palo prayers for mystics 1st ed 1992

8/3/2019 Palo Prayers for Mystics 1st Ed 1992

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2/27

a/e4-.-Pharaoh Akhenaton is considered the f i rst monotheist . I Ie nas ayoung br i l l iant poet . Let rs l is ten to him celebrate the r is ingsun. Arr ls upraised in the posit ion of KA (heart ), he revels inthe creator 's makings through the sun.

"You r ise beaut i fu l ly , O l iv ing Aton, Lord of Eterni ty ;You' re gl i t ter ing, beaut i fu l , s t rong;Your love is great. I t is mighty.Your rays give sight to al l your creatures.They bring l i fe to the hearts of men.You f i l l the two lands with your love.O God, you made yourself .You made evey land.You made everything on it . ,A11 men, cat t le and antelopes , .Al l t rees that grow in the soi l ,Al l l ive when you rise for them.Yo u are the mother and father of al l you made.When you r ise, a l l see.Your rays l ight up the whole earth.Every heart rejoices at the sight of youeWhen you riser a's their lord.IIow manifold are your works !They're hidden before men,O sole God, beside whom therers no other.You created the earth from your heart. "

-Ci rca 1350 B.C.

Compiled and Published by:DR. JOEN PAI,O101 COOPERSTREETNEl{ YORK, NY I0 0 34

Copyright - L992Firet Edition


3/27

PREFACE

Science is not the enemy of rel igion. The authorrs research hasdemonstrated that retarded exhalation encourages relaxation. Thom-as Jefferson appeared to have the key when he advised, 'When angrycoun t t o t en . ' Today , we migh t add , " I f tha t doesn ' t do i t , countto twenty on the same breath. ' I t appears extended exhalat ion af f -ects the parasl4npathet ic nervous system. This is the part of theautonomic nervous system that relaxes the body (The sympathet icnervous system of the autonomic nervous system, the "Fight or f l ight"mechanism, exci tes the body ) .The point to be made is that prayer and prayer devices encouragesparasympathet ic ascendance. This forms an entree to our psychicor inner selves. For years rel igions and myst ical teachings haveencouraged parasympathet ic ascendance through repet i t ive Prayers,beads , vowel sounds , mant ras , i ncense , sof t l i gh t s , re lax ing mus ic ,congenial environment, urandalas, bel ls, candles' etcetera.To help in this whole process of attunement with the God of ourHearts ' the author presents the fol lowing most ly non-sectar ian pray-ers. He's found them helpful , in our quest for aid and succor to ourGod within. If you know some you would share, please submit them tothe author for an expanded edit ion of 'Prayers for Myst ics. " Thanks.

- D r . John P a l o


4/27

. . . clrn nto being heart and their came into being tongue. . . theheart th inks what i t wi l l and the tongue commands what i t wi l l . . .I t i s the la t te r (hear t ) wh i ch causes a l l dec is ions to be made ,but i t is the tongue which repor ts what the hear t has thought out .T h u s i s a l l a c t i o n , w h e t h e r s i m p l e o r c o m p l e x , c a r r i e d o u t . . , .A11 is in accord with the command which the heart has devised andwhich has appeared upon the tongue. Thus is determined the pecul-ia r nature of every th ing. . . . I was the maker of mysel f , in that If or:ured myself according to my desire and in accord with my heart .

Ancient Egypt ian MemphiteStone- Translated by-Dr. James Breasted

Our Father, WEO art in heaven, hal lowed be THY nameTHY Kingdom come, THY wiI I be done on earth as i t i si n heaven . G ive us th is day our da i l y b read , and fo r -g ive us our t respasses as h/e ought to forgive thoseinat t respass agt inst L ls . Lead us when in temptat ion,but de liver us f rom evi I " Atrlen

-Jesus Chr is t , The Messiah, The Saviour

The Lord is my shepherd, I shal l not want. He maketh me to l ie down ing reen pas ture- ; he leadeth me bes ide the s t i l l wa te rs . He res to re th mysout ; i t e gu ide th me in s t ra igh t pa ths for E is name's sake. Y ea , t houghI walk tniough the val ley of the shadow of death, I ni I I fear no evi l ,for Thou art with met Thy rod and Thy staf f , they confort me. Thou pre-parest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies i Thou hast an-ointed rny head with oil,; my cup runneth over. surelY goodness and mercyshal l fol low me al l the days oi my l i fe, and I shal l dwel l in the houseof the L,ord f orever .

-Psalm xxi i i

! {ay my eyes be sat isf ied dai ly with beholding him, when he dawnsin this house of Aton and f i l ls i t wi th his own self by his beamsbeauteous in love, and lays them upon me in sat isfy ing l i fe forever and ever .

- l --Pharaoh Nchnaton


5/27

O, GREAT SPIRIT,Whose vo ice I hear in the winds ,A n d w h o s e b r e a t h g i v e s l i f e t o a l l t h e w o r l d ,h e a r m e ! I a m s m a l l a n d w e a k , I n e e d y o u rs t r eng t h an d w i s d o m .LE T ME WALK IN BEAUTY, and make my eyesever behold the red and Purple sunset .IIAKE trtY EANDS resPect the things you havemade and my ears sharp to hear your voice -I'{AKE I{E WISE so that I may understand thethings you have taught mY PeoPle.LET ll.E LEARN the lessons yo u have hiddenin every lea f and rock .I SEEK STRENGTH, not to be greater than mybr o t he r , bu t t o f i g h t m Y gr ea t es te n e m y m y s e l f .I ' {AKE ttE ALWAYS READY to come to you withc l e a n hands and s t r a i g h t e y e s .SO WHEN L IFE FADES Ets the fad ing sunset ,m y s p i r i t m a y c o m e t o y ouwi thou t shame.

-Amer ican Ind ian PraYer

Love me in s inners and saintg,In each who needs or fa ints-LORD, I wiI I love TEEE aa I canIn every brother man.- R o s s e t t i r s i s t e r o f D e i G r a t a . E n g l i s h P o e t . 1 8 3 0 - 1 8 9 4 A .D .

