Prayer as a Spiritual Discipline - Swami Bhajanananda

Part I

There is hardly anyone who has not prayed at some time or other in his life. When a baby feels hungry or discomfort it cries. To its mother at least, it is an unarticulated prayer, and she runs to it and attends to its needs. In a way, every wish may be regarded as an unuttered prayer. In this sense, even an atheist or a materialist prays; only in his case, he prays to himself.

Prayers may be grouped into two main divisions: secular and spiritual. Secular prayers are for the fulfillment of worldly desires and needs. Life is full of uncertainties, and in the life of every person come times when he finds himself in the grip of forces which are beyond his control. Confronted with fear and despair, buffeted by sorrows and difficulties, millions of people turn to God in prayer.

There is no need to go deep into the question whether such prayers are answered and, if so, how it can be reconciled with the law of karma, for our purpose here is only to study the second type of prayer, namely, spiritual prayer—prayer practiced as a spiritual discipline.

© "Living Wisdom: Vedanta in a World Community" by Pravrajika Vrajaprana, published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. Reprinted with permission.

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