"Gathas"

Gathas are small prayers or poems used by Buddhists to maintain awareness throughout the day while doing everyday activities. You might begin by listing all the things you do each day; then write a small prayer that you might think of when you do that activity. Here are some samples written by Buddhist writer and teacher, Thich Nhat Hahn and others

;

Before Taking Food (Thich Nhat Hanh)

My bowl, empty now, will soon be filled with precious food.

Beings all over the world are struggling to live.

How fortunate we are to have enough to live.

Waking Up (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Waking up this morning, I smile.

Twenty four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment

and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion

First Steps of the Day (Andrew Weiss)

As I take my first step,

My foot kisses the floor. With gratitude to the earth,

I walk in liberation.

And here are a couple that I wrote;

Getting into Bed (Penny Hackett-Evans)

As I pull back the quilt, blanket and sheet,

I notice the blessing of warmth

And wish it for all the world.

Making a cup of tea (Penny Hackett-Evans)

I place the teabag in the clear mug and add hot water.

I bless the water, the tea leaves and their source.

As I drink, may I, too, soften

As the dry leaves, when the water touches them.

So, now your turn. Look at some of your daily activities and turn them into opportunities to become aware and grateful. I refer you to the website www.luminousground.ca where there are many more examples and a further explanation of “gathas”. Feel free to post yours here!