Chapter 8

The Prayer.

"The prayer appeared from the trustworthiness of discerning of living bond with Upper World. The true idea of such bond makes a man strong and propelled."(AUM,45).

At least once in our life we get into the church. Even not knowing the particulars of all this we get penetrated there by the feeling of blessing and calmness. There sometimes springs the feeling that you've got to a particular world of solemnity. But more often it is difficulties, that bring us to the temple: the loss of relative or the beloved man, or maybe unhealing disease.

While attending Kiev-Petchersky Monastery the destiny brought us to the monk Father Euphymy. A wonderful man he is. He told us the history of his life and the second birth. In 1997 being a teacher he fell ill with cancer. On the operation the surgeons discerned that metastasis penetrated the other organs and this tumour couldn't be ablated. The wound on the abdomen was sewn up and his wife was told to get ready for funeral. This sad event was not far away because the sick man stopped eating by that time. Food couldn't passed through. And then he remembered about God, he began to pray Him, he asked only to retain his life, promising to serve his God till the end of his days. On the question if he was a believer Father Euphymy answered: "Like all the others, went to a church on holidays and put a taper. This prayer had been lasting for about 4 days "I called to my God from the depth of my heart."

And the miracle happened. He understood that his prayer had been accepted on the 4-th day. On the question how he learned that his prayer had been heard the saint father answered: "There are no words in human language to describe the feeling which permeated my heart."

On the 9-th day he began to eat - the doctors spread their hands. Since 1979 his monk life began, since 1989 in Kiev-Petchersky Monastery.

Once after the talk about the effect of a prayer our listener told us that during the war the brigade in which his father served was replaced from the Far East to Leningrad for its defence, and practically all people were killed there. There survived only three persons. Several years after the war they veterans met on a Victory Day. One of them confessed to his adopted brothers that he survived only thanks to the fact that his grandfather gave him the prayer to the Saint Virgin before sending him off to the front, and told strictly to repeat it in the morning and evening and before each battle: "I read and now never part with it".

His friends smiled and got out just the same prayers (they had been from the same region by birth).

Our patient told how she prayed the life of her child. Her son fell badly ill and had got to reanimation. The doctors said that there left 2 or 3 days for him to live and they could do nothing.

"Why had I appeared in the church I didn't know. I remember only that I long wandered about the town and when I came to my senses I saw myself staying on my knees in the church and praying with vehemence. I didn't go to the church before even on the holidays. Which words I said, if there had been words in general, I don't remember. I only remember that I had felt very hot in the heart. How long it had been lasting I don't remember. I recollect how one old woman took me away outdoors and said: "You prayed so zealously, God will certainly hear you and help you. "I had a calm night. Early in the morning I left for hospital The heart was filled with calmness and joy. The doctors said that it was rather unclear, but the crisis had come over in his disease, my son had come to himself, asked for something to eat and the main thing: he will live".

Do we often recall about the Highest Power. Honestly speaking we don't. As a rule we appeal to the Saints and God only in need. In such minutes people find the consolation in prayer, then appears the internal calmness. But the crisis has gone away and so what? It becomes uncomfortable 100 for us to go to church, to pray. And not only outwardly, we also go away from searching of sense of life, from thinking about the Highest, about the Universe. Our ordinary consciousness becomes again the master of our sole, closing a sacred sense of be-ness from us. And the most wondering is that people of an old age who must otherwise to think over transition to the other world proceed staying in the fuss.

Many our misfortunes are due to the fact that we live not in the real Present, but in the Past which has gone already, or in the Future which has not come yet. And such a life brings many sorrows to us at times.

We suffer why we are badly treated by our collaborators, why the seller in a shop shouted at us, and the neighbour scolded. And inwardly we tried to find the answers to the questions which ceased resounding long before, we suffer, we are exited, all this brings discomfort.

There is such a parable. In heavy rain two monks passed through the village, and they came to the cross road where there was especially dirty. At the corner a young pretty girl in a white dress stood and didn't dare to cross the road. One of the monks took her in his arms and carried her over to the next side, then they went on further. They went the whole day and the second monk was in a slight irritation. At last when they came to the Abode this monk couldn't bear it any more and said with anger:" We, monks, must not touch the woman." The first monk answered: "I carried the girl and left her, but you are still continuing to carry her."