Give me the strength lightly to bearmy joys and sorrows,Give me the strength to make mY lovef ru i t fu l i n serv ice .Give me the strength to raise my mindh igh above da i lY t r i f les ,And give me the strength to surrendermy st rength to TEY wi l l w i th love--Tagore , B enga l i Poet and l l ys t i c . Born I85 I ' A .D.

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6/27

With beautY may I wa1k .wi th beautY bef ore I r r maywith beautY behind Ir r maywith beautY above III maywith beautY below I I Ir maywi th beauty a I I a round I r rIn o ld age wander ing on am a y I w a l k .In o ld age wander ing on am a y I w a l k .I t i s f i n i s h e dI t i s f i n i s h e d

OutOutOu t

I wa l k .I wa lk .I w a l k .I w a l k .may I wa lk .t ra i l o f beautY 't ra i l o f beauty r

l i v e l y ,t i v ing aga in '

in beau t y .i n beau t y .- f rom Nava jo " Ye ib icha i "

May i t be granted unto me that I pass on unto the holy pr inces,fo r i ndeed , t am do ing anay wi th a I I the wrong wh ich r d id , f romthe t ime when this earth cune into being.- O s i r i s

I Erm oday . I am yesterday. I am tomorrow " Undergoing my rep-eated births I remain powerf ul and youn!1-Egypt ian Book of the Dead

Oh God ! Guard me from those whoseh e a d . Le t m e seek i n m Y s e l f ' a ndf r om t h e hea r t .

-NARP PrecePtor

TEOU SIIN of RTGETEOUSNESSith heal ing under TEy wings ' ar isein my heart ; make TEY l ight there to shine in darknessrina ; perfect day in the dead of night '-HenrY Vaughan, MYst ic.

t hough t s a r i se so le IY f rom !h"i n o ihe rs , thoughts that a r i se

the unreal, Iead me to the Real.the Darkness r lead me into Light 'Death, lead me to DeathleSsness.ofo fo f

-Hindu Prayer

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7/27

C o m e L O R D an d w o r k . A r o u s e u E a n d i n c i t e . K i n d l e us ,s w e e p u s o n w a r d s . Be f r ag r an t a g f l o w e r s , s w e e t a s honey .Teach us to love and to run .' - S t . A u g u s t i n e , A p o s t l e o f t h e E n g l i s h . ? - 6 0 4 , A . D .

O GOD of unchangeab le Power , Ie t t he who le wor ld fee land see tha t th ings wh ich were cas t down are be ing ra isedup, that those which had grown old are being made new andtha t a I I th ings are re tu rn ing to per fec t ion .- G e l a s i a n S a c r a m e n t a r y , G e l a s i u e , B i s h o p o f C a e s a r d ra b o u t 4 7 6 , A . D .

O LORD, gran t us to love TEEE; gran t tha t we may love thosetha t love TEEE; gran t tha t we may do the deeds tha t w in TI IYI o v e . M a k e t h e l o v e o f T H E E t o b e d e a r e r t h a n o u r s e l v e s r o u rf a m i l i e s , t han w e a l t h , an d e v e n t h a n c o o l wa t e r .- l ' lohammd, Arab ian Founder o f I s lam , 5-10-63 2 , A. D.

Le t us g o in t o t h e s i l e n c e ; O G O D ' ou r H e a v e n l y F A T E E R , be f o r eT H y a l t a r o f l o v e w e c o m e a nd i n p r a i s e an d a d o r a t i o n w e l i f tu p o u r v o i c e s u n t o T H E E . O T H O U g r e a t l i v i n g l i g h t o f t h e u n i -ve r s r we T H Y c h i l d r e n a sk T H E E t o g r a n t un t o u s T H Y r i c h e s tb l e s s i n g an d t o r e m o v e a l l s h a d o w o f d o u b t f r om o ur m i n d s a s r e -gards the I i f e tha t awa i te th each one of us when hre too sha I Ipass th rough the gates ca l led death . But we thank THEE, O GOD'tna t the l igh t o f heaven has i l l um ined our Pathway and tha t THOUhas t g i ven unto us th is l igh t tha t indeed is a l iv ing power tosus ta in and to upho ld us a t a l l t imes .

-Sis ter E. T. CawdEY an Af r lcan ! ' lyet ic '

For health r pEosPeri tY andTo TEEE f PraYrBut most of a l l a smi le tothe newborn day.

-Beatr ice Colony ' Author

happineasgreet

Sun of my SouI, TEOU SAVIOR DEARTI t is not night i f THOU be near .O may no earth-born cloud ariseTo hide THEE from THY servant 's eyes.-t{alter De Vo e , American trtystic, Founder of the E}oist t't inistry.

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8/27

MY I{ASTERSAID !y Dr. John paloGod, let thy l ight so shine through me that al l may see' not me,but Thee.oh God! Thy presence! Thy very preaence ! Make me with Thee.Make Thee with me.Oh God! Teach me to feel good and beauti ful thoughts. And,teach me to speak good and beauti ful thoughts. But ' most of aII ,cod, teach me to do good and beauti ful thoughts.God, guide me into Thy nays. where thou art not, frustrate myefforts. where ny l ight is dinr and the road treacherous, be Thourdith rne. wherever Thou art, I ighten my eyes and guide my feet toThee.Lord, may I have a part in Thy great worka.God, shorten my memory of the hurts inflicted uPon me that I maycontinue in Thy ways. Eelp me to forgive and forget those incid-ents that may bar Thy manifestation8 through me.where art Thou, oh God? AlL else fai ls to sat isfy. I hunger forThee !cod- Give me Thy strength to do good. watch over me that I use yourw isdom and power not only to f ight ev i l and in jus t i ce . But a lso ,for the greater work of changing these forces into things of beautyand goodness .oh God! I f Thou deemest a tragic accident 'or death itself , bestfor my soul growth at this or any t ine, let i t be. The beauty ofthe fu1l real izat ion of Your plan for rne wi l l far outvteigh thetragedy of the occasion.oh Lord , when wi l l ny cry ' l . te ! ' , ' t le ! ' , ' ! {e t ' become "Thee l ' , "Thee! ' ,'Thee

!

LORD, teach me to know TEEE' and to know myaelf.-S t . Augus t ine l Apos t le o f the Engl ish . ? -604 , A .D.

