Our senses are assaulted daily by hundreds of thoughts and desires. If we are master of our senses then fine, we survive, otherwise, we fall for the trap that lays before us as desires and needs, likes and dislikes, etc. The story of the Pandavas is said to be an example of how man lets loose his control over his senses and power to another party and suffers its consequences. This story tells us to take charge of our lifes, take responsibility for it or otherwise pay the consequences.
Having no idea where our daily actions are taking us, we begin to accumulate karma. This is what we did in previous lifes. This is what we are doing currently. Then when terror, hardship, mishaps, sufferings or disease strikes us we begin to crumble under its weight. We seek a way out. We approach our families, friends and professionals for a solution and a way out. If none of them provide a solution, we either turn to God or are referred to him. We are asked to worship and pray to him. We are referred to the Nadi. We are asked to carry out remedies. Even then we begin a deal with him, we bargain with him like we buy any other commodity. We bribe him. We try to buy him over. We want fast relief without having to work for it. We want a magical capsule that rids our pain or cures our illness. We want a remedy that does not jeopardise our comfort. We have grown so used to receiving that we expect others to facilitate and provide for us in our times of difficulty too.
In an actual sense when a remedy or solution is shown, we need to look for it, search for it, purchase it, or gather it. It is pointless if someone else runs the errands and hands it over so that you can offer it to Erai. The sick has to seek the means and ways to heal himself rather than hope on someone else's prayer. He or she has to go on their knees and pray for deliverance from their sufferings. Unless one is senile, not in the right state of mind or in a coma, he or she can still pray even if they are bedridden. Asking another to pray for them will give results only if they start praying for ourselves too. This is where not knowing the power of individual prayers they seek a remedy outside of them and land themselves in the clutches of quacks and crooks who promise heaven for a fee.
Having no idea where our daily actions are taking us, we begin to accumulate karma. This is what we did in previous lifes. This is what we are doing currently. Then when terror, hardship, mishaps, sufferings or disease strikes us we begin to crumble under its weight. We seek a way out. We approach our families, friends and professionals for a solution and a way out. If none of them provide a solution, we either turn to God or are referred to him. We are asked to worship and pray to him. We are referred to the Nadi. We are asked to carry out remedies. Even then we begin a deal with him, we bargain with him like we buy any other commodity. We bribe him. We try to buy him over. We want fast relief without having to work for it. We want a magical capsule that rids our pain or cures our illness. We want a remedy that does not jeopardise our comfort. We have grown so used to receiving that we expect others to facilitate and provide for us in our times of difficulty too.
In an actual sense when a remedy or solution is shown, we need to look for it, search for it, purchase it, or gather it. It is pointless if someone else runs the errands and hands it over so that you can offer it to Erai. The sick has to seek the means and ways to heal himself rather than hope on someone else's prayer. He or she has to go on their knees and pray for deliverance from their sufferings. Unless one is senile, not in the right state of mind or in a coma, he or she can still pray even if they are bedridden. Asking another to pray for them will give results only if they start praying for ourselves too. This is where not knowing the power of individual prayers they seek a remedy outside of them and land themselves in the clutches of quacks and crooks who promise heaven for a fee.
Similarly, by asking us to go places, undergoing hardship in the process, to carry out remedies, we tend to exhaust a portion of our karma. The rest is relieved through the actual ritual suggested. Do not expect to gain relieve by abstaining from personally doing a remedy and sending a proxy to do it. God helps those who help themselves. God also helps those who help others. But the remedies given have to be carried out by the person concern. Exceptions are made in the cases of children, the bedridden and if the Siddhas desire.
Just as they are willing to pay a hefty sum to another to perform a ritual hoping that things change after the ritual, they come to another to pray for them. This is a misconception that we carry thinking that we can appoint another to carry our baggage of karma just as a porter at the train station does. We need to get on the ground and dirty our hands and feet if we are to see results. We have grown so used to comfort that even in the face of danger we want someone to stand in for us. When I was told that a devotee suffered because he facilitated the proceedings towards performing the parihara or remedy for his clients, it was a message for me too. We can be considered selfish but karma is not meant to be shared as we share all other things. Asking another to light a lamp, lighting one without taking up its cost, doing remedies online, having proxies to do it is all inappropriate unless an exception is given. Exceptions are made when the divine asks of us to gather together and pray for a solution. A solution might be given but we still have to run the race. Definitely no proxies.
Ruzbeh Bharucha channels and shares Sai Baba's messages on how to pray at https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/for-some-reason-i-thought-i-knew-how-to-pray
... when we pray not only pray as though it is the last time we shall ever get the opportunity to pray and that shall be our last prayer but also pray as though the life of our loved ones depends on our prayers.
... when we pray with the firm conviction that our prayers are going to reach our Goddess, God, Guru, then whether the prayer is answered or not, one can be assured that whosoever we are praying to, our prayers shall reach the One.
He tells us neither to pray for the sake of formality or take it as mandatory but pray because we love and truly love The One we are praying to. Baba tells us that "Nothing should compromise one's focus, intensity, love and certainty that one's chanting is being heard to Whosoever one is praying to."
Baba says that when we pray with the faith that Whoever we pray to first and foremost resides within us, may be dormant, and we pray with the hope of awakening The One within us and then coming forth through us, that prayer is a prayer worth praying, as when we believe They are first and foremost within us, as we have come forth from The One and The One thus has to be within us too and when we pray knowing that The One within us can hear us, that prayer takes on wings which shall make our prayer soar not only within to The One but also reach the very heavens where The One resides in all His/Her Magnificence and force The One to come and sit in front of us when we pray with such love, intensity and faith.
Ruzbeh asks that we do not complicate prayers but make it simple and childlike. "So our prayers should be said with love. We need to love The One."
Finally, Ruzbeh has a very sound piece of advice for us on how to pray.
The prayer that comes from humility and gratitude, seeking forgiveness and wisdom and strength to go through whatever is in store for us with calmness, compassion and complete surrender to Their Wisdom and Love, is the best prayer, as we are not asking for our karmas to be manipulated, we are not seeking things, we just want to make Them happy and proud of us. Praying to Them to help us to give each moment our very best and to accept whatever is in store for us as Their blessing is a prayer as good as any prayer found in any Scripture here or the beyond.