The Dalai Lama’s Daily Prayer, a Guest Post

This is the prayer the Dalai Lama says every morning:

“May I be a guard for those who need protection

A guide for those on the path

A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood

May I be a lamp in the darkness

A resting place for the weary

A healing medicine for all who are sick

A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles

And for the boundless multitudes of living beings

May I bring sustenance and awakening

Enduring like the earth and the sky

Until all beings are free from sorrow

And all are awakened.”

Is there a more compassionate prayer in all the world?

Courtesy of Wikipedia:

The 14th Dalai Lama (religious name: Tenzin Gyatso, shortened from Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, born Lhamo Dondrub,^[2] 6 July 1935) is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years. He won the Nobel
Peace Prize in 1989, and is also well known for his lifelong advocacy for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. Tibetans traditionally believe him to be the reincarnation of his predecessors and a manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

A Pipe Ceremony and Blessings for the New Year, A Guest Post by Kim P of Afternoon Storm

A beautiful ceremony to say goodbye to the old year and bless the new one, from my friend, Kim P., of the blog, Afternoon Storm. Thanks, Kim!

Photo courtesy of wisconsinhistory.org

Every year at our home we do a little pipe ceremony just before 12:00 on New Year’s Eve. Often it is just my hubby and I, but sometimes our two kids (who are 19 and 22 now) have joined in. I use my pipe to create sacred space and we light a candle. Then we do four rounds of prayers.

The first is to identify the “things” we want to let go of from the old year.

In the second round of prayers, we each speak the names of the new patterns, beliefs or relationships that we would like to bring into our lives.

With the third round, we say the names of people we know or love to whom we want to send loving energy.

With the fourth round, we say prayers for the planet. It feels like a really good way to end the year and welcome in the new year.

The Power of Prayer, a Guest Post from Oscar, the 11:11 Progress Group

 “Today there are a lot of people in this world who are working for the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven. Few among them enjoy the fame and glory of being considered among ‘the great men and women of history’. However, those who work tirelessly, and their motivation does not lie in their being accepted by the masses, achieve great spiritual progress for themselves. Those who live the Will of the Father are contributing to the creation of the realities that His will desires to create.

“Some of you believe that you need to be in a position of greater influence in order to be able to guide others towards better goals. Let me tell you that the best way to appeal to the human soul is through the presence of the Thought Adjuster. Focus your intent directly on the hearts of those you wish to influence. Let your Thought Adjuster be the one that establishes contact with the divine presence in others, expressing your wishes with the highest measure of truth, beauty, and goodness. Every effort you make in this fashion will never be wasted.

Remember the power of prayer, because through the circuit of the Father you can reach any creature in the universe, even if this connection may not be direct, or even conscious, for any of the parties involved. God is present inside you – in each and every one of you – and through His presence in you, you can reach any other personal being in existence.

“How do you think our Father works in this world? Does He show up at United Nations meetings to tell you what you need to do? The Father speaks directly to the hearts and the minds of His creatures. Then, it is up to them to decide what path they will take. In this world, you can likewise work in this fashion, with your love for your peers, and your desire to create a better world through prayer.

“All of you who work in your respective communities, and circles of influence, know that you are not impotent when the time comes to promote the changes you want to see in this world. Live the very change you wish to see, and project your love and your positive energy to those who lead you – the ones you have elected to express your collective decisions. Work with your hands, but remember that your prayers and your love can reach all the way to Paradise itself, and know that you have the support and the power of the Creator Father of all beings and things.”

© The 11:11 Progress Group.
We are each other at our spiritual Root Source – ABC-22, January 1972.

http://www.1111angels.net • 11:11 Store

The Marks of An Angel and Why We Should Pray, from Sophy Burnham’s A BOOK OF ANGELS

I took Sophy Burnham’s A BOOK OF ANGELS from the shelf again last night. I didn’t even get through the Introduction before I grew too tired to continue, yet I felt loved, warmed, stronger. If ever there was a down-to-earth book filled with stories about how much our guardian angels love and care for us, it is hers. I thought I’d share a few paragraphs, hoping they will make you feel stronger, too.

She has interviewed/received hundreds of accounts from regular people like you and me who were visited by angels. The way it happens is always the same:

• “They always say, “Don’t be afraid. Fear not. Leave everything to us.” They never say, “Look at the mess you’ve made of things now!” They never scold or criticize.”
• “Second, you are filled with joy. With warmth, light, a sense of safety. Of home. Or Mother—the mother of your heart. Indeed, so many people report this feeling and always in the same words that it’s worth noting.”
• “Third, you may not believe it happened—that an angel came to you—but you cannot forget it. And here’s another curious thing. The memory not only does not fade but it gets stronger with the passage of time, and this is unlike normal memory, or dreams, which fade with time.”

In the following story, Sophy learns about prayer. One day she was talking with her angels and asked a question. The answer was, ‘Pray;’ and she said to them, ‘You already know what I want. Why should I pray?’ The answer came at once, then divided itself into three sections.

40-Days to Real Forgiveness, My Story Using J. Everett Irion’s Wisdom

Forgiveness. Jeez, what a subject. The deeper the shock of betrayal, the more we need to experience and process our pain—and the more we need to forgive. But forgiveness is hard. After years of therapy, I know that forgiveness is strongly recommended for our own healing, but it goes against who we are and what happened: “You hurt me. You broke my heart and I will never recover!”

Though I had read the November/December 2007 issue of Edgar Cayce’s Venture Inward magazine when it arrived, I had forgotten its contents. I pulled it out of a stack one day and opened to an article called The 40-Day Forgiveness Prayer By J. Everett Irion. “Hmmm,” I thought. “Forty days? That’s gotta be a serious forgiveness prayer. Could this work?”

An Answer to Our Collective Prayer, A Guest Post by Sharie from Sending Joy

Happiness is Essential by Sharie of Sending Joy

“I want to see the world through God’s eyes today.”

There is only one way to see the world and still be at peace.  That is through the eyes of God. Whenever we can’t understand what we see or the reason we are having a particular experience, let’s not try to figure it out. We can’t.  Our job is to simply be still and pray, “God let me see this through your eyes.” And peace will flood through us and we will know that beneath the devastation and beyond the insanity, there is a place where all is well.

No matter how terrible things look, there are always underlying miracles and blessings working to make corrections. Those miracles are God’s gifts and we must allow them and trust in them, be grateful for them and surrender everything else. In this way, are we now an instrument of peace, a channel for healing and a part of the solution.

One of the biggest mistakes we make is not recognizing our part in the healing of the world. We may think we want to be happy, but if we’re not it isn’t hurting anything. The fact is our happiness is essential to God’s Plan for our healing and the world’s.

May you walk in the world today with a happy heart and God’s vision for seeing all things through His eyes.

Surprise Communication

My daughter returned Wednesday night from a four-day spiritual retreat called Kairos, with other students from her Catholic high school. (Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment to say or do the right thing.) Neither parents nor students were given much information about the trip; all were asked to trust in the experience and the care of the adults in charge. Monday night, parents were invited to a short prayer service for the success of the retreat and seven or eight students who had previously attended called the retreat a life-changing experience in one way or another. It sounds magical, I thought. I wonder what happens there and if it will happen for Katie.