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9/27

O GOD, where wasBeauty , I soughto f my hear t .-S t . A u g u s t i n e ,

I w a n d e r i n g t o s e e k T E E E ? o m o s t i n f i n i t eTHEE wi thou t , and TEOU wast in the mids tA p o e t l e o f t h e E n g l i e h . ? - 6 0 4 ' A . D '

O GODwho hast fo lded back the mant le of the n ight to c lotheua in t he g lo ry of the day , chage f rom our hear t s a l l g l oomythough ts , and make us g lad wi th the br i gh tness of hope tha twe may ef fect ively aspi re to unknown vi r tueg.-Col1ect , f rom the 5th and lSth Centur ies -

O ETERNAL LIGHT, sh ine in to ou r hear ts . O ETERNAL GOODMESS,d e l i v e r us f r om e v i l . O E T E R N A L P O W E R , be T H O U o u r suppo r t .E T E R N A L W I S D O M , s c a t t e r t h e d a r k n e s s o f o u r i g n o r a n c e . E T E R -N A L P I T Y , h a v e m e r c y u p o n uE .

- A l c u i n , A r c h b i s h o p , E n g l i e h T h e o l o g i a n '

O T H O U ' w E O a r t t h e e v e r l a s t i n g e s s e n c e o fspace and t ime and yet w i th in them; THOUye t p e r v a d e s t a l I t h i n g s ; m a n i f e s t T H Y S E L Fa f t e r T H E E , s e e k i n g T H E E i n t he s h a d e s o fs e e k i n g n o t h i n g b e s i d e T H E E .-John Scotus Er igna , Scot Ph i losopher in

7 3 5 - 8 0 { , A . D .

t h i n g s b e y o n dW H O r a n s c e n d e s tt o u s , f e e l i n gi g n o r a n c e ' y e t

F r a n c e . 8 7 5 r A . D .

pierce with the arrows of TEY love the gecret chambers ofthe inner man. Let the ent rance of TEY heal thfu l f lames setthe s luggieh heart a l ight t and the burning f i re of THY sacredinspi rat ion enl ighten i t .-S t . Ans lem, Archb ishop o f Can te rbu ry . 1033-1109 A.D.

I love TEEE because I love; I love that I may love .- S t . B e r n a r d , F l , E c c l e e i a s t i c . l 0 9 I - I I 5 3 ' A . D .

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10/27

Let the words of my mouth and the meditat ion ofmy heart be accept lUfe in TEY s ight ' O LORD RYstrength and mY redeemer '-psa l_m: one of the old Teetament Hymns

AtI that I ought to have thought and have not thought;AI1 that I ought to have said and have not said;AlI that I ought to have done and have not done;Al l that I ought not to have thought and yet havethought ;Al l that I ought not to have spoken and yet havespoken ;A l l t h a t l o u g h t n o t t o h a v e d o n e a n d y e t h a v e d o n e ;For thoughts , words and works, PraY I for foxgiveness 'and rePent of with Penance '

-Zoroaster, Founder of Ancient Persian Rel igior l ra b o u t 7 3 2 , B . C .

wi th bended knees, wi th hand outs t retched, r pray toTHEE, lnY LORD,O INVISIBLE BENEVOLENT PIRIT!Vouchsafe to me in th is hour of joy , of the good mind 'T h a t l m a y t h e r e b y b r i n g j o y t o t h e S o u l o f C r e a t i o n .

-zoroaster, Founder of Ancient Persian Rel igion 'abou t 7327 B.C.

Grant me to be beaut i ful within' and al l I have ofoutward things to b at Peace with those rt ithin '

-socratee, Athenian Phi losopher. 469-399, B 'c '

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11/27

IF THOU, LORD, ar t so good to those who seek, what shal lTHY goodness be to those who f ind?-S t . B e r n a r d , Y E . E c c l e s i a g t i c . 1 0 9 9 - 1 1 5 3 A . D .

Give rr O LORD, a steadf ast hear t , which no unr tor thy af f ect -ion may drag downwards; give me an unconguered heart r whichno t r i bu la t i on can wear ou t ; g i ve me an upr i gh t hear t , Hh i chno unworhty purPose may tempt aside.Bestow upon me also' O LORD, tnY GOD, understanding to knowTEEE, d i l igence to seek THBE, wisdom to f ind THEE, and a fa i th -fu lness that may f inal ly emhrace THEE-

St . Thomas Aquinas , Chr i s t i an Pr ies t and t . l ys t i c , ca l led' T h e A n g e l i c a l D o c t o r . r L 2 2 5 ? - L 2 7 4 ' A - D -

Grant me fervent ly to des i re, wisely to search out , and per-fec t l y to fu t f i l l a I I tha t i g we l l - p l eas ing unto THEE.-St . Thomas Aguinas, Chr is t ian Pr iest and Myst ic r cEl I Ied' T h e A n g e l i c a l D o c t o r . ' L 2 2 5 ? - L 2 74 A . D .

lr tay we know THEE more clearly, Iove THEE more dearly, and f ol l -ow THEE more nearlY.-S t . R i c h a r d r B i s h o p o f C h i c h e s t e r . D i e d I 2 5 3 .

O my GOD, Iet me walk in the way of love which knoweth not howto seek sel f in anything whatsoever . Let th is Iove whol lypossess my soul and heart , which, I beseech THEE may l ive andmove only in, and out o f , a pure and sincere love to THEE. Letme love iHng for TEYSELF, and nothing else but in THEE and forTHEE. Let me love nothing instead of TEEE; for to give aII forIove is a most sweet bargain.-Dame Gertrude tr{oore, Chriet ian l{ystic. 'The Nun . '1 2 5 6 - 1 2 9 r A . D .

