Many Ways to Pray

February 27, 2022

The spiritual traditions tell us there are many ways to pray. I resonate with Mary Oliver in her poem, “The Summer Day”:

I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?

There were discussions among photographers on Twitter this week about whether we should continue to post pictures of nature in light of the Russian attack on Ukraine. The only answer I can find in my heart is that sharing beauty with the world is an act of prayer and an act of revolution. Without beauty, what is it we are fighting for? I am just one small being in my one tiny patch of the earth, but here’s what I can do:

I can watch a single drop of water drip from a tiny ice sculpture lit up by the rising sun and be amazed by the pay of light and dark and the movement of the water.

I can notice the tiny ruby-crowned kinglet as he stretches for a bug I cannot see and marvel at his determination and resilience in the cold.

I can walk up the street to get a better view of the beautiful sunset and feel my heart respond to its beauty and impermanence.

I can stop to admire giant, green, cootie feet and the persistence of these little beings out all night in the cold.

I can notice the way tiny ice crystals stick to the grass forming little works of art as far as the eye can see.

I can watch the song sparrow do his scratch-scratch dance in the snow as he looks to see what he might find beneath.

I can listen to the cardinal sing his song of spring with persistence even on a 10 degree (F) day.

I can sit and breathe in and out. I can practice loving kindness meditation and do my best to bring peace to myself and those around me. I can find ways to contribute whatever resources I can afford to those who are suffering (one way to contribute to Ukraine).

I can recognize my privilege and hold deep gratitude for each of the things I am able to contribute and do my best to share what I can in a way that maybe helps others hold that heart space too. I can hold my own fears and imperfections with compassion. I am only one but I am one.

Together we can make a difference.

May all beings be safe.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings experience joy and love.
May all beings be free from suffering.