I'm often on the look out for good prayers to teach the children. The best ones though are the ones the children create themselves. We pray in a Buddhist way, that is, creating a self-fulling prophecy. Here is a description of Buddhist prayer from Buddhistfaith;
"The purpose of Buddhist prayer is to awaken our inherent inner capacities of strength, compassion and wisdom rather than to petition external forces based on fear, idolizing, and worldly and/or heavenly gain. Buddhist prayer is a form of meditation; it is a practice of inner reconditioning. Buddhist prayer replaces the negative with the virtuous and points us to the blessings of Life.
For Buddhists, prayer expresses an aspiration to pull something into one's life, like some new energy or purifying influence and share it with all beings. Likewise, prayer inspires our hearts towards wisdom and compassion for others and ourselves. It allows us to turn our hearts and minds to the beneficial, rousing our thoughts and actions towards Awakening. If we believe in something enough, it will take hold of us. In other words, believing in it, we will become what we believe. Our ability to be touched like this is evidence of the working of Great Compassion within us.
What's more, it can a function as a form of self-talking or self-therapy in which one mentally talks through a problem, or talks through it aloud, in the hope that some new insight will come or a better decision can be made. Prayer therefore frequently has the function of being part of a decision-making process."
Prayer for the Young
May the children of the world grow constantly in spiritual awareness and peace consciousness. May more and more young people each day find the wisdom of simply being and awakening. May we all find the alert stillness of our Buddha natures. ~ Beliefnet
Prayer for Children ~ others before self
May I remember to be kind to others all the time,
May I remember to use gentle hands.
May I remember to speak sweet words,
May I remember to help everyone and reach out to those who need assistance.
May I remember to love and nuture myself.
Do you pray or teach your children to pray? Please share your thoughts or suggestions here.
Lokah sumasta sookino bhavantu
May All Beings Be Happy
