Buddha

PRAISE TO BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI

Composed by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso at Manjushri Centre, England, June 2001

O Blessed One, Shakyamuni Buddha,

Precious treasury of compassion,

Bestower of supreme inner peace,

You, who love all beings without exception,

Are the source of happiness and goodness;

And you guide us to the liberating path.

Your body is a wishfulfilling jewel,

Your speech is supreme, purifying nectar,

And your mind is refuge for all living beings.

With folded hands I turn to you,

Supreme unchanging friend,

I request from the depths of my heart:

Please give me the light of your wisdom

To dispel the darkness of my mind

And to heal my mental continuum.

Please nourish me with your goodness,

That I in turn may nourish all beings

With an unceasing banquet of delight.

Through your compassionate intention,

Your blessings and virtuous deeds,

And my strong wish to rely upon you,

May all suffering quickly cease

And all happiness and joy be fulfilled;

And may holy Dharma flourish for evermore.

Golden Chain Prayer

We are a link in Amida's golden chain of love that stretches around the world, we will keep our link bright and strong.

We will be kind and gentle to every living thing and protect all who are weaker than ourselves.

We will think pure and beautiful thoughts, say pure and beautiful words, and do pure and beautiful deeds.

May every link in Amida's chain of love be bright and strong, and may we all attain perfect peace.

- Buddha

An Invocation of Metta/Compassion

As we all gather here today in friendship and community, taking a moment out of our busy lives,... to learn, share and reflect on the insights, experiences and wisdom of others, we are reminded of how blessed we all are. In the current world around us there are many who suffer and face grave challenges. We stand in solidarity with them in compassion and by practicing loving kindness to ourselves and all those around us.

Taking a couple of stanzas from Metta or compassion meditation, let us engage in the power of prayer that connect us - irrespective of religion - with our beliefs and ideals more deeply helping us to hold them in our minds as we go about our daily business, and helping us to develop a stronger sense of conviction. Let us pray the following in the name of all that is good.

May we all be well, happy and peaceful, May no harm come to us,

May we all also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems, and failures in life.

May our parents, our teachers and mentors, our friends and may all living beings across the world...be well, happy and peaceful. May no harm come to them,

May they also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems, and failures in life.

- Thilini Ariyachandra