Nov. 14, 2024
The Limits and the Effectivity of Prayer
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YouTube reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter IX Aspiration and Prayer pp. 83-84 This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2024/11/12/the-limits-and-the-effectivity-of-prayer/
Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are all available on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871
More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net
The US editions and links to e-book editions of Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
1
00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:06,000
When we reflect on what we mean
by prayer and what expectations
2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,920
we have for it, we can determine
both the limits and the uses of
3
00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,960
prayer in navigating our way
through life and obtaining
4
00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,560
results aligned with our
aspirations.
5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,120
In the USA, it is common for
people to send thoughts and
6
00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,760
prayers for those subject to
Mass school shootings, for
7
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,200
instance, when they have little
or no interest whatsoever in
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,640
actually addressing the
underlying causes and doing
9
00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,760
anything at all to mitigate the
problem.
10
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,920
In this case, the prayers are
empty and are simply meant to
11
00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:46,040
brush aside any real examination
of the causes and remedies.
12
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,600
This is obviously not an actual
instance of prayer, and the lack
13
00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,480
of effectivity in preventing
further math school shootings
14
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,560
cannot be chalked up as a
failure of prayer, but as more a
15
00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,280
matter of the failure to convert
the prayer into an effective
16
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,320
energizing of action to support
the prayer.
17
00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,280
So what is prayer and what
meaningful role can it and does
18
00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,480
it play in our lives?
Those who believe in rigid
19
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,120
determinism do not accept that
prayer has any real or
20
00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,280
significant role because
everything is already fixed and
21
00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,920
established and prayer is not
going to change things.
22
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,440
Those who believe in the
operation of random chance or a
23
00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:36,760
machinery of nature also do not
believe in the efficacy of
24
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,040
prayer, as without some higher
being capable of hearing the
25
00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,560
prayer and intervening in that
machinery, the act of prayer is
26
00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,520
simply an empty gesture to a non
living machine.
27
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,200
Some people perceive the
universe to be the result of an
28
00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,360
impersonal existence.
Others perceive there is a
29
00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,280
being, a divine person
manifesting through the
30
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,280
creation.
Prayer can be accepted by either
31
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,840
of these groups.
For those who see the impersonal
32
00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,720
side of the creation, prayer can
be understood as an act of
33
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:17,000
focusing and tuning to the
vibratory pattern that aligns
34
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,160
them with the manifesting force
of the universe.
35
00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,200
For those who see the personal
side of the creation, prayer can
36
00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,840
be understood as aligning the
individual being with the
37
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:33,280
universal being and thereby
taking on the aspect of that
38
00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,760
personal being as it carries out
its intention in the universe.
39
00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,120
We come then to the question of
prayers as wish fulfillment.
40
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,480
We pray to God for money,
relationships, success, and
41
00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:54,480
career, for passing tests, for
some other personal desire, or
42
00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,800
to cure an illness or ward off
bad results or situations.
43
00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,440
While there can be some
underlying truth in such an
44
00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,280
action, inasmuch as there is a
tuning of the being to a
45
00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:11,440
vibratory force that may help in
a situation, it is clearly not
46
00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,320
likely that there is a God who
resides at the other end of a
47
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,240
prayer switchboard and who
grants requests through personal
48
00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,360
intervention at the request of
an individual.
49
00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,160
It is in this regard, when
looking at whether prayer brings
50
00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,720
about an active intervention in
a specific life or event, that
51
00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:36,200
skeptics of prayer tend to point
out that rarely can one see any
52
00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,560
type of result that would
justify even a possible
53
00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,960
intervention result.
The more an individual aligns
54
00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:50,000
himself with the deepest and
highest parts of the being, and
55
00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,160
thereby with the divine
intention in the manifested
56
00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,080
universe, the more chance there
is that prayer will act as a
57
00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,640
method of alignment and see its
fulfillment.
58
00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,800
To the extent that an individual
praise for some kind of personal
59
00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,240
benefit separated from that
universal direction,
60
00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,080
disappointment is the most
likely result.
61
00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:17,399
It is not God's role, so to
speak, to provide one with a
62
00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:21,120
winning lottery number.
To the extent that prayer
63
00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:25,400
expects God to do everything and
does not bring about any form of
64
00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,400
action or focus by the praying
individual, there is little
65
00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,680
likelihood of any noticeable
benefit.
66
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,760
All the thoughts and prayers for
school shootings have not yet
67
00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:41,440
solved the problem nor prevented
any such event from recurring on
68
00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,960
a consistent basis, because no
concrete action has followed up
69
00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:52,720
as a result of those prayers,
Trior Ovindo writes quote.
