Sahaj Marg Prayer: How should we pray?

By Sanskrit Kannan (SRCM Preceptor)

         After knowing why we should pray, we come to the next important question, how should be pray?  All of us, knowingly or unknowingly, when we go to temples or at home or when we go to saints or before the Supreme Master, offer our prayer.  At that time, we forget what we are; we do not have the feeling, “I am a Scholar”, “I am an Executive” or “I am a Scientist” etc.  Because before the Supreme Master, we are the same – His children.  He does not look at our beauty, our wealth, our health, our intelligence etc.  He looks at our heart.  So, the main attitude of our prayer should be humility.  This does not require any specific time or place.  Rev. Babuji Maharaj has said (Deva Vani p.285), “No particular time is fixed for the prayer.  One can do it when he feels inclined to it or else he should try to crete disposition for it when required”.

         Since in Prayer, we try to establish our link with God (or the Divine Master), it is necessary to offer our prayer in a supplicant mood with our heart full of love and devotion.  Rev. Babuji Maharaj has written in detail regarding this aspect.  I reproduce here the summary of His writing taken from Deva Vani (p.283-85):

         “In Prayer, we stand before Him as an humble supplicant presenting to Him our true state and completely resigning ourselves to His will.  This is the true form of prayer and as a true devotee, we must also feel satisfied with the will of the Master.

“Constant practice brings a man to a state in which he begins to feel himself in prayer all through.  This state is acquired when an abhyāsi practises in the way directed above and the divine grace sets into motion.  When the final stage is reached, he begins to dwell all through in a state of prayer even while discharging his worldly duties, and the same state prevails during all his worldly engagements without the least disturbance or interruption.

“When the world emerged into the present form, the central point was already rooted in all the beings.  This central point rooted in us being a part of the Supreme, turns our attention towards the source.  In prayer, we try to reach upto the same central point.  This is possible only when we create a similar state within.  This requires practice.  It can be attained by resigning ourselves to the Divine will, which is absolutely simple and tranquil.  Apparently, it seems to be very difficult but in fact, it is not so, though only for those who aspire for it.  When a man creates in him a strong craving for the Absolute, he is indeed in a state of prayer, and it is for everyone to strive for.  Whenever a man enters into that state even for a moment, his prayer is granted.  But it requires continued practice to accomplish it.  People should be exhorted to offer such a type of prayer.  If one achieves and settles down in it, what else remains for him to do except remembrance; and that too in a way that it never comes into consciousness even”.

Thus, when we read Rev. Babuji Maharaj’s advice, we can understand that the feeling ‘I’ should not exist when we offer prayer in a supplicant mood.  Then, there is a vacuum in the heart, which attracts the Divine grace of the Master.  Therefore, when we pray in this way, our Prayer is bound to reach Him.

I would also like to narrate to you what Rev. Chariji Maharaj told me during a discussion - “Rev. Babuji Maharaj said, “I know my associates love me.  But it is only skin-deep.  They also pray to me.  But it does not reach me”.

When Rev. Babuji Maharaj went on a foreign tour (in 1982), He gave special powers to two abhyāsis in India to pray for Him.  But, He told Rev. Chariji Maharaj that even their prayers do not reach Him.  Even when Babuji was in hospital in 1982, no prayer of the abhyāsis reached Him.  Rev. Chariji Maharaj also told us, “If there is fear, you cannot pray to Him.  Prayer comes only from Love”.  “All of us pray with selfish notion. “I” is predominant”.

Rev. Chariji Maharaj also told us once, “Many abhyasis say that they pray for Master’s welfare, but I don’t receive the prayer.  It is not deep.  It is only the wish of the abhyāsi that Master should live long and not Prayer.  In Prayer, ‘I’ should not be there at all.  As Rev. Babuji Maharaj has said, “You should be like a beggar with an empty bowl in your hand, without any consciousness of what you are begging for”.  I would like to add that I tried to pray as suggested by Rev. Chariji Maharaj.  After two days, I succeeded in it, but this condition for a few minutes only and I felt my ego came as a barrier to remain in that condition for a longer duration.  It was indeed a very great lesson for me and I thank my Master for the same.  Let us get to the next important question in the next article. 

Sahaj Marg Prayer: Why should we pray?

Why should we pray?

By Sanskrit Kannan (SRCM Preceptor)

         There are many among us claiming to be rational and argue that if at all there is God and if He knows everything, why should anyone pray to Him to be redeemed of his or her sufferings?  If He is full of mercy and love, why should He make you suffer?  This is a basic question anybody could ask us.  To arrive at a solution, we should try to understand what suffering is.  This question was asked to Rev. Chariji Maharaj once during a discussion.  In a flash, Rev. Chariji Maharaj replied, “That which you don’t like”.  This very crisp and apt answer of Rev. Chariji Maharaj points out that when we are faced with some situations which we do not like, we try to escape from there.  Then we try to find means for it.  We have to spend a lot of time and energy over this.  Thus, we suffer.  If we do not get the desired object, that leads us to dejection and despair forming impressions and subsequently we have to suffer.  So, it is understood that God does not make you to suffer.  He has given us, as Rev. Chariji Maharaj used to say, two potential objects, ‘Will to act’ and ‘Intellect to judge’.  If we use it in the right way, even the sufferings become His blessings!  In fact, the fifth maxim of Rev. Babuji Maharaj says, “Be truthful.  Take miseries as Divine blessings for your own good and be thankful”.  It is clear from this that we should not pray to get away from sufferings.

