~Unknown

Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, Joy.

O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled
As to console;
To be understood,as to understand;
To be loved, as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Analysis of Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi via Bob Campbell:

For over one hundred years, people have turned to the Peace Prayer, attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi, for inspiration and guidance. Perhaps we are attracted by its utter simplicity. Perhaps we pray it because consciously or subconsciously, we are only too aware that its words carry the entire weight of the teachings of Jesus.

The two sections of the prayer both begin with powerful words, “Lord … Divine Master.” We are instantly made aware that baptism has made each one of us a “little Christ.” Consequently, we too are servants who are called to empty ourselves, surrender and serve God, God’s will, and whomever God sends into our lives.

The first section of the Peace Prayer is dedicated to peace, the Easter gift of the Risen Christ. We pray to be instruments of this peace. However, Easter peace goes far beyond clenched fists, angry words and the absence of war. I its fullness can only blossom when we have confronted the very roots of conflict and dissension: hatred, injury, doubt, despair, darkness and sadness-all experiences which suggest a life centered upon “me.” And so, following in the footprints of the Lord and Divine Master, we pray to sow the six seeds of Easter peace: love, pardon, faith, hope, light and joy

The second half of the Peace Prayer reminds “little Christs” that the ego needs to be overcome. “Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.” Easter peace is a product of priorities and preferences arranged in consideration of “thee,” not “me.” Indeed, it is about giving, not receiving; it is about pardoning, not being pardoned.

The Peace Prayer comes full circle and concludes the way begins, with a reference to the resurrection. “For it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” The resurrection and its Easter peace are the beginning of Christian spirituality as well as the finish line. “Little Christs” live faithful lives and  ultimately cross that finish line when, following in the footprints of the Lord and Divine Master, they dedicate themselves to looking beyond “me” to “thee” – to God and all humanity.

A while back, I mentioned that I didn’t care for “heavy” reading and Paz asked me to explain what I meant by that.   I’ve been contemplating what I meant and haven’t come to any conclusions.

But the Peace Prayer is the opposite of “heavy” for me.

I find in it two words that take me deeper: sow and seek.

Then I reflect on what I am to sow: love, pardon, faith, hope, light, joy

And what I am to seek: to console, to understand, to love, to give, to pardon, to die

It doesn’t go on and on with a  lot of additional words.  I can just sit with this and it  takes me deeper and deeper.

I won’t say this is “light” but it’s certainly not “heavy”.

What’s your take on Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi?

Via Daily Downward Dog

So what exactly is a mantra? According to two of my favorite word mavens Merriam and Webster, the definition goes like this:

man·tra  noun \ˈmän-trə also ˈman- or ˈmən-\

: a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated by someone who is praying or meditating

: a word or phrase that is repeated often or that expresses someone’s basic beliefs

I use mantras religiously both on and off my yoga mat to set the tone for my attitude and passion throughout the day, and also to quiet my monkey mind when I practice meditation. I’m not sure if it’s better to pick one mantra and stick to it, but my mantras fluctuate and change with the seasons. Case in point, here are a few of my favorite mantras I’ve shared her on the Daily Downward Dog:

Click to read more on mantra, yoga, and meditation.

J Shap passed along an awesome article on the power of Eastern Philosophy. I believe that some of the Eastern practices have in a way “changed my life.” I can certainly fathom how students at Harvard would be benefiting from a course on the Eastern teachers.

Via The Atlantic

His students tell me it is true: that Puett uses Chinese philosophy as a way to give undergraduates concrete, counter-intuitive, and even revolutionary ideas, which teach them how to live a better life.  Elizabeth Malkin, a student in the course last year, says, “The class absolutely changed my perspective of myself, my peers, and of the way I view the world.” Puett puts a fresh spin on the questions that Chinese scholars grappled with centuries ago. He requires his students to closely read original texts (in translation) such as Confucius’sAnalects, the Mencius, and the Daodejing and then actively put the teachings into practice in their daily lives. His lectures use Chinese thought in the context of contemporary American life to help 18- and 19-year-olds who are struggling to find their place in the world figure out how to be good human beings; how to create a good society; how to have a flourishing life. 

Picture a world where human relationships are challenging, narcissism and self-centeredness are on the rise, and there is disagreement on the best way for people to live harmoniously together. 

It sounds like 21st-century America. But the society that Michael Puett, a tall, 48-year-old bespectacled professor of Chinese history at Harvard University, is describing to more than 700 rapt undergraduates is China, 2,500 years ago.

Puett’s course Classical Chinese Ethical and Political Theory has become the third most popular course at the university. The only classes with higher enrollment are Intro to Economics and Intro to Computer Science. The second time Puett offered it, in 2007, so many students crowded into the assigned room that they were sitting on the stairs and stage and spilling out into the hallway. Harvard moved the class to Sanders Theater, the biggest venue on campus.

Why are so many undergraduates spending a semester poring over abstruse Chinese philosophy by scholars who lived thousands of years ago? For one thing, the class fulfills one of Harvard’s more challenging core requirements, Ethical Reasoning. It’s clear, though, that students are also lured in by Puett’s bold promise: “This course will change your life.”

His students tell me it is true: that Puett uses Chinese philosophy as a way to give undergraduates concrete, counter-intuitive, and even revolutionary ideas, which teach them how to live a better life.  Elizabeth Malkin, a student in the course last year, says, “The class absolutely changed my perspective of myself, my peers, and of the way I view the world.” Puett puts a fresh spin on the questions that Chinese scholars grappled with centuries ago. He requires his students to closely read original texts (in translation) such as Confucius’sAnalects, the Mencius, and the Daodejing and then actively put the teachings into practice in their daily lives. His lectures use Chinese thought in the context of contemporary American life to help 18- and 19-year-olds who are struggling to find their place in the world figure out how to be good human beings; how to create a good society; how to have a flourishing life. 

Read on — here. 

Image of Confucius via Asia Society 

~William Shakespeare