Hello people. It is always an amazing feeling when I get time to pen
down few thoughts that cross my mind. Yes I know 2013 was all about self
development but yeah sticking resolution would make us all winners easily isn’t
it? :) ..
This time I am back due a tweet which asked us to share the reason for why we pray and I really wanted to share my thoughts
Let me begin by saying why do we all pray? Interesting question but I think I have a reason and am sure most of you can relate to what am going to say or perhaps agree as well. I think we all pray because we were taught to do so since the time we as kids became conscious of the senses. Well not a good reason then let me elaborate a bit. I am sure people who are born in late 80's or even for that matter late 70's and early 80's can relate to what am saying.. Let’s go back to kindergarten eh? Remember how your grandparents gave you their blessings; you visited your family temple I mean the deity whom you worship? - Remember how they first made you worship Goddess Sarswasti - before sending you to school? Now why am saying all this- just trying to make a point about the concept of praying being ingrained into us since we are kids..
Now am just talking about one culture- every culture pretty much has these practices? - Now you would ask me well this is not unknown we know all of this- but the point which am trying to draw your attention to is- why our body, soul and mind is so much tuned to the fact that we pray? The reason is we know there is something either within us or in this nature that listens to us? Now that is the supreme power and people call it varied forms of God... This tempts me to write a few lines about faith before I get on to what I actually wanted to share....
My grandma once told me this-- when I asked her, “Ajji now really does God exist?” She said ok- listen to this now. "Lord Vinshu, one day smiles and looked at , Goddess Lakshmi, who was anxious for no reason, He smiled and said "Beloved Goddess, why do you look perplexed? She smiled and said- My Lord, everyone looks upon you as the supreme father, Lord Vishnu laughs and acknowledges - so can you assure me that every life existing today is not hungry? He said yes. Surprised by the answer -She reaches her hair, opens her braid and from the hair braid she removes one small tiny box, where she had hidden an ant- and when she opens the box, she is wonder stuck- that ant was chewing a morsel of some grain""
Well by telling me this story my grandma only instilled faith in me. We all pray and that is because we believe. It is all in the mind. People argue about science, logic and the progress made by man in terms of scientific developments in every stream, hey all this was also possible because they believed it could be done.
I pray so that I get the confidence to achieve things which seem impossible, I pray to get energy to focus on developing myself. I pray for the very fact that am alive and it is the biggest miracle.. if you really look at how life is created and existing... Coming from orthodox Brahmin family, since childhood I have seen many religious ceremonies, Saints coming home preaching of “The Gita”, Upanishads etc.. festivals celebrated in authentic ways but these are just rituals or methods to attain spiritualism... my reason to pray is simple, I believe there is an inner voice in me which basically reminds me about my existence, reminds me about what is right and what is wrong, reminds me about how beautiful life is and reminds me about my goals and how God has created me to be different and unique. I pray to remind myself that to be born as a human being is a blessing and doing what is right to be precise “being human” is the first step towards realizing the very reason of prayer!!
We all have experiences and I had mine too-just can't list them all but would like to end by saying there should be no reason for praying... One must pray to realize self. And I pray that we all get our share of prayers answered to be better human beings.
Until next time.. Cheers!
Priyanka Rao
This time I am back due a tweet which asked us to share the reason for why we pray and I really wanted to share my thoughts
Let me begin by saying why do we all pray? Interesting question but I think I have a reason and am sure most of you can relate to what am going to say or perhaps agree as well. I think we all pray because we were taught to do so since the time we as kids became conscious of the senses. Well not a good reason then let me elaborate a bit. I am sure people who are born in late 80's or even for that matter late 70's and early 80's can relate to what am saying.. Let’s go back to kindergarten eh? Remember how your grandparents gave you their blessings; you visited your family temple I mean the deity whom you worship? - Remember how they first made you worship Goddess Sarswasti - before sending you to school? Now why am saying all this- just trying to make a point about the concept of praying being ingrained into us since we are kids..
Now am just talking about one culture- every culture pretty much has these practices? - Now you would ask me well this is not unknown we know all of this- but the point which am trying to draw your attention to is- why our body, soul and mind is so much tuned to the fact that we pray? The reason is we know there is something either within us or in this nature that listens to us? Now that is the supreme power and people call it varied forms of God... This tempts me to write a few lines about faith before I get on to what I actually wanted to share....
My grandma once told me this-- when I asked her, “Ajji now really does God exist?” She said ok- listen to this now. "Lord Vinshu, one day smiles and looked at , Goddess Lakshmi, who was anxious for no reason, He smiled and said "Beloved Goddess, why do you look perplexed? She smiled and said- My Lord, everyone looks upon you as the supreme father, Lord Vishnu laughs and acknowledges - so can you assure me that every life existing today is not hungry? He said yes. Surprised by the answer -She reaches her hair, opens her braid and from the hair braid she removes one small tiny box, where she had hidden an ant- and when she opens the box, she is wonder stuck- that ant was chewing a morsel of some grain""
Well by telling me this story my grandma only instilled faith in me. We all pray and that is because we believe. It is all in the mind. People argue about science, logic and the progress made by man in terms of scientific developments in every stream, hey all this was also possible because they believed it could be done.
I pray so that I get the confidence to achieve things which seem impossible, I pray to get energy to focus on developing myself. I pray for the very fact that am alive and it is the biggest miracle.. if you really look at how life is created and existing... Coming from orthodox Brahmin family, since childhood I have seen many religious ceremonies, Saints coming home preaching of “The Gita”, Upanishads etc.. festivals celebrated in authentic ways but these are just rituals or methods to attain spiritualism... my reason to pray is simple, I believe there is an inner voice in me which basically reminds me about my existence, reminds me about what is right and what is wrong, reminds me about how beautiful life is and reminds me about my goals and how God has created me to be different and unique. I pray to remind myself that to be born as a human being is a blessing and doing what is right to be precise “being human” is the first step towards realizing the very reason of prayer!!
We all have experiences and I had mine too-just can't list them all but would like to end by saying there should be no reason for praying... One must pray to realize self. And I pray that we all get our share of prayers answered to be better human beings.
Until next time.. Cheers!
Priyanka Rao
