Prayers and INs of Gratitude

Prayers of gratitude to inspire

In 1998, as the headquarters of Byakko Shinko Kai moved from Tokyo to a beautiful natural setting at the foot of Mount Fuji, a collection of ‘Prayers of Gratitude’ to the earth and the environment were born. Since then, many people in Japan and around the world have been offering these prayers as a way to express gratitude to the world around them.

Whether alone or with others, in nature, at home, or anywhere you happen to be, you can offer your gratitude to the earth, the air, the ocean, the mountains, animals, plants, minerals, and anyone or anything else. You are welcome to use these prayers just as they are, to modify them as you like, or to create your own and expand the practice even further. At the bottom of the page is a link to download the complete set of prayers.

Gratitude to the Sun
rsz_prayers_and_ins_of_gratitude-gratitude_to_the_sunOn behalf of humanity, we thank you, divinities who govern the sun.
We thank you, dear sun.
You cheer and sustain us from moment to moment.

Without you, all life on earth would be unable to live.
We heartily thank you for your limitless blessings.
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
We thank you, divinities who govern the sun.

Gratitude to Water
rsz_prayers_and_ins_of_gratitude-gratitude_to_waterOn behalf of humanity, we thank you, divinities who govern water.
We thank you dear water. Without you, we could not live.

We heartily thank you for your precious existence and functions.
May Peace Prevail on Earth.
We thank you, divinities who govern the water.

Gratitude to Food
rsz_prayers_and_ins_of_gratitude-gratitude_to_foodOn behalf of humanity, we thank you, divinities who govern food.
We thank you, all dear foods.
Our lives are sustained by you from day to day.

May Peace Prevail on Earth.
We thank you, divinities who govern food.

To see or download all of the 12 prayers, see the following link: 12 Prayers of Gratitude to Nature (PDF)

In beginning this practice, it can be challenging to keep your thoughts focused on love and gratitude. In this case, we invite you to try the powerful method of creating a mandala of gratitude to nature, which is filled with handwritten words and phrases of gratitude.

For more inspiration, we also invite you to read about the practice of bright thinking and the 49 Words of Infinite Light.

The IN of Gratitude to Nature

Like the Divinity INs introduced elsewhere, the IN of Gratitude to Nature acts like an antenna that connects us to the universal energy. Introduced in 2001, this IN helps to enhance the power of our prayer words. This IN is simple and easy to learn and can be done anywhere. We invite you to try it, feel free to use it in your own practice of expressing gratitude.

Download: IN of Gratitude to Nature (PDF)

You can perform the IN while watching our online video dedicated to gratitude to Nature.  To watch the video please click here.

The Waves of the Ocean
from an interview with Masami Saionji

Why is it that people love to watch the ocean waves and listen to them?

rsz_prayers_and_ins_of_gratitude-waves_of_the_oceanThere is something about the ocean waves that brings us back to our original being-our original awareness. The waves of the ocean are the natural movement of the universe itself. There is nothing artificial about the waves of the ocean, and they are never influenced by artificial kinds of energy.

The ocean itself is energy — natural energy. The energy of the ocean is expressed through the ocean’s rhythm, or movement. And this same, the natural rhythm of the ocean is in our bodies. It is the fundamental rhythm, or energy, of our life.

Nowadays, many people are ailing because their way of living is not in sync with the rhythm of their original, fundamental being. Their feelings are often in turmoil and they feel separate from the wholeness of the universe. They long to return to the original rhythm of their life. That’s why they love to watch the movement of the ocean.

Because the vibrations of their thoughts are in turmoil, the vibrations of their body cells have also become irregular. Human beings want the vibrations of their minds and bodies to become regular again-to be in harmony again.

(To read the entire interview, please visit Masami Saionji’s website The Earth Healer’s Handbook, or read the book by the same name.)

Reflecting on these inspiring words, we become aware that each word we speak and each step we take is felt throughout the universe. From now on let us do what we can, even in a small way, to send out waves of gratitude to nature.