As children we pray to our parents, elders and guardians at the time of our need. We seek their help and guidance. When we grow into adolescence we learn to pray to ourselves – to our latent abilities and strength. We try not to be dependent on others. But there is a limitation to this…
According to Ghazali, the Muslim, prayer has three stages : verbal, mental and when merging with the Lord’s will. At the first stage the devotee sings the glory of God, chants his praises and pours out the anguish of his heart in melodious hymns. Secondly, when the mind becomes calm, when the out-going senses have…
A fearless person is the one who is afraid of God. What is meant by “fear of God?” Fear of God’s law, or the Cosmic Law. That means you know the Cosmic Law, what action will bring what result, and you are afraid of doing a wrong action. Fear is created for that purpose. If…
Prayer elevates, inspires, redeems. Through prayer divine grace and divine light descend. Prayer is spiritual food for the soul. Prayer is a spiritual tonic. Prayer is a master-key to open the realms of elysian bliss. Prayer helps the devotee to be in tune with the infinite. Prayer should come from the inner recesses of the…
Prayer elevates the mind. It fills the mind with purity. It is associated with praise of God. It keeps the mind in tune with God. Prayer can reach a realm where reason dare not enter. Prayer can work miracles. Prayer frees the devotee from the fear of death. It makes him feel nearer to God;…
Bhakti (devotion) in essence is two-fold. On the one hand there is an intense attachment towards God, nurtured by deep emotion and, on the other, an earnest urge of love for him. When these two elements are combined we find bhakti to be either an attachment emerging out of love or love manifesting itself as…
In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says, “Think of Me always.” When he says, “Think of Me,” it should be taken as, “Think of God,” because it is God who speaks in the name of Krishna. So, “Think of God;” but how can you think of God without knowing what God is? We don’t know…
Sri Ramakrishna said, “Before you see God we will go to the Ganges so you can take a bath.” He took the young man to the Ganges and said, “All right, dip.” But when he dipped into the water, Sri Ramakrishna held him under. Immediately the devotee started fighting for his breath. When the saint…
When you are on a pilgrimage, you depend totally on God. You don’t depend on your credit cards, your hotel bookings, your taxis. Nothing. You just give yourself into the hands of God. “God, I’m coming to You completely empty-handed. You do anything You want with me.” There is a great benefit in that. Only…
Question: If we have faith in God, do we need medicine when we are sick? Answer: Medicine is also a gift from God. Prayer, medicine and certain dietetic discipline could all be used at the same time. Even food is a kind of medicine for the pain of hunger. Do you say that if you…
Through both pleasure and pain, God is trying to help you grow in the right direction. Keep in mind that God is always behind everything, always helping you. If you put your complete trust in God, your mind will not even come up with desires that might hurt you unnecessarily.
Question: What should you do if your family members are against your spiritual pursuits? Answser: Take it as a challenge, and know that God is on your side. You don’t need to hate them. Instead, you should take it as a good omen. God has put an examiner right next to you to test how…