Has it been a week already?
I felt strongly that there was something different needed today, and so below, I am posting a version of the Metta Prayer. For those who are unfamiliar, there are many versions and derivations of the Metta Prayer, which is a Buddhist prayer of lovingkindness. This particular version is one I am most familiar with. Regardless of your religious affiliation (or none at all), I hope you find comfort here. For me, the heart of this prayer–an idea of loving oneself, and then extending that love into the world, is what this project is all about. It is a profound power that each of us possess individually and can, through our small choices everyday, gift to ourselves and the world. Start small, move outward, and be the salve.
Metta Prayer (by Maylie Scott)
May I be well, loving, and peaceful.
May I be at ease in my body, feeling the ground beneath my seat and feet, letting my back be long and straight, enjoying breath as it rises and falls and rises.
May I know and be intimate with body mind, whatever its feeling or mood, calm or agitated, tired or energetic, irritated or friendly.
Breathing in and out, in and out, aware, moment by moment, of the risings and passings.
May I be attentive and gentle towards my own
Discomfort and suffering.
May I be attentive and grateful for my own joy and well-being.
May I move towards others freely and with openness.
May I receive others with sympathy and understanding.
May I move towards the suffering of others with peaceful and attentive confidence.
May I recall the Bodhisattva of compassion; her 1000 hands, her instant readiness for action. Each hand with an eye in it, the instinctive knowing what to do.
May I continually cultivate the ground of peace for myself and others and persist, mindful and dedicated to this work, independent of results.
May I know that my peace and the world’s peace are not separate; that our peace in the world is a result of our work for justice.
May all beings be well, happy, and peaceful.
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