Pray before you start your day

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As I circumambulate the chorten, I see everyone in deep prayer and devotion. And as you watch people milling around in perfect harmony, you feel peace dawning on you like clear cloudless morning. On each one’s face there is no hidden worry and anxiety; everyone is calm and peaceful, reciting prayer as they walk around the chorten. 

I started praying from as long as I remember. I prayed mainly to protect myself from ghosts and evil spirits. Brought up under strict Buddhist rules, I understood life only by the two defining rules of sin and virtue and I felt myself protected whenever I prayed. As I walked home from school on weekend through the thick jungles, I would pray loudly to ward off anything that would harm me. 

Even though, I have lived my life reciting prayer every morning, evening and every now and then, I must admit that I don’t know its meaning any better now than when I was 10 years old. But I pray simply because I am more at peace with myself when I pray than when I don’t. When I haven’t prayed, I feel like something is amiss and I feel myself haunted by this feeling the whole day. And this is reason enough for me to pray. 

I cannot prove but I am sure that an anxious, restless young boy or girl will feel peaceful if he or she prays. If he or she can just give himself or herself a start, not really because he or she believes that prayer can right away help him or her from whatever he or she is suffering from but as an experiment, he or she won’t regret. You need not necessarily believe of the miracles and magical powers of prayers; you just have to find time to sit in peace and talk to yourself. 

When I sit in front of the chorten and pray, I don’t see God there. I don’t see any mystical powerful being, but peace dawns on me and I go home a happy person. In the examination hall, I feel more prepared and confident after I have recited a short prayer invoking ‘Manjushree’. Prayer gives me confidence and prayer gives me hope. And thus prayer always keeps me most prepared. 

Frequency of Prayer Recitation is one of the indicators of Psychological wellbeing




Comments

PaSsu said…
I don't pray much, and when I do I subconciously pray in English because I don't wanna fool god by saying things I don't understand myself lol. I have a belief that god will understand my feeling regardless of my language.

Prayer helps!
November 26, 2010 at 9:02 PM
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