Children, during times of crisis, all of us fervently hope, “If only I had someone to help me.” It is a time when even non-believers unknowingly think of God. Unlike what many people think, divine strength is not separate from us; it is immanent. Through prayers made with the right attitude, we can awaken that strength whenever we want.
What exactly is prayer? What is the fundamental principle underlying it? The vital aspect of prayer is humility. We will see this if we examine prayers, no matter from which religion they arise. “O God, you are the Almighty One. You know everything. I am no one. I know nothing. Therefore, please protect me and save me.” Isn’t this the essence of all prayer? It is a state in which we stand humbly, with head bowed in surrender, before the supreme power of the universe, with the conviction “You are everything, I am nothing.” Prayer is an attitude. When we prostrate before the shrine or the form of a deity, the thought and belief that ‘I am nothing’ should be firmly entrenched in the heart.
However, this often degenerates into a mere physical practice. Any action done merely with the body lacks depth. It will not reap the expected fruit. Similar is the case with prayer too. If we kneel merely with the body, while the mind is filled with arrogant thoughts, we will not be able to understand or experience divine strength. For this, we first need humility. If rain falls on a mountain-top, it will naturally flow down. Similar is God’s grace. Where there is humility, grace will reach effortlessly. The strongest wind will not be able to uproot a blade of grass fixed to the ground, whereas the mightiest trees will be uprooted and topple over. In the same way, a humble person will be able to overcome any obstacle.
It is difficult for many to make humility a habit. However, it is the supreme truth that all virtues are within us. Not only that, we express them in various situations too. For example, don’t we meekly accept scolding that our teacher and superior at work give us? Don’t parents forbear their children’s mistakes and willfulness? To some extent, this is because of helplessness. Nevertheless, experience shows that if we want to, we can be humble. Whether or not we know it, obedience and humility help us grow.
The human life-span is not as long as we think. Time is endless. In this infinite continuum, 90 or 100 years are like a tiny bubble, lasting only for a few moments. If we ponder over this, we will realise this truth. Childhood, adolescence, young adulthood and old age come and go in the twinkling of an eye. Death, which destroys everything, is the one truth that keeps staring at us. If we remember this, our ego will dissolve of its own accord. Humility will arise spontaneously.
A father and son were playing a game of chess. Finally, the father lost. The son egoistically declared, “I won! These white prawns have a special power.” Putting all the prawns back into the box, the father told his son, “But son, whether white or black, all of them end in the same box, don’t they?”
Life, too, is like this. While we live, we may egoistically think, “I’m great; I’m rich; I’m good-looking.” But we forget the divine power that controls all this. We forget the truth that death can come at any moment. We don’t think about our fellow beings, nature and other creatures. Bowing our heads before God, we prostrate and pray. But we forget the truth that the only way in which we can become befitting of God’s grace is through humility, love and compassion. Children, cultivate the habit of humility. It is the best way for the mind to become expansive, for wisdom and discrimination to grow, and, most of all, for one to receive God’s blessings.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader