World Religions

Many are represented by the Mt Adams Ministerial Association of the
Columbia River Gorge  https://mountadamsministers.org/ 

 

STATION 1

Druid Prayer for Peace

Deep with the still center of my being may I find Peace.

Silently within the quiet of the Grove may I share Peace.

Gently within the greater circle all beings may I radiate Peace.

Druidry is a thriving, nature-based spirituality that has its roots in ancient times. The ancient druids were wise sages, historians, astronomers, diviners, and bards. While their traditions died out over two millennia ago, today’s druids draw upon the wisdom and surviving lore of the ancient druids for inspiration.

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As modern druidry honors ancient ancestors, it also focuses on creating a responsive, nature-based spiritual tradition that helps people cultivate their own creative gifts, find healing with and through nature, and explore metaphysical aspects of the spirit of the earth.

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STATION 2

Baha'i Prayer for Peace 

O Thou kind Lord! Thou has created all humanity from the same stock. Thou has decreed that all shall belong to the same household. In Thy holy presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy table of bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.

 

O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the ocean of Thy mercy. 

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O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony. 

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Oh God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind. Oh God! Establish the most great peace. Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together. 

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O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the light of Thy guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy word, and shelter us all in the stronghold of Thy providence. 

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Thou art the mighty and powerful. Thou art the forgiving and Thou art the one who over-looketh the shortcomings of all mankind. 

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The Bahá’í Faith is the youngest of the world’s main religions and was founded in the Middle East in the 19th century by Mirza Husayn-Ali Nuri, known as Bahá’u’lláh. 

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STATION 3

Buddhist Prayer for Peace 

(A modern variation on a passage from the Metta Sutta – a talk given by the Buddha to a gathering of his students)

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May all beings live in security and in peace. Whether frail or strong, big or small, visible or not visible, near or far, already born or yet to be born - may all beings dwell in tranquillity. 

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Let no one do harm. Let no one put the life of anyone in danger. Let no one, out of anger or ill-will, wish harm to others. Listen carefully. Speak kindly. 

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Just as a mother loves and protects her only child, so we should cultivate friendship and kinship with all beings. Let our friendliness pervade the whole universe. Let our kindness know no bounds. 

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At all times we should be aware of how inter-connected we are and of how each of us merits respect and care. Being mindful of the interwoven nature of all things, and of the brevity of each life, let us treat everyone as our friend. 

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Letting go of our fear, anger, prejudice and intolerance, let us find that beauty is everywhere and that every life is a precious gift. At peace with ourselves let us be at peace with the world. 

 

Buddhism is founded upon the teaching of Siddattha Gotama/ Siddhartha Gautama. He was born about two thousand five hundred years ago in north eastern India and is said to have discovered the Dhamma/Dharma (truth or teaching). In its various forms, Buddhism is a worldwide religion with over 360 million adherents which is about 6% of the world’s population.

 

STATION 4

Christian Prayer for Peace 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow charity;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, truth;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy. 

O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life. Amen. 

-St Francis of Assisi 

 

The Christian faith is founded upon the life, death, resurrection and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth who was born about two thousand years ago in Palestine. Christianity is a worldwide religion with over 2,000 million adherents (about 32% of the world’s population).

 

STATION 5

Hindu Prayers for Peace 

OM - Let the earth, the entire world and the heaven be enlightened by the brilliant supreme light of Lord Sun and inspire our intellect. 

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OM - Lead us from falsity to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. 

May there be peace in heaven, may there be peace in the sky. May there be peace on earth, may there be peace in the waters. May there be peace in the herbs, may there be peace in all the vegetation, may there be peace in all religions. May the entire Universe (Brahma), all the phenomena of the past and present attain peace. May there be peace in all the nations and all the people. In all, may that peace be the real and everlasting peace in the whole world. 

 

OM - PEACE PEACE PEACE 

 

The Hindu tradition is one of the world’s most ancient belief systems, developing over many centuries in India. The term Hinduism derives from the name of the ancient river Sindhu in India, but many Hindus refer to the religion using the Sanskrit name Sanatan Dharma, meaning eternal duty. Just like the river, Hinduism is vast, fluid and versatile. There is not just one founder, but thousands throughout the ages who continually refresh the message of spirituality to meet contemporary needs. It has over 828 million adherents (about 13% of the world’s population).

 

STATION 6

Jain Tradition Prayer for Peace

Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all Enlightened Ones. The Lord has preached that being calm and composed is the Dharma. Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me. Unto all have I friendship, and unto none am I an enemy. Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world. Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage. "Do not injure any living being." This is the eternal, constant and unalterable way of spiritual life. A weapon, however powerful it may be, can always be superseded by a superior one; but no weapon can, however, be superior to non-violence and love. 

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Jainism is one of the oldest religions of the world, based on the philosophy of Ahimsa or reverence for all living beings. Jains are widely acknowledged as having made major contributions to the art, literature and culture of India and have been vegetarians for thousands of years. The last prophet was Mahavira, or the Great Hero, who lived in 559BCE. Jainism originated in India and has spread throughout the world. There are Jain temples in a number of places in the UK including London, Leicester and Manchester. Worldwide there are about seven million adherents.