Do TEOU meet us while we walk in the Way and long to reach theCountry; so that f ol lowing TEY light we may keep the t{ay ofr ighte6usness and never wander away from the darkness of thisw o r l d ' s n i g h t .-l- lozarabic Liturgy, !{ozarab, a member of certain ancientcongregat ions of Spanish Christ ians which existed under theMoors and had a liturgy of their own

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12/27

praise be to THBE, O HIDDEN Ot{E and MANIFESTEDONE. Praisebe to THY Glory, to THY Might, to THY Power, and to TEY GreatS K i I I .O AILAE, to THEE aI I greatness belongs. O THOUwho pos?essestthe power and Beauty ind Perfect ion. Thou art the Spir i t ofA I I .praise to TEEE, O SOVEREIGNof all tr{onarchs ; to THEE, O }IASTERof al l af fa i rs ; to TEEE, O CONTROLLBR f al l th ings; to THEE,RULER of al l BEINGS.THOU ar t f ree f rom death, f ree f rom bir th and f ree f rom aI Il imi tat ions. o rHou ETERNALONE, THOUart f ree f rom aII con-di t ions I pur. from al l things. O ALLAH THOU art the GOD ofSouls on earth; THOUart the LORD of Hosts in the Heavens.

-Suf i Invocat ion, Suf ism , a system of t ' tohammedanmyst ic ism,developed esPecia l lY in Pergia.

O LORD, I gasp in my desi re for THEE, Yet can I not consumeTHEE. The more I ea t - the f i e rce r is my hunger ; t he more rd r i n k - t h e g r e a t e r i s my t h i r s t . I f o l l o w a f t e r t h a t w h i c hf l ie th f rom me, and as I f o l l owr mY des i re g roweth g rea te r .-Ruysbroeck , Dutch t ' l ys t i c . L293- f 38 I t A 'D '

O LORD THOU desi restmay see TEEE as THOUm g .

my spir i t in the inward Parts , that Iseest rD and love TEEE as THOU lovest

-Ruysbroeck , Dutch l . l ys t i c . 1293-138 I ' A .D.o supREI{E GOOD, TEOU hast deeigned to make us know that THOUart Iove, and makest us in love with that love; wheref ore theywho come before THy face ehall be rewarded according unto theirIove, and there is nothing which leadeth the comtemplative sav-ing true love alone.

-Angela of Fol igno, B leeees t r tys t ic . 1309 A. D.

It is meet that I should be enanoured of THEE' and whatever Ishal l know to be THy dearest w111 that I wi l l always do-- S u s o , C h r i s t i a n t r t y s t i c . 1 3 0 0 - 1 3 6 5 r A 'D '

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13/27

Gent le Lord, cause some sweet frui t of good instruct ion toi ssue fo r t h f rom our sharp tho rns o f suf fer ings , t ha t we maysuf fer more pat ient ly , and be b'et ter able to of fer up oursuf fer ings to THY praise and glory .- S u s o , C h r i s t i a n l , l y s t i c . f 3 0 0 - 1 3 5 5 , A .D .

O LORD, I pray f o r al l those whom THOU hast given rTr whom IIove with a special love and whom THOU hast made one thing withme. For they are my consolat ion and for THY sake I des i re tosee them running in the sweet and narrow way, dead to sel f andpure f rom al l judgement and murnur ing against thei r neighbour.May they al l at tain to TEEE, O ETERNAI FATHER, to THEE who artt he i r f i na l end .-S t . C a t h e r i n e o f S i e n n a , C h r i s t i a n M y s t i c . I 3 f 4 - 1 3 8 01 A . D .

P r a i s e d be T E Y n a m e , n o t m i n e i n a g n i f i e d be T H Y w o r k , n o t m i n e ;b lessed be TEY Ho ly Name, bu t to me le t no par t o f man 's pra isebe g i v e n .-Thomas a Kempis , Chr is t ian l t { ys t ic . f 38 0 - t 47 L ' A . D.

Teach us r good LORD, to serve TEEE as THOU deservest ; to giveand not to count the cost t to f ight and not to heed the wounds ;to to i l and not to seek for rest ; to labour and not to ask forreward , save that of knowing that hte do THY wi I I .-S t . Igrnat ius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus.t 4 9 I - 1 5 5 6 , A . D .O LORD if only my wil l may renain right and f irm toward THEE'do with me whatsoever it shall please TEEE. For it cannot beanything but good whatsoever THOU shalt do with me.IF TEOU wi l les t me to be in darknesse be THOU blessed; and i fTHOUwi l les t me to be in l ight be THOUagain blessed.IF TEOU vouchsafe to comfort De be TEOU blessed; and if THOUwi l leet me to be af f l ic ted, be TEOU ever egual ly blessed.

-Thomas a Kempis , Chr is t ian t t ys t i c . 1380-L47L , A .D.

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14/27

O LORD, I wish for the lovetoday. EelP me this day toacco ld ing to THY dear w i l l ,n o t .-The Fr iend of God , from the 'Ober land " The unknownch ie f o f a re l ig ious un ion f rom the 14th Century '

of TEEB to keeP from all s indo a l l I do to TEY glorY andwhether mY nature l ikes i t or

because TEY love hath inf lamedcannot rest but in THEE alone '1 4 0 I - I 4 5 4 , A . D .

Res t less is mYi t wi th such a-Nicholas de

heart , O LORD'des i re that i tCusa, Cardinal .

Govern al l by TEy wisdour, o LoRDr so that my soul may alwaysbe serving tgrn as TBOU dost wi l l and not as I may choose 'Let me die to mysel f , so that I nay serve THEE; let me l iveto TEEE, who in TEYSELF art the t rue l i fe.- s t . T e r e s l r c h r i s t i a n M y s t i c . I 5 1 5 - I 5 8 2 ' A . D '

Do not punish me by grant ing that which I wish or ask ' i f i tof fend TEY love which would always l ive in me- s t . T e r e s d r c h r i s t i a n l , t y s t i c . 1 5 1 5 - I 5 8 2 ' A . D .

o GoD of the spi r i ts o f ar l f lesh, natural ize us to Eeavenand reconci le us to al l the th ings of that high estate ' thatso we may not drudge in the wor la, nor act in a s lav ish spi r i tin ways of Rel ig ion, but that we may serve THEE with ingenui tyof mind and with f reedom of spir i t r ls those that are set atI iber ty .-B . Whichcote , Canbr idge P la ton is t ' 1609- I683 'A ' D"

We are forced r OTEYSELF dai lY toin the house, in-John Norden '

FATEER, to seek TE.EEdaily, and THOU offerestbe foqnd i whensoever we seek THEE we find THEEthe f ielde, in the Temple, and in the highway.l,tystic of the l6th CenturY.

