Have you thought about the welfare of sentient beings today? Remembered those hungry, sick, old, grieving, warring, without hope?
After contemplating the suffering beings in cyclic existence, have you felt mercy, compassion, concern, sadness, grief, a wish to help?
Have you wondered at the meat on your plate? The suffering of the animal? We want the animal’s fur, skin, meat, have you considered this?
Have you seen human beings sleeping in the street? Homeless, addicted, dysfunctional, addled? Families that have lost everything?
Have you seen dogs and cats, family pets, dropped off at a shelter because they are inconvenient? And then killed for the same reason?
Have you seen slaughterhouses? The look on a pet’s face when it knows it is being sent to die? The terrible suffering of animals?
Have you seen the heinous nature of war? The suffering of people returning home shattered? The horror of nations torn apart by hate and war?
Has it bothered you that women in some countries are mutilated to be pleasing to the men? Women treated as property, worse than cattle?
If these things have bothered you, maybe caused a tear, if you see and are moved- MAYBE, just maybe you are ready to learn to pray.
If you ache for the confusion and suffering of beings, if you cannot bear to see such suffering, Maybe, just maybe- compassion lives in you.
Are you ready to dedicate yourself in this and every future life to heal suffering in all forms? Maybe, maybe you gave rise to the Bodhicitta.
