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A Prayer for Peace

A candle lighting ceremony and prayer for peace led by a Buddhist lama.

"World peace starts with inner peace. When we desire peace in the world, we must seek how to establish peace around ourselves and within ourselves."

"For as long as space endures and as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide to dispel the misery of the world."

Lama Gelong Shempen Rinpoche addresses a multi-faith gathering, emphasizing that inner peace and loving-kindness are the foundations for global harmony. He explains how ego-centered living creates conflict, while altruism spreads kindness. He concludes by reciting a traditional Buddhist prayer and a verse by Shantideva, dedicating his existence to alleviating worldly suffering.

I am inviting Lama Gelong Shempen Rinpoche to light the candle for peace and say the prayer on behalf of the Dharma Ling Buddhist congregation. Good evening, everybody. I am extremely happy about this event and gathering, which truly brings together people from different origins, religions, and traditions. Indeed, when we talk about peace and seek peace, the first step is surely to break the barriers between beings. To quote His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I would say that world peace starts with inner peace. When we desire peace in the world, we must seek how to establish peace around ourselves and within ourselves. We can see that when we are consumed by our small problems and conflicts, and we give them too much strength, then more conflicts and problems arise. When we try to develop an ego-centered life, more selfish motivation spreads. Conversely, if we look at how we can help others and develop kindness toward them, then more kindness is spread. If we seek a solution for wars and fights, then surely loving-kindness is the answer for the world. This loving-kindness can be found in every religion and every tradition. It is, first and foremost, something we must develop within our own inner temple. I will conclude with a small prayer: May all sentient beings have happiness and its cause. May all sentient beings be free from suffering and its cause. May all sentient beings be inseparable from sorrowless bliss. May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free of bias, whether greed or hatred. As an expression of our devotion to helping all others without exception, I will quote one final verse from a work by Shantideva: "For as long as space endures and as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide to dispel the misery of the world." May peace develop within each of our hearts and spread throughout the world. Thank you very much.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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