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Q: According to you,
what is the best means to advance on the spiritual path?
A:
The
easiest and simplest mean of advancing on the spiritual path is
prayer. Some saints emphasize japa but prayer is also a powerful mean
to achieve God. Prayer is not a new medium, great saints and sages
have used this medium to approach God and have succeeded in achieving
the grace of the Almighty. I would even say that prayer alone is
sufficient for the realization of God.
Q: How
should I pray? Can you suggest any method/technique?
A: Prayers
should occur naturally and from within one’s heart. One can use any
verse, any bhajan or any poem for a prayer; it can be in any
language. Prayer can be sung out loud or it can be recited in one's
mind (i.e. singing internally in one’s mind).
It may take
some time before the prayer comes naturally but with the passage of
time it will occur automatically. You will pray without any effort
once love for the Almighty manifests in you.
Q:
Should there be a specific time for prayer?
A: Having a
specific time set aside for prayer is most desirable. A fixed time for
prayer will help you immensely as your mind will form a habit of
praying at a certain time. Another benefit is concentration, with
intense prayer you will find that your mind becomes easily focused. As
the attraction for the prayer increases your mind will become full of
emotions which will result in continuous prayers. Every moment of your
life will be utilized in prayer to the Almighty Lord.
Q: In
addition to prayers, do I need to meditate or do japa etc.?
A: There’s
nothing wrong if in addition to prayers, you meditate or do Japa. It
will benefit you but it is not mandatory. Meditation and japa should
not be inevitable but prayer should be inevitable. The power of prayer
is so infinite that meditation and knowledge automatically manifests
in the sadhak. With prayers the mind will become sensitive and
emotive and will enter into bhav-samadhi. If one has a desire
for self-knowledge he will attain that as well.
Ramakrishna
Paramhansa Dev used to pray everyday to Jagadamba that "O Mother!
Whatever is in the Vedas, Upanishads, Gita or Ramayana, bless me with
that knowledge. I do not have Gyan, Bhakti or Yoga in me. I only ask
for your infinite grace. Bless me with your divine vision." As a
result of his intense prayers, not only Ramakrishna Dev had the vision
of Mother Jagadamba but he could narrate the inner most secrets of the
ancient scriptures. Learned people of that time were amazed by his
knowledge. The secret of his knowledge lied in his prayers and the
grace of Mother Jagadamba that followed as a result of his intense
prayers.
Q: Can one have the vision of God
through prayers?
A: Most
definitely. One has to pray from the innermost of one's conscious and
consistently for a prolonged period of time. Then only it will
transform into love and affection for the Almighty. As a result of
that one day a stage is set such that God can not but appear before
the aspirant. Divine love for God is inevitably necessary for his
vision.
Q: Is it
true that the prayers are heard?
A:
Definitely. There is no reason to doubt this. As you will progress on
the spiritual path, you will automatically believe in this fact. Just
as the person sitting next to you listens to your words, the divine
power listens to your sincere prayers.
Q: Why it take time to get a response to
the prayer?
A: There
can be many reasons for that. Sometimes our prayer is superficial,
merely expressed by words and not from our heart. Sometimes the prayer
is performed just for the sake of routine. Such prayers wherein the
cry of the soul or sincere emotions of the heart are lacking, the
response does not come out as expected.
Try
to pray with all the vigor and enthusiasm and with complete faith in
the power and grace of the Almighty. Surrender your being to His feet
and pray as if there is no other alternative and then tell me if you
do not get a response to your prayer.
Q: Do all prayers bear results as
expected? If not what is the use of praying?
A: All your
wishes expressed in the prayers may not come true. But this does not
mean that one should not pray. It is in the hands of the supreme
power to decide which wishes to grant and which one to reject or to
accept late.
We should
only pray and leave the result or the success of the prayer in the
hands of the Almighty. Prayer is a mean of spiritual advancement. One
can realize God by constant and sincere prayers. If you look at the
lives of great ones like Mirabai, Narsinh Mehta or Tukaram, they used
the prayer as a medium and achieved the vision of God.
Q: What
gain does an ordinary person derive from prayer?
A: Prayer gives confidence and courage
to face adverse situations. It helps the mind to remain nonchalant in
all kinds of emotions. When a favorable result is achieved due to
prayer, love for the God increases manifold and one’s mind and heart
becomes purified. |
