What is Prayer?

“Sowmya, what is special for Dinner tonight?” asked Shankar when he saw Koushik and Mahadev walking back home.

“Poori Bhaaji, Bisi Bele Bath, Gulab Jamun, and a special Bagala Bath done by Sneha”, Sowmya replied as she spread the items on the dining table. Sneha and Shankar joined in to get the dining table ready.

The aroma as they entered raised the appetite to both Mahadev and Koushik, and right away they prepared to attack the food. Washing their hands and feet, they got into action mode.

“Vow, this is worth the trouble of travelling all the way to your house Shankar” said Mahadev excitedly.

Shankar: In fact, Sneha is equally adept in cooking as well.

Mahadev: That is great, but why was Sneha so quiet last time, she was silent and did not join my discussion with Koushik.

Sneha: Uncle, I have my own views on the topic, and did not want to disturb your discussion. 

Mahadev: If you have a view, you should raise it, why not?

Uncle, Amma keeps saying, “My success is dependent on my prayers. And I am sure it is not. What do you say?”

You are right. Success is independent of Prayer.

Great. Then I need not follow Amma hereon. What a relief?

But Prayer will help you succeed, that is also true.

What?

If you Pray, God cannot make you succeed in all your efforts, be it your exams, or a cricket match, or any activity you engage yourself in.

Then?

Have you seen the movie, “Bruce Almighty”?

Yes.

What happens when Bruce gets the powers of God, and he gets a request from several people wanting this and that?

He simply approves all of them and chaos reigns.

Exactly, though it is a movie, the message is correct. God is not wherever he is, to simply say, “So be it”, and you win your next event.

Then?

Imagine a plant. To grow, to gain strength, to stand tall, all it does is to lean towards the Sun. The more it leans towards the Sun, the stronger it grows. Sun on its own has no interest in the plant growing strong. But when the Plant leans towards the Sun and intently seeks the light and energy the Sun provides, the Plant grows and grows to become a tree. By virtue of providing the light and energy, the Sun does not diminish its power.

Got it.

Imagine a plant cocooned from the Sun, it can hardly have the strength to last a few days, leave alone months and years.

True.

Likewise, our leaning to God through prayer is not for gaining or succeeding. If that is the case, every one of us will pray, and every one of us should succeed. But the contrary only will be true. In a game of two players, only one of them can win. At most it can be a draw. Both cannot win, even if both pray with great intent.

Accepted, then what really is the use of prayer?

Like the plant seeking strength from the Sun, you seek from God’s strength, knowledge, valour, fearlessness, etc., which He can readily give, since none of them are result based.

Meaning?

You seek from God the strength to face every situation, the knowledge to understand and process, the fearlessness to face an opposition, and above all, the strength to accept both win or loss.

True. Your reaction when you win reveals half your character, your response when you lose reveals you’re whole. It requires great courage to face a loss.

How do I know my Prayers are being answered? 

Test yourself on the simple parameter of your response to win or loss. If you jump up and down when you win, and sulk when you lose clearly proves you have not gained any. As time passes, you will find this reaction getting tempered, and slowly but surely you gain control over your reaction.

Is that all that is to Prayer? Can you site an example.

Well, let’s take a simple Sloka your mother taught you. Do you know any on Hanuman?

Sneha: Yes, “buddhir balam yasho dhairyam nirbhayatvam arogatAm ajADyam vAk paTutvam ca hanumat smaraNAt bhavet ||

Mahadev: Its meaning is very simple. बुद्धि (buddhi) - intelligence, बलम्(balam) - strength, यश्(yash) - fame, धैययम् (dhairyam) - courage, निर्ययत्वम्(nirbhayatvam) - fearlessness, अरोगताम् (arogatAm) - disease-free health, अजाड्यम्(ajADyam) - determination, वाक् पटुत्वम्च (vAk paTutvam ca) - and articulateness of speech, will all last forever (र्वेत्, bhavet) if you meditate (स्मरणात्, smaraNAt) on Lord Hanuman (हिुमत्, hanumat) at all times.

Mahadev: Is there any in this prayer where you ask for success, gains, wealth, profit, etc. None whatsoever. All you seek is strength for your body, mind and intellect.

Koushik: Can Hanuman give this?

Does the Plant ever think twice before leaning to the Sun? Never. All things in Nature have a natural tendency to lean towards Sun. Likewise, our Prayers are leaning towards God, who is the creator of Sun itself.

How do I know this? How do I know that God exists?

The fact that you and everything around exist, is proof that someone should have the knowledge, the strength, the power to create and destroy, do you agree.

Let us say, Yes. But where is that person?

Truly difficult to locate as an object.

Is it blind belief then?

Do you believe in your Teacher when she teaches Physics?

Of course, she has the qualification.

What happens if you did not have that belief?

Well, I may fail to grasp what she teaches.

Right. That is the basis for all belief and faith. You acknowledge that your teacher is qualified, without having the tools to test her qualification. And that acknowledgement helps you to understand better.

True.

The same is true with God too. You first acknowledge that God is, and you are. It is not a blind belief, since creation is right infront of you. Every creature is in a state of activity, vibrant, pulsating with energy, yet going through the motions of creation, driven by an unknown source. That we call as God.

What if I do not have faith in God, but still pray? I am not convinced that there is a God, but I like the notion that my prayer is about getting strength etc. It does not matter. Let us say, a tumbler with small quantity of Castor oil was on this table. Have you seen Castor Oil?

Yes.

It resembles Honey in its texture and colour. Without knowing that it is Castor oil, and thinking that it is honey, you just gulp it.

Oops.

Exactly. You did not know that it was Castor Oil, thought it to be Honey. Does the reaction of your drinking depend on what you believed, or will Castor Oil do its work and get out? I get what you are saying, Castor Oil will do its work of cleaning my stomach. Exactly. The same way, your Prayer, with or without belief, will do its work and go on.

Koushik: Uncle, I asked you, if you know Who you are?

Shankar: Koushik, just hold on. Let us wash and discuss this during our Dessert, what do you say Mahadev?

Mahadev: Sure why not, nothing like a hot Gulab Jamun with Ice cream.

Reference: This work on “Belief” is written based on the teachings of most revered Guru Swamini Niranjanananda by Jayaraman. Many of the analogies given in this were narrated by Amma in her talks and have been used contextually.