Universal prayer for Peace

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A Native American Prayer for Peace

Let us know peace. For as long as the moon shall rise, For as long as the rivers

shall flow, For as long as the sun will shine, For as long as the grass shall

grow, Let us know peace.

Jewish Prayer for Peace

Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the

Most High. And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares and our spears into

pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation—neither shall they

learn war any more. And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts

has spoken.

Baha'i Prayer for Peace

Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be fair in judgement, and

guarded in thy speech, Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to

the stranger. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the

erring Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the

human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

Buddhist Prayer for Peace

May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be

freed from their illnesses. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may

those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people think of

befriending one another. May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful

wilderness-- the children, the aged, the unprotected-- be guarded by beneficial

celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

Christian Prayer for Peace

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be known as the Children of God. But

I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless

those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To those that strike you on

the cheek, offer the other one also, and from those who take away your cloak,

do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs from you, and of

those who take away your goods, do not ask for them again. And as you wish that

others would do to you, do so to them.

Hindu Prayer for Peace

Lead us from the unreal to the Real. Lead us from darkness to light. Lead us

from death to immortality. Peace, Peace, Peace unto all. May there be peace in

celestial regions. May there be peace on Earth. May the waters be appeasing.

May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all. May all

beneficient beings bring peace to us. May thy Law propagate peace all through

the world. May all things be a source of peace to us. And may thy peace itself,

bestow peace on all and may that peace come to me also.

Jainist Prayer for Peace

Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all

Enlightened Ones. The Lord has preached that equanimity is the dharma Forgive

do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me. Unto all have I amity,

and unto none enmity. Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in

the world. Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage. "Do not injure any living

being." This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual life. A

weapon, howsoever powerful it may be, can always be superseded by a superior

one; but no weapon can penetrate the power of peace. Peace is invincible. Peace

is the weapon of the brave.

Muslim Prayer for Peace

In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the

Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations That we may know

each other, not that we may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards

peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust God, for the Lord is the

one that heareth and knoweth all things. And the servants of God, Most gracious

are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say

"PEACE."

A Shinto Prayer for Peace

O Most High, help to bring thy Light into the darkened conditions of the world!

Be gracious to us thy humble servants and bless us with illumination as to that

which is Divinely relevant to the fulfilment of thy will!

O Most High, inspire thy servants throughout the world to further efforts

towards leading back thy children who are led astray to the right way, and to

live and act on the faith of what has been taught by the great founders of the

religions!

Bless all spiritual leaders with thy power and enable them to give help, joy,

comfort and reassurance to those suffering, to whom they minister!

Sikh Prayer for Peace

God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear: that Truth is

above everything, but higher still is truthful living. Know that we attaineth

God when we loveth, and only victory endures in consequences of which no one is

defeated.

Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace

We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world: that understanding

triumph over ignorance, that generosity triumph over indifference, that trust

triumph over contempt, and that truth triumph over falsehood.

Prayer for Peace (all inclusive)

Pray to whoever you kneel down to: Jesus nailed to his wooden or marble or

plastic cross, his suffering face bent to kiss you, Buddha still under the Bo

tree in scorching heat, Yahweh, Allah, raise your arms to Mary that she may lay

her palm on our brows, to Shekinhah, Queen of Heaven and Earth, to Inanna in her

stripped descent.

Hawk or Wolf, or the Great Whale, Record Keeper of time before, time now, time

ahead, pray. Bow down to terriers and shepherds and siamese cats. Fields of

artichokes and elegant strawberries.

Pray to the bus driver who takes you to work, pray on the bus, pray for everyone

riding that bus and for everyone riding buses all over the world. If you haven't

been on a bus in a long time, climb the few steps, drop some silver, and pray.

Waiting in line for the movies, for the ATM, for your latté and croissant, offer

your plea. Make your eating and drinking a supplication. Make your slicing of

carrots a holy act, each translucent layer of the onion, a deeper prayer.

Make the brushing of your hair a prayer, every strand its own voice, singing in

the choir on your head. As you wash your face, the water slipping through your

fingers, a prayer: Water, softest thing on earth, gentleness that wears away

rock.

Making love, of course, is already a prayer. Skin and open mouths worshipping

that skin, the fragile case we are poured into, each caress a season of peace.

If you're hungry, pray. If you're tired. Pray to Gandhi and Dorothy Day.

Shakespeare. Sappho. Sojourner Truth. Pray to the angels and the ghost of your

grandfather.

When you walk to your car, to the mailbox, to the video store, let each step be

a prayer that we all keep our legs, that we do not blow off anyone else's legs.

Or crush their skulls. And if you are riding on a bicycle or a skateboard, in a

wheel chair, each revolution of the wheels a prayer that as the earth revolves

we will do less harm, less harm, less harm.

And as you work, typing with a new manicure, a tiny palm tree painted on one

pearlescent nail or delivering soda or drawing good blood into rubber-capped

vials, writing on a blackboard with yellow chalk, twirling pizzas, pray for

peace.

With each breath in, take in the faith of those who have believed when belief

seemed foolish, who persevered. With each breath out, cherish.

Pull weeds for peace, turn over in your sleep for peace, feed the birds for

peace, each shiny seed that spills onto the earth, another second of peace.

Wash your dishes, call your mother, drink wine.

Shovel leaves or snow or trash from your sidewalk. Make a path. Fold a photo of

a dead child around your VISA card. Gnaw your crust of prayer, scoop your

prayer water from the gutter. Mumble along like a crazy person, stumbling your

prayer through the streets.

Ellen Bass (Read more of her poems at www.ellenbass.com)

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