Prayer for our brothers and sisters

Buddha! Oh Buddha!
Those are cries of pleas from hell on earth!
Those are calls for help from a Saha calamity!
Great and compassionate Buddha!
There, earth shaken and tidal waves panic-stricken the people
There, flying debris swept everywhere
There, roads and bridges totally damaged
There, buildings collapsed people died
So many were bound in danger, unable to escape.
So many lost their family in just one morning, with loved ones forever separated.
So many lost their lives in a flash.
They are desperate for the relief of the rescue crew!
Buddha, they are in dire need for Your blessing and protection!
For they are like lost travelers looking for a secure home;
Fearful lambs seeking for a safe shelter.

Great and compassionate Buddha!
For the many that lost their lives,
And for the many that were injured.
Buddha, we pray for you to please bless them,
To help the survivors be delivered from
Their suffering, and recover their good health;
To help the deceased be reborn in the Buddha land,
And progress smoothly through the nine stages of lotus incarnation.

Great and compassionate Buddha!
Please let them all realize
Their physical homes go through
the stages of birth, existence, decay and perish,
Only their self-nature can sustain forever.
Please let them all understand
Death and separation of family and loved ones befall all of us,
Only enlightenment and liberation are our ultimate reliance.

Great and compassionate Buddha!
Please bless these survivors of this disaster,
Give them the confidence to live a new life,
Let them realize where there is life there is hope.
Give them the courage to move on,
Let them understand where there is survival there is strength.

Great and compassionate Buddha!
Please give them Your blessing,
So their injured body and mind would heal quickly.
Please give them strength,
So their pained spirits may regain joyfulness.
Please let them realize they ought to
stand up on their feet again and rebuild their lives,
Which would be the greatest consolation for the deceased,
And would also be an ultimate accomplishment.
We also pray for
This disaster not to worsen,
For similar disasters not to occur again.
For you to bless the entire population,
And to help us realize the lives of self and others are inter-connected,
That we understand we all affect each other in our relations.
We ought to take preventive measures
and be prepared for the worst at good times,
And we must all co-operate in our work in doing so.

Great and compassionate Buddha!
Please accept my sincerest pleas!
Please accept my sincerest pleas!

Venerable Master Hsing Yun is the President ofBuddha?s Light International Association (BLIA) World Headquarters
Honorary President, World Fellowship of Buddhists