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An Assortment of Buddhist Prayers

Cultivating Universal Love
And Sympathetic Joy

I now intensely cultivate universal love,
wishing for all conscious beings only true happiness,
fulfillment, peace and freedom from suffering.
I experience great ecstatic joy
at the very thought of conscious
beings abiding forever in equanimity and bliss,
free from every obvious fear and subtle anxiety.
As universal love increases in this mind stream,
harmful forces cannot affect me,
and I become a protector of living beings.

I deeply rejoice in all authentic religious
and moral teachings which have elevated
any person into selfless love.
I rejoice as well in all kind actions
performed by or for even the least evolved sentient being.
I remember constantly that all societies and relationships,
in order to be fruitful, can be based upon
and sustained by loving-kindness alone.

Closing Prayer

The supremely subtle fundamental
innate Mind of Clear Light is all goodness.
It has no beginning or end.
It constantly emanates the dance
of compassion and wisdom,
performed by oceans of Awakened Ones
and their daughters and sons
who pervade innumerable dimensions.
May I ripen limitless numbers of transmigrators
in this profound realization.

Abiding in the primordial peace
of the natural purity of all phenomena,
a fortunate one am I who seeks Great Bliss.
May I be a vessel for the nectar of Dharma -
to help all beings, in all worlds, in all ways.

Dedication

Throughout my many lives and until this moment,
whatever virtue I have accomplished,
including the merit generated by this practice,
and all that I will ever attain,
this I offer for the welfare of sentient beings.
May sickness, war, famine and suffering
be decreased for every being,
while their wisdom and compassion
increase in this and every future life.
May I clearly perceive all experiences
to be as insubstantial as the dream fabric
of the night and instantly awaken
to perceive the pure wisdom display
in the arising of every phenomenon.
May I quickly attain enlightenment
in order to work ceaselessly
for the liberation of all sentient beings.

Prayer of Aspiration

Buddhas and bodhisattvas altogether:
whatever kind of motivation you have,
whatever kind of beneficial action,
whatever kind of wishing prayers,
whatever kind of omniscience,
whatever kind of life accomplishment,
whatever kind of benevolent power,
and whatever kind of immense wisdom you have,
then similarly I, who have come in
the same way to benefit beings,
pray to attain these qualities.

The Auspicious Wish

At this very moment,
for the peoples and the nations of the earth,
may not even the names disease, famine,
war and suffering be heard.
Rather may their moral conduct, merit,
wealth and prosperity increase,
and may supreme good fortune
and well-being always arise for them.

Refuge

Until I reach the heart of awakening,
I take refuge in all buddhas
And likewise in the Dharma
And the host of bodhisattvas.
(repeat three times)

Bodhisattva Vow

Just as the sugatas of former times aroused
bodhicitta and progressively followed the training of a bodhisattva,
I too, for the benefit of beings, arouse bodhicitta
and progressively follow that training.
(repeat three times)

The Four Immeasurables

May all sentient beings enjoy happiness
and the root of happiness.

May they be free from suffering
and the root of suffering.

May they not be separated
from great happiness free of suffering.

May they dwell in great equanimity,
free from passion, aggression and prejudice.

Eight Thoughts of Great Individuals

By the power of the truth of compassion of all the supreme refuges,
these seeds of virtue and this pure noble motivation,

May all the suffering of sentient beings who are as extensive as space
be cleared away through my own efforts.

By excellent virtue, both ordinary and transcendent,
may the hopes and wants of beings be fulfilled.

May the flesh, blood, skin and other parts of my body be useful to any sentient being who has need of them.

May the suffering of all beings, my grandmothers, be absorbed by me.
May they all receive my virtue and happiness.

As long as I dwell in the world, may not a single
thought of harming others arise in my mind.

May I strive energetically for the welfare of beings,
not faltering even for a moment from discouragement or fatigue.

For all beings who are poor, hungry, or thirsty,
May I be able to give them whatever they want effortlessly.

All the great burdens of intolerable suffering such as the hell realms
may I take on myself. May those beings be free of them.

This prayer was composed by Karma Rangjung Kunchat

The Four Immeasurables, Slightly Modified

My own personal version of the original Four Immeasurables, with modifications and additions, which I use to close every meditation session:

May all beings have happiness
and the causes of happiness.

May all beings have no suffering
nor the causes of suffering.

May all beings dwell in supreme bliss
free from all sorrow and suffering.

And may all being rest in great equanimity
free from all attachment, addiction, indifference and aversion.

And may all beings wake up
to recognize their true self-nature.


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