Defend rnr O GOD, from mYaelf .-s i r Thomas Brown, Engl i sh P h i l osopher . 1605-1682 ' A 'D '

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rn TEEE would we lose ourselves ut ter ly; do in us whatTEOUwi l t .-Jacob Boehme, Geman lttystic and Rosicrucilrl r f 575-I 624 A. D.

Guide III' O LORD, in all the changes and variet ies of theworld; that in al l things that shal l happen, r may have aneveness and trangui l i ty of spir i t ; that my soul may be whot lyresigned to TBY divinest wi l l and pleasur r never murmuringat rEY gentre chast isenent and fatherly correct ion.-Jeremy Taylor , B ishop and Author . I6I3-L667, A.D.

O that mine eyes might closed beTo what concerns me not to see iThat deafness might possess mine earTo what concerns me not to hear;That truth my tongue might always t ieF ' rom ever speaking f ool ishly ;That no vain th ing might ever rest ,Or be conceived within my breast;That by each deed and word and thoughtGlory may to Go d be brought !But what are wishes? LORD, mine eyeOn TEEE is f ixed, to THEE I cry ,Wash, LORD, and pur i fy my heart ,And make it c lean in every part .And when f t is c1ean, LORD, keep i t , too,For that is more than I can do.

-Thomas Elwood , Engl ish l{yst ic about 16 39 , A. D.

THY creatures wrongl TEEE, o rEou sov'RETGN GooD.TEOU art not lov'd because not understood.-l{3f lam Guyon, l,tystic, one of the Founders of the euietism.1 5 4 9 - 1 7 L 7 , A . D .

Give to us rto ask. WeT E Y w i l l .

-Fenelon,

TEY children, that which we ourserves know notwourd have no other desire than to accomprishTeach us to prayr pray THOU in us.Archbishop of Cannbrai . Author . lG5l - IZ15 rA.D.

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O my GOD Preserve me frommadly cal l l iber tY - wi this THY truth that make usdominion.-Fenelon, ArchbishoP of

the fatal s laverY that menTEEE alone is freedom. Itf ree. To serve TEEE is trueC a n b r a i . A u t h o r . 1 6 5 1 - 1 7 1 5 ' A 'D '

LORD I know not what I ought to ask of TEEE; TEOUonly knowest what I need; inOU lovest me better than Iknow how to love myself . O FATEER, give to THY chi ldthat which he himself knows not how to ask.-Fene lon , Archb ishop of Canbra i ' A u tho r ' 155 I -1715 A 'D '

ALITIGETY GOD, grant me TEY grace to be f ai thf ul in act ion 'and not anxious about success. l {y only concern is to doTEy wi I I , and to lose mysel f in tnnn when engaged in duty 'I t is for TEEE to give mv weak efforts such frui ts as THOUseest f i t ' none , Lf such be TEY pleasure '-Fenelon, ArchbishoP of Cannbrai A u t h o r . l 6 I 5 - I 7 I 5 A . D .

o LoRD, the sense of TEY love wel lneigh overyhelms me' I fi t be TEY wil l , bestow these many tokens of TEY loving kind-ness on those who know THEE not, to draw them to

TEY service -- B r o t h e r L a w r e n C r C h r i s t i a n M y s t i c ' I 6 5 6 - I 5 9 I ' A 'D '

Let TEY love so warm our souls, O LORD, that we may gladlysurrender ourselves with all rte are and have unto TEEBLet TEY love fall as fire from heaven upol !lt" altar ofour hearts, and teach us to guard i t t reeaful ly by cont in-ual devotion and quietness of mind '-Te rs teegen , Poet and Ascet ic . 1697-L769 ' A 'D '

I aln born to serve TE.EB, to be TEII{B, to be TEY instnrment 'Let me be TEy blind instrunent. r ask not to seek ' a' k no tto know; I ask simPlY to be used'-Newman, Engl ish Cird inal and Author . 180I -1890, A 'D'

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O GOD l{ho hast comnanded that no man should be id le , give usgrace to employ aI I our ta lents and facul t ies in the serv iceappointed for us i that , whatsoever our hand f indeth to do,we may do i t wi th our might . Cheerfu l ly may we go on in theroad which THOU hast marked out , not des i r ing too earnest lythat i t should be ei ther more smooth or more wide; but da i l yseeking our way by TEY light r rnay we trust ourselves and theissue of our journey, to TEEE the foundat ion of Joy, and s ingsongs of praise as we go along.

-Mar t i neau , Un i t a r i an Div ine and t te taphys ic ian. 1805-1900 A.D.

LORD what r rn T, that wi th unceasing care THOU didst seek af terme?- H o l m e s , A t t e r i c a n P h y s i c i a n a nd A u t h o r . I 809 - I 894 , A . D .

I f THOU speakest not , I wi l l f i l l my hear t wi th TEY si lence andendure i t . I wi l l keep s t i l l and wai t l ike the night wi th starryv ig i l and i ts head bent low wi th pat ienee. The morning wi l l sure-Iy come, the darkness wiI I vanish, and THY voice pour down ingolden streams , breaking through the sky.-Tagore, Bengal i and Myst ic .

Dear GODand FATEER f us aII , forgive our fai th in cruel l ies;forgive the bl indness that denies; forgive TEY creature when hetakes, for the al l -perfect Love TEOUart, some grim creation ofh is hear t .-Whittier, Anerican Poet.Exalt u6 with THEE, O LORD, to know the mystery of l i fe, that wemay use the earthly aa the appointed expression and type of theheavenly, and by using to TEY glory the natural body may benefitit to be exalted to the use of the spiritual body.-Char1es Kingsley, Engl ish Clerglzman and Novel ist . I8l9-1875 A.D.

O LORD, makeest be to us-Rosset t i ,

us we implore TEEEr so to love TEEE that TEOU may-a Fire of Ipve, purif ying and not destroying.S is ter o f De i Grata . Eng l i sh Poet . 1830-18 94, A .D.