Just like in the Past we try to live in Future which doesn't exist yet, and maybe won't exist in that aspect as we imagine. Then what for one have to spend the energy of his mind?

Very often the thoughts of the people sincerely striving to change themselves, develops according the following internal plot: "First, I shall celebrate my birthday, or the Women's Day, or the Christmas... and then..." But this "then" never comes true.

To continue this inner dialogue one can probably with the words "When I die..." Alas, it won't be correct however because it is on the Earth namely, that we have to acquire some definite qualities and fulfil some task. But our consciousness have lost the bond with the Upper World and we plunged entirely into the material world.

The Father Superior of one of the monasteries looked for the possibility to restore the temple. Organizing the parties with the chairs of the collective farms and the local authorities he reasoned that they certainly will help if they see what a desolation reigns in the cloister.

Was his reasoning correct? Yes, but on the material level. And wouldn't it be better for him to think on a spiritual level. Most of us are lack of knowledge that the spiritual world has been in our innermost, God is within us, and the only task is to learn how to transmit ourselves, our thoughts, our consciousness into this inner world.

A prayer is that bridge which connects our Spirit with the upper world, subduing the lowest nature of a man to the Highest ideals, the prayer which is not a requestive one, but which connects the heart with God. First the prayer contains words, but later pronouncing them we learn to disclose our heart.

Later on comes the mute, wordless heart prayer. Such a prayer ascends a man, transmuting his essence, such a prayer connects tightly his heart with fiery planes of be-ness, protecting him against any negative influence.

In Vedic literature we find that people have been under the influence of the three gunas (energies) - passion, ignorance and bliss. Nowadays the majority of people have been under the influence of the first two energies. And on the tombstone, if to reflect the inner sense of their life one should write down:

"Here lies so-and-so...he didn't finish his quarrel with the neighbour, didn't finish watching TV, didn't finish eating a cake."

And unfortunately we would write such epitaphs on many and many tombs.

"A prayer is the ascension and admiration. The begging about oneself prayer will be the last manifestation. How can a man pray for himself. Doesn't the Highest Wisdom know what the man's needs are!

A prayer is the wire to the flow of Bliss. The flow poures in abundance, but one has to communicate it. It's necessary to find the cordial correlation deserved to meet the Highest Sacred Value" (AUM,35)

An aspirated man earlier or later wins himself and by the means of prayer or meditation establish a connection with the Highest. But inexperienced man will ask "What do I need it for?"

But even for the tranquil life without diseases in a material world we need high energies. And the most expensive and the strongest medicine will never replace those energies.

"An opinion exists that prayer has been somewhat apart from daily life whereas it has been the foundation of life. Without a link with the higher world humanity would have been unthinkable, would have been worse than the beasts. Thus one may regard this bond with Higher World as the foundation of be-ness" (AUM,42)

The particular conditions are necessary for meditation: solitude and silence, especially at the beginning. But everybody can pronounce the prayer mentally. Choose the most suitable for you, and, appealing in prayer to the Highest, you will always be in calm and balanced state, having received the support of pure clean energies. "Utter the pure prayer in the action of surrender. Try to understand the establishing of Teaching in each day."(A.Y.,98)

In order to transmute yourself your prayer must be from heart, it must be secret. In His Sermon of Mount the sense of which is still misunderstood, Jesus Christ says: "Again, when you pray,do not be like hypocrites; they love to say their prayers standing up in synagogue and at the street-corners, for everyone to see them. I tell you this: they have their reward already.

But when you pray, go into a room by yourself, shut the door and pray to your Father who is there in the secret place; and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you". (Matthew.6.5-8)

What can assist the transition of the consciousness to the new quality? Prayer, meditation, uttering of mantras - they are the keys to the doors of the New World. Think over the inner sense of a prayer. It sounds guiding all our actions and opening new page of our life. This is a page of gay and love, so the solemnity and aspiration is needed.

Jesus Christ proceeds there: "This is how you should pray:

"Our Father in heaven,
Thy name be hallowed;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done.
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us the wrong we have done
As we have forgiven those who wronged us,
And do not bring us to the test,
But save us from the evil one."
(Matt.,6,5-13)

We propose you some prayers which will help you in difficulties, can support and calm you.

