1. Many voices, one desire - Peace
PRAYERS & REFLECTIONS FOR PEACE
FROM DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
May peace prevail on Earth - World Peace Organization
“Seek peace, and pursue it.” - The Bible - Psalm 34
"Like the bee gathering honey from the different flowers,
the wise person accepts the essence of the different scriptures
and sees only the good in all religions." Mahatma Gandhi
It is striking to note that all these Prayers are directed to One Supreme, Beyond Comprehension, The Ever Living.
Muslim Prayer for Peace
All Muslims are required to Pray 5 times a day. The first 6 verses are compulsory for our daily prayer to be
valid. When you read it you will understand the Gravity of those words. (This is the first chapter of Quran). I have
included the last chapter of the Quran, from the words you will understand it is mischief that prevents Peace!)
The third Prayer was in the above site which indeed is beautiful, ref. is given to the Quran)
First Chapter of Quran 1:1-6
I seek GOD’S shelter from Satan (evil). Psalm 18:2
In the Name of GOD, The Most Compassionate; The Most Merciful (Ezr.5:1; Dan.9:9 Rigveda 8:1:1, Psalm148:8.
Praise be to GOD, Lord of the Worlds. The Most Compassionate;
The Most Merciful! Rigveda 5:81:1, Psalms25:6,90:2,10:16
Master of the Day for Judgment! Psalms50:6
You alone do we worship and You alone do we call for help. Psalms30:8
Guide us along the Straight, The Path of those whom You have favored Path Psalm27:11, Deut 8:6,
Not the Path of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray. Amen Psalm 119:21.
Last Chapter of Quran 114:1-6
Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind,
The Ruler of Mankind,
The God (or judge) of Mankind,-
From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who withdraws (after his whisper),-
(The same) who whispers into the hearts of Mankind,-
Among Jinns and among men.
Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations. Give us wisdom that we
may know each other and not despise all things. We shall abide by thy Peace. And, we shall remember the servants of
God are those who walk on this earth in humility and, when we address them, we shall say Peace unto us all.
(Qur’an 1:2, 49:13, 6:127, 25:63)

2. Christian Prayer for Peace
Blessed are the Peacemakers,
for they shall be known as the Children of God.
But I say to you that hear, love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
pray for those who abuse you.
To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also,
and from those who take away your cloak,
do not withhold your coat as well.
Give to everyone who begs from you,
and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them again.
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and
patience.
Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has
forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Above all, cothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:12-14
And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.
And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32:17-18
The Rig-Veda
Let us be united;
Let us speak in harmony;
Let our minds apprehend alike.
Common be our prayer;
Common be the end of our assembly;
Common be our resolution;
Common be our deliberations.
Alike be our feelings;
Unified our hearts;
Common be our intentions;
Perfect be our unity
Lead me from death to life,
from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love,
from war to peace.
Let peace fill our heart, our world, our universe.
Peace, peace, peace.
Adapted from the Hindu Upanishads by Satish Kumar
Jainist Prayer for Peace
Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all the Enlightened Ones.
The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma.
Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me.
Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity.
Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world.
Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage.
"Do not injure any living being."
This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual life.
A weapon howsoever powerful it may be can always be superseded by a superior one;
but no weapon can, however, be superior to non-violence and love.

3. Jewish Prayers for Peace
Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
that we may walk the paths of the Most High.
And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares,
and our spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation—
neither shall they learn war any more.
And none shall be afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.
Seek peace in your own place. You cannot find peace anywhere save in your own self. In the psalm we read:
“There is no peace in my bones because of my sin.” When a person has made peace within, that person will be
able to make peace in the whole world. Rabbi Bunam
Grant us peace. Your most precious gift, O Eternal Source of Peace, and give us the will to proclaim its message
to all the peoples of the earth. bless our country, that it may always be a stronghold of peace, and its advocate
among the nations. May contentment reign within its borders, health and happiness within its homes. Strengthen
the bonds of friendship among the inhabitants of all lands. And may the love of Your name hallow every home
and every heart. Blessed is the Eternal God, the source of Peace.
From The Gates of Prayer: The New Union Prayer Book, by the Central Conferences of American Rabbis
Buddhist Prayer for Peace
May every creature abound in well-being and peace.
May every living being, weak or strong, the long and the small
The short and the medium-sized, the mean and the great
May every living being, seen or unseen, those dwelling far off,
Those near by, those already born, those waiting to be born
May all attain inward peace.
Let no one deceive another
Let no one despise another in any situation
Let no one, from antipathy or hatred, wish evil to anyone at all.
Just as a mother, with her own life, protects her only son from hurt
So within yourself foster a limitless concern for every creature.
Display a heart of boundless love for all the world
In all its height and depth and broad extent
Love unrestrained, without hate or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk, sit or lie, until overcome by drowsiness
Devote your mind entirely to this, it is known as living here life divine. The Buddha
Shinto Prayer for Peace
Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us,
I believe, are all our brothers and sisters,
why are there constant troubles in this world?
Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us?
I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away
all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains. 8
Taoist Prayers for Peace
If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbours.
If there is to be peace between neighbours,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart
Lao-Tse

