Lovingkindness Prayer For The Homeless
This lovingkindness prayer extends compassion for those who are homeless in our neighbourhoods and beyond. The prayer assumes a belief in God or a greater power, although isn't specific to any one faith tradition, and so is relevant for people of any tradition.
Transcript
This is a brief meditation,
Prayer or heartfelt intention if you prefer for those who are homeless wherever they are anywhere in the world.
We'll be following the approach of the loving kindness prayer or meta prayer beginning by focusing on those who are close to us in our communities before expanding our horizon to consider those in other places,
Cities,
Countries and to the whole world.
Let's start by taking a moment or two just to arrive ready with the intention to focus as best we can on this meditation for the moments ahead.
If you're in a place where it's possible and it feels comfortable you may like to close your eyes.
I'll just settle into a process of noticing your breathing,
A familiar practice perhaps but one that reminds us that we are connecting as we breathe in with everything that is and as we breathe out have the opportunity to release whatever is within us that might be holding us back,
Disturbing us in some way.
Noticing how each in breath takes us a little deeper within ourselves,
Not rushing,
Not feeling that we have to move at any particular pace but just breathing naturally but deeply,
Allowing each in breath to take its course deep into your body to settle where it will and to pause a moment before releasing as though in a satisfying sigh as you breathe out.
Letting this simple but wonderful cycle center you,
Bring you within yourself and if any distraction occurs,
Physical,
Sensual,
A noise,
Just allowing yourself to come back to focus on this cycle of breathing in and breathing out.
And now let's turn our attention to perhaps one person you've seen before,
Perhaps someone unknown to you,
Who you've passed on a city street or someone in your neighborhood,
Someone who's been begging for money for food,
Lying perhaps in a sharp porch way,
Perhaps on a cold day or night,
You might not remember their face or any words that were exchanged just now,
But bring to mind that you notice that perhaps somewhere not too far from you,
In a nearby town if you live in a country,
Somewhere you've visited that's not too far,
You've observed someone who does not have permanent shelter for whatever reason.
And open up now with that person held within your mind and your desire for their well-being as best you're able to feel it now as though you were sending out this intention,
This will towards them as we open up to words or a form of words of our loving kindness prayer.
May that person know their wholeness.
May they dwell in the heart.
May they be free from suffering,
Find a way to freedom of suffering.
May they be healed mentally,
Emotionally,
Physically.
May they be happy.
May they be at peace.
Free from abuse.
Free from unwanted disturbance.
Able to rest and find comfort.
As you hold this intention you may wish that even now a friend,
A stranger perhaps,
Will arrive to offer them,
To show them some light,
Some hope,
To provide for some need that they may be desperately lacking at the moment.
To show compassion.
I'm now extending your focus to perhaps a city,
A large city perhaps.
It may be your own expanding out from your your neighborhood or it may be another one some distance away within your homeland.
Maybe not even somewhere you've visited,
But you know that there are many who find themselves living under bridges,
On street corners,
In makeshift carpool shelters,
Huddling for warmth wherever they can.
Many having to move perhaps day to day,
Always having to find a new place to lay their head.
And bringing to attention that there are a number of people,
Quite a number of people,
Quite likely in this group.
As you offer your intention towards that group now.
May they be blessed,
Filled with light and love.
May they know their wholeness.
May they dwell in the heart.
May they be free from suffering.
May they be healed.
May they be happy.
May they be at peace.
And when it feels right,
Expanding your focus of attention to take in the wider area,
The wider region.
It might be an entire state,
A county,
A or even your entire country.
Knowing that there may be many thousands possibly,
Tens of thousands more,
Who wander the streets often unable easily to find a way to break from this cycle.
Perhaps many lacking support,
Lacking knowledge about where support might be available,
If it is.
Struggling day to day in the very basic act of surviving.
Extending our intention,
Our prayer if you prefer to those people asking for their well-being to be protected,
For light to shine in their lives.
May they dwell in the heart.
May they know their wholeness.
May they be free from suffering.
May they be healed.
May they be happy.
May they be at peace.
And now reaching out your thoughts even further,
Considering those all over our earth who are homeless.
In some countries there are many millions not having access to basic facilities,
Not having very often any opportunity of privacy,
Being vulnerable to abuse,
Exposed to all manner of risks and denied what so many of us consider to be essential rights.
Having access to water,
To warmth,
To shelter,
To food.
Allowing your heart as best you're able to send out this intention,
Asking as it were the God of your understanding or just willing,
If that does not mean anything to you for the well-being of all who are without homes,
Without a permanent or a safe space to rest.
May they know their wholeness.
May they dwell in the heart.
May they be free from suffering.
May they be healed.
May they be happy.
May they be at peace.
And you might like to take just a moment now to be grateful for what you have,
Especially if like me you have never been homeless.
You have never felt that insecurity,
The fear,
The exposure.
Let us be grateful for our homes,
For the warmth they provide,
For the privilege of being so blessed.
And when you're ready,
Very slowly becoming aware now of what may be happening around you.
Any sounds,
Sensations,
Anything that you begin to notice as we start to come out of this time and come back to whatever is waiting for us in the day ahead.
Thank you.
Go well.
Stay safe.
4.9 (21)
Recent Reviews
Elaine
October 6, 2023
What a beautiful meditation. Thank you so much for sharing this. 🙏
Ami-Melissa
January 8, 2022
Thank you Clive for guiding this beautiful loving kindness meditation and prayer. I’m sending out all my love tonight to all of those who are displaced, and all of those suffering. And I am thankful for all I have, including access to this meditation 🙏🏽🤍🫂
Maria
September 22, 2021
May every.single.person on Insight Timer & all of us on Mother Earth be given the gift of listening to this prayer, these words, this compassion. The more of us that listen. the greater the loving kindness extended to those that despair in this heartbreaking situation ✨✨✨xxx