What to pray for?

Dear AGR,
Age has nothing to do with all these. Experiences in life teach us invaluable lessons. Your prayer on seeing an ambulance is an excellent act of goodwill on your part. Another thing I practice is, when I meet someone, I silently send them a blessing, wishing them happiness, joy & laughter. This kind of silent giving is very powerful. Wheneveryou come into contact with anyone, give them a compliment or a prayer in your mind. As long as you are giving, you will be receiving from the Universe. The more you give, the more confidence you will gain in the miraculous effects of this act.
The most powerful forms of giving are non-material like gifts of caring, attention, affection, appreciation & love. They don't cost you anything & I think this is our best form of prayer.
So you know now, why we pray & how to pray !
Love & regards,
Chithra.

This discussion about how to pray has turned out as one of the most interesting threads, atleast in my view.
Praying is a very personal thing for me. It is between me and my God. That is why I can understand fully well when Varalotti or Sunkan and Sudha say that they forget all else when they are in the presence of the 'Murthy'. The reasons may be varied as to why, but ultimately, the underlying fact is you can get personal with Him only in a peaceful atmosphere where nothing else disturbs your concentration. For me, it is my home.
Dear Chitra, I love the suggestions you are giving us as to how to pray and for what to pray, what to expect from your prayer and what not to and why not. That is also the conclusion that I have come to in this very personal activity of mine. Life goes on with its ups and downs, there must be a reason why He has designed our lives the way He has. I have learned to accept it and to repeat Varalotti's words, 'it is His will'.
I have great problems accepting the 'Karma' of the past catching up with us in the present. But that is a whole new topic. I just wanted to mention. Besides, as this topic is too profound, I am unable to express my thoughts in right words. But I need not fret as you, Chitra, and Varalotti and the rest are doing a wonderful job.
I only know that I am in total synch with Meera's words...
"Jo tum thodo piya, mein nahi thodun re
Thoson sang thod Krishna
Kaun sang jodun re".......Says a lot and is what I think too.
(Gist...I cannot break away from you my Lord because if I do, who else do I have)

Dear all,
Let's all first thank Pooja for initiating such an exciting discussion. I wonder where she had gone after starting the discussion.
Chitra your guidance is superb. You are now jumping from Microwave to Microsoft to Metaphysical. Good.
Kamla, I am happy that you agree with my words. Religion and devotion to God, to me is the most personal experience. It is like the sexual experience which is strictly between the partners and not to be discussed outside. Prayer is also like that and I don't want it to be discussed. But at times even sex can be discussed if the intention is to clear the misconceptions of others. That's why I came into this thread. Otherwise I keep of everything that's religious.
When I met Chitra recently she suggested out of affection that a namam will sit beautifully on my forehead. I was wearing that symbol when I was in my twenties. But when I was mistakenly respected for that I removed the symbol. Last year my friend took me to meet a religious head, a true sanyasi. My friend told me that the saint would appreciate my wearing my own religious symbol. I told him that I have not been using that otherwise. If I use it just for visiting that saint, will it not be hypocrisy? My friend agreed. I went in with a bare forehead and open mind and was happy to receive the saint's blessings.

And this peaceful atmostphere of prayer varies from person to person. I tried meditating. I failed. I tried sitting in the Puja room. I became claustrophobic. When I prepare myself and pose myself for prayer God is nowhere in the vicinity.
I found out that when I have nothing to do and when I travel in my bike all alone with no destination in mind just seeing the world around, I enter a prayerful state. I find the relationship with God the most satisfying and the most loving.
You know Kamla, I have forsaken my God, a million times. But He, the very form of love has not even once let me down.
There are a billion devotees who deserve His love better but He is there everytime I call him, and bathes me in His love.
I have forgotten my Lord several times - when I hurt others, when I lie, when I indulge and so on. But my Great Lord has never ever forgotten me even for a nanosecond.
Vidya wrote somewhere that God carries our pictures in His wallet as we carry the pictures of our loved ones. That beautiful thought is sure to make every one cry.
He has a zillion lives to tend but He treats me as if I were the only person in the whole Universe.
God's love is not our right, Kamla. Grace or Anugraha doesn't come by any effort. You can do penance for a million years and yet will not get his Grace.
Grace comes on its own, when He just bestows on you.
And even He decides not to give his Grace to us, that itself is an act of His love.
How do you think can I reveal these most intimate moments to anybody else? And are there anybody else in the world other than Him?
Sorry for getting emotional. But that's it.
regards,
Varalotti

I deem this post of yours as very precious.

This is why you are a writer and I am not. You have the Grace of God to formulate your thoughts as they flow into your mind into legible words. We might be poles apart in lifestyle and life experiences, but I agree with you totally on these sentiments. It is also very emotional subject for me and I am unable to objectively put my feelings into words. But seeing you write all those words gives me a satisfaction and pleasure as they mirror my thoughts. Thank you.

