Cattāri Brahmavihārā

I bow to the Lord of Compassion!
All sentient beings, my parents,
wish happiness; all wish to avoid suffering.
If all my parents suffer, how can this child be happy?
Bless me to take away their suffering.
I take into my heart
all their suffering and the causes of suffering.
ram yam kham
By the fire of aspiration and the wind of compassion,
it dissolves into emptiness.
om ah hum
I give them all my happiness and the causes of happiness.
Bless me to give all gain and victory to them.
I shall suffer the consequences of my unskillful acts,
if not this very day, then shortly after—
bless me to eat the bitter fruit before it ripens.
so’ham sa’ham
Gain and victory to others, loss and defeat to myself!
Whenever and wherever I meet my anguished parents,
bless me to mount this aspiration on the breath.