My favourite prayers

Many people ask me about which prayers do I believe in.

A few years back, I read an interview with a priest in a famous temple and his views really impressed me. He said that he never asks anything from God. He believes that everything we have and we see are creation of God and he gracefully accepts everything he has and those he doesn't have!

It really changed my outlook towards prayer and I stopped asking things from God. Of course, I do my prayers, but I dont ask God for anything specific. I just ask for his blessings.

My guruji, Sri Sri Ravishankar ji once talked about the difference between prayer and meditation:

Prayer is asking.

Meditation is listening.

Just for the benefit of many friends and students who asked about prayers, I am sharing some of my "all time favourite" prayers. 

There are so many, but the best ones which may be good for the next generation is listed below. You may read up on their meanings and interpretations, create your own notes and view points at the end of it all!

If you are a student, please read the fourth one again and again, it will help you a lot if you can follow that! It helped me a lot in my life, it still helps me a lot!

1. 
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा
वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ
निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे देव सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा

Meaning:

I seek blessings of Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles. He who has a Curved Trunk, Who has a Large Body and Whose Splendour is similar to Million Suns;
O Deva, Please Make my Undertakings Free of Obstacles, By extending Your Blessings in All my Works, Always.


2.

The Gayatri Mantra:

ॐ भूर् भुवः स्वः
तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्

oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt

– Rigveda 3.62.10

We meditate on the Supreme Lord and Supreme Power, the creator, whose divinity illumines all realms (physical, mental and spiritual). May this divine light illumine, enlighten and nourish our intellect.

3.

अनायासेन मरणं विनादैन्येन जीवनं ।
देहि मे कृपया शम्भो त्वयि भक्तिं अचन्चलं ॥

Anaayesaena maranam, Vinaa dhainyaena jeevanam
Daehi mae Kripayaa shambho ,Thvaya bhakthim achanchalam

Meaning : Requesting Lord Shiva to grant me three wishes:-

(i) Give a peaceful death without any bodily troubles
(ii) A life without any trouble for the basic needs
(iii) Total Bhakti to Lord shiva.

4.
My most favourite advice to the younger generation:

The Serenity Prayer:
This is a prayer written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971)

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.”

Second version, which is believed to be the original:
“Father, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know the one from the other.”



5.

The five principles of Reiki:

1. For today, I will be grateful for all the blessings given to me

2. For today, I will not get angry

3. For today, I will not worry

4. For today, I will earn my living honestly

5. For today, I will love and respect all living beings

A very interesting modified version of Reiki principles are available at

https://iarp.org/new-look-five-reiki-principles/

The modified principles are as follows:

Just For Today:

I release angry thoughts and feelings

I release thoughts of worry

I’m grateful for my many blessings

I practice expanding my consciousness

I’m gentle with all beings including myself 




6.
Like many quotes from the Upanishads, this one is a real mystery. As you go on and on trying to decode it, more and more meanings emerge within your mind. Try it out after a few days - OMG!- you will realise there are more possibilities of understanding this profound statement.
It is really like an ocean of knowledge. Evolving meanings for ever. Infinite possibilities of interpretation.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om Puurnnam-Adah 
Puurnnam-Idam 
Puurnnaat-Puurnnam-Udacyate |
Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya 
Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||


Om, That is complete, This is complete, 
The completeness emerges from the completeness,
If completeness is substracted or removed from completeness, 
even then only completeness remains.

Om=sound of creation, holy word; 
Poornam=Complete, Adah=that; poornam=complete; poornamadah=that is complete; 
idam=this; poornamidam=this is complete; 
poornaat=from completeness; udachyate=emerges, rises; poornamudachyate= completeness emerges

Poorna=complete; asya=from; Poornasya=From completeness; poornamaadaaya=remove completeness; poornam=complete, eva=only; vashishyate=remains; 
poornamevaavashishṣyate=Only completeness remains


shaantih=Peace

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