We have got a human life because we paid a big price
using a special currency called punyam.
Without losing this opportunity let us accomplish the highest. Otherwise life
will become mechanical. We have to see whether we are growing or not. We need
not be concerned with the rate of growth or the pains of growth. A bamboo shoot
may grow at the rate of several centimeters a day. Other species may grow just a
few centimeters a day. The rate of growth is inbuilt into the system. We all
have our own rates of growth and we must all know our rate of growth. So there
is no need to compare ourselves with others. We are not going to develop a
complex. We are not going to become jealous. We make sure we do not feel
guilty, do not get frustrated and do not develop an inferiority complex.
We will all benefit from God’s grace. Some people say,”
Everything is in God’s grace.” So they do not take responsibility for anything.
This is very irresponsible. At the same time we cannot be arrogant – I can
accomplish anything I want. Pride goes before a fall. People who occupied high
offices find themselves in prison. We should accept our role and the role of
Iswara also. So we take responsibility for ourselves and seek the grace of the
Lord through prayers, visiting temples etc.
When we pray to the Lord, we must remember some rules. We
must not pray for anything and everything but only that which is possible. This
is true even though Bhagawan is omnipotent. We know from the Puranas that rakshasas do intense tapas.
Iswara appears before them and asks,” What boon do you seek?” There seems to be
a standard format. The asura would say,” There should not be any death for me.”
The Lord would say,” That I cannot give you. Ask for something else.” If
Bhagawan cannot fulfill all wishes, how can HE be called omnipotent? To
understand this, we must explore and understand the meaning of omnipotence.
Omnipotence is the capacity to do everything that is possible. So if we ask
impossible things from the Lord, we will not get it and we will doubt the very
efficacy of prayer and may even doubt the existence of God. So when we pray, we
must know what to ask for. Then, there will be no room for disappointment.
Never make the mistake of asking for the impossible. What are the
impossibilities or wrong prayers?
First
Impossibility: As long as we live, we have to be active physically and
mentally. The body is meant to be active. The mind is meant to be active. So, “O
Lord, save me from responsibilities or activities” is a wrong prayer. If we
beget children, we must be ready for all the responsibilities that follow. This
includes baby-sitting the grandchildren! If we do not want to shoulder this burden
and run away to an ashram, we will be faced with the responsibilities of an
ashram. If we want to escape from this also and become a wandering monk, the
entire world becomes our responsibility. So our prayer can never be for rest. We
have to be active till we breathe our last. Freeing oneself from activity is
impossible. We can pray from freedom from boredom, “O Lord, let me do all
activity with a cheerful mind. Let me find inspiration in all the activities I
do. And let me enjoy all the activities I do.”
Second
Impossibility: The future is never under our control, whether it is our
future, the future of our children, the future of the companies we work for, or
the future of the world. So when we pray,” Let me be successful all the time, let
me make profit all the time, let my children be always academically brilliant,”
indirectly we are seeking control over the future. Any type of prayer where in
we try to indicate some type of control of the future will fail miserably. What
we can do is to contribute to the future. We can be contributors, not
controllers. We can be contributor to the growth of our children, our
well-being, well-being of our companies and the well-being of our nation. So
let us not pray for anything that includes control over the future. When we contribute,
let us do it with cheerfulness and enthusiasm. Krishna could not prevent the
Mahabharata war but HE was a great contributor. When avatars cannot control the
future, what can we mere mortals do? “O Lord, let me contribute my best. Let me
enjoy what I do. Let me have cheerfulness and enthusiasm.”
Third Impossibility:
The third impossibility is important especially for family people. We must
realize that we cannot change others. Even God has failed in this task. Krishna
failed in changing Duryodhana. Rama failed in changing Ravana even though HE
gave him many opportunities. If we try to change other people, we will fail
miserably. Our life will become burdensome. What we can do is to contribute the
maximum to the other person’s growth.
We always judge other people subjectively. So how do we
know our judgement is correct? Just as others require growth, we also require
growth. Just as we want others to change, others also want us to change. The result
is total disharmony. We can help others, provided the other person wants our
help. Just as we can help others, we can also seek help from others. “O Lord,
change others,” is a wrong prayer. “O Lord, let me contribute to others’
growth. Let me in influence their growth,” should be our prayer’
We can influence (not change) others in two ways –
directly and indirectly – by our language (what we speak) and our living. And
in this we may or may not succeed. Most people do not listen. When we talk to
another person, instead of listening he is probably planning his reply! The
reverse is also often true. This leads to arguments and stalemate. The indirect
influence is by our living so that others are inspired by it. We can pray,” O
Lord, please give me strength to accommodate others,” – those who are changing
for the better, and also those who are changing for the worse or not changing
at all.
Fourth
Impossibility: We can never get total satisfaction and security through any
set-up. Hoping for such an ideal situation is a pipe dream. Even if there is an
ideal set-up, it will become upset. “O Lord, let me discover security in myself
whatever be the set-up.” Even Bhagawan can complain about the set-up. In fact,
the most dissatisfied should be the Lord. HE created the world, created all
beings, and gave us a set of rules called dharma that we are expected to
follow. And what do we do? We violate every rule in the book!
To
summarize:
“O
Lord,
Let
me be cheerfully and enthusiastically active. Let me enjoy whatever I do.
Let
me contribute to the future; let me not try to control the future.
Let
me influence others positively through my life and language; let me not try to
change others.
Let
me have the wisdom to discover satisfaction and security within myself,
whatever be the set-up.”
If we have such a
prayer, Bhagawan will certainly co-operate. Praying thus, let us grow and
contribute our best.
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