Finally, it is

Thursday, January 19, 2006

The importance of prayer

It is what we are taught from our childhood. It is what we have been doing since our childhood. And wondering, what actually is prayer ? Is there any logic behind it ? how does it work?

Well, in truth, the prayer is not for God. It is for us. When we pray, the first transformation happens is inside. Our clots of ego start getting broken because prayer brings hope, faith and in turn peace with it. Without them, it is everything but prayer. And with hope, faith and peace, you again make genuine effort to understand God’s plan and your role in it.

Does God answer our prayer?

Yes, if we are able to break our ego patterns and bring forth hope, faith and peace, we are succeed and our prayer is answered.

No, if we still want to carry same shattered mind frame, and wait for some magic to change our physical and mind situation without making effort our self, we are failed and our prayer is not answered.

Most of the time, it is not only the prayer itself, but the path towards prayer is also very important. If you start to pray, it means you were able to convince your ever-logical mind that you are ready for prayer, half the work is done. It is like convincing yourself that you are ready for getting healed, getting blessed and getting connected. That conviction is very important. People sometimes are just unable of convincing themselves about the importance of prayer and thus never do one. The remaining part is relatively simple. You genuinely urge God to give you enough strength to make you succeed. Your object of prayer may be anything, as far as you are ready to work for it. If you, however, want some magic to happen and get your work done, the chances are high that you will be disappointed. It is very important to understand that the reward of your prayer, if you want any, is nothing but the hope, faith and peace of mind that you achieve by praying. And Alas ! What a great reward it is !! There can never be any better rewards than this.

We learn to pray in course. Our prayers keep changing. I remember one nice story about prayer.

Once, few devotees asked master. “All these years, we have watched you praying. What do you talk to God about ? What are the important things we should be praying for ?”

The master smiled.

“in the beginning, I had the fervor of youth, which believes in the impossible. In those days, I used to kneel before God and ask him to give me the strength to change humankind. Gradually, I came to see that the task was beyond me. Then I started praying to God to help me change the world around me.”

“Well, we can certainly vouch for the fact that part of your wish was granted,” said one of his devotees. “for you have helped many people by your example.”

“Yes, I have helped many people by my example, and yet I knew that I had not yet found the perfect prayer. Only now, at the end of my life, have I come to understand what I should have been praying for from the start.”

“And what is that?”

“To be given the ability to change myself.”

By praying, we come close to ourself and thus, in turn come close to God within us.
May God bless us all...

Monday, January 02, 2006

The essence of forgiveness

One of Napoleon's soldiers committed a crime - the story does not explain what exactly - and he was condemned to death.
On the evening before he was due to be shot, the soldier's mother came to plead for her son's life to be spared.
'Madam, your son's action does not deserve clemency.'
'I know,' said the mother."If it did, then it would have been reason and justice , not true forgiveness. To forgive is the ability to go beyond vengeance or justice.'
When he heard those words, Napoleon commuted the death sentence to exile.

How many of us really forgive others and self ? We forgive , iff we believe that it was the action to be pardoned. We do not forgive if we think that the action can not be pardoned in any case. Well, in truth, we just judge. We never forgive.

Judgement is the vehicle of reason and not of compassion. One can go on judging others and self, but will never know nature of true forgiveness. Because to forgive is to look beyond reason. It is that deep sense of connectedness with all , that brings in compassion to forgive all for no reason. There are enough reasons for judgement , but only one to forgive. You forgive - to be your self.

Let the Lord grant us nature of true forgiveness so that we all are purified.
Amen...