________________
conscious decision
to make our own mind clear and pure. Second, to engage in a daily practice to achieve that goal.
It is in this context that we have gathered into a book universal prayers, stanzas, and mantras: the words which have been revered for thousands of years as sacred because they were uttered by saintly individuals in the fullness of Self-realization or God-consciousness. When we take up a practice of reciting them and pondering their quintessential truths, wholesome thoughts naturally begin to blossom in our consciousness, while unwholesome ones are reduced or nipped in the bud.
Philosophers have said that we become what we think. The stanzas we have chosen can help us clarify our values, uncover our qualities, confirm our knowing, and relate to ourselves and others in gentleness and understanding.
Our selections are from the Jain, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions, because these are the ones we know best and like to ponder often. Universal in spirit, these prayers remind us that "ekam sad viprā bahudhā vadanti" (Ṛig Veda) "Truth is one, expressed in many different ways." Since some of these mantras are little known, we hope that they will become better known and welcomed as friendly complements to the world's already rich treasury of outpourings of the human heart.
Keeping in mind the vision expressed by the ancient Chinese proverb from which the title of our book has come, we invite our readers to consider that even in the gloomiest of moments, one candle, or one prayer, can brighten and warm our hearts, bringing sweetness and light.
Jain Education International
4
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