70
00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:57,280
The efficacy of prayer is often
doubted and prayer itself
71
00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:00,440
supposed to be a thing
irrational and necessarily
72
00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:04,960
superfluous and ineffective.
It is true that the universal
73
00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:10,160
will executes always its aim and
cannot be deflected by egoistic
74
00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:15,400
propitiation and entreaty.
It is true that the transcendent
75
00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,320
who expresses himself in the
universal order, that, being
76
00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,640
omniscient, his larger knowledge
must foresee the thing to be
77
00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:29,240
done, and it does not need
direction or stimulation by
78
00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:34,400
human thought, and that the
individual's desires are not and
79
00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:38,960
cannot be in any world order,
the true determining factor.
80
00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,160
But neither is that order or the
execution of the universal will
81
00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:49,280
altogether affected by
mechanical law, but by powers
82
00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:53,720
and forces of which, for human
life at least, human will,
83
00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:58,840
aspiration and faith are not
among the least important.
84
00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:04,080
Prayer is only a particular form
given to that will, aspiration
85
00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,760
and faith.
Its forms are very often crude
86
00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:12,760
and not only childlike, which is
in itself no defect, but
87
00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,880
childish.
But still it has a real power
88
00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:20,000
and significance.
Its power and sense is to put
89
00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,280
the will, aspiration, and faith
of man into touch with the
90
00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:28,560
Divine will, as that of a
conscious being, with whom we
91
00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,320
can enter into conscious and
living relations.
92
00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,680
For our will and aspiration can
act either by our own strength
93
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,560
and endeavour, which can no
doubt be made a thing great and
94
00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,360
effective, whether for lower or
higher purposes.
95
00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,760
And there are plenty of
disciplines which put it forward
96
00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,640
as the one force to be used.
Or it can act in dependence
97
00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:57,280
upon, and with subordination
too, the Divine or the Universal
98
00:06:57,280 --> 00:07:00,200
will.
And this latter way again, may
99
00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,480
either look upon that will as
responsive indeed to our
100
00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,560
aspiration, but almost
mechanically by a sort of law of
101
00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,920
energy, or at any rate quite
impersonally.
102
00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:16,600
Or else it may look upon it as
responding consciously to the
103
00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:21,240
divine aspiration and faith of
the human soul and consciously
104
00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:26,000
bringing to it the help, the
guidance, the protection and
105
00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,960
fruition demanded.
End Quote.
106
00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:35,160
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Powers within Chapter 9,
107
00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:39,880
Aspiration and Prayer, pages 83
to 84.
00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:06,000
When we reflect on what we mean
by prayer and what expectations
2
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,920
we have for it, we can determine
both the limits and the uses of
3
00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,960
prayer in navigating our way
through life and obtaining
4
00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,560
results aligned with our
aspirations.
5
00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:22,120
In the USA, it is common for
people to send thoughts and
6
00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,760
prayers for those subject to
Mass school shootings, for
7
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:30,200
instance, when they have little
or no interest whatsoever in
8
00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,640
actually addressing the
underlying causes and doing
9
00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:36,760
anything at all to mitigate the
problem.
10
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,920
In this case, the prayers are
empty and are simply meant to
11
00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:46,040
brush aside any real examination
of the causes and remedies.
12
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,600
This is obviously not an actual
instance of prayer, and the lack
13
00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,480
of effectivity in preventing
further math school shootings
14
00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,560
cannot be chalked up as a
failure of prayer, but as more a
15
00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,280
matter of the failure to convert
the prayer into an effective
16
00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,320
energizing of action to support
the prayer.
17
00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,280
So what is prayer and what
meaningful role can it and does
18
00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,480
it play in our lives?
Those who believe in rigid
19
00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,120
determinism do not accept that
prayer has any real or
20
00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,280
significant role because
everything is already fixed and
21
00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,920
established and prayer is not
going to change things.
22
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,440
Those who believe in the
operation of random chance or a
23
00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:36,760
machinery of nature also do not
believe in the efficacy of
24
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,040
prayer, as without some higher
being capable of hearing the
25
00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,560
prayer and intervening in that
machinery, the act of prayer is
26
00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,520
simply an empty gesture to a non
living machine.
27
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,200
Some people perceive the
universe to be the result of an
28
00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,360
impersonal existence.
Others perceive there is a
29
00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,280
being, a divine person
manifesting through the
30
00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,280
creation.
Prayer can be accepted by either
31
00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,840
of these groups.
For those who see the impersonal
32
00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,720
side of the creation, prayer can
be understood as an act of
33
00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:17,000
focusing and tuning to the
vibratory pattern that aligns
34
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,160
them with the manifesting force
of the universe.
