Loving Kindness on Election Day
From JoshinÂ
Recognizing that I am not an observer, but a participant in the life of our world, may I resolve to bring peace to my own inner turmoil.
- May I embody peace in every breath I take, aware moment by moment of the rising and passing of my own anticipation, hope, sorrow, discomfort, and suffering.
- May I honor my own body-heart-mind, whatever its feelings or mood, energetic or tired, calm or agitated, irritated or friendly.
- May I walk mindfully in the difficulties of my own life, placing each foot on the ground with kindness and gentleness toward my own body, heart, and mind.
- May I make way for peace in every inner dialogue I have, learning to honor the flow of my thoughts without being limited, stuck, or blinded by them.
- May I not become intoxicated with despair, disgust, rage, or revenge, and instead allow my reactions to be a gateway to empathy and wise compassion for all beings.
- May I take a moment to imagine as a baby those I usually alienate and reject, whose politics I disagree with, and those who trigger in me violent states of mind.
Recognizing that I am not an observer, but a participant in the life of our world, may I resolve to bring peace to my relationships.
- May I act with generosity toward others, especially those who offer me the gift of their differences, receiving them with understanding, sympathy, empathy, and understanding.
- May I be eager to listen and slow to speak, giving others the gift of my attention, moving toward others freely and with openness.
- May I embody peace in my use of language, speaking in ways that transform hearts and that turn the destiny of a nation.
- May I choose actions that benefit all others, and contribute to their spiritual flourishing, even those I disagree with, with peaceful and attentive confidence.
- May I always be ready to act instinctively from the mutually beneficial truth of our intimate kinship, which naturally exists in all my relationships.
Recognizing that I am not an observer, but a participant in the life of our world, may I resolve to bring peace as an active and engaged member of the local, national, and global community.
- May I engage in peacefulness in how I communicate at public gatherings, use social media, respond to the press, and communicate on platforms I have access to; and may my own actions inspire others to embody peace.
- May I practice peace with what I choose to purchase, donate to, or invest my financial resources in, recognizing that I am the first leverage point for peace in the systems and structures of division and of peace, and that I have power as a person to shape the future, and may my own actions encourage others to embody peace.
- May I extend myself not only to those I agree with, but also to the passive bystanders, to the apathetic, to those who experience aggression, to the active perpetrators of violence; and may my own actions inspire others to embody peace.
- May I practice peacefulness in how I use the power of my vote, and may my own actions encourage others to embody peace.
Dedication
May I continually cultivate the ground of peace for
myself and others, and persist, mindful and dedicated to this work, independent of results.
May I know that my peace and the world’s peace are not separate,
and remember that peace in the world is a ripple of the work of peacemaking in myself and in my relationships.
May all beings,
visible or invisible,
near and far,
right, left, middle or unengaged
born and to be born,
be well, happy, and peaceful.
