Beneficent
Celestials
“May
all things everywhere plagued with suffering of body and mind be quickly freed
from their illness. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those
bound be free. May the powerless find power and may people think of befriending
one another. May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness—the
children, the aged, the unprotected—be guarded by beneficent celestials and may
they swiftly attain Buddhahood.”
UN
Day of Prayer for World Peace-2
Right
now, with the world in travail, prayer seems to be the best alternative. We
have spent years railing at one another to no avail, so maybe the time to lay
down our divisive rhetoric has finally arrived. There is not much left to say that
has not been screamed from the halls of power to the neighborhood bar to the dining
table, so let’s try something different. Praying for one another may do what
debate cannot. It just might bring us together.
In this
Buddhist prayer for world peace, and I especially like the line about being
guarded by beneficent celestials—in other words, guardian angels. Let us not
forget that “reality” exists on many levels—we are not alone as we are grappling
with the difficulties of humankind. We have celestial guardians, we have
ancestors whose spirits are still among us, and we are one strand in the great
web of life that joins the entire universe. Some days, especially when we spend
too much time alone, we feel as though we are out on some lonely island, isolated
in our tribulation. We are not. We have never been and will never be alone.
When we
send out a prayer it tweaks the strand that is us and vibrates all other
strands nearby and spreads like a sound wave. In the prayer above, one line
says, “May people think of befriending one another.” That is one way to
reach out—to not be alone—to realize that all beings are involved in our lives—both
humans we know, and those we don’t know. So, pray with faith that your prayers
are heard and assume that they are answered. Then look for synchronous happenings.
People will show up, they will call, you may meet them on the street
(hopefully, wearing a mask). Do something for someone else. The simple act of
giving of yourself enlivens the spirit and connects us soul to soul.
Here is
my favorite Buddhist prayer: “May I be at peace. May my heart remain open. May
I awaken to the light of my own true nature. May I be healed. May I be a source
of healing for all beings.” Say it for yourself, then say it for someone
you love, and then say is for someone you do not love. Keep saying it until you
have covered everyone you resent, all those you have not forgiven, all those you
have judged and found guilty. It will change you—which is how we begin to
change the world—from our hearts to the heart of God. Call upon those
beneficent celestials for help, too. That’s what they are here for.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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