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Delegates take a moment to pray prior to the May 16 worship service. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.
Please say a prayer for dear Heidi today. My friend and I talked last night. With the heat wave, Heidi's room has become unbearable. There's so much sun and no airconditioning. Heidi already has been desperate to get out of that room. The decision has been made to move the two kittens who have yet to leave for their forever home into a room in the interior of the house. As for Heidi, her enclosed porch will have the door propped open just wide enough for her to come and go as she pleases. My hope is that she will remain on the farm, but Heidi will choose what she wants to do. I fear for her life, truly. If she does not choose to remain on the farm but to head off into the woods on her own, she doesn't stand much of a chance. After all, she is nearly all white. Easy pickings for night predators. My heart is heavy, but I am praying for this dear girl.
Good Lord, please watch over Heidi. Provide for her; protect her. Keep her safe and free from suffering. . .
I'm sad today. But trusting for the best. I truly hope she stays on the farm and uses her shelter (the enclosed porch) at night at the very least. Goodbye, dear Heidi.
[SOOC, f/1.8, ISO 100, shutter speed 1/250]
A line of prayer flags, near the entrance to Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in Dumfries & Galloway.
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Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre is a Tibetan Buddhist complex associated with the Karma Kagyu school located at Eskdalemuir, near Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagyu_Samye_Ling_Monastery_and_Tibe...
Prayer Postcard - Missionary - Honduras
If you think you want some of this same design work for your organization or business, visit:
These prayer flags are from Mahakala, the cave I visited during my LEAPYear travels where Siddhartha, aka Buddha, meditated for 5 years in solitude before achieving Enlightenment (NB: capital E). Five years of solitude and meditation, living in a cave that I couldn't stretch out in, let alone stand up.
To summarize, dude was intense.
The whole idea of prayer flags is in fact a lesson in impermanence, a notion that doesn't sit real well with Westerners (generally speaking, that is). We get very caught up in the humdrum of materialism that is our everyday life. A man's worth is measured by his possessions and power. Who the hell came up with that idea, anyway? But a prayer flag is in fact worthless to possess; their value is the goodwill they 'release' as they tatter. That's why monasteries and mountain paths are covered in tattered remnants of prayer flags: they're like an offering, or, well, a prayer, for harmony and peace in the world. Energy is invested in them via the ritualistic creation process (we got to see that, too) and is released as the cloth gets destroyed. So to simply stock them up is kind of worthless.
An interesting notion, especially as this all came out of my incredible amount of satisfaction with my own new toy, my Canon 50D. Irony ftw?
By the way, if you haven't heard or taken the time, please take the next 10 seconds to spare a thought or a prayer for those suffering in Mumbai today.
[This is an extraction from Chapter 30, Pages 175-178 of the book “Mental Tension and Its Cure” - Third Edition 1986, authored by Prof. (Dr.) O.P. Jaggi. Prof. (Dr.) O.P. Jaggi is a Physician of international repute in the field of chest Medicine, Asthma and Allergy. He was the Director of Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute, New Delhi, Dean Faculty of Medical Science, Delhi University, and Governor. He is the author of over seventy books including an authoritative 18 volume series on History of Science and Technology in India. His research papers have appeared in several international and national journals. He has over 50 years of experience in patient care, research etc.]
Can prayer or faith in God help in lowering mental tension? I know a person, Mr. L, who used to say, ‘Only feeble-minded people go in for these types of gimmicks. Man should decide what he wants, work for it hard and perseveringly, and that is all there is to it. One can very well do without prayer to God. The time spent in prayer should profitably be applied to the work itself.’
Mr. L was an engineer. He was employed in an India-based foreign firm. He drew a handsome salary, had a company’s car at his disposal, his two children went to the best public school and his wife always talked of diamond jewellery. He was a hard and meticulous worker and was an asset to his company. However, the policy of the Government changed; the firm was asked to wind up its business in India and quite. This left Mr. L without a job for about a year. He thought of starting his own business, had two more partners and started work. No sooner the factory went into production, a riot broke out in the area, the factory was burnt down, and Mr. L had nothing left with him except a debt of over fifty thousand rupees to repay.
At this moment, poor Mr. L lost all confidence in himself, in his skill and his capacity to work hard. He had nothing left in the world to lean upon. He did not come out of his house for weeks together. From a gay and happy person, he turned into a morose and lifeless fellow. The whole family was in a chaos, not knowing what to do.