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STATION 7

Jewish Prayer for Peace 

"Lord of Peace, Divine Ruler, to whom peace belongs. Master of Peace, Creator of all things. May it be thy will to put an end to war and bloodshed on earth, and to spread a great and wonderful peace over the whole world, so that nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Help us and save us all, and let us cling tightly to the virtue of peace. Let there be a truly great peace between every person and their fellow, and between husband and wife, and let there be no discord between people even in their hearts. Let us never shame any person on earth, great or small. May it be granted unto us to fulfill Thy Commandment to 'Love thy neighbour as thyself,' with all our hearts and souls and bodies and possessions. God who is peace, bless us with peace." 

-Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, 1773-1810 

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Judaism is one of the three Abrahamic faiths deriving from the near middle east about four thousand years ago. Judaism traces its roots to Abraham and its laws to Moses. It is a worldwide religion with over 15 million adherents.

 

STATION 8

Muslim Prayer for Peace 

In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things. And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE." 

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The word Islam is derived from the Arabic root ‘salima’ which means peace, harmony and submission. Islam, referring to the religion, is the submission of the creation to the will of God and its co-existence in peace and harmony. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) began to receive the last and final revelation from Allah in the year 610 CE (Allah is the Arabic word for God). Over a 23 year period, the revelation was received and recorded in the form of the Qur’an. Today, Islam is a worldwide religion with over 1,220 million adherents (about 19% of the world’s population).

 

STATION 9

Shinto Prayer for Peace 

Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I believe, are all our brothers and sisters, why are there constant troubles in this world? Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us? I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains. 

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Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions. It is sometimes regarded as Japan’s indigenous religion. It does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the Bible. “Shinto gods” are called kami. They are sacred spirits that take the form of things and concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers, and fertility. Humans become kami after they die and are revered by their families as ancestral kami. Belief in kami can be traced back to 350 BCE.

 

STATION 10

Sikh Prayer for Peace 

May peace be your virtue, May peace be your property, May peace be your prayer. May you bring peace to all those you meet, you talk to, you live with. May you even bring peace to the person you hate, your enemy. May your friends enjoy your peaceful disposition and may your enemies enjoy your peaceful opposition. May this world be based on one word: peace. As God has shredded Himself into all souls and piece by piece we get together into this beautiful world. May in our hearts we pray this day for world peace. 

-Sat Nam; taken from a blog of Sikh Dharma International 

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Sikhism was founded in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent in the late 15th century. Its members are known as Sikhs. The Sikhs call their faith Gurmat (Punjabi: “the Way of the Guru”). According to Sikh tradition, Sikhism was established by Guru Nanak (1469–1539) and subsequently led by a succession of nine other Gurus. In the early 21st century there were nearly 25 million Sikhs worldwide, the great majority of them living in the Indian state of Punjab.

 

STATION 11

Sufi Prayer for Peace 

O Almighty Sun, whose light clears away all clouds, We take refuge in you. Guide of all people, God of all deities, Lord of all angels, We pray you to dispel the mists of illusion from the hearts of the nations And lift their lives by your all-sufficient power, Your ever shining light, your everlasting life, Your heavenly joy and your perfect peace. 

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Sufism is a mystical movement within Islam that seeks to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. It consists of a variety of mystical paths that are designed to ascertain the nature of mankind and God and to facilitate the experience of divine love and wisdom in the world. Sufism arose as an organized movement after the death of Muhammad (632 CE), among different groups who found orthodox Islam to be spiritually stifling. The practices of contemporary Sufi orders and suborders vary, but most include the recitation of the name of God or of certain phrases from the Qu’rān as a way to loosen the bonds of the lower self, enabling the soul to experience the higher reality toward which it naturally aspires. 

 

STATION 12

Taoist Tradition Prayer for Peace

If there is to be peace in the world, There must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, There must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, There must be peace between neighbours. If there is to be peace between neighbours, There must be peace in the home. If there is to be peace in the home, There must be peace in the heart. 

-Lao-Tse 

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Taoism originated in China 2000 years ago. It is an ancient tradition of philosophy and religious belief that is deeply rooted in Chinese customs and worldview. Taoist ideas have become popular throughout the world through Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong, and various martial arts. It is a religion of unity and opposites; Yin and Yang. The principle of Yin Yang sees the world as filled with complementary forces – action and non-action, light and dark, hot and cold, and so on.

 

STATION 13

Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace 

We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world: that understanding triumph over ignorance, that generosity triumph over indifference, that trust triumph over contempt, and that truth triumph over falsehood.

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Zoroastrianism was founded by Zarathustra in Persia between 1500-1200BCE. Only a few thousand Zoroastrians remain in Iran today, with others now living in India, Canada, the USA, and the UK. The total number of adherents worldwide is about 200,000. The central belief of Zoroastrianism is that God, Ahura Mazda (The Wise Lord), is all good and he created the world which is therefore also good. All misery, disease, suffering and death are the assault of the evil one, Angra Mainyu. The history of the world is the arena for the conflict of good and evil.

 

STATION 14

Mahatma Gandhi’s Prayer for Peace

I offer you peace.
I offer you love.
I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty.
I hear your need.
I feel your feelings.
My wisdom flows from the Highest Source.
I salute that Source in you.
Let us work together for unity and love.

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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1944) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule. He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

 

STATION 15

A Prayer for World Peace, 1978

We pray for the power to be gentle;
the strength to be forgiving;
the patience to be understanding;
and the endurance to accept the consequences
of holding on to what we believe to be right.

May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil
and the power of love to overcome hatred.

We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe
in a world emancipated from violence,
a new world where fear shall no longer lead people to commit injustice,
nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.

Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy
to the task of making peace,
praying always for the inspiration and the power
to fulfill the destiny for which we and all people were created.

- Author Unknown