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Written by Administrator
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Seers, Saints and Prophets have all stressed upon the importance of prayer. Every person prays sometime or the other. Mostly we all pray when in pain or trouble. We pray for relief of distress. We pray for others. Prayer is also held collectively when large numbers pray to the almighty by
way of thanksgiving. We pray for the dead so that their souls may rest in peace. It is said that prayers are answered positively only if rendered with full sincerity and devotion from the heart. In practice it is not possible to get what we pray for. It is not possible for mortals to know the Creator, the almighty God. We are told that God created man in his image. The enlightened Hindu Sage says " Aham Brahma Asmi " meaning " I am God ". There is no doubt that all living beings have the divine spark, what we call soul. It is this realization which is the most difficult for the average human being. Apart from our worldly needs and aspirations, their lurks a secret desire to know and realize god. Normally this desire is masked due to earthly problems arising from egoism. Material greed, hatred, anger, vanity and lust are the greatest impediments on the way to divinity. Selflessness, love, service to others, concentration, meditation and prayer bring inner peace. Attachment to family, friends and self importance take away most of the time and effort. Ideally one should pray for more knowledge, more light not only for oneself but for all. The self should be sublimed to the universe. For a small child the parents are the diety to be revered. Parents should involve the children in praying to God for thanking for this life and various gifts in the form of food, clothing, shelter and comfort. Adults should pray to God in that the awareness of the divine power and grace should guide them in all their activities in life. Prayers at fixed time individually or collectively make the awareness deeper and strengthen faith. The evidence on which we can judge the effect of our prayer becomes evident slowly. We become more steady, the ability to withstand pain and adversity increases. We are able to concentrate and look inwards. We can apply our efforts to whatever we undertake in a more efficient manner. Unnecessary anxiety and restlessness decrease. The mind dwells more and more in reality. We are able to accept changes and alterations in the course of events and adjust to problems in life in a better way. Different religions paint their own concept of heaven and hell. The entire subject is full of controversy. The common man is more concerned with the present – this life and not the hereafter. We do not know for sure as to what happens after death. Although there are recorded incidents of people remembering their past lives with names, locations and specific incidents. On this basis it may be surmised that rebirth is a possibility. Instead of dealing with subjects of occult nature it is prudent to think about life on this planet and ways and means to make this life more meaningful. We therefore pray to god to give us more light.
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