Prayer and spirituality

Communication is the basis of all relationships. And prayer is the mode of communication between us and our creator. Spirituality is the medium that connects the Aatma with the Paramatma. Meditation and prayer strengthen this bond. Just as relationships are based on trust and love, our relationship with God is based on faith and spirituality.

Deep faith, regular praying and meditation ensure a mutual flow of energy between us and the higher powers and sharpen our instinct, intuition, insight and foresight remarkably; almost as if letting the supreme power take complete charge of our lives and guide us constantly. When spiritual people seek answers, they are sure to find them in some signs from the universe in the most unexpected ways because of the well-established connection. Chanting is a spiritual discipline that generates positive vibrations with its rhythmic sound waves. It is believed to heighten energy, and improve awareness, listening skills and sensitivity towards others. Its calming effects have health benefits like stabilising blood pressure and heartbeat. There is no escape from our karma through our actions, thoughts and deeds; chanting of mantras or God’s name however is highly recommended to tone down the effects of our bad karmic deeds.

Spirituality is often confused with religion and following of rituals. Spirituality is the total surrender of oneself to and a feeling of oneness with the Almighty. Prayer is ideally a candid talk with the supreme power, interspersed with praises, pouring out of our hearts, ardent pleas to grant our wishes and an expression of gratitude for the blessings received. No wonder it is therapeutic and renders peace. So, why is it that we resort to chanting or praying only in times of need? Shouldn’t we make it a part of our daily routine irrespective of the times that we’re going through? The famous poet-saint Kabir has thrown light on this subject, so explicitly in this Doha: Dukh mein sumiran sab kare. Sukh mein kare na koi. Jo sukh mein sumiran kare tho, dukh kaahe ko hoye. It roughly translates as follows: Everybody remembers God during distress. Nobody remembers Him during happiness. In happiness, if upon Him we call, would distress ever befall us at all?