The forms are many. The sequences and the rituals are so distinct and unique from each other, that an alien wouldn’t comprehend the single word – ‘Prayer’ which encompasses all the activities!

Well, the activities themselves range from elaborate one month yagnas and constant chanting of mantras to a less than a millisecond activity of crossing the chest and looking up into the sky as one crosses a place of worship atop a speeding bike ! In-between there is an ever expanding milieu of activities: candle light vigils. Monday – Sunday fasting regimens. (With an additional colour or two for specific days of the week). The list is endless.

Well, as much as there are different places of worship. There are different times of worship too. Most during a trying situation. Praying for a miracle when the odds don’t favour one are the most common. I remember praying to God that my favourite teams must win match after match (particularly when I knew it was difficult for them to) ! I remember praying to God for good grades thinking they were probably improbable!

I vividly recall praying for peace in Sri Lanka. For a proper ‘taking care’ of an impolite neighbour. For the handicapped children in Namibia. For possession of a fancy car. The list is endless!

Here is a poem that I cam across….

It was right before the big one and the

Basket ball player said,

“Excuse me guys for just a sec

while go bow my head”

And in the quiet of that room

The basket ball player prayed,

“Oh God if nothing hear me now

I know that fate is made.”

“So help us lord to win this

game, it’s the big one man, you see,

If we lose this game that’s itg for us.

Please do this, lord, for me”.

And as his body knelt in prayer

He looked up the sky,

“And while I am here and have

sometime, I need to ask you why?”

“They say you never help teams win,

Just do it once I pray

We will pay you back in kinder deeds

Or in another way”

“Thre reason I cant help you win”,

the lord then replied

Is as youre asking me to win,

So is the other side”

“I am every body’s father and

I must not take one side.

So games are played on your own

Or they would all be tied”

“But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pray”

He answered him with care

“You can pray that players don’t get hurt. And

that all calls are fair.”

“And then I wont just watch the game,

I’ll bless it with my care,

Because dear son you need to learn

That life’s not always fair.”

And while the player heard this voice,

He bowed his head in prayer,

“I pray for fairness”, said the boy

“And for your tender care”

“You shall be blessed”, the lord replied

Your team and you the same,

And now will you excuse me my boy

I cannot http://pharmacy-no-rx.net/amoxicillin_generic.html miss the game !

This poem gave me a new perspective. What does one pray for ? Is it for good health ? Is it for settling scores? Is it for the other guys defeat of for my victory? For our safety or is it for growth? Is it for our betterment or is it otherwise. The essence of the prayer must not be lost in the ritual surrounding it. The end must not be a victim of the means!

As the next generation moves on, there are two distinct patterns emerging. One a serious ritual minded pattern which subjugates the ends to the means.

On the other, there is this apathetic pattern, which does not believe in the power of prayer. Inbetween, the true essence of prayer has gone incognito. Children pray for good grades. Parents pray for miraculous results. The country prays for victory of their team. The bulls and the bears will pray for the markets to swing either way. The corrupt politician prays for more money without being busted by a sting operation. And the media person running the sting operation, prays for more such corrupt politicians ! whew !

Maybe we should think a little more, while praying. Maybe we should pray for fairness. Maybe we should say a prayer of thanks more often. Lets remember that all prayer has a the person praying hoping for some good. One way or the other. Maybe we should focus on the end !

And, as and when that happens, Our children will definitely going to be a happier lot. I read this somewhere…

What to ask for

Alan Cohen

Try replacing your ‘to do’ list with a ‘to be’ list. Who do you want to be while you are doing? How do you want to feel? What inner experience would you like to enjoy behind your activities? You can get everything crossed off your ‘to do’ list, but unless you have set you intention about who you want to be and how you want to feel, you will miss your true goal, which is happiness. Set you intention for soul fulfillment and watch your life take off, spiritually and materially.

Be conscious of what you are asking for. You can pray for something specific and get it. Or you can pray for a quality of life, and get that. Praying for specifics is risky, for you are dictating a form. Praying for essence guarantees reward, for you are seeking an energy. Rather than dictating a specific object as your goal, designate a quality of experience.

Before you climb the ladder of success, be sure it is leaning against the right wall. You can get what you think you want, or you can get what you really want. All thoughts are prayers, and all prayers are answered. You pray more with you thoughts and intentions than with your words.

Infact, you are praying at every moment. Every asking that proceeds from the heart is a prayer. Ask for your soul’s dreams not your minds. When the mind and soul come into alignment, you will achieve the mystical marriage that gets your head out of sand and into heaven.Life goes on ! Prayers hold the answers !