Tell me honestly how many of us sit and pray? I do sometimes, I don’t pray that doesn’t mean I don’t love or believe in God. Work is worship! Parents are God! Yeah.. I know. But then who gave you work? who gave you parents?
There are so many people dying every day, some naturally and some in pain. Oh, we don’t want to be one of them. Exactly… there is a higher power that is making sure your heart is still beating and you are not one of them yet. Not out of fear but remembering God only when we reach hospital, or when we are in a terrible mess or when we are extremely elated is like sending a patrika to God as a guest- “Lagnala nakki ya, aher nako, tumchi upastithi hach amcha aher!”.
Even if we express gratitude and seek forgiveness, secretly we pray. “God, can I have this? God, please save me, God I wish…and the list goes on”. That time we want God to keep all his work aside and remember our wish, our problem and our work.
They say in a Marathi abhang, “Bhakticha bhukela…” meaning God is hungry for true love, true devotion and not ritualistic love. He loves it when devotees spend time with him in their daily lives. Not puja, puja is like we taking bath- “phataaphat photo pusa, gandha lava, halad-kunku lava, phula ghala, diva lava – zhala ekdacha ani nigha”.
It’s prayer, actual loving conversations with God we have on a daily basis that brings him and us closer to each other. That’s relationship building and letting God know how much we love him and need him.
God is not our guest. We are because of him and hence we must remember him and do our prayers and naamsmaran daily. How many of us allot time for even puja and prayers? We have office, we have to rush, Oh! we are late for dinner, today I have a date after work, Oh!, I am so tired, let me do it tomorrow, Prayer? no Smita I don’t feel the need, bhagwan mere dil mein hain, meri dhadkan mein hain! Dhadkan? “Dhaadkan.. kuthetari apatto ani mag parmeshwar athavto!.
Many of us do pray but then we keep him last again….let me finish this work, let me pray later. No, keep God your top priority first, seek his blessings as you start your day, give him gratitude, seek forgiveness, seek blessings of your ancestors each day not only in pitrupaksha.
The way we greet, spend time with family, peers and friends- spend some time with God every day- if not 2-3 times, at least once each day. Corporates must include collective prayers, exercise slots each day and reduce stressful working hours. When you build a strong personal relationship with God through prayer in spirit you will see how God responds to you through different mediums and you will know.
The great Mr. Pandurang Shastri Athavale once said, “Bhagwan, mujhe sirf tumhare pass nahi aana hain, mujhe tumhara ban kar rehna hain”. Samajla ka? nahi samajla? Marathit saangu? 😊 .