New Loving Kindness Prayer

I have been using the Loving Kindness prayer for years. After I exercise, when I’m meditating, when I need to calm down. Here’s how it goes:

“May I be filled with loving kindness.

May I be well.

May I be peaceful and at ease with myself and others.

May I [fill in the blank].”

For me, the blank is usually something like “manage my anxiety” or “be nice to X” or “be more patient.”

That sort of thing. Nice prayer.

But today when I was beginning the familiar chant, I stopped.

“Loving kindness,” I thought to myself, “is not what I want to be filled with. In fact, I don’t want to control what I’m filled with at all.”

So I made up a new loving kindness prayer:

“May I be filled with whatever arises.

May I commit to understanding those feelings.

May I have disciplined, loving support in doing this work.

May I grow wise.”

I like this prayer a whole lot better. Because it acknowledges that most days, most minutes of every day, I am not filled with loving kindness.

I’m filled with anxiety, anger, worry, fear, outrage, confusion, helplessness. All feelings that I refuse to chase away just because they don’t feel good. All feelings I know are meaningful and arise to keep me on the proper path.

If I do the work.

Teachers, I imagine many of you can relate to my new loving kindness prayer. Let’s call it the

Whatever Arises Prayer.

Cuz whatever arises in you is real. It does not need to be pushed aside or judged or replaced. What it needs is your loving and curious attention so you can learn from yourself. And pass it on to others.