‘What an outdated subject! Let us leave it to the weak – I have no need of it!’ – many say. But if we put it this way: to shape the theme of my meditation with the creative power of words, to practise creative imagination, or to hold a dialogue with the Universe in the perfection of deep meditation – now that sounds better.
To quote Gandhi: ‘Prayer is not the idle amusement of old women. Rightly understood and applied, prayer is the most potent instrument of action.’
There are many kinds of prayer, most of them petitions that put a wish into words. Some say that prayer is nothing but a spiritual shopping trip: you walk into the shop called Life, take this and that off the shelf, pile all your wishes into your trolley, then shout up to the good Lord: Amen, so be it! and try to stroll out without paying. In my view, that does not work. Asking, too, must be done properly, and perhaps gratitude or thanks is the payment.
Of the same kind is the prayer of atonement, but it is often driven by fear, by anxiety. Intercessory prayer for others is better, provided you are not trying to force your own will on others with divine assistance. Best of all, perhaps, is the prayer of praise, which wonders at the divine mystery and expresses adoration. How close this comes to Plato's definition, that philosophy is the science of wonder. And prayer is faster than light, stronger than the surge of the sea, more caressing than swansdown… prayer is a winged melody that springs from the heart.
The Garden of Devotion, an anonymous eighteenth-century pilgrim's diary from the Himalayan settlement of Hamsa-kunda, sets down a train of thought, a prayer-stream.
O Lord, mighty as fire! What could I offer you, the Fullness? Rather, I ask that I may serve You worthily. I ask not for myself, but that the Divine Will may prevail and the work of Divine Love be fulfilled. Let this offering be thanksgiving for the close of a hard time, and a beseeching prayer for the beginning of a new chapter. Grant me the intellect by which I may reach You!
Give my body healing and endurance. My mind, peace and discernment. My senses, composure and clarity. My intellect, resourcefulness and purpose. My sense of self, complete self-giving and enlightenment. My heart, love and adoration. My soul – myself – security and trust. My family, blessing and comfort. Your faithful, spiritual attainments and special protection. The sangha, success and growth. Our country, flourishing and shelter.
Rebirth – that is what is needed! To shed, as a snake sheds its skin, all the past and all the burden for which there is no longer any need, to welcome the lessons gladly, to be happy in the present and trust in the future, and to be fulfilled in fullness.
Grant me the strength, clarity and inspiration to serve You better, show me Your will, that I may better understand Your wish, and flood me with Your grace, that I may do what You desire. Pour into me strength, wisdom, goodwill and endurance, protect those in need, and lead others too into Your holy shelter. Give the world peace!
How are we to pray well? To speak the unspeakable, to make trial of truth? Beyond the official formulas, say something sincere… Trust is no official matter, and primal trust in the Universe still less so.