PRAYERS and MEDITATIONS

I have written short prayers and meditations that I use to remind me of my life's practice.  I encourage everyone to write their own prayers and meditations and read them each day.  In addition, I recommend the five mindfulness trainings which are found on Thich Nhat Hanh's Plumb Village website at this link  https://plumvillage.org/mindfulness-practice/the-5-mindfulness-trainings/  

Each Day

Love,
Learn,
Create,
Teach.

Morning Prayer

Let me be happy with
     and thankful for what I have.
Let me spread happiness
     to all whom I meet today,
     especially my family and friends.
Let me take joy in every moment
     as it arrives.
Let me accept everyone and
     everything for what they are
     and not be judgmental.
Let my day begin!
Breathe in, breathe out.......

No One is Lost 

I know you are here. 
I am breathing for you. 
I’m smiling for you. 
I’m enjoying looking around with your eyes. 
I’m enjoying life with you.
I know that you are still here very close to me,
and that now you continue in me.   

- Paraphrased from The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hanh

Prayer of the Moment

Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Let my only thought be of this moment.
There is no future.
I have no past.
Live in this moment or do not live at all.
Awaken to this moment!
Take joy in this moment!
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Breathe in, 
Breathe out.

Prayer of Gratefulness

Gratefulness is the gateway to happiness.
Let us be grateful for...
The cosmos,
     which supplies us with unlimited beauty and wonderment.
The natural world,
      which has given birth to us and nurtured us all these years. 
Our families,
     into which we were born,
     by which we were reared,
     and from which we have been launched.
Our friends,
     who support us through good times and bad. 
Our humanity,
      which embodies our ability to love and be loved. 
Our civilization,
     which preserves our collective knowledge and spirituality. 
Our personal knowledge,
     from which we draw the perspective to shape our lives. 
Our personal spirituality,
     which guides our every action. 
Our food, clothing, shelter and technology,
     which are important to our physical survival and comfort. 
And most of all this moment,
    for without this moment we are not alive!

Jesus and Buddha as Brothers

Father, help us look deeply into our lives
So that we see the interbeing we share with all things.
Help us see the benefits of mutual love
And the joy and happiness it brings.

Let us live together as one human race
That has love and compassion for one another
And help us know with certainty
That Jesus and Buddha are brothers.

Prayer of Spirituality

Let me be awake to the cosmos. 
Let me dwell in the moment. 
Let me be mindful of our magnificent natural world. 
Let me have love, acceptance and compassion for all living beings.
Let me banish my ignorance. 
Let me live in kindness.
Let spirituality be my path to joy and happiness.

Birthday Meditation

(As we get older we must remember that the passing of the days is not something to fear or regret. This meditation, based on the teachings of Buddha, reminds us of a broader perspective of passing time.)

Sit silently in a peaceful place. 
Now imagine yourself as having no self. 
You are simply a part of the natural world. 
You breathe in and you breath out. 
You continue from all time before this moment,
And continue to all time after this moment. 
You are not here in one place.
You are everywhere as part of the entire cosmos. 
You are empty of self and full of everything else. 

You see that the names we give things are simply convenient signs. 
A wave at the beach does not truly exist. 
The wave is not born only to die as it crashes on the beach. 
The true nature of the wave is water. 
The water is always there. 
The water is not born only to die on the beach. 
We are not truly born nor do we truly die. 
Long before our “births” we existed in our mother’s womb, in our parents actions and in all our ancestors,
And we will exist long after our “deaths” in our progeny, friends and our actions that ripple through the future. 

You understand that you do not have to chase things to be happy. 
You don’t need to be given gifts to experience joy.
You simply have to be present in every moment. 
Be one with your surroundings. 
Experience each breath you take. 
You are enough as you are. 
You don’t need to chase after who you think you should become.
Having love and compassion for all living things will naturally guide you in your life. 
You can realize your deepest dreams by living in the moment with joy and freedom. 
Your destination is in every step.

You now realize that a birthday is not a real thing. 
It is a figment of our imagination. 
Truly we are not born on a specific day because we existed before that day. 
Everything is impermanent because that is the only way to continue. 
From moment to moment everything changes. 
This makes every moment new and fresh. 
We are not getting older we are merely continuing to experience new moments. 
This is the way to peace.