35
00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,200
For those who see the personal
side of the creation, prayer can
36
00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,840
be understood as aligning the
individual being with the
37
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:33,280
universal being and thereby
taking on the aspect of that
38
00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,760
personal being as it carries out
its intention in the universe.
39
00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,120
We come then to the question of
prayers as wish fulfillment.
40
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,480
We pray to God for money,
relationships, success, and
41
00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:54,480
career, for passing tests, for
some other personal desire, or
42
00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,800
to cure an illness or ward off
bad results or situations.
43
00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,440
While there can be some
underlying truth in such an
44
00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,280
action, inasmuch as there is a
tuning of the being to a
45
00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:11,440
vibratory force that may help in
a situation, it is clearly not
46
00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,320
likely that there is a God who
resides at the other end of a
47
00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,240
prayer switchboard and who
grants requests through personal
48
00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,360
intervention at the request of
an individual.
49
00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,160
It is in this regard, when
looking at whether prayer brings
50
00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,720
about an active intervention in
a specific life or event, that
51
00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:36,200
skeptics of prayer tend to point
out that rarely can one see any
52
00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,560
type of result that would
justify even a possible
53
00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,960
intervention result.
The more an individual aligns
54
00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:50,000
himself with the deepest and
highest parts of the being, and
55
00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,160
thereby with the divine
intention in the manifested
56
00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:57,080
universe, the more chance there
is that prayer will act as a
57
00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,640
method of alignment and see its
fulfillment.
58
00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:04,800
To the extent that an individual
praise for some kind of personal
59
00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,240
benefit separated from that
universal direction,
60
00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,080
disappointment is the most
likely result.
61
00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:17,399
It is not God's role, so to
speak, to provide one with a
62
00:04:17,399 --> 00:04:21,120
winning lottery number.
To the extent that prayer
63
00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:25,400
expects God to do everything and
does not bring about any form of
64
00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,400
action or focus by the praying
individual, there is little
65
00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,680
likelihood of any noticeable
benefit.
66
00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,760
All the thoughts and prayers for
school shootings have not yet
67
00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:41,440
solved the problem nor prevented
any such event from recurring on
68
00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,960
a consistent basis, because no
concrete action has followed up
69
00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:52,720
as a result of those prayers,
Trior Ovindo writes quote.
70
00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:57,280
The efficacy of prayer is often
doubted and prayer itself
71
00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:00,440
supposed to be a thing
irrational and necessarily
72
00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:04,960
superfluous and ineffective.
It is true that the universal
73
00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:10,160
will executes always its aim and
cannot be deflected by egoistic
74
00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:15,400
propitiation and entreaty.
It is true that the transcendent
75
00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,320
who expresses himself in the
universal order, that, being
76
00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:24,640
omniscient, his larger knowledge
must foresee the thing to be
77
00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:29,240
done, and it does not need
direction or stimulation by
78
00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:34,400
human thought, and that the
individual's desires are not and
79
00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:38,960
cannot be in any world order,
the true determining factor.
80
00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:44,160
But neither is that order or the
execution of the universal will
81
00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:49,280
altogether affected by
mechanical law, but by powers
82
00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:53,720
and forces of which, for human
life at least, human will,
83
00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:58,840
aspiration and faith are not
among the least important.
84
00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:04,080
Prayer is only a particular form
given to that will, aspiration
85
00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,760
and faith.
Its forms are very often crude
86
00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:12,760
and not only childlike, which is
in itself no defect, but
87
00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,880
childish.
But still it has a real power
88
00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:20,000
and significance.
Its power and sense is to put
89
00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,280
the will, aspiration, and faith
of man into touch with the
90
00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:28,560
Divine will, as that of a
conscious being, with whom we
91
00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,320
can enter into conscious and
living relations.
92
00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:36,680
For our will and aspiration can
act either by our own strength
93
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,560
and endeavour, which can no
doubt be made a thing great and
94
00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,360
effective, whether for lower or
higher purposes.
95
00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,760
And there are plenty of
disciplines which put it forward
96
00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,640
as the one force to be used.
Or it can act in dependence
97
00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:57,280
upon, and with subordination
too, the Divine or the Universal
98
00:06:57,280 --> 00:07:00,200
will.
And this latter way again, may
99
00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,480
either look upon that will as
responsive indeed to our
100
00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,560
aspiration, but almost
mechanically by a sort of law of
101
00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,920
energy, or at any rate quite
impersonally.
102
00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:16,600
Or else it may look upon it as
responding consciously to the
103
00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:21,240
divine aspiration and faith of
the human soul and consciously
104
00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:26,000
bringing to it the help, the
guidance, the protection and
105
00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,960
fruition demanded.
End Quote.
106
00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:35,160
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Powers within Chapter 9,
107
00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:39,880
Aspiration and Prayer, pages 83
to 84.