The prayer of the last Optina Anachorets.

My Lord, let me in peace of my mind meet everything that the coming day will bring. Let me entirely resign myself to Your Saint Will. For each hour of this day in all exhort and support me. Whichever news I would have received teach me to accept them in peace of my mind and in strict conviction that all is done according to Your Saint Will.
      In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings! In all the unforeseen circumstances don't let me forget that all is granted by You.
      Teach me to behave straightly and reasonably with each member of my family, not grieving and disturbing anybody.
      My Lord, send me the strength to overcome the faitigue of the coming day and all the events of it. Guide my will and teach me to pray, to hope, to believe, to love, to bear, to forgive!

AMEN.

The prayer of the Father John Kronshtadsky.

My Lord, the Name of Yours is Love: don't reject me when I am deluded.
      The Name of Yours is Power: strengthen me when I am exhausted and fall.
      The Name of Yours is Light: elucidate my soul which is dimmed by the vital passions. The Name of Yours is Peace: appease my sole that is tormented. The Name of Yours is Grace: don't cease to show Your Mercy to me.

AMEN.

The prayer of the Saint Francisc.

Lord! Make me an instrument of Thy peace.
      Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
      Where there is doubt, faith;
      Where there is despair, hope;
      Where there is darkness, light, and
      Where there is sadness, joy.
      Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to onsole; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born toeternal life.

Rainhold Nibbur
(the Protestant theologist)

The prayer in disease.

My God, the Lord of all my life. You in all Your Benevolence said: "I don't want the death of a sinner, but to be conversed and be alive. I know that the illness I suffer from is your punishment for my sins and infringements; I know that according to my deeds I deserve the heaviest punishment, but, the Lover of Mankind, treat me not by my malice, but by the endless Mercy of Yours.

AMEN

In prayer one may straightly observe that the disease or any other difficulties are always the trials which a man must get over. The earlier we appeal for help the earlier we receive it. As the confirmation of these words the words of Jesus Christ from the Sermon of Mount may sound:

"Ask, and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

"Is there a man among you who will offer his son a stone when he asks for bread, or a snake when he asks for fish? If you, then, bad as you are, know to give your children what is good for them, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him!"

"Always treat others as you would like them to treat you: that is the Law and the prophets."

(Matt.,7,7-12)

Having overcome unbelief, doubt, and disharmony we can disclose our heart for conversing with God. Here we need not words, the more important is our innermost aspiration.

Prayer must be solemn, gay, only then it will be healing, your own "Ego" must not sound in it. It is said in Living Ethics: "...in prayer your selfishness must not be expressed, but the best prayer will be the selflessness and good wishes."(AUM,105)

Religion, when translated, means the bond, the uniting with the Highest, the same meaning has the word Yoga. There are many religions on the Earth, there are many Yogas, but nobody and never thought over whether there was common source to nourish all these springs. There were and there are nowany Zealots who tormented, suffered, but continually uttered their prayers, connecting our and the Fiery World.

Many prayers, mantrams carry the energy of linking with the world of Light, the world of Love, don't they?

Aren't they unclear for us?:

The prayer of the St. Francisc (p.104)

- The words by Buddha who stated that "the ignorance is the greatest crime, for it has been the cause of all human sufferings which, making us to value what isn't worth to be valued, to suffer where mustn't be sufferings, and, assuming the illusion to be a reality, makes us to spend our life in a rush for the paltry values, neglecting things that really have been the most valuable knowledge of the mystery of human be-ness and destiny."

- The words by Dhammapada: "If somebody had won one thousand enemies one thousand times, but the other had won only himself, then this the second would have been the greatest winner in a battle."

- The words by Mohammed: "The accomplishment of religious ceremonies won't expiate the blame of the slanderous tongue." "For each idle word we'll give the answer in the Doom's Day." "It's better, much better for each man to take the rope and to go to the forest for fire-wood, and to sell this bundle of wood for food, then to beg it from people. If people don't give alms, it will be a shame and a nuisance, but if they give, it will be much worse, you will be obliged to those who gave." "After the worship to God the best thing is to love each other." The words by Mohammed about what is the Highest Belief: "Make for people what you had wanted they would have made for you, and don't make for others what you wouldn't have wished for yourself."

