Paramahansa Jagadish Dass - The Prayer Project

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https://www.themindfulword.org/2014/the-prayer-project/ THE PRAYER PROJECT: How do we pray? CONTRIBUTING WRITER·SPIRITUAL PRACTICES·AUGUST 1, 2014·6 MIN READ The following excerpt is from Parmahansa Jagadish’s Worldwide “Prayer Project” 3 Minutes 3 Times A Day To Change the World (3×3). Many of us turn the very idea of prayer into something so complicated, so ethereal, so mystical, that we can never hope to master it. I think before we begin to pray we must first understand it, so here is my very simple definition for making prayer a part of your daily life: Prayer, in its most fundamental sense, is a communication between a person and the Supreme Being. All people, of all cultures, have a natural inclination to prayer; it is a human yearning that comes from deep within the soul. Prayer is the expression of a person’s spirituality—the profound awareness that there is an entity greater and more transcendent than the self and the order of things in the universe. Gandhi had this to say about prayer: “Prayer is the very core of man’s life.” There are two kinds of prayer: Prayer is either Petitional (i.e. you “petition” or ask for something, such as health or world peace), or in its wider sense, prayer is communication. In either case, the ultimate result is the same. Even when prayer is Petitional, the petition can be for the cleansing and purification of the soul, for freeing it from the layers of ignorance, suffering and darkness that envelops it. Now that you know what prayer is, here is what prayer isn’t: Prayer is no mere exercise of words or of the ears; it is no mere repetition of empty formula. Do not enter into prayer by rote, merely reciting the same words over and over again without yearning to understand them; without yearning to feel them. When it comes to prayer, it is said that, “It is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” In other words, genuine prayer must be in clear response to the spirit which hungers for it. Prayer is also an effective means of bringing orderliness, peace and repose into our daily acts. When we pray, it’s an act of centring ourselves, of pulling ourselves out of our heads and back into our hearts. This central act of prayer, in turn, allows us to see the world through our hearts in a fresh, new and loving way; a world that’s now more peaceful and conscious. Take care of the vital things, it is said, and the other things will take care of themselves. Since the earliest records of history, all cultures all over the world have used religion and prayer to express their spirituality. The concept of a Supreme Being may differ from one religion to another, but all religions hold that the Supreme Being is merciful and compassionate and the most capable of love. All ascribe to the Supreme Being’s all-knowingness and all power over humanity and nature, over health and disease. Different cultures have given different names to this Supreme Being, with God being the most prevalent in the West. Prayer is the most common spiritual ritual and is practiced by billions of people all over the world. All cultures offer up prayers in one form or another, especially in periods of trials and tribulations and as life nears its end. Even Buddhism, which does not posit a “person God” as creator, makes prayer a core practice in its spiritual traditions. Motivations for prayer Why do people pray? What motivates us to bend a knee or move our lips in prayer? The reasons are many, but universal. In the Bhagavad Gita (7:16), Krishna says (as a manifestation of the Supreme Being) that there are four different types of people who turn their minds to God. Notice these are not listed in any particular order, nor is one necessarily placed higher in importance than the next: 1. The seeker of solace from distress 2. The seeker of knowledge 3. The seeker of wealth 4. The wise