In this thoughtful and enlightening overview on prayer and the healing and helpful energies it can generate, Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh sheds light on the importance of this practice. He writes:
"How do we pray? We pray with our mouth and our thoughts, but that is not enough. We have to pray with our body, speech, and mind and with our daily life. With mindfulness, our body, speech, and mind can become one. In this state of oneness of body, speech, and mind, we can produce the energy of faith and love necessary to change a difficult situation."
The Buddhist understanding of interbeing means that people are connected to one another with invisible ties. No wonder Thich Nhat Hanh adheres to the Vietnamese tradition which affirms that grandparents pass on their health cells to their offspring and guide and assist them even after they have died. Prayer energy based on the positive qualities of kindness and compassion can heal and transform others. The author also believes that we can receive energy charges from bodhisattvas in our communities — individuals who are animated by love and generosity and selflessness. We can turn to them in times of trouble for inspiration and renewal.
The natural world is also included in our circle of connections:
"And if we are praying with the body as well as the heart and mind, then we can also pray to the pine tree, the moon, and the stars. The pine tree is quite solid, the moon is always there on time, and the stars are always there for us, free and bright. If we can be deeply in touch with the pine tree, we are able to be in touch with one mind, with God. If touching God means that God is able to transmit energy to us, then the pine tree can also transmit energy to us."
This little book on prayer also includes the author's interpretation of the role of prayer in meditation, his version of the Lord's Prayer, meditation exercises, and some gathas. Thich Nhat Hanh's message is simple: "When love and compassion are present in us, and we send them outward, then that is truly prayer."
