The Perfection of Aspiration
by Bro. Lim Poh Keng

I verily aspire from this day forth:
Of Diligence and Patience so inclined,
As self-Reliance upon the Path I tread
Warily with my Body, Speech and Mind.

Suffused with Boundless Loving-Kindness
For the welfare of the beings high and low,
I hereby bestow them with Selfless Love
May all beings be blissful, free from woe.

By the Empowerment of Infinite Compassion
I survey the Triple World¹ impartially;
By the Providence of All Saving Grace²
May all beings be alleviated from misery.

With the Heart of Magnanimity I rejoice
In beings triumphant and well praised,
In their earnest striving for Deliverance
May Altruistic Joy gladden my heart always.

With a mind unwavering in Equanimity
May I transcend the World of Duality
By realizing that all changing phenomena³
Are empty of their Dependent Reality⁴

Hail to the Peerless Perfect Wisdom
Hail to the All-Encompassing Compassion
Hail to the Blossoming Thousand-Petalled Lotus
May all beings attain Full Liberation. ⁵

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! ⁶

Lim Poh Keng (Penang) 14th April 2003

The above aspiration is based on the perfection of the Four Brahma Viharas, the Four Positive Emotions of the Sublime Abodes: Loving-kindness (metta), Compassion (karuna). Altruistic Joy (mudita) and Equanimity (upekkha)

¹ The Sensuous World, the Form World, and the Formless World
² Our innate Buddha (Enlightenment) nature or Divine Spark (DivineEssence) in theistic religions.
³ The world of opposites
⁴ As all phenomena arise from causes and conditions, they are empty of their TrueEssence.
⁵ Enlightenment (Nirvana)
⁶ Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!

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