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UNION PRAYERBOOKAOR JEWISE YIORSEIPEver-living God! thy najesty is proclaimed by the marvels of earth andsky. Sun, moon and stars tegtify of Thy power and wisdom. Day follonsday in endless succession and the years vanish' but Thy sovereignty en-duies. Though aII things pass' Iet Dot Thy glory depart f rom us. Helpus to become co-workers with Thee and endow our fleeting days withabiding worth.

AlL goodnes and truth are Thine, O lord. t/tay no evil estrange us fromThee, nor error darken our vis ion of Thy purPoses. HeIp us to discernThy just ice and to understand Thy wil l . In adversi ty and in prosperi ty 'te l tfry law be a lamp unto our feet to illunine our Path' May we soIabor in Thy service that ou r lives become a hymn of praise unto Thee.

o God, who art the strength of al l that t rust in Thee, my soul is f i l ledvr i th grat i tude for the nunberless blessings Thou bestowest on me. witha fat ier 's tender care Thou renemberest me every day and every hour.Teach me, o Lord, to obey Thy wiI I , to be content with what ' in Thy wis-dom, Thou hast al lot ted to me, and to share Thy gif ts with those rtho needmy help. Guide me. O Father, with Thy good counsel, and hold in Thy keep-ing th; l ives of those dear to me. May Thy presence dwel l within myhorne; may peace and happiness abide in i t , and love unite al l who l iveunder i t l lhadow. And when, in Thy wisdom, Thou sendest tr ials and sorr-ois, grant me strength to bear them pat ient ly, and courage to t rust inThy help. Guard Thou my going out and myeoning in, now and forever more.Amen.

o lord, how can se know Thee? where can we find Thee? Thou art as closeto us as breathing and yet art farther than the farthermost star- Thouart as myster ious as the vast sol i tudes of the night and yet art as fam-i l iar to us as the l ight of the sun. To the seer of old Thou didst say:Thou canst not see my face, but will nake all ltty goodness pass beforeThee. Even so doee ihy goodness pass before us in the realm of natureand in the varied expeiiences of our lives. tlhen justice burns like af laruing f ire within irs, when love evokes wil l ing sacri f ice from us, whenrto the last ful l measure of self less devotion, we proclain our bel iefin the ultimate trirurph of truth and righteousness, do we not bow downbefore the vision of Thy goodness? rhou livest within our hearts' asThou dost pervade the world and we through righteousness behold Thy Pre-sence.In this moment of silent connunion with Thee, o Iord, a still' snallvoice speaks in the depth of ury spirit. It speaks to me of the thingsI rnust bo to attain holy kinship iitl ftee and to grow in the likenessof Thee. I muat do ny allotted task with unflagging faithfulness eventhough the eye of no fask-master is on me. I muat be gentle in the faceof ingratitude or when Elander distortg my nobleEt motivea. I must cometo the end of each day with a feeling that I have used its gifts grate-

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ful ly and faced i ts tr ials bravely. O lord, help ne to be ever morel ike Thee, holy for Thou art holy, Ioving for Thou art love. SPeak tone, then, O Iord, as I seek Thee again and again in the st i l lness ofneditat ion' unt i l Thy bidding sha1l at last become for me a hal loweddiscipl ine, a famil iar way of l i fe, so that I rnay l ive on in deeds thatbless-other l ives and leave behind ne the heri tage of a good narne. Anen.

we pray for al l peoPle who at this hour are in t r ibulat ion, in s ickness,in wani, in danger of body or soul . l fe name in our hearts those who arenear us and in whose af f l ic t ions ee are af f l ic ted. Let them see Thy helpand grant then a blessed release from their t r ials.

Be with all men and women who spend themselves for the good of nankindand bear the burdens of others; who give bread to the hungry, clothethe naked and provide shelter for the homeless. Establ ish Thou, o God,the work of thair hands and grant the! an abundant harvest of the goodseed they are eowing.we thank Thee, o God, for the rrorship of thig day and for the restorat ionof the body and soul which comes to ua through conununion with Thee. Werejoice thi t fhou hast permitted us to be co-workers with Thee in the un-eolding of Thy divine plan. Thou hast set Thy blessing uPon labor, andhast enabled us to promote the well-being of al l by the faithful l ,ork nedo. S t lengthen in us , O God, the sp i r i t o f serv i ce and sacr i f i ce . Mayrde never be ternpted to prof i t by inpoverishing and degrading the I ivesof o thers . Uak! us rea l i ze the wrong o f le t t i ng others hunger wh i le weare surfei ted with the bounties of nature. Irnplant in our hearts, e'epray Thee, a sense of responsibi l i ty and comradeship- Reveal to us theai,r ine glory that abides in every soul, and the high di.gnity that investsal l honist labor. Help us so to l ive that, by our own endeavorE, we mayhasten the day when al l shal l toi l and serve side by side as brotherstwhen love and syrnpathy shall stir every heart, and greed and rrant no long-er tnar the beauty of Thy creation. Amen.we gratefully acknowledge, o Iord our God, that Thou art our creator andPreierver, the nock of our life and t5e Shield of our help. l{e renderthanks unto Thee for our lives which are in Thy hand, for our soulswhich are ever in Thy continuous goodness, which Thou bestottest upon usday by day. Truly, Thy mercies never fai l and Thy loving kj.ndness neverceases. Therefore do we forever Put our trust in Thee.

And ye ehall see lt{e and flnd }le when ye aha1l search for ue with allyour heart.-Jereniah xxi x: 13