Mr. L had an uncle living with him. He was the only person on whom this terrible loss in the family had no visible effect. He lived in a room on the upper floor of the house and spent much of his time in prayer, ‘kirtans’ or just playing with children. In a corner of his room, he had decoratingly placed pictures and figurines of gods before whom he prayed with devotion.
As Mr. L had nothing to do now and also would not like to go out, he would occasionally go upstairs and sit there on the terrace. He noticed his uncle doing prayer with such devotion as he himself has had to his work. On asking his uncle, as to why he did the prayer the latter replied that he derived peace of mind from it. Mr. L started doing the same and sometimes he liked the views of his uncle who would say, ‘I am now seventy. I have seen many ups and downs in life. There was a time when my whole family, wife and four children, were killed in the partition riots. Then I had thought that, that was the end of the world for me. But then, how could I sit idle and brood over my loss? I started working again. In this way, I no longer remained a burden on others and I got busy in the work. I felt less of my loss.’ He would further say, ‘Man is sometimes powerless before the circumstances. He thinks too much of himself but before the Will of God, he is nothing. An endeavour, which he undertakes for profit, may turn out to be a loss. All that man can do is to put in his best efforts in the work, which he undertakes. Whether he succeeds in it or not, he must leave to the Will of God. It is only when he starts expecting results of his efforts that he gets disappointed and dejected when these fall short of his expectations. In the ‘Bhagavad Gītā’ also Lord Krishna told Arjuna, “All you have to do is to act, leave the fruit of it to Me.”
The prayer and words of his old uncle had effect upon Mr. L. His uncle had some money with him which he gladly gave to Mr. L. telling him that it would not find a better purpose at any other time. He went into business again, sagaciously, humbly, gradually, his days changed, he prospered again. Now he depended first upon the Will of God and then upon his own capacity of work.
Faith in God may not get you what you want, but who knows that what you do not get, is not worth getting! How many times do we not curse ourselves and others that we did not get a particular thing; and after a while thank God that we did not get it.
Faith and Prayer
Many people pray to God only when they get into a calamity, just as they remember fire brigade when the house on fire. That is not, in fact, a prayer. The habit of prayer over a period of time gives us confidence that God is with us; He is leading us on the right path and that we have His protection. It is this confidence – which we develop as a conditioned reflex – and it is this fact that helps us through difficult times.
Faith is known to have miraculous powers. It is through faith that some tribal people walk over burning charcoal without having anything like a blister under their feet. It is this faith that is said to dissolve away even cancerous masses. It is this faith that cures many a village or tribal man when a few incantations are uttered over them by the ‘ojha’ – what we call the indigenous medical practitioner.
Faith in God and the habit of prayer seems to have gone out of fashion among educated people, but it has a positive role in human welfare. Simple prayer, singing of ‘bhajans’ and ‘kirtans’ provide peace of mind and solace. Prayer is most effective when it does not ask for anything but is intended as a gesture of thanks giving for all that God has given us. (END OF ARTCLE)
Bhagavad Gītā
It was getting dark as we arrived at our last Mandalay temple-stop of the day, but fortunately the rains held off. We positioned ourselves on the upper balcony of a modest monastery - who's name I don't know - and waited as a young monk struck a metal bong repeatedly with a heavy wooden striker. Quietly, walking barefoot, maroon-robed monks emerged from all directions, and lined up to enter the prayer hall, where they sat for meditation, chanting and prayers.
For the story behind these pictures, please visit the "Ursula's Weekly Wanders" PhotoBlog post: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/religious-practice/life-in-t...
Prayer wheels at Shedup Choephilling Buddhist temple in Mussoorie (India).
I clicked this photograph between two other prayer wheels.
Fluttering prayer flags - It was great feeling of calmness standing atop Lamayuru monastery with lovely breeze of air
These colourful flags reach to the top of the Buddhist Stupas. They contain Buddhist mantras as a prayer offering.
