Prayer Beads: Meditation for Seekers

Prayer beads: A Meditation for Seekers

Grant me focus to do what is expected,
the fever to change what is unjust,
patience to tolerate those who follow every rule,
and those who rarely follow them at all.

Please be with me in times of confusion,
walk with me in times of peace,
lead my eyes to the scarlet sunsets
and my ears to the sweet sounds of laughter.

Call my feet to walk bare on the earth,
and my mouth to speak the naked truth. 
Call my mind to dream and create
and my hands to keep pace with my imaginings.

And help me see your sparkle in the eyes of another,
your hand in the help from another,
your advice in the words of another,
and my inner child in the faults of another.

Bless me in my searching,
and rest with me in my stagnation,
love me through my questioning,
walk with me in my wandering.

And lead me to find purpose 
in this distracted skin I’m living,
my hands, my eyes, my mind, my laughter, 
may they find good use today.



Note:
24 lines =24 beads=24 hours of each day.  No bead needs to be bigger or smaller-no hour more or less important than another (unless it is your last....but then, who knows when your last may be. )

More on Prayer Beads

There are prayer beads similar to a rosary in many different religions and faiths.  Buddhists, Anglican, Hindus, and even recovering addicts (twelve step prayer beads), for example, have these with different numbers of beads in different configurations that symbolize different traditions.  When I looked online, most information I found about symbolism of the various prayer beads that go with different faiths also contained  pictures of prayer beads for sale.  While I tried to do an anglican one with my own stash of beads, I didn't feel the specific lines of the prayers went directly with my own daily needs for meditation-what I felt I needed to remember each day.  So, I decided to do my own.  I wondered what could be a common denomenator, a common prayer we could all say that cut through all religions and cultures, and could be a daily reminder of how to walk each day in a right and balanced way where we could try, for just one day, to do no harm, to share, to do some good perhaps, and to make a positive footprint in our community, workplace, family, etc. ... just for one day.

I would love to read anyone else's version of their ideal prayer bead mantra if you'd like to share.