By Venerable Master Hsing Yun
Founder of Fo Guang Shan
Oh great, compassionate Buddha!
Today we are gathering at the home
Of your disciples.
To praise your greatness,
To have a delightful and thorough talk about the vastness and boundlessness of Buddhism,
And to share the joy of the Dharma together.
Oh Buddha! We pray to you to shelter and protect this family
May they all be healthy;
May their careers be trouble-free;
May their family be peaceful and safe;
May they be happy and fortunate.
Oh Buddha,
May this family be in harmony, and respect each other;
May they be solicitous and considerate of each other;
May they be appreciative, and help each other,
May they cultivate merits, and form good affinity.
Today we gaze upon your dignified appearance and pray
For your respect-inspiring virtues
May the family embody loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity
To create a Buddhist family together,
May they embody respect and tolerance
To study and cultivate merits and wisdom together.
We also pray for your compassion
To bless this family,
And seek your compassion and sympathy for us
On the way leading to Buddhahood.
May we all progress zealously and never retreat;
In the ocean of the Dharma,
May we all inspire the correct belief and never retreat.
Oh great, compassionate Buddha!
Furthermore, we would like to tell you that,
In contemporary society,
Many families have been sick:
The generation gap between young and old;
The discord between in-laws;
The indulgence in seeking pleasure of children;
The habitual nagging and clinging of the old.
Moreover, the difficulties of financial situations and the exhaustion of a career
Make every member of the family anxious and uncertain what to do, and
Make all their relatives worry and feel concerned.
Oh Buddha! We pray for your blessing and protection:
May this family fulfill their wish to seek wealth and security;
May this family be wholly complete in seeking harmony among family and relatives;
May this family obtain comfort and happiness in life as they wish;
May this family be successful in seeking careers and the future.
Oh great, compassionate Buddha!
Please grant them faith and happiness,
Please strengthen their fortitude and determination;
May they all obtain your sweet, cleansing Dharma-water
Under the shine of your Buddha light.
Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
Please accept our sincerest prayer!
Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
Please accept our sincerest prayer!
(Excerpted from “A Prayer for a Visitation to a Buddhist Family 家庭普照祈願文)” from Pearls of Wisdom: Prayers for Engaged Living by Ven. Master Hsing Yun)