For The Good Of All
This is an old Buddhist prayer.
May I traverse all my lives in the world
free of afflictions and interfering forces,
but poised to endure with equanimity
if afflictions and interfering forces come —
for the good of All
May I ease suffering in the earth realms.
May I help guide wanderers in ignorance
to the pure bliss of awakening,
and be of benefit to them.
While circling through all realms, moods, and states,
may I become an endless treasure of good qualities –
gathering vigorous practical wisdom and positive potential —
for the good of All
May I channel the power of magical emanations,
the power of compassionate activity,
the power of pervasive love,
the power of fighting for justice,
the power of wild knowledge
that rouses liberation,
and through the cultivation of skillful means,
may I achieve the power of ever-renewing awakening
for the good of All
It takes only a moment of quiet reflection to recognize that you and I are here, on account of a twist of fate, and due to the solicitude of others. Innumerable friends, teachers, fellow travelers have assisted me to sustain my sanity, to help me resolve a more substantial sense of self, and of my place here. I owe to them a debt than I cannot repay, even if the companionship was freely given. I can pay it forward though.
We are here for others.
Thanks to Rob Brezsny for the Buddhist prayer. Rob is a fine writer. If you’d like to subscribe to Rob’s Freewill Astrology newsletter CLICK HERE.
4 thoughts on “For The Good Of All”
May I help guide wanderers in ignorance
to the pure bliss of awakening,
and be of benefit to them.
In reading your thoughts on the translation of this mantra, I think about the word that is not included which is “Tolerance”. In particular tolerance of the ignorant, the mean spirited, the entitled, the indifferent, and, specifically, those who are intolerant themselves. Unfortunately I have little room in my own sense of tolerance for these people. It seems hypocritical when I say that I’m Mr. Tolerance, except when it comes to tolerating the intolerant.
I think of your friend Gary, of whom I have only passing knowledge, and yet because he and I have had some interaction over the years, I view him as a part of the ignorant, intolerant tsunami of those who are indifferent to the plight of our species. The Buddhist quote I copied at the beginning of my response says that we should guide the ignorant wanderers, but first they must want to relinquish that ignorance. The vast majority of folks like Mr. Smith have zero interest in finding a way forward, but instead are quite satisfied remaining acolytes of leadership that itself is wallowing in ignorance and cruelty.
All we can do is to work around these people, to first live our own lives in a mindful way and then encourage those who will listen and who understand our circumstances to speak up, making their voices be heard, voting, and joining together to overcome this dystopian nightmare. We simply can’t reach those who refuse to see, who refuse to listen, and who refuse to leave their ignorance in the dust. This is a conclusion I personally find incredibly depressing. I want to believe that when faced with overwhelming facts and evidence, any fellow human will gain understanding, wanting to place our species on back on a path of kindness and inclusion, but that is clearly not to going to happen. C’est la vie.
Who could deny the point which you have made. I remember when I was one who refused to see. Does it not come down to knowing what one knows, and everything else is impossible to see? This conditon is typically the case. (I do not discount that tiny minority who reach a tipping point and are vested, doubling down on evil, stone-cold dedication no matter how many victims)
I believe there is a single thing, just one catalysis for change, for opening to alternative interpretations, and that is PAIN. Life kicks everyone’s ass in due time. There is always the possibility that pain and loss will wake us up to the possibility our contrived world is in fact profoundly unjust to ourselves and to others. that one just cannot live there any longer. We bear no responsibility for the direction of anyone else’s life except our own. Whether anyone else “awakens” is not up to me.
I agree that we cannot be responsible for the paths other people choose to take. All we can do is attempt to embody the change we ourselves espouse in the hope that by demonstrating a mindful and open-minded life, others might see their own path reflected in how we are living. It’s a stretch to think that those deeply invested in a gun rights, militia -esk, Trumpist, anti-government, MAGA, chaotic narrative lifestyle would even be able to see what someone else is doing, is slim at best. But working on ourselves is the healthiest choice regardless of how it may or may not impact anyone else.
Pain does get one’s attention. Whether one takes a lesson or not is up to the individual