Page 17 - Imperience Beckons

COMMANDMENT 2
Begin your puja with a prayer for spiritual elevation with a heart full of love and devotion.
Prayer is the sign of devotion. It shows that we have established our relationship with the Holy Divine. When the idea of Divine Mastership is established our position turns into that of serf. Now service is the only concern of the serf. Take for example the case of Bharata. He never allowed his heart to be contaminated with anything but the esteem, regard and devoted worship of the Master. This example must be kept in view for maintaining the relationship which is the true form of devotion. This is the connecting link between the Master and the serf.
Everyone is familiar with the principle of telegraphy. When one end is connected to electricity, the message is immediately carried over to the other end. Similar is the case with the devotee, who makes himself known to the Master by the current of his own power. Now by effect of devotion, that which is with the Master begins to flow towards the serf through the medium of the connecting link set up between the two. Gradually everything of the Master begins to flow into the serf. In the beginning the devotee (servant) had only conveyed his own cognizance to the Master but subsequently by the effect of devotion, the Master began to adopt nearness to him, which went on developing the till the thought of actual communion began to pervade within him. Divine revelations and Nature's commands then begin to descend upon him and the first phase of initiation thus comes into effect. Now further on.It is mystery; the tongue is tied up. Generally people think that devotion makes us slaves, but here the invertendo rule comes in again. The human concept never extended so far and the mystery remains sealed until now.
The reason why prayer should be offered with a heart full of love and devotion is that one should create within himself a state of vacuity so that the flow of Divine Grace may be diverted towards him. A poet has said, "O, thou thirsty for the Divine intoxication! Empty thy heart for the purpose, for the head of the bottle of wine bows down only over an empty cup." Constant practice brings a man to a state in which he begins to feel himself in prayer all through. This state is acquired when an abhyasi practices in the way directed above and the Divine Grace is set into motion. When the final stage is reached he begins to dwell all through in a state of prayer even while discharging his worldly duties, and the