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PRAYER AND MEDITATION

by G. Faizi

Baha’i Publishing Trust Post Box 19 New Delhi

| [Page 0]Copyright by the author © G. Faizi 1975

Printed by Arcee Press, New Delhi [Page 1]PRAYER AND MEDITATION

“If ever for man it were possible to fold the

tent of the sky, in that day he might be able to

end his sorrow without the help of God.” —Svetasvatara Up.

The soul of man has always longed for communion with that mysterious Reality which is the source of his own being and the power behind all the world of creation.

When we look into our past history we see that people have attempted to worship this Supreme Power through everything which was surrounded with mystery, awe or fear. Man has therefore bowed to the sun and the moon, to thunder and lightning, to air, water and fire. He has given them imaginary shapes and worshipped them as gods and goddesses in many forms. Some of the prayers which our forefathers offered to these primitive deities are very beautiful and inspire us to this day.

People also believed that there were good and evil spirits living in certain plants and

1 [Page 2]animals. They prayed to these lesser devas asking their help or entreating them to keep away. All these, too, gradually became numerous idols which were worshipped together with the greater deities.

The gods were given human attributes, and hundreds of stories were told about them and handed down from one generation to another.

Different communities began to centre their attention on certain favourite gods and goddesses. They introduced rites and rituals to be performed by the priests in charge of the temples where. their idols were kept. As time went on, these rituals—such as the ringing of bells, lighting of incense and making offerings to the idol—became accepted as indispensable to prayer.

The preference which was given to one or another of the gods often caused serious trouble between their worshippers and, to bring about harmony among members of different communities, many reformers preached tolerance towards other people’s beliefs and even encouraged a common worship of all the gods.

But from time to time in history, a great Seer has appeared whose vision has risen

2 [Page 3]beyond the gods and idols which men’s imaginations have created. He has spoken of the existence of only one Supreme God—Brahman, the Unknowable Essence—from whom all creation has come into being, Who is infinite and formless and far above those qualities which people have attributed to their idols. There are numerous passages in the ancient Scriptures of India to prove that such Seers have existed in this country. Unfortunately, their voices are often drowned in the midst of other voices less sublime and easier to follow.

These beautiful passages from the Upanishads are chosen at random to show how those ancient rishis had caught the vision of the Infinite One:

‘What cannot be thought with the mind, but that whereby the mind can think: Know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit; and not what people here adore.

“What cannot be seen with the eye, but that whereby the eye can see: Know that alone to be Brahman, the Spirit; and not what people here adore.” —Kena Up.

“Of what use is the Rig Veda to one who does not know the Spirit from whom the Rig

3 [Page 4]Veda comes, and in whom all things abide? For only those who have found him have found peace....

“Know therefore that nature is Maya, but that God is the ruler of Maya...

“He rules over the sources of creation.... He is the Lord, the giver of blessings, the one God of our adoration, in whom there is perfect peace...

“Far beyond the range of vision, he cannot be seen by mortal eyes; but he can be known by the heart and the mind, and those who know him attain immortality...

“Longing therefore for liberation, | go for refuge to God who by his grace reveals his own light...

“| go for refuge to God who is ONE in the silence of Eternity, pure radiance of beauty and perfection, in whom we find our peace.”

—Svetasvatara Up.

How far we have strayed from this vision which is at the very heart of Vedanta! But now once again Baha’u’llah,* in clear and beautiful language, calls upon us to centre our attention on the One Eternal God Who is loving,

• His name literally means the Glory of God.

4 [Page 5]generous and forgiving, and with Whom every one of us can communicate through prayer.

The worship of forms and images, accompanied by the rituals which are usually practised, involves our senses. We see an image in front of us, we hear the bell, smell the incense, taste the coconut water. But in prayer all the senses should be stilled. The mind should not be disturbed by physical distractions so that the soul of man can find true communion with God :

“When nothing else is seen, or heard, or known there is the Infinite. Where something else is seen, or heard or known there is the finite. The Infinite is immortal; but the finite is mortal.”’ —Chandogya Up.

Many people only pray to ask favours of God. Often they pray through fear of punishment. Baha'u'llah teaches that we should pray as a lover who yearns to talk to his beloved. The soul of man can become so attracted to God that his prayer becomes a joy, not a duty.

