Monday, March 12, 2012

Verses of Sharing and Aspiration



Through the goodness that arises from my practice,
May my spiritual teachers and guides of great virtue,
My mother, my father, and my relatives,
The Sun and the Moon, and all virtuous leaders of the world,
May the highest gods and evil forces,
Celestial beings, guardian spirits of the Earth, and the Lord of Death,
May those who are friendly, indifferent, or hostile,
May all beings receive the blessings of my life.
Mat they soon attain the threefold bliss and realize the Deathless.
Through the goodness that arises from my practice,
And through this act of sharing,
May all desires and attachments quickly cease
And all harmful states of mind.
Until I realize Nibbana,
In every kind of birth, may I have an upright mind,
With mindfulness and wisdom, austerity and vigor.
May the forces of delusion not take hold nor weaken my resolve.
The Buddha is my excellent refuge,
Unsurpassed is the protection of the Dhamma,
The Solitary Buddha is my noble lord,
The Sangha is my supreme support.
Through the supreme power of all these,
May darkness and delusion be dispelled.

The above is a reflection regularly chanted by Buddhists in the Western Forest Sangha. It is not only worthy of recital, but of reflection, also. So, please take as long as you can to read through it, contemplating its beauty and purity. The free book that it comes from can be downloaded from the Forest Sangha Publications site here: Morning and Evening Chanting

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