Very early in his life, Mohandas K. Gandhi began to appreciate the universality of religion. He described religions as highways leading to the same destination. As a mark of his respect for all religions and for all human beings, he incorporated the prayers and hymns of different faiths into his daily prayers. Not only did he observe this respect for all religions, but he influenced millions in India to do the same. All of the following passages have the underlying theme of Peace.
Baha’ai Peace Prayer:
Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity. Be fair in thy judgment and guarded in thy speech. Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness and a home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, dew to the soil of the human heart and a fruit upon the tree of humility.
Buddhist Peace Prayer:
May all beings everywhere plagued with suffering of the body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses. May those frightened cease to be afraid and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power and may people think of befriending one another. May those who find themselves in a trackless, fearful wilderness – the children, the aged, the unprotected – be guarded by beneficent celestials and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.
Christian Peace Prayer:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be known as the Children of God. But I say to you, love your enemy, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those whose abuse you. To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat, as well. Give to everyone who begs from you, and to those who take away your goods, do not ask them again. And as you wish that others would do unto you, do so unto them as well.
Hindu Peace Prayer:
I desire neither earthly kingdom, nor paradise; not even freedom from birth and death. I desire only the deliverance from grief of those afflicted by misery. Oh Lord, lead us from the unreal to the real; from darkness to light; from death to immortality. May there be peace in celestial regions. May there be peace on earth. May the waters be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome and may trees and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent beings bring peace to us. May thy wisdom spread peace all through the world. May all things be a source of peace to all and to me. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. (Peace, Peace, Peace)
Islamic Peace Prayer:
We think of Thee, worship Thee, bow to Thee as the Creator of this Universe; we seek refuge in Thee, the Truth, our only support. Thou art the Ruler, the barge in this ocean of endless births and deaths. 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. Give us wisdom that we may know each other and not despise each other. We trust in Thee, oh Allah, the One who heareth and knoweth all things. We shall abide by thy Peace. And, we shall remember the servants of God are those who walk on this earth in humility and, when we address them, we shall say Peace Unto Us All.
Jewish Peace Prayer:
Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, that we may walk the paths of the Most High. And we shall beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation – neither shall they learn war anymore. And none shall be afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.
Native American Peace Prayer:
O, Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. To your messengers the four winds, and to the Mother Earth who provides for your children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share all the good things that you provide for us on this earth.
Shinto Peace Prayer:
Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us are all our brothers and sisters, why, Oh Lord is there trouble in this world? Why do the winds and the waves rise in the ocean surrounding us? I earnestly wish that the wind will soon blow away all the clouds hanging over the tops of the mountains.
Zoroastrian Peace Prayer:
Oh Hormuzda! We pray to Thee to eradicate all the misery in the world; let understanding triumph over ignorance, let generosity triumph over indifference, trust triumph over contempt and Truth triumph over falsehood.