In order that we may learn to pray as Baha'u'llah teaches, it is important for us to understand that God loves us and wants us to return His love. If we think of a god who is like a

5 [Page 6]demanding, powerful superman without much concern for our happiness, who expects us to provide him with material offerings so that he may give us what we want and keep bad fortune away, it becomes difficult to love him. Our prayer then takes on the form of a business agreement. Some people even bargain with God: If you cure my child, they say, or give me a better job or help me to pass my exams in college, | will shave off my hair, give ten rupees to the temple or do puja every day for a week.

The love of God for His creation is like the light of the sun which shines on everything and is the cause of life and growth. But if we hide ourselves in a room without windows, that light cannot reach us. Our constant craving after material benefits and physical pleasures builds walls around us which shut out the love of God and stop our spiritual growth.

At times of prayer we should make a special effort to turn our mind away from worldly desires and ask for that which God, in His love and wisdom, knows to be best for us. Trust in God is also born of the assurance that God loves us.

It is natural for Man to turn to God at

6 [Page 7]times of difficulty, but this should come spontaneously and from the heart as a child longs to be close to his mother when he is in pain. When we learn to love and trust God, we will want to communicate with Him at all times, in joy as well as in sorrow; we will open our heart to Him as we would to our closest and dearest friend. While praying, we will admit our hopes and fears, our shortcomings and weaknesses, and we will beg God to help us so that we may grow in Spiritual virtues and become worthy of serving Him with our lives.

Baha'u'llah asks His followers to pray every day. To teach us how to pray, He has written many beautiful prayers for all occasions. Apart from these, there are three prayers from which a Baha’i (follower of Baha’u'llah) must choose one for his daily use. Baha'u'llah has made prayer obligatory for every man and woman above the age of fifteen. But children also should be taught to pray from an early age. Even infants in the cradle should hear prayers recited, for this will have a deep effect on their soul and character.

The prayers of Baha’u'llah have been translated into over 600 languages. Baha'is

t [Page 8]pray in a language they can understand because Baha'u'llah teaches that the mere repetition of words cannot bring us close to God. Many people who recite mantras in an ancient language they do not !understand, never stop to think that the verses which they are now merely repeating were completely understood by those who originally used them.

Baha'is have no priests to perform rituals or to pray to God on their behalf. While praying, either alone or together, the followers of Baha'u'llah concentrate on what they are saying to God and not on an image. Whatis of great importance is the attitute of the worshipper. He should offer his devotions with his mind and heart freed from all material considerations, seeking a spiritual communion with God.

To understand what is meant by the Baha’i concept of prayer, let us imagine that a person who has been always praying in front of an idol is out in afield ona dark night. He falls and breaks his leg. He cries out for help but no one hears him. What would he then do? ' Would he not turn to God with all his heart and soul to beg for His help? The fact that he

8 [Page 9]does not have an image in front of him, that he has not bowed to an idol or placed any flowers at its feet, will never stop him from praying to God. And he will most probably pray with a fervour and sincerity that he has seldom, if ever, felt before. Why? Because he. is aware of his utter powerlessness and knows that his only help can come from God. This feeling of reliance on God is what is important when we are praying, for we are in need of Him at all times.

Unfortunately, we are not always aware of our spiritual needs as much as we are of our physical and material needs. We may be untruthful, selfish, greedy or dishonest and yet never think of asking God to help us cure these spiritual diseases. There is not one of us who is so perfect that he is not in need of God's assistance in order to develop his spiritual nature. But man has become so worldly that he often forgets that his real aim in life should be to acquire those spiritual qualities which will draw him ever nearer to God. Prayer, in its pure form, is the most effective way of attracting God’s help and blessings for our soul on its journey towards Him.

9 [Page 10]Prayer is conversation with our Creator. Meditation is communion with our own soul. When we are concentrating on a certain subject and thinking deeply about it, we are turning our mind inward and speaking to our own self. This leads to the state of meditation in which a person can become informed about things of which he was totally unaware. By meditating on spiritual matters one can gain insight into spiritual truths. In the same way, a scientist while reflecting and meditating on a scientific problem can discover a solution about which he knew nothing before.

Both prayer and meditation lift our soul above the world of matter and connect us with the world of the spirit. It is from the spiritual realm that we derive our inspiration.

