Why shall I pray?

[suchandra]

Amazing clear points by Prabhupada in New York 1966.

 

Prabhupada, New York, October 9, 1966: "Why he is foolish? Because he does not know that “God is with me, within my heart.

He’s sitting along with me. The soul and the Supersoul, both of them are sitting together. And God knows everything about me.

So I do not require to pray from God to get me out of this distress. He knows everything. Why shall I pray?” He leaves everything to God. He does not pray. He prays…, he prays to glorify the God, “How great You are,” not for his personal interest—“O God, give me my bread.

Give me my dress. Give me my shelter.” That is also good. He is better than the person, that mūḍha, the foolish, the atheist and the lowest of the mankind. He’s far better. Even he is going and asking in the church, “O God, give me my daily bread.” But at the same time, he is less intelligent because he does not know that “God is with me, and He knows everything about me.”

 

Therefore one who is pure devotee, he does not pray to God for any personal interest. Even if he is distressed, he says, “O Lord, it is Your kindness. You have put me in distress just to rectify me. I would have been put into more and more, thousand times in distress, but You are giving me little. That’s all. That is Your great mercy.” That is his vision. He does not… He’s not disturbed. Tulyarthapamanayoh. A person who is in Krishna consciousness, he doesn’t care for all this material distress or insult or honor, because he is aloof from this. He doesn’t… He knows very well that “This designation, this honor, or this insult, they are pertaining to my body, but I am not this body.”

Just like Socrates. Socrates was condemned to death because he believed in the…, an immortality of the soul. So he was condemned to death, and he was asked to take hemlock or something like that, poison. And the judge wanted: “Well, Socrates, how do you want to be put into the grave?” He replied, “First of all, you catch me. Then you put me into the grave. (laughter) You are dealing with my body, nonsense. I am out of this. So you kill me or you put me into the grave or whatever you like, I don’t mind. First of all, you catch me. Then you put me into the grave.”

[AncientMariner]

 

Amazing clear points by Prabhupada in New York 1966.

 

Prabhupada, New York, October 9, 1966: "Why he is foolish? Because he does not know that “God is with me, within my heart.

He’s sitting along with me. The soul and the Supersoul, both of them are sitting together. And God knows everything about me.

So I do not require to pray from God to get me out of this distress. He knows everything. Why shall I pray?” He leaves everything to God. He does not pray. He prays…, he prays to glorify the God, “How great You are,” not for his personal interest—“O God, give me my bread.

Give me my dress. Give me my shelter.” That is also good. He is better than the person, that mūḍha, the foolish, the atheist and the lowest of the mankind. He’s far better. Even he is going and asking in the church, “O God, give me my daily bread.” But at the same time, he is less intelligent because he does not know that “God is with me, and He knows everything about me.”

 

Therefore one who is pure devotee, he does not pray to God for any personal interest. Even if he is distressed, he says, “O Lord, it is Your kindness. You have put me in distress just to rectify me. I would have been put into more and more, thousand times in distress, but You are giving me little. That’s all. That is Your great mercy.” That is his vision. He does not… He’s not disturbed. Tulyarthapamanayoh. A person who is in Krishna consciousness, he doesn’t care for all this material distress or insult or honor, because he is aloof from this. He doesn’t… He knows very well that “This designation, this honor, or this insult, they are pertaining to my body, but I am not this body.”

Just like Socrates. Socrates was condemned to death because he believed in the…, an immortality of the soul. So he was condemned to death, and he was asked to take hemlock or something like that, poison. And the judge wanted: “Well, Socrates, how do you want to be put into the grave?” He replied, “First of all, you catch me. Then you put me into the grave. (laughter) You are dealing with my body, nonsense. I am out of this. So you kill me or you put me into the grave or whatever you like, I don’t mind. First of all, you catch me. Then you put me into the grave.”

 

Gotta admit that is good stuff.