send prayers, we watch, and we hang hopefully to every scrap of good news.  It is easy to get caught up in the chaos.

            There are some ways of sending the energy of peace and loving kindness to others and the world.  One is to walk a labyrinth, carrying the images of the heartbreaking events into the center.  Once in the center, sit for a while and pray for those people and places that are on your heart; leave them in the safety of the center.  As you are walking out, give them thanks for opening your heart to compassion.

Another option is to do a Tonglen Meditation, one of the Dali Lama’s teachings.  Begin by seating your self comfortably and taking a few cleansing breaths.  Place the image of the place or people who are suffering before you, in your mind’s eye.  As you breathe in see the images coming into your heart with the breath.  Then breathe out, sending out only light, only peace.  Do this several times, until the image is transformed. 

            Don’t underestimate the power of human love to heal.  We live within a web of energy.  We are all connected, and just as the wings of a butterfly can cause wind across the planet, the power of positive love and energy can reach across the divide to people we don’t even know. 

                                                                        Keeping the faith,

                                                                        Jane