Some people have very vague ideas about concentration and meditation. To put it simply, complete concentration means being so interested in something that one becomes unaware of everything else. A person can be so absorbed in reading a fascinating story that he does not hear a loud conversation going on in the same room. This is one form of concentration. Another form is that in which the

10 [Page 11]mind is fixed on one particular subject about which a person wishes to think deeply for some time. This kind of concentration is closely linked with meditation when new ideas flash across the mind through insight or intuition.

It is possible to concentrate on any subject—a physical shape, a difficult problem, a beautiful passage out of a book, or a divine attribute such as mercy. But meditation can become uplifting and beneficial to the progress of our soul only when the subject we choose for concentration has a spiritual value. If we concentrate on a red spot on the wall and try to think of nothing else except the colour red for hour after hour, we may be able to develop our power of concentration and learn to control the mind from wandering on to other subjects; we may even succeed, after a long period of practice, to stop the mind from thinking about any subject, but we will not be drawing any closer to God. In order to detach ourselves from the physical world and become attracted to the divine realm, we should learn to concentrate on spiritual matters.

There is, however, a limit to that which a

11 [Page 12]man living in this world can fathom about the world of the spirit. Many saintly people have had great spiritual experiences through deep meditation; they have been able to unravel profound mysteries beyond the understanding of others; but even these people are bound by the limitations which God, in His wisdom, has destined for man in this world.

Prayer and meditation are both very important for the purification of our character and the progress of our soul towards God. Baha'u'llah enjoins upon every one of us to set aside a special time every day for prayer and meditation, preferably at dawn. For some of us who have relied on others to pray on our behalf, or have considered meditation as a tedious task to be undertaken by special individuals, it may seem difficult at first. But if we start with a short period every day, we will soon form a habit which will bring us much happines,

The following are a few prayers taken from among many which Baha’is use all over the world. Read one of them slowly and carefully, concentrating on the meaning. Then, taking the prayer as a subject for meditation, think

12 [Page 13]deeply on what you have been saying to God. If you repeat this in a quiet atmosphere every day, using one or two prayers ata time, you will find a gradual change come into your life and will enjoy a peace of mind you have not experienced before. You will have established a link between your soul and that Source of all goodness and power Who is prepared to forgive our shortcomings, help us to overcome the tests and trials of this life, and teach us how to feel the joy which comes through communion with God.

13 [Page 14]A FEW SELECTIONS from BAHA’'! PRAYERS

| bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. | testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.

There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.*

O God, refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my mind. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. 1! will no longer be sorrowful and grieved, | will be happy and joyful. O God, | will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will | let trouble harass me. 1 will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art kinder to me than | am to myself. | dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

• This is the short obligatory prayer to be said once a

day at noon.

14 [Page 15]Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion, Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succour in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O my God, the God of bounty and mercy ! Thou art that King by Whose commanding word the whole creation hath been called into being; and Thou art that All-Bountiful One the doings of Whose servants have never hindered Him from showing forth His grace, nor have they frustrated the revelation of His bounty.

Suffer this servant, | beseech Thee, to attain unto that which is the cause of his salvation in every world of Thy worlds. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Create in mea pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me

15 [Page 16]Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden !

Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto Thee, and to abide within the precincts of Thy court, for remoteness from Thee hath wellnigh consumed me. Cause me to rest under the shadow of the wings of Thy grace, for the flame of my separation from Thee hath melted my heart within me. Draw me nearer unto the river that is life indeed, for my soul burneth with thirst in its ceaseless search after Thee. My sighs, O my God, proclaim the bitterness of my anguish, and the tears | shed attest my love for Thee.

16 [Page 17]| beseech Thee, by the praise wherewith Thou praisest Thyself and the glory wherewith Thou glorifiest Thine own Essence, to grant that we may be numbered among them that have recognized Thee and acknowledged Thy sovereignty in Thy days. Help us then to quaff, O my God, from the fingers of mercy the living waters of Thy loving-kindness, that we may utterly forget all else except Thee, and be occupied only with Thy Self. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God is there beside Thee, the Mighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Glorified be Thy name, O Thou Who art the King of all kings !

