"May I be a guard for those who need protection, A guide for those on the path, A boat, a raft, a bridge, for those who wish to cross the flood.
May I be a lamp in the darkness, A resting place for the weary, A healing medicine for all who are sick, A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles
And for the boundless multitude of living beings, may I bring sustenance and awakening, enduring like the earth and sky, till all beings are freed from sorrow and all are awakened." - Bodhisattva Prayer for All Humanity, Shantideva, Indian Buddhist sage 700 A.D.
I find these words deeply inspiring and a worthy ideal to strive towards.
It is however, easy to interpret this from an egotistical, vain standpoint, as someone who puts on the garb of piety and flaunts their moral and ethical self-righteousness, attempting to wear the mask of a saint for all eyes to see.
So it is important to recall the spirit of the deepest humility and compassion of the mystics who gave birth to these words, counteracting the notion of a selfish form of enlightenment with a profound love for all life and a recognition that from the highest perspective Samsara and Nirvana are one.
These words have little to do with the surface levels of human interactions, but instead speak to the deepest calling of the soul, to orient oneself towards all that is true, beautiful and benevolent in life. Shivam Satyam Sundaram.
Happy New Year to you all.