4. Sikh Prayer for Peace
God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear:
that Truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living.
Know that we attaineth God when we loveth,
and only that victory endures in consequence of which no one is defeated.
Know that we attain God when we love,
and only that victory endures in consequence of which no one is defeated.
Zoroastrian Prayer for Peace
We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world:
that understanding triumph over ignorance,
that generosity triumph over indifference,
that trust triumph over contempt,
and that truth triumph over falsehood.
Excerpts from the Dalai Lama's acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize
December 10, 1989, Oslo, Norway
"As a Buddhist monk, my concern extends to all members of the human family and, indeed, to all the sentient
beings who suffer. I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit
of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of peace and contentment, which in
turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion, and elimination of ignorance,
selfishness, and greed.
The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger, and so on, are human
created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding, and a development of a sense of
brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we
share. - - - -

5. I believe all religions pursue the same goals, that of cultivating human goodness and bringing happiness to all
human beings. Though the means may appear different, the ends are the same. As we enter the final decade of
this century, I am optimistic that the ancient values that have sustained mankind are today reaffirming
themselves to prepare us for a kinder, happier twenty-first century. I pray for all of us, oppressor and friend, that
together we succeed in building a better world through human understanding and love, and that in doing so we
may reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings."
WORDS OF TRUTH
A Prayer Composed by
HIS HOLINESS TENZIN GYATSO, THE FOURTEENTH DALAI LAMA OF TIBET,
Honoring and Invoking the Great Compassion
of the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Teachings,
and the Spiritual Community
O Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and disciples
of the past, present, and future:
Having remarkable qualities
immeasurably vast as the ocean,
Who regard all helpless sentient beings
as your only child;
Please consider the truth of my anguished pleas.
Buddha's full teachings dispel the pain of worldly
existence and self-oriented peace;
May they flourish, spreading prosperity and happiness through-
out this spacious world.
O holders of the Dharma: scholars
and realized practitioners;
May your ten fold virtuous practice prevail.
Humble sentient beings, tormented
by sufferings without cease,
Completely suppressed by seemingly endless
and terribly intense, negative deeds,
May all their fears from unbearable war, famine,
and disease be pacified,
To freely breathe an ocean of happiness and well-being.
And particularly the pious people
of the Land of Snows who, through various means,
Are mercilessly destroyed by barbaric hordes
on the side of darkness,
Kindly let the power of your compassion arise,
To quickly stem the flow of blood and tears.
Those unrelentingly cruel ones, objects of compassion,
Maddened by delusion's evils,
wantonly destroy themselves and others;
May they achieve the eye of wisdom,
knowing what must be done and undone,
And abide in the glory of friendship and love.
May this heartfelt wish of total freedom for all Tibet,
Which has been awaited for a long time,
be spontaneously fulfilled;
Please grant soon the good fortune to enjoy
The happy celebration of spiritual with temporal rule.
O protector Chenrezig, compassionately care for
Those who have undergone myriad hardships,
Completely sacrificing their most cherished lives,
bodies, and wealth,
For the sake of the teachings, practitioners,
people, and nation.
Thus, the protector Chenrezig made vast prayers
Before the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
To fully embrace the Land of Snows;

6. May the good results of these prayers now quickly appear.
By the profound interdependence of emptiness
and relative forms,
Together with the force of great compassion
in the Three Jewels and their Words of Truth,
And through the power
of the infallible law of actions and their fruits,
May this truthful prayer be unhindered
and quickly fulfilled.