As I look at and read the news, I feel so over whelmed and impotent. I ask, “what can I do?” What comes to mind this morning is the Dharma taught by the ancient teacher, Shantideva. He said that we can send our loving thoughts, our aspirations offering help and safety, compassion and courage to all beings.

In The Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life, he wrote:

May I be a guard for all those who are protector-less,
A guide for those who journey on the road,
For those who wish to cross the water,
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.

May I be an isle for those who yearn for landfall,
And a lamp for those who long for light;
For those who need a resting place, a bed;
For all who need a servant, may I be their slave.

For all those ailing in the world,
Until their every sickness has been healed,
May I myself become for them
The doctor, nurse, the medicine itself.