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o Thou givest meaning to the str lv inga of men. at tune our hearta forcommunion Hith Thee. I lot t of ten, when everything else fai ls ue, do weyearn for Thee . I n the s t i l l ness o f the n igh t , i n t he press of the crosd,in tne agony o f i nne r con f l i c t , we bos our heads , and Io , Thou ar t i n ou rhear t s ana ie are at peace . We know not , O Lrd , whe the r the g i f t s fo rwhich we ask are fo r our good , whe the r ou r t r i a l s and t r i bu la t i ons maynot be a blessing in disquise, ",hether even the frsgrrnent of our shatteredhopes and love rniy not minister to th upbui lding of other l ives and thefu i f i l lmen t o f t he un fa thomab le p lan . So t ' ,e do no t p ray un to Thee to makeour l i ves easy , t o g ive us happ iness w i t hou t a l loy . Rather do we prayThee to aid ui to be uncornpJ,aining and unafraid. Teach us to face l i few i th fa i th and courage tha t we may see t he b less ings h idden away even rni t s d iscords and s t rugg les . HeIp us to i r res t v ic tory f rom the d isc ip l ineo f pa in . l , t a t re rea l i i e t ha t l i i e ca l l s us no t mere l y t o en joy the fa t -ness o f the 6ar th but to exu l t i n he igh t s a t t a ined af ter t he t o i l o fc l imb ing , Thus w i l l ou r da rkness be i l Lum ined by Thy l i gh t and ou r weak -n . " " ,n . i " s t rong by Thy s t reng th , l i f t i , ng us above fear and de fea t ' andsus ta in ing our i t eps w i t h an imrnor t a l hope . P ra i sed be Thou, O Lord , thes tay and t rus t o f the r i gh teous .

o Lord, r shut out the din and fret and l i t t leness of things that I mayfee l myee l f a lone wi th Thee in t he s i l ence . As a ch i l d y ie lds i t se l ft o l ov ing arms, I y i e l d myse l f to Thee , ask ing for noth ing ' conp la in ingabout noihing. Wh;t i f rny labor is hard, what i f my Lot is humble, what 'i f my dreans turn into fut i le tears, i f only there is peace of Thy near-ness in rny hear t . There coues to ne in the s t i l l ness , desp i t e the ter rorand tumul l of l i fe, a t rust in a goodness that nourishes the roots of thegrassb lade , that g iows in the f l an ing a ta r , and a t t a ins f u l f i l l r nen t i ni he sou l o f man . Ho ' hea l i ng and s t i eng then ing i s t h i s commun ion wi thThee o God I f on l y I cou ld a lways ab ide in i t l But I mus t 9o for tha g a j , n t o t h e s t r u g g i e f o r d a i l y b i e a d , t o t h e , r e s t l e s s n e s s o f d e s i r e a n dthe fea r o f pa in , t o t he d i s i l l us ionment o f d reams that never come

+. rue.Le t me no t go fo r t h a lone , o God . A b ide Thou deep in the so l i tude of myhear t , tha t I may t rus t in Thee and be una f ra id in the face o f t he in -scrutable years, and see that everything happens for the best ' Anen'

o L o r d G o d , C r e a t o r o f a l l t h e w o r l d r T h o u h a s t b l e s s e d n a n s i t h n o b l epowers. Teach us to seek the good thl t we rnay wisely use these Powers.we thank Thee for the duty of bearing Thy uord unto the chi ldren of nen.Enl ighten ua that we may lpproach thia sacred task with an understandingof t f re mesaage that we 6r i i rg. May ee be f i l led with zeal for knowledgeIest ignorance leave us powerless. Strengthen Thou our fai th, that vre maykindle the l ight of Thy presence in the hearta of others.

o cod, Thou art hidden fron the eyee of aI I living and ar t beyond thecornpreheneion of all creatures. The keeneet eye fails to Penetrate beyondthe sDal.leat portion of Thy univerae, rld ttre nind of genius caDnot com-prehend more Lhan a broken fragrment of Thy glory. The tongues of poetsind aager fal tcr rs they seek to exprGas Thine incornparable wisdon andsplendor. Yet though Thy greatnesa aurpasaea our understanding, we feel- I 7 -


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Thy nearness and are overcoDe with wonder and with awe as we behold thesigns of Thy tnajeEty. Thy Iawa guide the creatures of earth even as theydi iect the planets on high. within ourselves, we feel the st i rr ings ofe heaven-soaring spir i t . This enboldens us to seek Thy presence, o in-f ini te Creator, f i rm in the fai th that we shal l f ind Thee i f , wi th s in-cere hearts, we seek Thee. As the f lowers of the f ield dr ink of the dewof heaven and of the radiance of the gun' so would we' I i f t ing our spir i tsunto Thee, dr ink of the pure fountains of hol iness. In Thee our soulsrejoice, for Thou art our l i fe and our 9on9. Amen.

for God doth my soul wait in st i l lness; f rom Eim comethmy hope.Ee alone is rny rock and my salvat ion, I shal l not bemoved.Show me Thy ways, o Lordt teach me Thy paths, guide mein Thy truth.Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And hav ing Thee I des iren o n e e l s e u p o n e a r t h .t ly f lesh and my hear t fa i l , but God is my s t rength and mypor t ion fo rever .Wai t f or the Lord, be s t rongr , and let thy hear t take couragieCrea te in me a c lean hear t , O God; and renevr a s tead fas ts p i r i t w i t h i n m e .When many cares perp lex rn Thy comf or t de l ights my soul .t t y t imes a re in Thy hand, and Thou wi I t gu ide and sus ta inme even unto the end.wi th Thee is the founta in of l i fe r in Thy l ight do we seel i g h t .

God, keep my tongue fron evil and uy lips from speaking guile. Besupport when grief silenceE ny voice, and my comfort when woe bendsInplant hunility in rny soul, and strengthen rny heart withfaith in Thee. BeLp me to be strong in teEptation and trialto be patient and forgiving rhen others wrong me. Guide me by theof Thy counsel , that I may ever find strength in Thee, my Rock andAmen.

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The fol lowing are not prayers. They are not personal appeals tothe God of our Eear ts . However , the compi ler fee ls they- throwI ight on and help make the whole process of prayer more meaning-f u l .

Divorce not thy heart f rom thy tongue.-Anenope

Iol low your heart as long as you l ive---He wil l do r ight when hishear t is s t ra ight .Ptah-hotep, Grand Vizier ofMenph is ( 2000 B.C. )

A hearkener is one rrhom the god loves; one whom the god hates isone who hearkens not. It is the heart which makes it s possessor ahearkener or one not hearkening. The good fortune of a man is hisheart .- P t aho t ep ( 2 0 0 0 B . C . )

T h e w i s e i s k n o w n b y h i s w i s d o m , ( bu t ) t he g r e a t ( i s k n o w n ) b y h i sg o o d ac t i ons ; H i s h e a r t " m a t c h e s " h i s t o n g u e .

