Infinite Lila

The following prayer speaks for itself as to the inseparability of Dharma and sustainability. This prayer was written by Tantracarya Dharmanidhi and is part of the Tantrik Foundation Practice for Trika Institute.


Prayer for the Earth

The Macchandanatha Mahasiddha Hatha Yoga Temple at Kailash Akhara, Thailand, the fully sustainable home of Adi Yoga

I, and all sentient being depend upon you Mother Earth and Father Sky. As the world of form is dependent on the formless Essence, so too am I dependent upon you. To practice Dharma is to understand myself. To understand myself is to understand my relationship to everything, including the Earth. Therefore, to practice Dharma is to be in an appropriate relationship with the Earth. I must include the principles of sustainability in my life and I must make them an integral part of my practice. I must care for the Earth and Sky in all of my activities of body, speech and mind.

As a Dharma practitioner I must demonstrate the Basic Sanity of caring for the very environment that gives me life; that makes Dharma practice possible. I pray that through my conduct reflecting environmental sustainability I may awaken as many beings as possible to the realization they must care for the Earth and Sky as a responsibility of being human.

I pray that I apply discrimination and discipline to resist the temptation to acquire things for the sake of acquiring them. May I not fall into the social trance of consumerism. I pray that I have the wisdom to know what I really need. May I want what I have, and not want what I don’t have.

Before I decide or act, may I call to mind all the possible effects that my actions of body, speech and mind may have on others and the Earth and Sky for 7 generations to come. May I remember to leave this world in better condition than I found it for the sake of all who will come after me. To change the world is difficult, to change myself is much easier. I pray for the strength and unseen support to change my habits and effect a positive change in my own environment for the benefit of all beings.

As the rivers and oceans are my blood, the stones and mountains my bones, the earth my flesh, the clouds and sky my brain and consciousness, the winds – the energy of my breath and life, as there is no separation in anything – my body is indeed the Universe.

May I protect the Earth and Sky for the benefit of all sentient beings now and in the future, may this preserve the Dharma for the benefit of all.