Theos-Talk Archives (June 2002 Message tt00098)

June 19 2002

Dear Friends:

On the question of prayer.

Most prayers are of the nature: Please do not let others know what I
have done. Save me from having to bear the pain of my wrong doings.
{Which implies that we knew they were wrong when we did them, and we
now hope that silence and secrecy will prevail, and our selfish, evil
actions or words will remain hidden. In other words we ask God, who
is just and supreme, to connive at our baseness and evil. That does
not sound right.)

I do not wish to discount those charitable and selfless prayers which
hope for and wish good to others who are in trouble. Those are from
the heart. They seek to extend solace to those who are afflicted.
They are the spontaneous brotherly extension of sympathy and
assistance, and comfort to those who are stricken. Of course there
are those who know what to do, and, being close to the afflicted,
they help actively and personally in those cases where they are able.

Can you imagine two contending confronting armies, and of priests
belonging to the same religion that happens to be practised on both
sides, gathering each one in their separate camps, and offering
prayers to the SINGLE ONE GOD for "victory" to be accorded to that one
side ? H P B in the SECRET DOCTRINE says that such prayers for
destruction are a form of black magic (S D I 416, 467-9).

What a paradox. It is not the impartial: let victory be accorded to
the deserving.

But, it is I WANT VICTORY AT ANY COST.

And can any one expect a just and true GOD to extend "favor" unjustly
asked for, to either side ? Do we truly expect God to be UNJUST ?

Our ideas about justice, fairness, charity, compassion and the nature
of GOD and his supposed powers are very strange -- and they need to be
carefully examined.

Now let us look at the Theosophical view-point.

1.	God is the UNIVERSAL IMPARTIAL AND IMPERSONAL SPIRITUAL DEIFIC
PRINCIPLE.

2.	It pervades ( is omnipresent) the hole of the Universe an al nature
on our Earth.

3.	It supports all life, and is therefore impersonal, impartial, just,
fair, and supports life in all creatures including good and bad
humans.

4.	Since the PRESENCE OF GOD is universal, every least creature (let
us call it an "atom" or a "monad" is an indestructible, eternal LIFE
in which a "ray" of the ONE SPIRIT (GOD) is present.

5.	This universal presence of God in all creatures makes BROTHERHOOD
the ONE LAW of all life.

6.	We cannot entertain the idea of "separateness" or of "selfishness"
and hope to live peacefully and in secret evil lives. { God in its
omnipresence is also said to be omniscient -- to know everything ) So
there are NO SECRETS to the all-seeing eye of GOD immanent in the
whole of Nature and in every single creature.

7.	Of what use is it to do evil and hurt or torture others if the only
result is that the universal Law of God as Life notes our
depredations, and, turning educative, reflects those same faults,
hurts, tortures back on to us, so that WE FEEL THE EXACT RESULTS of
all the harm and pain we have generated.

8.	The sole reasonable conclusion is: DO GOOD at every turn and to
all.

And thus, our lives and works are positive and active prayers, and
bring about the peace of harmony everywhere.

If we have to pray, then let us pray to the God within -- to that
Divine Fragment secreted in the "heart" of our consciousness and
intelligence. ( S D I 280 fn)

Those who understand this important concept, will choose to assist in
"God's" Work -- which is the support of all life and, this is done by
each of us as the quiet concentrated attention of a brother bent on
being of intimate assistance to all brothers that life places in his
way or near to him or her. It also demands the recognition that all
creatures have a right to live, and our duty is to assist and not to
destroy them.

Another implication of this seeking, is the recognition that
interiorly, the "voice of conscience" -- which is the voice of our
Inner God -- always responds and always WARNS when we are about to
commit an evil deed. It is we, the embodied mind-beings who have to
voluntarily determine the rules and ways of our living. Theosophy
shows these, and we can profit from them by using them. Honesty and
sincerity are the result.

As far as I can see this is not being "goody-goody." It is
self-defense. Who wishes to draw pain, suffering and harm to
themselves ? The old doctrine of Karma expressed as "You gets what
you pays for" is a fair maxim to keep in mind at all times.

Best wishes,



Dallas

-----Original Message-----
From: L.R. A
Sent:	Tuesday, June 18, 2002 7:33 PM
To:
Subject:	Prayer

It has been said that God is not a "Being" but a Rule
of Laws which tend toward the perfection of all
beings.

It would therefore seem to follow that prayer directed
to that Rule of Laws will only be "heard" and perhaps
"answered" if the one who prays submits a petition
that is totally devoid of selfish motives.

Crawling on one's knees from the cathedral door all
the way to the altar and delivering one's request to a
priest, as is the custom in some places, does not
appear to be a selfless way of approaching Deity. This
might be so because such activity often represents
such prayers as "heal me or him or her," "save my
marriage" or "send me true love," etc.

On the other hand, who among us has progressed enough
to pray to the Absolute Principle and ask for nothing,
save that "His" will be done-and with thanks for the
Karma that is unfolding?

For those of us who have not yet reached that state of
selflesness, for those of us who often feel lost and
lonely in our very partial and imperfect knowledge: is
it right and proper that we should ask that
omnipresent Rule of Laws for GUIDANCE? And will "He"
listen and reply? Will "He" perhaps show us just a
little more Truth so that we may be encouraged?

__________________________________________________
CUT