The Dalai Lama begins every day with this aspiration below, written by Shantideva. It comes from Shantideva’s famous sixth century text, The Way of the Bodhisattva. The Dalai Lama says this prayer gives him strength and enthusiasm to serve the world well. And, of course, that’s exactly the purpose of pranidhana! It is to encourage us in our spiritual aspirations.

So I encourage you to take some time this week to read through these verses thoughtfully, and recite them if you feel led.

This is also Holy Week for those who follow Jesus, which is when we remember and walk through the final week of Jesus’ life before his crucifixion on Friday. Jesus is one who lived so fully as a bodhisattva, an awakened being who served others. If you’re meditating on Holy Week, I encourage you to read this through one day from Jesus’ perspective, and take the time to notice how his life brings light to these verses.

May I be a guard for those who are protectorless,
A guide for those who journey on the road.
For those who wish to cross the water,
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.

May I be an isle for those who yearn for land,
A lamp for those who long for light;
For all who need a resting place, a bed;
And a servant for all who live in need.

May I be a wishing jewel, the vase of wealth,
A word of power and the supreme healing,
May I be the tree of miracles,
And a cow of plenty sustaining the world.

Just like the earth and space itself
And all the other mighty elements,
For boundless multitudes of beings
May I always be the ground of life, the source of varied substance.

Thus for everything that lives,
As far as the limits of the sky,
May I be constantly their source of livelihood
Until they pass beyond all sorrow.

This post is part of the Paramita Project, where I’m practicing one paramita each month.  You can read all my posts on aspiration here.