Women's Prayer Breakfast for Peace

2003/2/17

About 250 attendees gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Women's Prayer Breakfast for Peace, organized by the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders, on January 9, 2003. 

The Prayer Breakfast started off at 7:30 in the morning. Activities included prayers from each religion and presentations on special topics with the main focus on "Peace and Prayer." Participants expressed and exchanged thoughts and ideas. 

Regardless of the cold drizzling weather in Washington D.C., the attendees, among which were leaders in religion, government, and business, gathered in the ballroom at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel. Also present were five male participants invited to participate at the Prayer Breakfast. Religious representatives present included those of Buddhism (from the Chinese, Tibetan, and Theravadan traditions), Christianity, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Sufism, and the Inca tradition. In addition to participants from United States and neighboring Canada, some came from as far as Thailand, India, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. 

Venerable Guo Yuan, attending the Breakfast on behalf of Chan Master Sheng Yen of the Dharma Drum Mountain, read a speech by the Master and recited the Heart Sutra in his prayer for peace. The Prayer Breakfast adjourned at noon.