For as Long as Space Endures
Prayer for The Living

by Ron Whitehead



For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.
  -- eighth-century Buddhist saint Shantideva


For as long as space endures
And for as long as His Holiness The Dalai Lama remains
Until then may he or she too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.

For as long as space endures
And for as long as Kierkegaardian existential
                            Zen humanists remain
Until then may they too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.

For as long as space endures
And for as long as students and poets and workers
                            who march for democracy
                                             for peace
                                     and for tolerance remain
Until then may they too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.

For as long as space endures
And for as long as Bills of Rights protecting
                            personal freedom remain
Until then may they too abide
To dispel the misery of the world.

For as long as space endures
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I too abide, despite my failures,
To dispel the misery of the world.

Copyright (c) 1995 & 2008 Ron Whitehead