This is the third part of the Noon Blessing, which is chanted everyday during the midday service. The senior sunim present reads this out after the Thousand Hands Sutra has been recited. It’s not originally read in parts; I’ve only split it up here to keep the length from getting out of hand. (It grew in the translation!) Still, try to read it through a couple of times and let it sink down within you.
Here in this place,
with our utmost sincerity,
with these pure offerings,
we raise the intention that each and every person attending this ceremony,
be safe and healthy,
and with the great protective power of our one mind,
manifested by all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas,
may they be safe wherever they go,
whether on long journeys or just short errands,
may all their encounters be positive and joyous,
and may disaster and misfortune always be strangers.
May every kind of legal trouble,
every kind of natural disaster and civil disorder,
and diseases of all types
utterly vanish.
May our families all be harmonious,
and far from the presence of those with evil intentions.
May couples love each other and get along well,
and may brothers and sisters care for and look after each other.
May those who are teenagers not get caught up
in activities that darken their spirit.
May others’ lives always be
just as precious as our own.
Don’t covet those things that belong to others,
let go of deceptiveness and overblown pride,
speak truthfully
and uphold trust,
and in all circumstances,
cultivate bright and upright wisdom,
always relying upon our inner foundation.
In this way, may we all come to realize our inherent nature.
Wake Up and Laugh! 