Shantideva’s Buddhist Prayer for the world!

(c) A prayer by Maria Medeiros http://www.redbubble.com

I really liked all the different groups that appeared which offered prayers and silent meditation for those facing the fears of Hurricane Sandy and other insane natural and unnatural disasters all over the world, it made me think about which is my preferred prayer on such occassions! It is based on a book called “A guide to the Bodhisattva’s way of life” and it is a very old Buddhist text. Coincidentally it is also one of the Dalai Lama’s favorite prayer. 

Here’s the free pdf of the book and a translation of the prayer based on the book!

A GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA’S WAY OF LIFE

Sanskrit: Bodhisattvacharyavatara
Tibetan : Byang. chub. sems. dpai’. spyod. pa. la. jug. pa
by
ACHARYA SHANTIDEVA

Translated into English by Stephen Batchelor

Click to download your  free pdf

Shantideva’s prayer

This is one of H.H. the Dalai Lama’s favourite prayers, extracted from “A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life” by Shantideva, a Buddhist master from the monastic university of Nalanda, India and composed in the eighth century of the Christian era.

May all beings everywhere
Plagued by sufferings of body and mind
Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
By virtue of my merits.

May no living creature suffer,
Commit evil, or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled,
With a mind weighed down by depression.

May the blind see forms
And the deaf hear sounds,
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
Be restored on finding repose.

May the naked find clothing,
The hungry find food;
May the thirsty find water
And delicious drinks.

May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy;
May the forlorn find hope,
Constant happiness, and prosperity.

May there be timely rains
And bountiful harvests;
May all medicines be effective
And wholesome prayers bear fruit.

May all who are sick and ill
Quickly be freed from their ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the world,
May they never occur again.

May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed;
May the powerless find power,
And may people think of benefiting each other.

For as long as space remains,
For as long as sentient beings remain,
Until then may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.

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