As I read this prayer, I feel deep within me that it is a definitive promise of peace. The line that beckons me to it again and again is, “May we draw upon the reservoir of peace that exists in the present moment.”
This line infuses me with so much hope. It teaches me to live in the present moment and not in the past or the future. It is like an instant energy booster whenever I catch myself giving way to despair and restlessness. This line directs me to the abundance of peace that exists in every moment and reminds me that it is my duty to drink from that reservoir of peace.
I am grateful to Gurumayi for this wonderful reminder and prayer.
Hosur, India
This exquisite prayer encapsulates the true essence of Thanksgiving in a way that speaks to everyone.
On Thanksgiving Day, when fourteen of my family members had gathered around the dining table to enjoy a beautiful feast, I asked my niece, who is seven, and my son, who is six, if they wanted to read it aloud. They looked at the words on my screen and right away said, “Yes!” They ran to get microphones, and took turns reading each line and helping one another with the more complex words.
Peacefulness filled the room and you could feel the hearts of everyone present so tangibly. There was connection and recognition as we joined together in prayer.
New York, United States
This morning I experienced this exquisite prayer being spoken as the flute played in the background and the beautiful images appeared in the video. Taking in the prayer through my ears and eyes filled me with serenity and reminded me of the line in the prayer that speaks of taking hold of the sacred energy of the senses to lead us toward peace.
Afterward I spoke the prayer aloud, pausing after each line to visualize its sweet energy and promise to travel out into the universe, like the starlight that streams across light-years to touch our eyes and hearts.
It occurred to me that this Thanksgiving prayer is also an affirmation; it describes truths that already exist within the world and within our hearts. By speaking these benevolent and inspired words
, I contribute to making them more fully manifest.
a Siddha Yoga Swami
I was in awe of the beautiful scenes in the video accompanying this prayer—so many tree branches exuberantly spreading their vibrant colors out in all directions while others simply reached toward the heavens. This video reminds me of all I have to be grateful for in this autumnal season!
In reading the prayer itself, I especially appreciate the reminder to cherish every manifestation of beauty that arises throughout my day, to value “this life in all its wonder and mystery,” and to immerse my mind and heart in “the reservoir of peace that exists in the present moment.”
At this time of Thanksgiving, I am deeply grateful for the creativity and wisdom of the sages who compiled the Vedas, and for the untold souls who faithfully and devotedly preserved that wisdom down through the generations so that now we, too, can take inspiration from this prayer.
Illinois, United States
I have been longing to
be the peace I so wish for in the world. Repeating this beautiful Thanksgiving prayer—inspired by a hymn from the
Atharva Veda—I am, indeed, filled with peace. This peace seems to emanate from immersing myself in the words of the prayer and from my heightened awareness of the beauty of everything around me.
I love the last sentence, “May we draw upon the reservoir of peace that exists in the present moment.” The word “reservoir” especially stands out for me.
I love thinking about how Siddha Yogis are repeating this prayer at different times of the day and night and how peace is radiating around the world from our unified prayers.
Sydney, Australia
Ever since this prayer appeared on the Siddha Yoga path website, I have been reading it again and again. Each time I read it, my attention is directed to a different part of the prayer. Then a profound peace permeates me, and new understanding dawns.
Amidst the hectic world I live in, this prayer encourages me to pay attention to the peace that is all-pervasive and also to wish for peace to manifest in every instance. I feel that whenever I lose touch with myself, this prayer will bring me back to the peace within myself. I realize that the purpose of my
sadhana is to experience this peace, within and without, all the time.
The audio is a blessing that helps me to close my eyes and savor each line as it is read and to visualize and experience the peace and pray for peace.
Hosur, India
This very beautiful and detailed prayer helps me to understand how gratitude and peace go hand in hand—like good friends. When there is peace, the planet’s sapphire-blue, lush green, and snow-white majesty can truly flourish.
Last year, I noticed a certain plant flowering in the form of a ball, which was being visited by many bees. In late autumn, many seeds fell from this plant and landed in the soil. This year, I was astonished to see the plenitude of tiny, delicate plants that have sprung up and are growing together in this very small space. I realized just how much nature gives when it remains undisturbed and at peace.
I think humans can be similar to nature in this way. When there is peace within and without, when no ego interferes, we can flourish and grow. When I feel peace, thankfulness arises within me. And thankfulness inevitably leads me to peace.
Munich, Germany
This entire year I have been praying for peace. I am so grateful to Gurumayi for giving us this profoundly beautiful prayer on the Siddha Yoga path website at this time. I love our planet and keep a blue marble Earth on my
puja altar to remind me of her benevolence.
It also reminds me to pray for peace and to try to constantly experience gratitude for all that Mother Earth bestows. Everything that I have derives from planet Earth, including my food, clothes, and home. She continually gives freely. I am blessed to walk upon her surface and breathe her air.
Colorado, United States
To me, this prayer is peace itself. And when I read it, I step into that state of peace.
New York, United States
This wonderful Thanksgiving prayer is like a soothing balm. Each sentence transports me to the essence of its subject. I feel the vibration of the words reverberating throughout my whole body and becoming one with the universe. I bow with gratitude to the priceless understanding it bestows.
Mersin, Turkey
Upon reading this beautiful prayer, I feel thankful for the Siddha Yoga path. This line really stood out for me: “Let us be thankful for having a grateful heart and the presence of mind to never take our good fortunes for granted.”
I first learned about the Vedas when I discovered the Siddha Yoga path almost thirty years ago. I was moved by the power of the prayers uttered by a noble people centuries earlier, and I visualized them in my mind's eye, standing before the light of the dawn as they recited them. It was clear that they had “the presence of mind to never take their good fortunes for granted.”
I’m grateful to Gurumayi and the Siddha Yoga path for making this prayer part of our tradition today, in this modern age. Through the amazing Siddha Yoga path website, we—the entire Siddha Yoga sangham—can recite this prayer and enact its power here and now, so that these essential truths remain a living force on this earth and in our lives.
New York, United States
I feel that in the last few days I have experienced quite a few aspects of this Thanksgiving prayer. The golden leaves of the trees, the cows lying in the meadows, the blue sky, the wispy mist that floated in the valleys—everything was filled with brightness and peace. In the city, I saw people exchanging their happiness with smiling eyes and kind words.
The twilight must have been beautiful in the olden days when this prayer was first composed. With this in mind, I decided to walk toward the viewpoint from which, on a clear day, you can admire the range of the Pyrenees mountains. It was right there, majestic under the orange sky of sunset.
I went home wrapped in the peace of night.
Rodez, France
I took a moment today to offer this exquisite Thanksgiving prayer to the world with all of my heart.
As I recited the words of the prayer aloud, each word seemed to move in its own rhythm, like a holy river intent on reaching its destination. As the sound moved through me, I also experienced the blessing of an open heart in its wake. I felt so moved to describe in such detail, through the words of this prayer, the preciousness of this world and of each other, and the good fortune we have to be here and to be together.
Then, when I came to the last line of this powerful prayer, I looked out of my window and the heavens told me that the prayer had been received. At just that moment the clouds hiding the sun, in a sky that had been overcast all day, momentarily parted and the sun shone through! The snowy, wet landscape and tree branches suddenly shimmered with such brilliance, like thousands of diamonds, telling me that the prayer had reached its destination.
New York, United States
These words resonate deeply. I have been looking for a prayer which will guide me through these times and this is it.
It is always so wonderful to open the Siddha Yoga path website, and find the answer to a question or concern of mine, sometimes one I had not yet consciously articulated. This prayer is just such a blessing.
California, United States