Theory on PRAYER

Oxford dictionary defines PRAYER as "a request for help or expression of thanks made to God". But I strongly believe that prayer is not mere seeking or demanding or requesting. It is a mode of communication with the ALMIGHTY. Prayer is not one in which the individual should seek something for his/herself or for the society. For me prayer is a platform where the soul makes a comfortable understanding God. Ordinary prayer is for those who think God is beyond reachable and something very far from them. For those who think and treat God as one in them or within them,ordinary prayers are mere words piled up. (Here I refer ordinary prayers as ones which involve demanding). With these kind of people one can find mere conversation exists between themselves and God. These relationships are eternal, far beyond materialistic one, there one can find no offerings, desires, expectations etc.

In general human tendency is that he opts for a prayer only when he is in distress. He cannot be blamed for that he is shaped in that manner. From his early age he was instructed to seek, seek, and just seek nothing more than that. He was asked to ask. God was pictured as a giver or one who is capable of giving what he needs. Yes of course some prayers also involve thank giving, but all these things makes our bond with God materialistic (something which is not eternal). Every individual when he loses confidence in himself seek others help when nobody can help out, he moves to God. First of all one thing that everybody should understand is that "God is not just an other (Note: this word is not another, it is an other, means not a second person) whom you need to 'explain' and 'express'. For he have given you this birth not on your demand. "He knows what to give when and when to give what". If you think you know the good thing for you, then remember ,He always knows the best thing for you. You will be rewarded the right thing at the right time. There is a famous saying which goes as "God's answers are always wiser than our prayers".

Now let us analyze what causes everybody to always seek something or the other. The basic thing is that "need". Man's needs are boundless. He is not at all satisfied with what he has and what he wants. When he gets one thing he quickly desires of another, like a monkey jumping around the trees. He doesn't know his destiny and he is madly racing all around without knowing his destiny. If questioned the need of 'need' many controversies occur. Man believes himself more than anyone else,even more than God. He thinks he is the only one who knows himself, that may be true in case of society, but what with God. Man thinks he knows his 'self', but if that is the case then no need to live here, he would have already attained 'moksha'. "Realization of the self" is 'moksha'. Thus this basic concept proves that he hasn't realized his self and then why go for demanding materialistic matters.

It is practically very difficult for an ordinary individual to be without any wish or so. But to the maximum one shouldn't go behind it, everything must be left to Him. But it doesn't mean that one shouldn't do anything and simply chant mantras. Everyone is expected to do his/her own duties, the fruit of that will reach him, whether it is sweet or sour he has to taste it and should take it.

How a prayer should be:

(Before getting into this one should be clear that every soul's ultimate goal is to attain 'moksha'. He/she is given this life to attain that. So better not go on increasing our needs and getting ourselves spun into this web. Let that concept be dealt later, lets not go into that now.)

Coming to the prayer, how it should be? Many great philosophers, saints, have given their own opinion on this, everything has its own dignity. But what I think is " a prayer is a realization of the relation between the soul and the God, its something eternal between the self and the selfless, between the mortal and the immortal." Prayer should set oneself tuned with the ALMIGHTY. The bond existing between should grow each time more constructively, and consistently. Every time you pray the distance between the self and the GOD must decrease and its ultimate destiny must be 'mokhsha' and not anything else.

According to me prayer shouldn't indulge any granting or getting, (this is just about prayer then the question will arise of "what to do and how to go with life" lets not discuss all those things here, which may appear far from this topic). So do 'prayer' which makes God to be with you and not make God go far by grants and likes. I would conclude with a simple example "suppose you ask someone something, the person lends his/her arms to give you what you asked for and you do lend your arms to receive that, which obviously increases the distance between you both, but if you don't ask anything he will put his arms around your shoulders and stand close to your heart and be always with you, your seeking may end your relationship but not this one"

Thus 'PRAY' not for things, not for needs, but for the sake of your 'self '. I would like to expand 'PRAY' as Prime Realization About Your 'self'. And 'PRAYER' as Pathway Reaching Almighty in You by Establishing a Relation. So do pray, to PRAY and do prayer, to PRAYER.

Bala Arjun
Student intersted in philosophy