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16 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

Buddhist concept of karma. Many people believe
that karma is about punishment or reward, but Caregiving
it’s a lot more nuanced and complex than that.

and the
Karma, in the simplest of terms, is both the
actions someone performs and the result of those
actions. It ties into a cycle of cause and effect,
much like the cycle of death and rebirth. Buddha’s Way
By Susan Stone Fall 2005
Essentially, it’s about how the actions you take
in life will come back to you in the future. This
particular prayer focuses on the goodness in
people, and how it has an effect on themselves
and the world around them.

Short Buddhist Prayers to Bring Comfort
and Peace

There are several ways of practicing Buddhism.
There are three main branches of Buddhism:
Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana. Each
branch has its own unique variations. But at their
core, they share similar beliefs about death and
When seen with clarity, any non-harmful activity can
dying.
be a field for spiritual practice—be it hair dressing,
astrophysics or feeding the cat. But caregiving would seem
These prayers are a great start to understanding
to have special status; spiritual qualities are part of the
Buddhist approaches to dealing with death. But
job description. Caregivers know well the challenges of
they only begin to scratch the surface. It’s well
trying to manifest compassion and selflessness on the job,
worth taking the time to explore other prayers and
while those who are practitioners of Buddhist teachings
facets of this religion.
are led into even more complex challenges. These include
struggling with the seeming contradictions of reconciling
Sources
compassionate and selfless action with proper self-care
Vail, Lise F. “The Origins of Buddhism.” Asiasociety.
while trying to live in alignment with the teaching of no-
org, Asia Society, 25 September 2017, asiasociety.
self; embracing the lessons of impermanence that are
org/education/origins-buddhism.
intrinsic to death and dying; and noticing how even the
subtle odor of a personal agenda can foul efforts to make
“Buddhism.” History.com, History Channel, 8
appropriate caregiving decisions.
November 2019, www.history.com/topics/
religion/buddhism. EH
These were certainly my experiences when I tended
my mother as she was dying. Having left the Buddhist
monastery where I had been living in order to care for
her, and having been a practitioner for several years
before that, I naturally turned to Buddhist teachings for
guidance. As I have written elsewhere [see bio, page 29],
the Dhamma [teaching of the Buddha] was right there to
guide me, arising as a voice from within. Like innumerable