Well, Happy, and Peaceful
/May I be well, happy and peaceful
May my teachers be well, happy, and peaceful
May my parents be well, happy, and peaceful
May my relatives be well, happy, and peaceful
May my friends be well, happy, and peaceful
May indifferent persons be well, happy, and peaceful
May unfriendly persons be well, happy, and peaceful
May all meditators be well, happy, and peaceful
May all beings be well, happy, and peaceful
The above prayer is just part of a Buddhist prayer called “Loving Kindness Practice". In the Buddhist practice, you pray this prayer two million times and by then it is thought that you have begun to live this way.
We all have had, will have and even have now many conflicting feelings about Covid19. What it is, what it has done and what it still can do to us and the rest of the world. How it has changed our lives and literally the life of the world has become part of the news of the day.
I have read the news every day, or at least as much of the news as I can handle, and have been astounded, angered, uplifted, disgusted, and an array of other feelings and emotions.
What really was hardest was looking at the pictures of bodies stacked in morgues, piled on shelves in truck trailers, put in simple wooden boxes stacked in fresh dug pits, and on beds and even in chairs in hospital rooms. This is right here in our Country!
These were all living breathing people just days ago and they are now memories, both happy and sad. I don’t know if they were well, happy and peaceful before this virus caught them. I hope they were and this is one of the things I pray for these days.
It is so easy to be caught up in the sadness of what this virus has done. We, as Christians, have a duty to, as Rev. Jeanne says, “lift up" all people who are affected, in any way, by this virus.
When I look at the Scriptures, especially the New Testament, Jesus is constantly healing people, reminding us to take care of each other, and showing us how humor enriches our experiences. Jesus and the Buddha both want us to be well, happy, and peaceful.
How are we, waking, breathing, living, as we move through our days at home? Are we well, happy, and peaceful or at least praying that we get there?
I will be using this Buddhist practice every day as I move forward. I encourage you to do the same. I will remember ALL PEOPLE as I pray this in order that I continue to open my eyes, ears and heart to those that I haven’t yet met and might never meet. I want to learn to carry them as a part of who I am, knowing that God resides in all of us and is always teaching us to be well, happy, and peaceful.
May God's loving peace be with all of you as we journey together toward a healthier, happier and peaceful planet. -Chris L.
