Thursday, July 2, 2009

Happy 4th of July

May every one have a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday! May our country continue to be a place of freedom for all beings.

This is an excerpt from a beautiful prayer for the armed forces by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of the Fo Guang Shan ("Buddha's Light Mountain") order. May we always be mindful of the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and their dependents, of all faiths, so that we may continue to live in freedom and prosperity.

"Oh great compassionate Buddha!
May our armed forces:
Be able to understand
Both themselves and their opponents, and avoid danger;
Be well-versed
In the art of war and uphold justice;
Be able to exercise compassion and wisdom,
And achieve victory through martial virtues;
Be able to possess courage and kindness,
And win the war without fighting a battle.
May they defend the nation
With the spirit of fearlessness;
May they guard the people
With the courage of great compassion."

- Venerable Master Hsing Yun
[excerpt from Pearls of Wisdom: Prayers for Engaged Living II]

2 comments:

Arun said...

And a happy July 4 to you too! Would you object to me posting a reference to this over at Dharma Folk?

Jeanette Yuinen Shin said...

Not all all, please feel free :)

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