Dedication from Shantideva’s Guide to a Bodhisattva’s Way of Life (Bodhicharyavatara)
Revised by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
His Holiness has often said that this is his favorite prayer, particularly the final stanza.
May all beings everywhere
Plagued by sufferings of body and mind
Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
By virtue of my merits
May no living creatures suffer,
Commit evil or ever fall ill
May no one be afraid or belittled
With a mind weighed down by depression
May the blind see forms
And the deaf hear sounds
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
Be restored in finding repose
May the naked find clothing
The hungry find food
May the thirsty find water
And delicious drinks
May the poor find wealth
Those weak with sorrow find joy
May the forlorn find hope
Constant happiness and prosperity
May there be timely rains
And bountiful harvests
May all medicines be effective
And wholesome prayers bear fruit
May all who are sick or ill
Quickly be freed from their ailments
Whatever diseases there are in the world
May they never occur again
May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed
May the powerless find power
And may people think of benefitting each other.
For as long as space remains,
For as long as sentient beings remain,
Until then may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.