Outward appearances may belie a person’s true character, but I believe that the Almighty will recognize you for what you are. Living for so many years abroad, I may not adorn kanjeevaram and kanakambaram, but within me is the same girl who went to the neighborhood temple wearing pavadai and flowers. Whether you mark your forehead or not, as long as we mark our lives with goodness , I feel all should be well.

Have a nice day.

L, Kamla

Tossing in my bed at 10.30 in the night I was not able to let the sleep engulf me as I was running high temperature. I was reminded of how much I missed my good old ILites and their banter about everything under the sun, over these days. Then, a thread that had caught my brief attention, wandered into my mind-“What to pray for?” I tried to shove it away, as I had no strength to wake up and reply, though an answer was readily available as soon as I read puja’s question. It troubled me so much that a string of words formed in my thoughts, pushing my evasive sleep farther.

I had not read the replies from my friends but wanted to write before my ideas were biased. I know, young and ignorant as I am, I can not hold water against the pillars of experience. Still, I took my pen and scribble pad and wrote on. I could not work on the PC as my family was fast asleep and I dint want to disturb them. I have beaten enough about the bush; now let me come to the point.


I pray for one thing and one thing only from God. I tell Him thus, imagining myself holding on to his feet. (Ever so gently so not to hurt him)

“I love you. I pray to you that my love for you doubles every moment. You are all-pervasive and I have left to you, the rule of my soul and the body that you have assigned to the soul. Actions of any kind performed there by, I offer to you.”

When we pray we chant various verses. Every religion does so. Sticking to Hinduism, most of these verses we chant are in Sanskrit. People when they wrote them, were speaking in Sanskrit, so they understood every word and thus they could experience the joy of extolling the lord and their love for the Him. Most of the shlokas praise the lord and show our love for Lord. Now when we pray how many of us can understand what we are chanting? There are learned who do understand and in the course of life we can also learn. Till then why should we keep our love for him locked? So whenever we chant the shlokas lets tell him how much we love him in our own lingo.

Here comes another point. If we love him so, then why should we pray every day or twice a day?
Our worldly pleasure and pains like happiness, achievement, sorrow, anger take the front seat of our minds and push the love we have for Him slickly to our sub-conscious. Therefore, it is necessary to renew this love every day or twice a day or every moment if possible. Tell him you love Him and he will love you ten times more. There is a faint light glowing at the end of this journey called life. The light is beyond death and it is for that light we are performing this journey. We need his love to go through the lush pastures and thorny fields with a never-dying spirit. And to get his love we must love him. This love for Him will make us trod the righteous paths and thus makes our lives enjoyable.


Do you think I am about to become a saint? No. I am a normal human being with normal desires and temperaments. It’s just that I am head over heels in love with Him and trying to replenish it every moment. I am very sure that God will take care of all our necessities in this journey towards him if we extend our true love to him.

Sarvam Sree Krishna Padaarpanamasthu! Harihi Om.

Dear Prathiba,
You simply bowled me over by your wonderful response. Thank God you didn't read our posts. That's the reason your post is quite refreshing.
Especially the words of your prayer,

“I love you. I pray to you that my love for you doubles every moment. You are all-pervasive and I have left to you, the rule of my soul and the body that you have assigned to the soul. Actions of any kind performed there by, I offer it to you.”

And in response to your wonderful the Great God has already taken care of your soul, body and mind. That is evidenced by these wonderful thoughts flowing out from your soft mind.
Prathiba, pray for us also. To be remembered in your prayers will be our privilege.
May you always remain blessed,
sridhar

Dear sridhar,

Thanks for your response. If i were fit, i would have been among the first to read all the respones. The other day when i read pooja's question and the ensuing reparte, i was no doubt tempted to read them but my aching head and feverish eyes prevented me from doing so. After i posted my reply today i read them all and each one gave me a new perspective to the concept of prayer.

Sridhar, i am humbled by your words and shall always remember you and other ILites in my prayers.

Thanks to pooja for intiating such a healthy discussion among us ILites.

Dear Prathi,

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your views on prayer. Your prayer was full of faith and love and seems like prayer at its purest form. Thanks for sharing it here and I appreciate it.

Love, Kamla

Prathiba,
I hope you are recovered from your fever....but it goes to show how muc you wanted to share your lovely thoughts towards God that you got up to make notes...and what a flowing heart felt response that was! I guess in a way you have summed up what we all feel ....it is a personal feeling and thanks for sharing those with us...made some great reading , and feel good and satiated!
I wonder where is Puja , she has dne a wonderful job, but is keeping quiet now....i wonder if there is any connection to her name and all the outpourings we have had on this subject! God only knows!

Dear kamla and sudha,

Thanks for ur responses. Sudha, i have recovered from my fever and i am feeling okay today. touch wood :)) Thanks for the concern.