to the index

SACRED READINGS ARCHIVE

Readings for Universal Worship:  Unity
Cheraga Zaynab FitzPatrick


Hindu Tradition:  from the Rig Veda:

Let us be united;
Let us speak in harmony;
Let our minds apprehend alike.
Common be our prayer,
Common be the end of our assembly;
Common be our resolution;
Common be our deliberations.
Alike be our feelings;
Unified be our hearts;
Common be our intentions;
Perfect be our Unity.

    Chant:  Om, Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai, Jai Ram

Buddhist tradition:  from the Gospel of Buddha, Ch. 2, compiled by Paul Carus,

Samsara and Nirvana

Learn to distinguish between Self and Truth.  Self is the cause of selfishness and the source of evil; truth cleaves to no self; it is universal and leads to justice and righteousness.  Self, that which seems to those who love their self as their being, is not the eternal, the everlasting, the imperishable.  Seek not self, but seek the truth.  If we liberate out souls from our petty selves, wish no ill to others, and become clear as a crystal diamond reflecting the light of truth, what a radiant picture will appear in us mirroring things as they are, without the admixture of burning desires, without the distortion of erroneous delusion, without the agitation of clinging and unrest. 

Chant:  Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha (repeat once)
    Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form, Form is not other than Emptiness,     Emptiness is not other than Form.

Zoroastrian tradition:  suggested by Rohinton Rivetna

Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace

We pray to eradicate
All the misery in the world;
That understanding triumph over ignorance,
That generosity triumph over indifference,
That trust triumph over contempt,
And that truth triumph over falsehood.

I solemnly dedicate myself to the truth,
And to the true spoken word,
To true action.

I dedicate myself to reason which causes peace,
And teaches self-sacrifice.

Through the cooperation of all the peoples of the world,
May we all be one in justice,
And may be all benefit from each other
And help all those that are in need.

Through words and deeds, make in me
A peaceful attitude toward all,
Seeking to renew my life
And make it as you wish it,
A life of truth.

Native American tradition:  Prayer for the White Man

And now, Grandfather,
I ask you to bless the white man.
He needs your wisdom, your guidance.
You see, for so long, he has tried to destroy my people,
and only feels comfortable when given power.
Bless them, show them the peace we understand;
Teach them humility.
For I fear they will someday destroy themselves
and their children
As they have done to Mother Earth.
I plead, I cry, after all, they are my brothers.

Jewish Tradition:  Shema

Shema, Israel, Adonoi Elohenu,
Adonai Ehad.

[Hear, O Israel, the Lord Thy G-d,
The Lord Thy G-d is One.]

    Read, then sing.


Christian Tradition:  Aramaic Lord’s Prayer, Neil Douglas-Klotz

Abwoon d’bwashmaya
    O, Birther!  Father-Mother of the Cosmos,
    Our Father which Art in heaven
Nethqadash shmakh
    Focus your light within us – make it useful:
    Hallowed be thy name

Teytey malkuthakh
    Create your reign of unity now –
    Thy kingdom come

Nehwey tzevyanach aykanna d’bwashmaya aph b’arha
    Your one desire then acts with ours, as in all light, so in all forms
    Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heave.

Hawvlan lachma d’sunqanan yaomana
    Grant what we need each day in bread and insight
    Give us this day our daily bread

Washboqlan khaubayn (wakhtahayn) aykanna daph khnan shbwoqan l’khayyabayn
    Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the strands we hold of     others’  guilt
    And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors

Wela tahlan l’nesyuna
Ela patzan min bisha
    Don’t let surface things delude us, but free us from what holds us back
    And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

Metol dilakhie malkutha wahayla wateshbukhta l’ahlam almin
    From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the song that     beautifies all, from age to age it renews
     Truly – power to these statements – may they be the ground from which all my     actions grow
    For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, foverever

Ameyn
    Amen
    Amen


Islamic Tradition:  from Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, 13th century, translation by Coleman Barks

Move beyond any attachment to names.
Every war and every conflict between human beings has happened because of some disagreement about names.
It’s such an unnecessary foolishness, because just beyond the arguing there’s a long table     of companionship, set and waiting for us to sit down.
What is praised is one, so the praise is one too, many jugs being poured into a huge     basin.
All religions, all this singing, one song.
The differences are just illusion and vanity.
Sunlight looks slightly different on this wall than it does on that wall
And a lot different on this other one, but it is still one light.
We have borrowed these clothes, these time–and–space personalities,
From a light, and when we praise, we pour them back in.

Song:  Abrahamic Zikr

Adonai, Eloheynu, Adonai Ehad            [The Lord Our God is One]
Adonai, Eloheynu, Adonai Ehad
Ibrahim Wali Allah hu                [Abraham is the Friend of God]
Ibrahim Wali Allah
Ibrahim Wali Allah hu
Ibrahim Wali Allah

Our Father, Who Art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Holy Name
Our Father, Who Art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Holy Name
Isa Ruh Allah hu                    [Jesus if the Spirit of God]
Isa Ruh Allah
Isa Ruh Allah hu
Isa Ruh Allah

La illaha illa’lah hu                    [There is no God except God]
La illaha illa’lah
La illaha illa’lah hu
La illaha illa’lah
Mohammed Rasulilla’hu                [Mohammed is the Prophet of God]
Mohammed Rasulillah
Mohammed Rasulilla’hu
Mohammed Rasulillah



Reading for Truth Candle:  Gayan, Inayat Khan

All souls in the world are receptacles of the message of God; and not only human beings but even the lower creation, all objects and all conditions, convey to us the message of the one and only Being.