India 2011 Can Buddhist Monks Pray For The Old And Sick? Recently, a life long friend of the family has been diagnosed with lung cancer, a tough break because she is not a smoker. My mother asked me if I could say a prayer for her. I can, and have, but there was more to say about what I could do for her. When I chant the Loving-kindness sutta for someone in person as a “blessing”, I usually explain what it means beforehand and then I chant it for them. Some people have cried afterwards because the meaning meant so much to them. In reality, it is a blessing to hear the teaching so one can put it into practice. I always tell people this. So look at the translation here and see what you can do with it. So what more could be said if you do loving-kindness prayers to yourself and others?