To Pray or not to Pray

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To Pray or Not to Pray is a conflict between logic and faith. Why should we

pray? When we pray, there is Dvaita Bhava (state of duality, a feeling that we

are different from our God), and also the implication is that we are adopting

Child Ego State and are putting God on a higher pedestal (like a Father

Figure), requesting him for some favor. It is like a small child requesting /

demanding his father or mother for some thing. Parents always do not accede to

the child's request and the child, in its short-sighted ignorance cries, abuses

or even beats the parent with its small fists. The parents do not mind all these

tantrums, since they know that the child will soon outgrow these acts. Thus,

prayers and denial of prayers are part of the spiritual growing up. The prayers

that most of us put up to God are derived mostly from RIG VEDA and are well

suited for us when we are confused, frightened, anxious, or feel unequal to the

situation. In such situations,

we do adopt the Child Ego State (pl. refer to Thomas Harris's excellent book, I

am OK, You are OK for explanation of the three ego states, Child, Adult, Parent

and the elements of Transactional Analysis). When we are calm, contented and

when we are able to contemplate the higher philosophical truth, as expounded in

UPANISHADS, we don't feel different from the Universal Consciousness which we

call God and the prayers as the ones for the universal welfare. When we pray,

we are trying to access the SAGUNA form of God, whereas when we philosophize,

we try to understand the NIRGUNA (formless) aspect of God. Both are relevant to

the respective situations. The ADVAITA (non-dual) logic leads to NIRGUNA, where

as DVAITA and faith may lead to a paternal, divine, omnipotent, omniscient (all

knowing), benevolent form of God. It is true that if we believe in destiny, no

prayers are needed. But since in the turmoil of the troubles, the lamp of firm

faith in destiny (is it faith or is it a logical

conclusion, we shall explore later), starts flickering, prayers act as shades.

Prayers don't always yield positive results. What prayers do is, they give

strength to face the situation calmly, with a feeling that we have done what is

humanly needed and possible, and now we leave it to God. Thus, prayers do help

in reducing anxiety and stress and do prepare the person in a gradual spiritual

progress of accepting destiny and its rewards. Prayers are offered for several

reasons; self progress, for alleviating the problems of others or for material

gains. If we accept destiny as a predetermined Roadmap, our prayers for any

purpose are of no use, since what ever happens is preordained. Of course, one

may say that even the prayers and the results, positive or negative, are also

preordained. This going around in circles leads us no where. I feel more

comfortable with the theory that destiny is like handicap, i.e. it gives you

some positive and some negative qualities, some Karmic positive balances and

debts. God has given us enough

freedom to utilize these resources. What is probably preordained is some sort of

role model in the cosmic drama, but the individual actions are left to

individual. Sometime ago, I talked of The Kitten and The Baby Monkey. The

situation of a Devotee who is praying to a Parental God for favors is that of a

Baby Monkey. It is the devotee's responsibility to hold on to the Parent

irrespective of what happens. Whether one's prayers are answered positively or

not, one has to develop a steadfast faith and devotion to one's God. This is

the first stage in spiritual development. In the case of the devotee who has

surrendered his ego totally, unconditionally to his God, the situation is

similar to that of a Kitten, which doesn't move even an inch on its own but

goes on crying when it is separated from its mother. Here too, we may say the

devotee is praying, but the situation is different. The devotee is now praying

for the company of his GOD, since he is unable to bear the separation. The

devotee does not ask for anything specific, since the devotee knows that he is

taken care by his God. He only wants to be with his God. This is the next stage

of spiritual development. I can only conclude this by saying that, in Advaita,

there is no need or for that matter, no room for prayer. But to really feel one

with God, one has to totally dissolve one's ego, and if one is successful in

that, there is nothing to pray for. Since we can't totally get rid of our ego,

we need to pray, since we feel that we must do something and prayer is also

doing something. The above may or may not be very logical but then logic is

always not an answer for everything. I go through this dilemma almost everyday,

so I pray for enlightenment. (to be continued..) (A Contribution by Sai devotee

S.V. Swamy, Hyderabad, India)

source:saibaba.org

Arun Reddy Nukala

+44-7946-595063

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