Darchen - Mount Kailash - Tarboche - Tibetan Plateau - Tibet Autonomous Region - China
Mani stones are stone plates, rocks and/or pebbles, inscribed with the six syllabled mantra of Avalokiteshvara (Om mani padme hum, hence the name "Mani stone"), as a form of prayer in Tibetan Buddhism
It was getting dark as we arrived at our last Mandalay temple-stop of the day, but fortunately the rains held off. We positioned ourselves on the upper balcony of a modest monastery - who's name I don't know - and waited as a young monk struck a metal bong repeatedly with a heavy wooden striker. Quietly, walking barefoot, maroon-robed monks emerged from all directions, and lined up to enter the prayer hall, where they sat for meditation, chanting and prayers.
For the story behind these pictures, please visit the "Ursula's Weekly Wanders" PhotoBlog post: www.ursulasweeklywanders.com/religious-practice/life-in-t...
Sorry I have not been on but Ivan has had a stroke and I am asking for a little favor please say a little prayer for him he is not doing to well thats all I want for him to get better and to come home!!!
The Ladakhis tie prayer flags wherever the wind is high, with every flap the wind carries the prayers along with it to distant places..
The prayer of "Ana Bekoah" is a request from God to help us.
"Ana Bekoah" prayer is named also Shem ben Mem-Bet, which means: Name of 42 letters prayer. Actually the name "Ana Bekoah" is because of the first two words that open the prayer.
The significant part of the prayer is not the words themselves, but rather the first letter of each word. These letters taken together comprise the 42 letter name of Hashem, also known as the Holy Name of Creation.
The Prayer:
Ana becho'ach, g'dulat yemincha, tatir tz'rura
Kabel rinat amcha sagveinu, tahareinu nora
Na gibor dorshei yichudcha, k'vavat shamrem
Barchem taharem, rachamei tzidkatcha
Tamid gamlem, chasin kadosh
Berov tuvcha, nahel adatecha
Yachid ge'eh le'amcha p'neh, zochrei k'dushatecha
Shavateinu kabel ushma tza'akateinu, yode'a ta'alumot
(Baruch shem k'vod malchuto le'olam va'ed)
English translation:
We beg thee with the strength and greatness of thy right arm-Untangle our knotted fate.
Accept your people's song, elevate and purify us
Please, heroic one, those who pursue your uniqueness-
guard them as the pupil of an eye.
Bless them, purify them, pity them,
may your righteousness always reward them.
Powerful and Holy One, in goodness lead your flock.
Unique and proud one, to your people turn,
who remember your holiness.
Accept our cries, and hear our screams,
oh knower of mysteries.
(Blessed is the name of his noble kingdom
forever and ever.)
The prayer of "Ana Bekoah" is a request from God to help us.
"Ana Bekoah" prayer is named also Shem ben Mem-Bet, which means: Name of 42 letters prayer. Actually the name "Ana Bekoah" is because of the first two words that open the prayer.
The significant part of the prayer is not the words themselves, but rather the first letter of each word. These letters taken together comprise the 42 letter name of Hashem, also known as the Holy Name of Creation.
The Prayer:
Ana becho'ach, g'dulat yemincha, tatir tz'rura
Kabel rinat amcha sagveinu, tahareinu nora
Na gibor dorshei yichudcha, k'vavat shamrem
Barchem taharem, rachamei tzidkatcha
Tamid gamlem, chasin kadosh
Berov tuvcha, nahel adatecha
Yachid ge'eh le'amcha p'neh, zochrei k'dushatecha
Shavateinu kabel ushma tza'akateinu, yode'a ta'alumot
(Baruch shem k'vod malchuto le'olam va'ed)
English translation:
We beg thee with the strength and greatness of thy right arm-Untangle our knotted fate.
Accept your people's song, elevate and purify us
Please, heroic one, those who pursue your uniqueness-
guard them as the pupil of an eye.
Bless them, purify them, pity them,
may your righteousness always reward them.
Powerful and Holy One, in goodness lead your flock.
Unique and proud one, to your people turn,
who remember your holiness.
Accept our cries, and hear our screams,
oh knower of mysteries.
(Blessed is the name of his noble kingdom
forever and ever.)
Sean has been in a coma since fainting at school on April 26, 2005 and subsequently having brain surgery to remove a tumor. This evening he is not doing well and is being taken by ambulance to Atlanta, Georgia (4 hours away). We are remembering him, his mother (Irma), his father (Simmie), and his brothers and sisters in prayer that God will give them the "joy" that we learned about in Sunday School class this morning.
John 15:9-11--"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." The Holy Bible (NIV)
Read his mother's journal of faith at: www2.caringbridge.org/ga/seanstruckstop/