O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will but also
those of evil will. And in remembering the suffering they inflicted
upon us, honor the fruits we have borne thanks to this suffering
--- our comradeship, our humility, our compassion, our courage,
our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown out of all
this; and when they come to the judgment, let all the fruits that
we have borne, be their forgiveness...
Anonymous
PRAYER
FROM IRAQ
by Camilo Mejia
Dear Lord, Thank you for allowing me to live one more day.
Forgive me for all my sins, for all the things I should have said
and done but did not.
I ask of you to soften the hearts of our leaders and soften the
hearts of those who attack us.
Let there be no more war, and put an end to all violence.
Protect my comrades, and protect all those who are affected by
this war.
Give comfort to the dead and wounded. Give them the wisdom to accept
your decision. Put peace in their hearts.
Should you decide to take me from this world I will accept your
will.
Give strength to my family, and protect my little girl.
Let there be peace in all the world. Thank you Lord.
The Peace Abbey Multi-Faith Chapel offers a sacred environment
wherein the icons, symbols, sculptures and texts of the twelve major
spiritual traditions are held. Whether you visit in the course of
the day or plan an overnight stay, we hope you'll find time for
contemplation and prayer in the multi-faith chapel.
Many visitors choose to hold blessings and ceremonies in the Multi-Faith
Chapel, such as weddings and baby blessings.
For more information on available services click
here.
The Multi-Faith Chapel holds the cremation remains of dozens of
individuals who chose to bequeth their ashes to the Abbey. Many
had their ashes spread around the Pacifist Memorial in the shadow
of the statue of Gandhi.
"There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore
it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I've
always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a
Muslim become a better Muslim, a Buddhist become a better Buddhist
and a Christian become a better Christian." - Mother
Teresa
"Like the bee gathering honey from the different flowers,
the wise person accepts the essence of the different scriptures
and sees only the good in all religions." - Mahatma
Gandhi
A Tribute to the late John Paul II who convened the Day of Prayer for World Peace in Assisi, Italy. The Peace Abbey exists
to further the spirit of these prayers which we call Peace Seeds.
The
Peace Seeds
The Peace Seeds represent the twelve prayers for peace prayed in
Assisi, Italy on the Day of Prayer for World Peace during the United
Nations International Year of Peace, 1986. The Prayers were brought
to the United States and entrusted to the care of the children at
The Life Experience School. Peace Seeds can be acquired from the
Peace Abbey for a small donation.
The following photographs to the left of the prayers are of statues
and icons in The Peace Abbey.
1. THE
HINDU PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real. Oh God, lead us
from darkness to light. Oh God, lead us from death to immortality.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all. Oh Lord God almighty, may there
be peace in celestial regions. May there be peace on earth.
May the waters be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome, and may
trees and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent beings
bring peace to us. May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through
the world. May all things be a source of peace to us. And may
thy peace itself, bestow peace on all, and may that peace come
to me also.
2.
THE BUDDHIST PRAYER FOR PEACE:
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 one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses
- the children, the aged, the unprotected - be guarded by beneficent
celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.
3.
THE JAIN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached
by all the Enlightened Ones. The Lord has preached that equanimity
is the Dharma. Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures
forgive me. Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity. Know
that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world.
Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage. "Do not injure any
living being." This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable
way of spiritual life. A weapon howsoever powerful it may be,
can always be superseded by a superior one; but no weapon can,
however, be superior to nonviolence and love.
4. THE
MUSLIM PRAYER FOR PEACE:
In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be
to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into
tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we
may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards peace,
do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the
Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things. And the
servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth
in humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE."
5. THE
SIKH PRAYER FOR PEACE: "God adjudges us according
to our deeds, not the coat that we wear: that Truth is above
everything, but higher still is truthful living. "Know
that we attaineth God when we loveth, and only that victory
endures in consequence of which no one is defeated."
6. THE
BAHA'I PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be fair
in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech. Be a lamp unto
those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger. Be eyes
to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.
Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil
of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.
7. THE
SHINTO PRAYER FOR PEACE: "Although the people
living across the ocean surrounding us, I believe, are all our
brothers and sisters, why are there constant troubles in this
world? Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding
us? I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away
all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains."
8.
THE NATIVE AFRICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot;
the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees: the all-seeing
Lord up on high who sees even the footprints of an antelope
on a rockmass here on Earth. You are the one who does not hesitate
to respond to our call. You are the cornerstone of peace.
9.
THE NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. To
your messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth who provides
for your children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children
to love, to respect, and to be kind to each other so that they
may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share all the good
things that you provide for us on this Earth.
10.
THE ZOROASTRIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world: that
understanding triumph over ignorance, that generosity triumph
over indifference, that trust triumph over contempt, and that
truth triumph over falsehood.
11.
THE JEWISH PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk
the paths of the Most High. And we shall beat our swords into
ploughshares, and our spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall
not lift up sword against nation - neither shall they learn
war any more. And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the
Lord of Hosts has spoken.
12.
THE CHRISTIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE:
Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS, for they shall be known as the
Children of God. But I say to you that hear, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray
for those who abuse you. To those who strike you on the cheek,
offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak,
do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs
from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask
them again. And as you wish that others would do to you, do
so to them.
PRAYERS
FOR PEACE:
