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from the Mindfulness Bell, by Reverend Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh is the author of many books on Engaged Buddhism, including
"Being Peace," "The Miracle of Mindfulness," and "Living Buddha, Living Christ."
His books are short but difficult to finish, as I keep
giving my only copies away! (Every last one -- from a $30 book my sister gave me for my
birthday, right down to a defective
paperback with upside-down pages I bought for a dollar,
thinking surely nobody would ask me for it. I never got past the table of contents!) Nominated for a Nobel Prize by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
for his work in Viet Nam, Thich Nhat Hanh
will eventually go down in history as the mediator who restored peace
between my mother and me at a Buddhist retreat, when we were on the verge of
strangling each other. Because of his gentle way with words, we are still
alive today. And still fighting over what Buddhism is and is not.
The Nine Prayers by Thich Nhat Hanh
May I be peaceful, happy, and light
in body and spirit.
May I be free from injury.
May I live in safety.
May I be free from disturbance,
fear, anxiety, and worry.
May I learn to look at myself
with the eyes of understanding and love.
May I be able to recognize and touch
the seeds of joy and happiness in myself.
May I learn to identify and see the sources
of anger, craving, and delusion in myself.
May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy
in myself every day.
May I be able to live fresh,
solid, and free.
May I be free from attachment and aversion,
but not be indifferent.
NOTE: After practicing "May I be . . . " you can practice, "May he or she be . . ." -- visualising first someone you like, then the one you love the most, then someone who is neutral to you, and finally the person whom thinking of makes you suffer the most.
Then you can practice "May they be . . ." beginning with the group, the people, the nation, or the species you like, then the one you love, then the one that is neutral to you, and finally the one you suffer the most when you think of.
  
Parallax Press
Mindfulness Bell
Tree of Life Poetry Circle
Mere Insanity Statement of Faith
Buddhism for Baptists
Houston Progressive Webzine
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Original materials created and owned by C. Johnston ©1997-1999.
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