The following two prayers,
The prayer of the Buddha Sattva and the prayer of Saint Francis,
Exemplify a spirit of oneness,
Compassion,
And service.
The prayer of the Buddha Sattva.
As far as space pervades,
There are sentient beings.
Every one of them has been my mother and father in lifetimes without beginning.
There is not a single exception.
All of them want only happiness,
But,
Without knowing the means to achieve it,
Create only the causes of suffering.
How sad that sentient beings are so lacking in their happiness and helpless in their suffering.
To see my mother and father suffering so is unbearable.
I must do something to help them,
However,
Today I do not have the power to do so.
So from this day forward I will work toward gaining supreme enlightenment for the welfare of all mother and father beings pervasive as space.
Just as the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the past have done,
I will take on the burden of liberating all infinite beings until cyclic existence is entirely emptied.
No matter what happens I will not give up,
But will keep my mind set on unsurpassed,
Complete and precious Buddhahood.
The Prayer of Saint Francis.
Divine Beloved,
I am an instrument of Thy peace.
Where there is hatred,
I sow love.
Where there is injury,
Pardon.
Where there is doubt,
Faith.
Where there is despair,
Hope.
Where there is darkness,
Light.
Where there is sadness,
Joy.
Oh Divine Beloved,
I do not so much seek to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Amen.
