A Call to Join Us in Prayer for Peace
Thursday, June 26, 2025
5:45 - 6:45 am PDT
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Dearest Thay, Dearest Most Venerables,
Dear Monastic Brothers and Sisters,
Dear Beloved Sangha,
At this very moment, many of our human siblings are enduring unspeakable suffering in regions torn by war—in Iran, Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, and in many places hidden from the news and from our daily awareness. As a spiritual community, we know that true peace is not simply the absence of war, but the presence of understanding, compassion, and awakening in each of us.
We pause to acknowledge the suffering and violence being inflicted on innocent people— families, mothers, and children— suffering born from ignorance, fear, and hatred in the hearts of those who hold power.
Our teacher, Thầy, reminded us that we cannot kill each other and expect peace. The roots of violence lie not only in the world “out there,” but also in our own hearts—in fear, discrimination, and forgetfulness. With each mindful breath and step, we water the seeds of peace within and offer healing energy to those who are suffering around the world.
We invite you to join us for a Prayer Ceremony for Peace, a time to come together as a fourfold Sangha to sit, chant, and touch the earth with all our peace and love. Through our collective presence, we will send the energy of compassion to all beings—those who are afraid and angry, who are wounded and have died, who are grieving or filled with hate, and who are caught in the flames of conflict or living in ignorance not wanting to see and acknowledge what is happening to our human family.
This is not a political statement. It is a spiritual act of waking-up, and a gesture of solidarity with all those who choose the path of peace and compassion.
We invite all practitioners and Sanghas to hold this spirit deeply in your sitting and walking meditation, in your chanting and mindful breathing, and to carry it into your daily life and places of public engagement.
Together, with our collective energy of love and presence, we can create a field of compassion— like a great vortex of healing— circling the Earth, offering balance, clarity, and non-fear as we face these places of escalating violence.
May our sincere practice and heartfelt prayer help to awaken the source of love in the hearts in each other and all people.
With love and trust in the path of peace,
The monastics of Deer Park Monastery