-Ptahotep

" I bring the whirlwind that you maY know each other ' "-fron CheYenne Ghost Dance

"l i le shall live agrain ! r-from Dakota "Ghost Dance'

Religions are like rivers. They all lead to the a.une ocean.-Ghandi

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"Peace in the world can be secure only where there is universalhuman freedom, when as individuals are free to go and come tospeak, think, worship, assemble and associate freely i to earn theirdai ly bread, and enough of i t , by voluntary labors, to feel secureand rrithout fear in their daily lives; when every man, whatever hi srace or color or creed, whatever his cul ture or or igin, can walkwith ful l digni ty and on a pLane of egual i ty with aI I other nen.certainly, for aI I peoples rrho have enjoyed freedom, peace andfreedom are inseperable. '-Ra lph J . Bunche

"We have learned that we cannot l ivebeing is dependent on the wel l -be ingWe have learned the simple truth r dsway to have a f r iend is to be one. ' "a lone in peace; tha t our we l l -o f other nat ions far away- - -&rerson sa id , tha t ' t he on ly

-Frank1in D. Roosevel t

"The cult ivat ion of the spir i t of brotherhood is nerely the ful f i l l -ment of the purpose of God that all the children shouLd live togetheras one fan i l y . '-Harry S. Trunan

BIBLICAL ( IIEW TESTAIIIENTBlessed are they which do hunger and th i rs t af ter r ighteousness:fo r t hey sha l l be f i l l ed .Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shal l see God.Blessed are they which are persecuted for r ighteousness sake: fortheirs is the kingdom of heaven.B lessed are yet when men shal l rev i le you, and persecute you, andshal l say al l nranner of evi l against you f alsely, f or my sake.

Matthew 5: 3-Lz

Whosoever wil l be great among your shall be your ninister.l lark I0: 43

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As ye would that men should do to you' do ye also to them likesise'L u k e 6 : 3 1

It iE more blessed to give than to receive'Ac ts 20:35

Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks'I Thessa lon ians 5: I7 ,18

In the beqinning was the Word, and the i{ord was with God' and theword was God .AI l things rtere made by hint and rtithout him was not any thing nadethat was made.In hin was l i fe; and the l i fe was the l ight of men'And the word was made f lesh.

J o h n I : I 1 3 r 4 r L [

Be ye doers o f the word , and not hearers on ly .James L z22

BIBLICAL ( OT,O TESTAI{BNT )The Lord watch between me and thee, when Yre are absent one f romanother.

G e n e s i s 3 1 : 4 9

But i f . . . thou shart seek the rord thy God, thou shalt f ind him'i f thou seek hin with al l thy heart and with al l thy soul -Deuteronomy 4229

Thou shalt love the Icrd with all thine heart ' and with all thysoul, and with al l thy might.Deuteronomy 5:5

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The Lord seeth not as man seeth i fox ruln looketh on the outwardappearance, but the Lord lookech on the heart .I Samuel L6 z7

And ye shal l seek mr and f ind nr when ye shal l search for mewi th a l l your hear t .J e r e m i a h 2 9 : I 3

Seek good , and not evi I ' that ye uay live 'Amos 5 : 14

As thou hast done, i t shal l be done unto thee: thy reward shal lreturn upon thine own head.O b a d i a h l : 1 5

The highest d is t inc t ions is serv ice to others .-George VI of England

Let us then try what love wi l l do.-$Ii l l iam Penn

Come Dy fr iends, ' t is not too late to seek a newer wor1d.-Alfred Tennyson

The vocation of every nan and wonan is to serve other people.-Tolstoy

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MUTIMA A PieCE of GodOne of the best stor ies I know about a psychic heart is an old Afr i -can tale from Uganda. I t seems the highest god, Kabezya-Mpungu, hadfour chi ldren- the sun, the moon, the darkness, and the rain. Therewas no earth or sky, nor were there any aniuals or hunan beings.Then one day Kabezya-Mpungu created the earth and the sky. He createdthe many ani.mals, and he created rnan and soman. Man was much like theanimals, except that he was endowed with reason.Kabezya-[pungu cal led his four chi ldren together to tel l then that hewas about to leave then, and he cautioned them to be temperate whilehe was gone. He htanted no harm to l lan and the animals. But whi le hewas gone, he would send dorrn to earth, in his placer Mut ima or healt -a piece of hiursel f to look after his creat ions.Kabezya-Mpungu then left. AalI that remained of him on earth rras Mutimaor heart , a piece of God no bigger than a hand. However, i t was notIong before Mutina grew 1onely for Kabezya-lilpungu."where is Kabezya-Mpungu our Father?' Mut ima asked Sun, l ' loon Darknessand Rain.ALI they could say was, 'Father is gone and rte do not know where. 'Mut ima criedr "Oh, how great is my desire to colrqune with hin ful lyagain . "Then Mut ima looked at his charges, nan and woman-the ones Kabeyza-Mpungu had endowed with reason and intel lect . l r lut ima made a decis ion." I w i l l en te r t hem, " he sa id , "and th rough the i r reason ing powers Iwi l l seek my return to God from generat ion to generat ion." And thisis exact ly what l fut i rna did. Ever s ince that t ime man has had in hischest Mut ima or heart , a piece of God. And' now, with [ tut ima in them,all human beings have a longing for God and keep looking for ways tof ind cod.As mystics it would aeem rte all have a larger than normal piece ofMutina or heart. For mystic is drivenr more than others, to seekcod. The mystic knows that love and the aeeds of creation flow fromthe heart , the psychic heart .

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BITDDEISTBuddha taught that all men are brothers. IIe advised we 'embraceaII l iv ing things with kindness. r

HINDUEven older than Buddhisl l l r Hinduism the rel igion of most Indianstells us 'Do naught unto others which would cause you pain ifdone unto you. r

ITIUSLIITIOne of every 7 humans are l{osleus. }lohanmed in about 600 A.D.stated rNo one is a t rue bel iever unt i l he desires for hisbrother that which he des i res for h imsel f . '

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.-Jesus Christ

Do not to others what you would not have others do to you.-Hebrew Proverb

What you do not want done to ygurself, do not to another.-Confucius

Ee who is saved all by hinself l.s logt.-Buddha

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palo prayers for mystics 1st ed 1992

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