Page 150 - Wisdom Unfurled

the state of prayer though this requires continuous practice to achieve it. Once a man enters this state even for a moment his prayer is granted. People should be exhorted to offer such a prayer. After a person is stabilized in the state of prayer as above he needs only to keep up remembrance and that too in a way that it never comes into consciousness even.
In the initial stages though it sounds more like a ritual when the prayer is uttered but as the person progresses on the path it gets transformed into the stage of seeking ‘that stage’ and that alone all other seekings and desires for wish fulfillment paling into utter insignificance. ‘That stage’ may be understood as one of perfect calmness, serenity and the piety which prevailed at the beginning of creation, the Reality beyond time. We are seeking to get back to that state of perfect calmness and balance through prayer which leads to the pointed attention to the Real. This is the real essence of prayer. Prayer is not just a few sentences uttered mechanically; it is a state of consciousness which is developed through constant practice. Though it may not start in such a form in the beginning, it develops into the devotion to the Master, ripens into love for Him and finally merges into the state wherein we do not know whether we are in prayer or not. It is a state of consciousness continuously maintained like the unbroken flow of oil. The Master talks about the culmination of the state of prayer wherein the abhyasi dwells all through in the state of prayer without interruption even during all his worldly engagements. The person who is constantly in the state of prayer has realized his own serfdom and the Lord’s Mastership and abides in the state of supplication permanently. He is at liberty to put up humbly before the Master anything he likes. The Master says that every one can acquire the state of prayer but only after sufficient practice.
Now the obstacles in the way of reaching the goal are nothing but our wishes to which we have become slaves. It is not only the personal wishes but the wishes of near and dear are also included in the reckoning. The pulls from the physical, vital and mental levels have been so strong that we have been yielding to them as helpless slaves and living at the level of a prani, just another existence. The voice of the higher self or the Master within is scarcely audible to us. Our greed, envy, jealousy, feelings of self assertion and possessiveness have compounded the difficulties and prevent us from leading a balanced life in tune with nature. Nature wants us to eschew all selfish interests and live a live of sharing, cooperation and service. It is impossible for us to do so in our present condition and we seek help therefore from Nature Herself who is now expressing Herself through the Divine Master Sri Ramchandraji.
The last two lines of the prayer express the total helplessness felt by the