Part 1: What is prayer?

[Bhaskar]

Prayer is one of the most misunderstood concepts in religion. Most people think of prayer as asking God for things they want. However, the true spirit of prayer is different. Prayer, in Hinduism is not a beggary, it is not even a thanksgiving, but it is an invocation of the potential that is within and around every one of us.

It is only the weak-minded who, when they are unable to achieve success through their own effort, and at the same time are boiling over with desires for things of the world, run to the temples and the churches and mosques with an interminable list of demands for the Lord to fulfill. This is like the child who asks Santa Claus for a whole list of the latest video games, toys and gadgets. And it is just about as likely to be fulfilled.

Hinduism admits no such weakness. Every one of us holds inside us the potential for infinite achievement. All we have to do is invoke that higher potential in us, the infinite energy in us. A pool of gasoline does not need anything other than itself to burn. The potential for fire, the energy permeates every molecule of it. It only needs to come close to a small spark in order to burst into flames. Within us also is the infinite energy. Prayer is the spark that invokes the fire within us.

Prayer, therefore, is not a conversation with God. We have nothing to say to God that God doesn’t already know. The divine already knows our most intimate thoughts and desires. It is closer to us than our own bones and blood. True prayer is the process of tuning up the mind and intellect with that higher spirit within us, invoking the nobler qualities in our bosom. Thus when our higher nature asserts itself, we have the strength and courage to live an honest life of humility and service, of love and sacrifice, of truth and beauty. Armed with this inner strength we become immune to the vagaries of the world and remain always unshaken and still, filled with the peace of our own inner contentment and causeless joy.

It is in this spirit of prayer that, before a teaching begins, the student and the disciple together chant the peace invocation. In this section we will examine some of the popular peace invocations from the Vedas - the Hindu scriptures.



See also:

Spirituality: What is Prayer and does it work? – By Dr. Yogeesh Acharya (8 mins)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ6B5Sd3e40 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ6B5Sd3e40)

[Jedi]

Oh I have a question.
Can we ask questions here?

[Bhaskar]

That's the purpose. Questions, comments and any kind of discussion relevant to the subject of this thread.

[Jedi]

You state that hinduism does not suggest prayer to a God for the purpose of asking Him for anything, and the Dr. Yogeesh Acharya states that any prayer of praise to God is unnecessary. However, Vedantic texts including bhagavad Gita praise prayers like Gayatri Mantra.

For those of you know do not know about Gayatri Mantra... it goes something like this :
Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah.
Tat Savitur Varenyam,
Bhargo Devasya dimahi
Diyo Yonah Prachodayat.

Loose translation by Jedi: In earth, atmosphere , and outer space. We adore that sun that exists as the omnipresent deity, please shine your divine light of the gods, and bless us with the right intellect.

Other translations: O God, Thou Art the Giver of Life, Remover of Pain and Sorrow, The bestower of Happiness, Oh creator of the universe, May we receive thy supreme sin destroying light. May thou guide our intellect in the right direction.


Dr. Yogeesh acharya states in the video : True prayer is when you forget yourself, forget your body and look at yourself, if that is so, what is this prayer? Isn't it based in words?
Moreover, If God doesn't need praise? Are we not praising him as the omnipresent deity in this prayer, aren't we asking him for something? Is this useless? If it is, then why do Vedantic texts suggest that Gayatri mantra is the highest prayer of them all?

[Bhaskar]

Even the peace invocations that we are about to study are structured in the same way. And the Gayatri is the most powerful Vedic mantra. However, the purpose behind all of them is not to ask for something outside ourselves, but to invoke the higher within ourselves. The Gayatri itsself may be translated as:
We meditate upon (dheemahi) that effulgent one (tat savitur), who is worthy of worship (varenyam), who illumines the three worlds (bhur, bhuva suvaha) and who is the light of all Gods (or sense organs) (bhargo devasya). May that divine shine (yo nah prachodayat) in my intellect (dhiyo).

Shankaracharya explains that this prayer is not to the physical sun, but to the self-effulgent light of consciousness within all beings. Thus we are invoking the God consciousness in us, the higher self in us. The masters also explain that the light of consciousness that we are invoking is already there, already shining in every thought. The meditations and mantras are only to take our attention towards it.

Even in the other peace invocations, where the prayer is for the good of society, for abundance of food and wealth for all, etc., the idea is to create the idealistic vision in the bosom so that our efforts may eb such as to benefit all humanity, rather than remaining stuck in the selfish struggle of accumulation for my own greedy self.

The prayer is not asking for anything outside of myself, but it is invoking the highest qualities latent in me. And the prayer is not addressed to any deity outside myself, but to the divine consciousness in me only.

The elaborate descriptions of the beauty of the many forms of God, or of the divine qualities is not for praise - it for us to contemplate upon those qualities and thus allow them to surface in our hearts also.

Dr. Acharya's suggestion was the very highest prayer, where in the one praying emrges witht he divine that is being prayed to. At the less evolved levels of spiritual practice prayer is invoking the higher in us. Union with that is the culmination of spiritual practice, of prayer, of all life.

This may or may not satisfy you, it may also raise doubts in the minds of those who are less familiar with what we are talking about. To them, I ask patience - everythign will be explained in due course.

And Jedi, do remember - anything I say is not gospel truth. There are other and possibly better ways of understanding the teachings. I am only giving out what I know and have understood. these are not teachings, they are sharings.

[Jedi]

:) Thank you for that answer bhaskar, it was a good answer. I understand what you are saying. Prayer is there to take us to a higher consciousness :).
If I have more questions, i will ask. Please continue with the lesson.