Praise be unto Thee, O my God! |! am one of Thy servants, who hath believed on Thee and on Thy signs, Thou seest how | have set myself towards the door of Thy mercy, and turned my face in the direction of Thy loving-kindness. | beseech Thee, by Thy most excellent titles and Thy most exalted attributes, to open to my face the portals of Thy bestowals. Aid me, then, to do that which is good, O Thou Who art the Possessor-of all names and attributes !

17 [Page 18]| am poor, O my Lord, and Thou art the Rich. I have set my face towards Thee, and detached myself from all but Thee. Deprive me not, | implore Thee, of the breezes of Thy tender mercy, and withhold not from me what Thou didst ordain for the chosen among Thy servants.

Remove the veil from mine eyes, O my Lord, that | may recognize what Thou hast desired for Thy creatures, and discover, in all the manifestations of Thy handiwork, the revelations of Thine almighty power. Enrapture my soul, O my Lord, with Thy most mighty signs, and draw me out of the depths of my corrupt and evil desires. Write down, then, for me the good of this world and of the world tocome. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. No God is there but Thee, the AllGlorious, Whose help is sought by all men.

| yield Thee thanks, O my Lord, that Thou hast wakened me from my sleep, and stirred me up, and created in me the desire to perceive what most of Thy servants have failed to apprehend. Make me able, therefore, O my Lord, to behold, for love of Thee and for the sake of Thy pleasure, whatsoever Thou hast

18 [Page 19]desired. Thou art He to the power of Whose

might and sovereignty all things testify. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Beneficent.

My God, my Adored One, my King, my Desire ! What tongue can voice my thanks to Thee ? | was heediess, Thou didst awaken me. | had turned back from Thee, Thou didst graciously aid me to turn towards Thee. | was as one dead, Thou didst quicken me with the water of life. | was withered, Thou didst revive me with the heavenly stream of Thine utterance which hath flowed forth from the Pen of the All-Merciful.

O Divine Providence ! All existence is begotten by Thy bounty; deprive it not of the waters of Thy generosity, neither do Thou withhold it from the ocean of Thy mercy. | beseech Thee to aid and assist me ai all times and under all conditions, and seek from the heaven of Thy grace Thine ancient favour. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of bounty, and: the Sovereign of the kingdom of eternity.

Lauded be Thy name, O my God ! | testify 19 [Page 20]that no thought of Thee, howsoever wondrous, can ever ascend into the heaven of Thy knowledge, and no praise of Thee, no matter how transcendent, can soar up to the atmosphere of Thy wisdom. From eternity Thou hast been removed far above the reach and the ken of the comprehension of Thy servants, and immeasurably exalted above the strivings of Thy bond-slaves to express Thy mystery. What power can the shadowy creature claim to possess when face to face with Him Who is the Uncreated ?

| bear witness that the highest thoughts of all such as adore Thy unity, and the profoundest contemplations of all them that have recognized Thee, are but the product of what hath been generated through the movement of the Pen of Thy behest, and hath been be gotten by Thy will. | swear by Thy glory, O Thou Who art the Beloved of my soul and the Fountain of my life! | am persuaded of my

powerlessness to describe and extol Theeina manner that becometh the greatness of Thy glory and the excellence of Thy majesty. Aware as | am of this, | beseech Thee, by Thy mercy that hath surpassed all created things,

20 [Page 21]and Thy grace that hath embraced the entire creation, to accept from Thy servants what they are capable of showing forth in Thy path. Aid them, by Thy strengthening grace, to exalt Thy word and to blazon Thy praise.

Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, truly, art the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.

Glory be to Thee, O God, for Thy manifestation of love to mankind ! O Thou Who art our Life and Light, guide Thy servants in Thy way, and make us rich in Thee and free from all save Thee.

O God, teach us Thy Oneness and give us a realization of Thy Unity, that we may see no one save Thee. Thou art the Merciful and the Giver of bounty !

O God, create in the hearts of Thy beloved the fire of Thy love, that it may consume the thought of everything save thee.

Reveal to us, O God, Thine exalted eternity—that Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be, and that there is no God save Thee. Verily, in Thee will we find comfort and strength.

21 [Page 22]QO my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavour, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God, leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord.

Is there any Remover of difficulties save God ? Say: Praised be God! Heis God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding !

Say, God sufficeth all things above all things, and nothing in the heavens or in the earth but God sufficeth. Verily, He is in Himself, the Knower, the Sustainer, the Omnipotent.

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