Evening Chanting (English)
The Buddha’s Words on Loving-Kindness
[ No꜓w let us chant the Buddha’s words on loving-ki꜕ndness. ]
[ This is what should be꜕ done ]
By one who꜕ is ski꜓lled in go꜕odness
And who knows the pa꜕th of peace:
Let them be꜕ able and u꜓pright,
Stra꜕ightforward and gentle꜓ i꜕n speech,
Humble and not conce꜕ited,
Co꜕ntented and e꜓asily sa꜕tisfied,
Unburdened with du꜕ties and frugal i꜓n the꜕ir ways.
Peaceful and calm, a꜕nd wise and ski꜓lful,
No꜕t proud and dema꜓nding in na꜕ture.
Let them not do꜕ the sli꜓ghte꜕st thing
That the꜕ wise would late꜓r re꜕prove,
Wishing: In gladness a꜕nd in sa꜓fety,
May a꜕ll beings be꜓ a꜕t ease.
Whatever livi꜕ng beings there ma꜕y be,
Whether the꜕y are we꜓ak o꜕r strong, omi꜕tting none,
The great or the mi꜕ghty, medium, sho꜓rt, o꜕r small,
The seen and the u꜕nseen,
Those living near and fa꜓r a꜕way,
Those born and to꜕ be꜓ born,
May a꜕ll beings be꜓ a꜕t ease.
Let none dece꜖ive a꜕no꜕ther
Or de꜕spise any꜕ being in a꜓ny꜕ state.
Let none through anger or i꜕ll-will
Wish ha꜓rm upon ano꜕ther.
Even as a꜕ mother protects with he꜕r life
Her child, her o꜕nly꜓ child,
So with a bo꜓undless heart
Should o꜕ne cherish all li꜓vi꜕ng beings,
Radiating ki꜓ndness over the꜕ enti꜓re꜕ world:
Spreading upwards to the ski꜓es
And do꜕wnwa꜕rds to꜕ the꜓ depths,
Outwards and unbo꜕unded,
Fre꜕ed from ha꜓tre꜓d and i꜕ll-will.
Whether standing or wa꜕lking, seated,
Or ly꜓i꜕ng down — free from dro꜕wsiness —
One should su꜕stain this re꜕colle꜓ction.
This is said to꜕ be the꜕ subli꜓me abi꜕ding.
By not holding to fi꜕xed views,
The꜕ pure-he꜓arte꜕d one, having clarity of vi꜕sion,
Being freed fro꜕m all se꜓nse-desires,
Is not bo꜓rn a꜓gain into꜕ this world.