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The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: A Litany for Peace

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As we are together praying for Peace, let us be truly with each other.
Silence
Let us pay attention to our breathing.
Silence
Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.
Silence
Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.
Silence
Let us be aware of the Source of Being common to us all and to all that is.
Silence
Evoking the presence of the Great Companion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion—towards ourselves and toward all living beings.
Silence
Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all nourished from the same Source of Life.
Silence
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of needless suffering.
Silence
Let us pray that we may live in a way which will not needlessly deprive other living beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live in health.
Silence
With reverence for Life and with awareness of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth.

Thich Nhat Hanh (1926- ) is a Buddhist monk, writer, peace activist and acclaimed spiritual leader for followers of his mindful living practices. Hanh is credited with the concept of Engaged Buddhism, by which Buddhists apply insights from meditation to engage in social and political issues as part of their meditation and mindfulness practice. Martin Luther King, Jr. nominated Hanh for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.