- The words by Krishna: "Pain which we inflict upon our fellowmen follows us so as our shade follows our body. Deeds in the basis of which love to our fellow men lies, must be the subject of seeking for righteous man, for such deeds weigh the most of all on the God's scale. If you find the communion only with kind people, then your example won't bring good, don't be afraid to live among the malignant and try to converse them to good."

- Agny Yoga says in concordance: "Help each other, you see! Help in small and in Great... Help everywhere, where the hand can penetrate, everywhere where the thought can fly. So we'll knock to the Future. (Hier.,434)

That's why to those striving to apprehend the world, any prayer, any mantram will be intelligible, if it goes out of pure heart.

"Whichever merit I would acquire let me become the consoler of each pain for all living beings. All the merits precipitated by me in all my incarnations by way of thoughts, words and actions, I give away in spite of myself for saving all living beings. Nirvana means the return of everything and my heart desires of Nirvana. If I have to return everything, so that, isn't it better to return everything to living beings? I devoted myself to the benefit of all living beings; let them beat me, defame me, and shrew me with dust. Let them amuse themselves with my body and make me the object of their mockery. I have given my body to them; why have I to bother about it now? Those who defame or those who treat me badly, or those who mock at me - may they all achieve enlightenment" (Buddhist prayer).

And today like many thousand years ago the words from Bhagavad Gita sounds rather actually: "Mankind comes to Me by different ways, but no matter by which way a man is approaching Me, on this way I greet him, for all the ways belong to Me."

Considering meditation and prayer as energetic link with Higher World we will never say: meditation or prayer, we will say: meditation and prayer.

At our studies we see how deeply a prayer penetrates into the souls of people. Reading prayers our patients weep and then say that at that moment "as if the pure flow is washing the heart".

Some opponents may object against this: "Is it the doctor's business to teach people to pray?" These opponents forget that in ancient times it was the priest, who rendered medical aid healing physical, but mainly psychic ails.

***

"So much preparings, so much thoughts and standing in order to tell you my only word: I love You, my Lord. This is all my prayer." (Call., August, 5)

***

"My Ruler, I will help the Country of Yours, spirit of mine is enveloped into a chain armour of fearlessness, and the Star of Yours is brightly burning on the Shield. I will accept all the arrows of the enemies of Yours into the Shield. I wish to help You." (Enlightenment, p.3,1,6)

***

"You, who called me on the path of labour, accept skill of mine and wish of mine. Accept labour of mine, my Lord, for You see me amidst day and night. Manifest Your hand, oh, my Lord, for the darkness is dense. I follow You!"(A.Y.,104)

***

The prayer of future Temple.

"In the Name of Christ, in the Name of Buddha, in the name of Maitreya, in the Name of Mohammed, in the Name of Solomon, in the Name of Great Teachers and Prophets, in the Name of Earthly and Heavenly Brotherhood, accept what You wished not for an harm and murder, but for the comprehension of Light.

I wash My spirit with the miracle of feat and silence.

I will accept the Shining of the Truth."

(H.I.Roerich. At the threshold of a New World.)

***

"Oh, my Lord, send the Will of Yours, give or take away. With You together we'll discern my traps. With You together we'll look into mys decisions of the yesterday. Today I am fed and you know better the amount of food for tomorrow. I won't violate Your Will, for I can receive only from Your Hand." (Hier.,78)

***

The Devotion to the Mother of the World.

"Under Your Cover the Secret of the Universe is hidden.
Seraphims are singing of Your Ray.
Your Ray is the Torch for a World.
Children are singing Your Name!
You hide the manifestation of the Name.
Peoples innumerably call for You and the best Name is uttered.
The Heavenly concordances call for you.
White Sisters on the White Mount, let us elevate the Image of MotherInvisible!
Who will see You?
But the Light of Yours penetrates our hearts, and the rainbow clothes the eyes, searching You.
Joy is following You!
Mother of the World!

(H.I.Roerich. At the threshold of the New World)

PREVIOUS   NEXT

Copyright © 1996-2001, Medical Academy of Spiritual Development "MADRA" All rights reserved
	www.madra.dp.ua	Guest book
Statistics	Our Address	Site modified: 11/19/2002