“The Nine Prayers,” as conveyed by Thich Nhat Hanh

From the 2015 Festival of Faiths, “Sacred Journeys and the Legacy of Thomas Merton” 

NOTE: “He/she” is the first the person we like, then the person we love, then the person who is neutral to us, and finally the person we suffer when we think of.  “They” is the group, the people, the nation, or the species we like, then the one we love, then the one that is neutral to us, and finally the one we suffer when we think of. 

  1. May I be peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit. 
    May he/she be peaceful, happy, and light in body in spirit. 
    May they be peaceful, happy, and light in body in spirit.
  2. May I be free from injury. May I live in safety. 
    May he/she be free from injury. May he/she live in safety. 
    May they be free from injury. May they live in safety.
  3. May I learn to be free from disturbance, fear, anxiety and worry.
    May he/she learn to be free from disturbance, fear, anxiety and worry.
    May they learn to be free from disturbance, fear, anxiety and worry.
  4. May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love. 
    May he/she learn to look at him/herself with the eyes of understanding and love. 
    May they learn to look at themselves with the eyes of understanding and love.
  5. May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself.
    May he/she be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in him/herself.
    May they be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in themselves.
  6. May I learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving and delusion in myself.
    May he/she learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving and delusion in him/herself. 
    May they learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving and delusion in themselves.
  7. May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy in myself every day.
    May he/she know how to nourish the seeds of joy in him/herself every day.
    May they know how to nourish the seeds of joy in themselves every day.
  8. May I be able to live fresh, solid and free.
    May he/she be able to live fresh, solid and free.
    May they be able to live fresh, solid and free.
  9. May I be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent. 
    May he/she be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent.
    May they be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]