A prayer

[mia]

It's Sunday morning and I'm wondering if there is anyone else who thinks that spiritual/religious discussions have a place here at DU?



PRAYER FOR FREEDOM FROM SUFFERING


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 each other.
May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness--
the children, the aged, the unprotected--
be guarded by beneficent celestials,
and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.
The Buddha


http://www.viewonbuddhism.org/depression.html#prayer

[timtom]

1. Somebody gave it an unrec.

I recommended it.

I have long been a friend of Buddhism. This is a beautiful prayer.

May those to whom it is offensive simply not comment nor unrec.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mia]

4. Fellow heathen here...just searching for inner peace.

MEDITATION ON AFFLICTION
Assailed by afflictions, we discover Dharma
And find the way to liberation. Thank you, evil forces!

When sorrows invade the mind, we discover Dharma
And find lasting happiness. Thank you, sorrows!

Through harm caused by spirits we discover Dharma
And find fearlessness. Thank you, ghosts and demons!

Through people's hate we discover Dharma
And find benefits and happiness. Thank you, those who hate us!

Through cruel adversity, we discover Dharma
And find the unchanging way. Thank you, adversity!

Through being impelled to by others, we discover Dharma
And find the essential meaning. Thank you, all who drive us on!

We dedicate our merit to you all, to repay your kindness.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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[TexasObserver]

10. Very un-Buddhist reaction.

How can you possibly care that someone would use their vote to register Unrecommend?

And even if you do care, how could you think it is any of your concern, or worse, feel vicariously outraged over it?


You might want to study those Buddhist tenets more, and leave out the Calvenesque finger wagging that seems to be your inclination. The thread was likely voted Unrecommend because it was placed in the wrong forum. Sunday morning as a non religious day is a progressive ideal. It's nice to have a forum where one doesn't have to listen to proselytizers, however well intentioned and good hearted they may be.

You have demonstrated the main reason so many find religious persons annoying: your outrage that others don't share your view of what constitutes proper conduct in the face of someone pushing their spiritual or religious beliefs.

[timtom]

12. I'm not a Buddhist!

You've built up a whole mythology over the fact that I wished the original poster well.

I'm not a Calvinist ("Calvinesque?" Chuckle.) either.

Nor am I a Roman Catholic.

Nor am I a Southern Baptist, nor a Jew, nor a Baha'i, nor a Muslim, nor a Jain, nor a Cao-Dai.

What I attempted to say to the OP was something to the effect that, "Gee. You posted a simple little prayer that all goes well for others. How kind. I hope all goes well with you."

But, oddly enough, a couple of folks (you being one of them) got their little panties in a bunch and see ugly puritanism and witch-burning behind every non atheistic sentiment. Being legalistic schmucks, you interpret everything as an affront to your own religion.

Oh, wait. I've had you on "ignore" before, simply because you are such a highstrung person who projects vitriol everywhere. Well, back you go, then.

You are both the death-knell of America, indeed.

[TexasObserver]

13. Thanks for providing further evidence I was right.

[auntAgonist]

2. nice, thank you k*r

[Joe Chi Minh]

5. No prob. Same God, same purposes, if significanty different details.

In the words of Christian scipture, "He who lives in love, lives in God, and God lives in him."

[rug]

6. You can post it in the Religion/Theology Forum but you'll end up talking about lack of evidence.

[omega minimo]

7. Non Un Rec Kick

[noamnety]

8. They do have a place here.

(It's in the religion forum.)

[TexasObserver]

11. I find this prayer an interesting one for discussion.

I wonder if the implications of it are understood.

From the prayer you quoted:

May all beings everywhere plagued
with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
(Does the above phrase mean DEATH is their salvation, for it will quickly free the suffering, and nothing else likely will?)

May those frightened cease to be afraid,
(Is fear a bad thing? Is it not our inherent or programmed alarm system to protect us?)
and may those bound be free.
(What about the ones who are bound because they're dangerous to the rest of us?)

-------------------------------------

Prayers that seek wisdom, patience, understanding, and clarity for oneself seem appropriate things one might seek in prayer. Assuming there is a God or there are gods, and assuming such God or gods can hear us and understand our requests and act on them, why would our asking them to free others of suffering motivate them to act? Surely such omniscient beings would already know of such circumstances and understand them better than we could. If there are children dying of starvation, we must conclude that such events are OK with God or gods. We must conclude that such deities have decided they are not going to interfere in that process. If they have done so, what are our prayers supposed to accomplish?

If we pray only for clarity in ourselves, however, are we not really addressing the only thing we can change? When someone tells me they'll pray for me, I tell them to pray for themselves, and I mean it. Work on yourself, and let God or gods take care of running the universe. If they exist, which I'm not suggesting they do.

[mia]

14. Thanks, TexasObserver, for a very thought provoking reply.

Our own perception is all we can hope to clarify. Changing even that is a mighty task.

[MorningGlow]

16. Or...

May all beings everywhere plagued
with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
(Does the above phrase mean DEATH is their salvation, for it will quickly free the suffering, and nothing else likely will?)

Or it could mean "please heal these people of their illnesses".

May those frightened cease to be afraid,
(Is fear a bad thing? Is it not our inherent or programmed alarm system to protect us?)

Or it could mean please reassure people who have irrational fears--so much so that they are afraid to live freely--or even have them find the psychological help they need, if that indeed is what they need.

and may those bound be free.
(What about the ones who are bound because they're dangerous to the rest of us?)

Or it could mean please free people bound in servitude, wives bound in abusive marriages, children bound in abusive situations, etc.

But I think you knew that. ;)

As for the point of prayer, well, I suppose that's another thread, but one theory is that, as there is free will and nothing is predetermined, we can help shift the tide of negativity by a kind of "show of support" for people who are suffering.

Or, you know, it's another form of people being nice to other people. Love does make the world go 'round and all that.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

17. As an atheist

I think that prayer in general is nonsense, but I appreciate the meaning and intent behind the prayer. So I gave it a Rec to counteract the Unrec that one of us evil heathens put up.

[timtom]

18. Thanks, man.

The OP was merely a grand well-wishing for those in distress. All I meant to say was "May this be free from nay-sayers."

You are very kind to have responded in this fashion.

(I've spent my 25 years or so in heathendom, myself.)

Thanks again.

[NotTheist]

19. Worthless

Prayer is stupid. Take action to repair things you feel need fixed. Sitting on your ass talking to yourself is no way to fix anything.