Page 63 - Complete Works of Dr. KCV Volume 1

Prayer finally is the expression of one's utter willingness and acceptance of the life of surrender to the Ultimate as the goal and means of attainment.
(2)
The prayer is an oral and mental act of self-offering to the Highest Being. Its purpose must be defined. That purpose must state the object of the prayer which is an instrument so to speak seeking the fulfilment of that aim. Men have all kinds of goals. Our ancients usually said that man has four aims: Artha (wealth and power), Kama (pleasures and enjoyments), Dharma (life of law and justice) and Moksha (liberation from all kinds of bondage and attainment of release from birth and death). President Eisenhower seems to be right in calling these food, family, friendship and freedom. All beings have needs of these four kinds. Most men are seekers of wealth and pleasure which is of course legitimate when such wealth and pleasure are for the support of one's life in simplicity and truthfulness. Thus necessary needs of the body and its comfort are legitimate and they are to be conditioned by the principle of respect for other people's similar needs which is law. However, these are but means to the primary necessity of freedom from the bondage that develops in the use and pursuit of these ends. They tend to become ends in themselves rather than means to the highest end of man - his freedom from death and birth or rather freedom from birth after death. Both have been sought. There have been men who have again and again sought physical immortality or freedom from death. They have sought it through alchemy (rasa), through mercurial and other preparations. They have sought it through hathayoga and lately through the help of the vijnana (supermind). But the real goal is not these but God Himself, not merely His Experience, but Himself. The upanishad calls Him the Immortal Person (Purana Purusa, Amrtam). Therefore the Master is the ultimate godhead, who in this samstha is called the Guru. All our masters are Himself since it is through Him and by Him is all these transmission done. It is His Power that is working out the subtle changes in us, transforming us so as to enable our knowing Him, seeing Him and then entering into Him with our Real Being. Jnatum, Drastrum Ca Tattvena pravestum Ca as the Gita Acharya said.