         Rev. Chariji Maharaj used to quote one poem of Saint Kabir which sys, “When I am happy, I don’t think of the Lord.  When I am suffering, I think of Him. Therefore, I prefer suffering than to be happy”.  Rev. Babuji Maharaj has said, “Where can we find such matchless Ṛṣis of India who prayed to God that all the sufferings of this world should come to them?”  So, we do not pray for getting rid of petty problems, be they of any nature.

         Then why should we pray?  First of all, when we pray sincerely, we try to establish our link with God.  So, Prayer plays an important role in our union with God.  Secondly, when we pray, we submit before the Lord Almighty our meekness, our inability and accept his superiority and greatness.  Thus, automatically humility sets in our mind and when practised sincerely our attitude towards others also changes.  It is worthwhile to remind here what Rev. Chariji Maharaj said about the need for an abhyāsi.  He said, “An abhyāsi should always have humility”.  Thirdly, when we pray to the Lord, we forget ourselves, i.e., we do not pray with the consciousness that ‘I am a millionaire’, ‘I am healthy’, ‘I am an intellectual’ etc.  During the Prayer, everyone bows his/her head before the Lord or the Master and everyone becomes equal before Him!.  Fourthly, Rev. Babuji Maharaj has said, “When the world emerged into the present form, the central point was already rooted deep in all the beings.  This central point rooted in us being a part of the Supreme, turns our attention towards the Source.  In Prayer, we try to reach upto the same central point”.

         There is also another important reason for resorting to Prayer as an effective means in our sādhana.  What cannot be achieved by human strength, human effort, human knowledge and will power can be achieved by our sincere prayer, from the deep core of our hearts.  We have thousands of examples, where lives of people have been saved not due to the best available medical facilities but miraculously due to the ‘Prayer’ of the people from their hearts!  

         In Voice Real, Rev. Babuji Maharaj has given one example of a person who went to Him and said that he was not feeling the transmission though he had been trying to do meditation regularly for months.  Rev.Babuji Maharaj has stated that though He was transmitting it was not going into the heart of the abhyāsi.  It was not penetrating as there was resistance or a block like a big rock.  So, he asked the abhyāsi to pray for six months sincerely.  And after six months, Rev. Babuji was happy to find that the transmission, indeed, could enter the heart of the abhyāsi.  So this is the efficacy of Prayer.  Hence, Prayer forms an important role in our sādhana.

We can realise from this the efficacy of the Prayer and hence Prayer proves to be an indispensible aspect of our sādhana.

Sahaj Marg Raja Yoga: The importance of mind

By Sanskrit Kannan (SRCM Preceptor)

         Mind plays a vital role in the human existence, for it is the mind which distinguishes man from other species.  The word manuṣya (man in English) is derived from the root ‘man’, i.e., to think.  Hence, Raja Yoga (the royal path of Yoga) mainly focuses its attention on the mind. Every action is preceded by thought and mind is the origin for it.  Hence, by cleansing the mind, by transforming it from its animalistic tendencies to human and divine level, it becomes purified and becomes the divine mind.  Patañjali has defined ‘Yoga’ itself (YS I.2) as “yogaḥ cittavṛtti nirodhaḥ”, i.e., the cessation of the tendencies of the mind is Yoga.  In his Yoga Sūtras, he has given prominence to the mind and not to the other physical activities like the Āsanas, Prāṇāyāma and there is no mention about the later texts of Haṭha Yoga.  Even the texts which extol the merits of Haṭha yogic practices, say that Haṭha Yoga is only the preliminary step to Raja Yoga.

         Sahaj Marg has fully understood this aspect and it focuses its attention on the mind, the root of everything.  The Amṛtabindu Upaniṣad, which is one among the Yoga Upaniṣads say,

         “mana eva manuṣyāṇāṁ kāraṇaṁ bandhamokṣayoḥ |

 bandhāya viṣyāsaktaṁ muktyai  nirviṣayaṁ smṛtam” ||

(“The mind is the root cause for both bondage and liberation.  If the mind is attached with worldly things, it is bondage and if it is not so, it is liberation”).

         One important aspect of Sahaj Marg teaching and training is that the mind should not be controlled by force.  Here, the mind is slowly and gently refined and regulated in a very natural way by the transmission of divine energy by the Master and the Preceptors appointed by Him.  The cleaning practised regularly by the abhyāsis backed up by the meditation as prescribed by the Master, strengthens the mind and will power and checks the outward tendencies of the mind.  Thus, slowly the mind is transformed and gets divinised by attaching oneself with the Master.

         The mind is the seat of emotions and feelings.  The Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (I.5.3) says,

         “kāmaḥsaṅkalpovicikitsāśraddhā'śraddhādhṛtiradhṛtirhrīrdhīrbhīrityetatsarvaṁ mana eva”

(“Desire, resolve, faith, lack of faith, steadfastness, lack of steadfastness, shyness, intellect, fear – all these are the mind only”)

         That is why Sahaj Marg emphasises the need to regulate the mind and not control it by any forceful means.  It may also be noted that Patañjali, who propounder of Yoga system of thought has recommended Samādhi by giving more attention to the mind.  The word ‘Samādhi’ can be explained as Sama + Ādhi, i.e., equilibrium of the mind (Ādhi means mental disturbance).  The word vyādhi is used to denote physical disease, which means that our ancients know that the mental disturbance could cause physical ailment too.  Hence, even in the Haṭha Yoga, control of mind is considered as a very important aspect and different means are adopted for the same.  But Sahaj Marg teaches a gentle, soft, natural and highly efficient path for this.  It says, “As you have to ride on a horse to train and master a horse, you have to start with the mind, train the mind and become the master of it”.  Training in Sahaj Marg gives more prominence to the mind than to the other organs.