The Bodhisattva Prayer

May I be a protector for the protectorless

A guide for those on the path

A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood

May I be

a light in the darkness

A resting place for the weary

A healing medicine for all who are sick

A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles

And for the boundless multitudes of living beings

May I bring sustenance and awakening

Enduring like the earth and sky

Until all beings are freed from sorrow

And all are awaken

—by Shantideva, Buddhist sage 700 A.D., India

You can commit the prayer to memory. You can use it as a daily prayer to cultivate great compassion and become a bodhisattva. It can also be uttered spontaneously when confronted by the suffering of others. It is said this Prayer is performed each morning by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.