Prayer : Turning to Bhagavan Sri Krishna !!!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna ! Pranams to Bhagavan Sri Krishna and Bhaktas ,

Only in the depth of pure silence can we hear Bhagavan's voice.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna is the embodiment of compassion. The Supreme God ( Parabrahman) has presented itself to Bhaktas in the human-like form Sri Krishna .

Bhagavan Krishna is waiting at the door of every heart. He is an uninvited guest everywhere, because whether you call Him or not, He is there. Whether you are a believer or a nonbeliever, He is within you uninvited. Behind every form, behind everything, Krishna is hiding . He beautifies things and makes them what they are. He is the hidden formula of life. But Krishna won't reveal Himself to you. You won't feel Him unless you call Him by His name . Prayer is the invitation. You must invoke Him through prayer. Chanting, singing and repeating the mantra are invitations, asking Bhagavan to reveal Himself.

Bhagavan is not confined to a particular body or place. There is not even an atom of space where He is not. Do not think that Sri Krishna is only in Vaikuntam and His and is only in His temples. He is seated in your heart itself as Paramatma ( Supersoul) . When you pray sincerely thinking of Sri Krishna definitely that vibration will reach Bhagavan and reflect on His mind. Your prayers and your pure and innocent sankalpa will bring Krishna to you. Then you will feel Bhagavan's presence and peace.

Just surrender your mind and body to Bhagavan Sri Krishna ; take refuge in Him, and you won't lack anything in life. You will be given whatever you need . Your problems will be solved, in some way, and you will find peace. Those who pray to Bhagavan sincerely will not feel a shortage of anything that is essential. That is Sri Krishna's resolve . It is 100% true . Just, chant Hare Krishna Mantra or the Vishnu Sahasranama (1,000 Names of Maha-Vishnu) daily with love and devotion. Then you won't lack anything.

What is Real Prayer?

A real prayer will never contain any suggestions, instructions or demands. The sincere devotee will simply say, `O Bhagavan, I do not know what is good or what is bad for me. I am nobody, nothing. You know everything. I know whatever you do must be for the best; therefore, do as you wish '. In real prayer you bow down, surrender and declare your helplessness to Bhagavan .

To remember Sri Krishna, you have to forget . To be really focused on Bhagavan is to be fully and absolutely in the present moment, forgetting the past and the future. That alone is real prayer. How Should We Pray?

Having closed the door, one should imagine that one's beloved deity ( Ishta-deva) Sri Krishna is standing everywhere in the room. Then one should pray thus, `O Bhagavan, are You not seeing me ? O Bhagavan, please take me on Your lap. I am Your child. I have no one but You as my refuge. Do not abandon me but always dwell in my heart.' "

"Contemplate on Bhagavan as your creator, protector and the final abode to where you will return. Try to feel Bhagavan with your heart; try to feel Bhagavan's presence, grace, compassion and love. Open your heart and pray, `O Bhagavan, my creator, protector, and final resting place, guide me to Your light and love. Fill my heart with Your presence. I've been told that I am Your child, but I am totally ignorant of my existence in You. My most beloved Sri Krishna , I do not know how to worship You, or how to please You or meditate on Your form. I have not studied the scriptures; I know not how to glorify You. O Compassionate One, show me the right path so that I can return to my real abode which is nothing but You ` .

Brahma-muhurtham (between 2 hours before sunrise and sunrise ) is the best time to pray. Nature is quiet. No one will disturb you.

No matter who causes you grief, take your complaints to the puja room where your real friend is. Go to the puja room and complain, `Why did You let him treat me like that? Weren't You with me?' Open your heart and tell Bhagavan everything. Then it becomes a `satsang'.

Try to pray until your heart melts and flows down as tears. It is said that the water of the Ganges purifies whoever takes a dip it. The tears that fill the eyes while one is remembering Bhagavan Sri Krishna have tremendous power to purify one's mind. These tears are more powerful than meditation. Such tears are verily the Ganges.

What Should We Pray For?

A true devotee realises that his Sri Krishna is within and without, that He is all-knowing and all-powerful — omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. Understanding this, the devotee simply tries to express his total helplessness to Bhagavan and accepts Him as the sole protector and guide. In such sincere and open-hearted prayer, the devotee confesses the uselessness and the burden of his ego. Why should one keep a useless thing? Therefore, he prays to Sri Krishna to remove it, to destroy it. This kind of prayer is real meditation, and it will definitely take one to the goal.

Praying for the fulfilment of petty desires is being stuck in your mind and all its attachments and aversions. Not only that, it is adding more to the existing vasanas. New worlds are created. Along with that, you lengthen the chain of your anger, lust, greed, jealously, delusion and all other negative traits. Each desire brings with it those negative emotions. Unfulfilled desires result in anger.

Pray for a contented mind in all circumstances. Prayer becomes genuine only when you pray for a peaceful and contented mind, no matter what you get.

Remember Bhagavan in Happiness and Sorrow

Now that you are happy and joyful, do not forget Krishna . Remember Bhagavan and pray to Bhagavan even in times of happiness. Usually people remember Sri Krishna and pray only when they are in pain, as if Bhagavan were only a painkiller. Do not be that way. Let prayer and remembrance of Sri Krishna become part of your daily life. Krishna is with you.

Nowadays, people pray to Sri Krishna only during times of distress. If you pray to Bhagavan in times of both happiness and sadness, you will no longer have to experience any suffering. Even if some suffering should come to you, it won't appear as suffering. Bhagavan will look after you. If you can pray to Him with an open heart and shed a few tears out of love for Him, then you are saved.The Power of Group Prayer

Group chanting and prayer is very powerful. It can change anything. The lost harmony of the human mind can be restored only through an unselfish attitude supported by prayer.

Ecstatic Tears of Bhakti

Pray and shed tears as you think of Bhagavan Sri Krishna . That is the greatest sadhana. No other sadhana will give you the bliss of divine love as effectively as sincere prayer.

If you can't cry at first, say the words again and again and make yourself cry. Such tears are not tears of sorrow. They are a form of inner bliss. Those tears will flow when the jivatman (individual soul) merges with the Paramatman (Supreme Self). Our tears mark a moment of oneness with Bhagavan. Those who are watching us may interpret it as sorrow. In reality, it is bliss.

Please chant :

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

 

and be happy !!!

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya !!!

SriKrishnaDasa Rajeev