Monday, December 7, 2009

Prayer of Aspiration


To the hungry may I be heaps of food and all good things, and thus bring joy.



To the cold and freezing may I be fire and sun-warmth, and thus bring joy.


To the poor and needy may I be wealth and riches, and thus bring joy.


To the naked may I bring every kind of raiment, and thus bring joy.


To the childless may I bring sons and daughters, and thus bring joy.


To those who crave a woman, may I become a lovely girl, and thus bring joy.


To those who seek a lover, may I be a handsome youth, and thus bring joy.


To those who want magic powers, may I give prowess in the eight great siddhis, and thus bring them joy.


To the sick may I be their remedy, and thus bring joy.


To the anguished may I be all their mind desires, and thus bring joy.


To those hard pressed by punishments of kings, may I be the loving friend to lead them to the land of peace, and thus bring joy.


To those in fear of savage beasts may I be a haven, and thus bring joy.


To those who fall into the depths, may I draw them out, and thus bring joy.


To those tormented in the fire may I be a quenching, and thus bring joy.


To those in prey to any of the elements may I be their medicine, and thus bring joy.


For those who can not see may I be their eyes, and thus bring joy.


And for the halt and crippled may I be their feet, and thus bring joy.


May I be a tongue for those who cannot speak, and thus bring joy.


To those in fear of death may I grant them immortality, and thus bring joy.


May I lead the dying on the path of transference, and thus bring joy.


To those who wander in the bardo state may I be their yidam, and thus bring joy.


May I cool the burning heat and warm the cold of those lost in the realms of hell.


Howsoever they are who are tortured, may I change myself to shield them, and thus bring joy.


To those who linger in the land of hungry ghosts may I be their food and drink, and thus bring joy.


May I be freedom from stupidity and servitude for those caught in the wordless state of beasts, and thus bring joy.


For those beings born in savage lands may I turn them from barbarity, and thus bring joy.


May I be a truce from war and strife for the asuras, and thus bring joy.


May I guard the gods from their bitter fall, and thus bring joy.


May I shield all from everything that tortures them, and thus bring them every joy.






Wherever there is space, five elements pervade.


Wherever the five elements, the homes of living beings,


Wherever living beings, karma and defilements,


Wherever is defilement, may my compassion also abide and grow.


Wherever is the need of beings, may I be there to help them.






May all beings have joy, happiness, peace, equanimity, compassion, wisdom.


May I rejoice in all beings’ joy, happiness, peace, equanimity, compassion, wisdom, right actions and merit on the Path.


May I embody all the qualities and wisdom of the Buddhas so that I may lead all beings to enlightenment this very moment.


May I always have kind teachers to guide me throughout this life and any others.


May I remain until samsara ends, always returning in a female body to bring the healing medicine of Dharma to all beings.


May any merit that arises from this prayer be dedicated to the benefit of all beings.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Inviting Tara

As I move closer to the start of a three-month Tara retreat, I feel that Mother Tara is drawing closer. Holding the mindful awareness of Divine Pride is easier today than yesterday; awareness of my self-cherishing mind-chatter is greater as is patience. Maybe I'm just having a good day, huh?

At any rate, I am excited to apply myself to a committed retreat, even one I will undertake as a householder. After 15 years of practice in Tibetan Buddhism I feel that I am now really going to begin to practice. I'm committed to a three-month "retreat from afar" to be done simultaneously with practitioners at Sravasti Abbey in Washington State and others around the world. Four of the prisoners I correspond with through the Liberation Prison Project will be doing the retreat with me.

During these last days I am trying to get all my practice materials in place--finding small items I would like to have on my altar during the retreat, putting together practice sets for my prison pen-pals, and generally trying to watch my mind. I am shifting my diet to be more compassionate, aware, and energetically clean-clear. This space will be for me--a place to write about my experiences--the good, the bad and the ugly.