I wanted to share a short set of prayers by Ty Sheridan from his book,
The Buddha in Blue Jeans.
I hope that you find some comfort from these as much as I did when I first read them.
Prayer for Birth I open myself to the birth of everyone and everything,
As the mystery of living and being.
I am ready to live in daily gratitude from this precious human life.
This is as rare as an eclipse.
I am ready to honour the dignity of all forms of life as manifestations of the miracle of being.
I am ready to see that everything is born fresh and alive in each moment of present awareness.
I open myself to the birth of everyone and everything,
As the mystery of living and being.
Prayer for Living I open myself to living and dying as the essence of my life,
And am willing to learn to be a wise and kind person.
I am ready to give up all of my mental habits that keep me from living in the here and now.
I am ready to give up all of my emotional habits that keep me from living in total presence.
I am ready to give up all of my bodily habits that keep me from living in peace and harmony.
I open myself to living and dying as the essence of my life,
And am willing to learn to be a wise and kind person.
Prayer for Old Age I open myself to old age as a natural,
Precious,
Dignified stage of life for all of humankind.
I am ready to honour elders by seeing the essential goodness within them,
And by accepting them as they are.
I am ready to accept that I too will age and lose the capacity,
Vigour and appearance of my youth.
I am ready to live fully wherever I find myself in life so that old age becomes meaningful.
I open myself to old age as a natural,
Precious,
Dignified stage of life for all of humankind.
A Prayer for Illness I open myself to illness as a significant,
Natural aspect of my life that I can meet that I can meet with responsibility and grace.
I am ready to offer nourishment,
Comfort blessings to myself and others when illness of any kind takes root.
I am ready to maintain my awareness of the pain and discomfort I experience without fear.
I am ready to heal myself from within and without,
And to benefit gratefully from others' care.
I open myself to illness as a natural,
Significant aspect of life that I can meet with responsibility and grace.
A Prayer for Dying I open myself to the dying of loved ones,
Friends,
Humanity and all creatures,
For this is the way of life.
I am ready to accept my own death as a natural and welcomed thread in the fabric of the great mystery.
I am ready to release all of my fears and resistance to the end of my earthly days and nights.
I am ready to keep the awareness of death before me so that my heart opens to the depths of living.
I open myself to the dying of loved ones,
Friends,
Humanity and all creatures,
For this is the way of life.
