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Osho's perspective on Prayer
When Osho Spoke About Prayer
Passages from the discourses where this theme comes alive.
Beloved master, oscar wilde once said: "when the gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers." would you please comment?
Devageet, Oscar Wilde is right. It often happens that what psychologists cannot explain about the human mind, the creative artist, the poet, can easily explore to the depths which are beyond logic, beyond reason, beyond scientific research. Oscar Wilde's statement is of tremendous value. When he says, "When the Gods want to punish us, they answer our prayers," he is saying something about our unconsciousness. We are not aware what we are doing, we are not aware what we are asking, we are not aware what we are praying for. Our consciousness is so superficial and our unconsciousness is so deep that it is bound to be that, if our prayers are fulfilled, it will not be a reward, it will be a punishment; because we had asked for something in our sleep and we will repent that we asked for it. For example, you are all aware of the…
Question: First question: Osho, isn’t prayer nothing but repentance? Naresh! Prayer and repentance have no connection at all—not even a distant one. Repentance is a process of the ego; the ego busy adorning itself, trying to plaster over the mistakes and slips that have happened. Repentance is past-oriented, while prayer is the name of plunging totally into the present moment. Prayer has neither a past nor a future. Prayer is neither repentance nor a plan. Prayer is not a demand—this should be granted, that should be granted; nor is it a confession that I did this wrong, I did that wrong. Remembering one’s mistakes and asking forgiveness for them—that too is ego. And by pleading for pardon for one’s mistakes, who has ever become free of them? The more you beg forgiveness, the more you repeat the mistakes.
And you have also asked whether prayer is only for oneself?
Prayer happens only when you are not; how then can it be for yourself? Buddha has said: the meditation, the prayer that is for oneself becomes false, goes wrong, gets distorted, turns poisonous. Prayer is always for the whole. That is exactly where the mistake happens. When you go to the temple, you ask for something for yourself—that is the very slip. There was a famous Zen fakir, Nan-in. A man used to come to him; Nan-in taught him prayer. In Buddhist prayer an essential part is this: first let your feeling be overwhelmed, and then say, “Whatever joy has come to me in this prayer, may it spread across the entire earth, may it reach all who suffer. Let it not remain with me; let it flow to all.” This is an indispensable part of Buddhist prayer. Because Buddha said: if meditation does not flower into total compassion, it…
Is there any place for prayer in religion if there is no god?
In an authentic religion, meditation has a place, but not prayer. Prayer is extrovert, meditation is introvert. Meditation makes you a buddha, prayer simply makes you a beggar. And prayer is fiction-oriented, meditation is truth-oriented. Meditation is Zen, and prayer is nothing but part and parcel of the fiction called God. Avoid prayers, they are taking you away from your own existential reality. Go deeper into meditation. That is the only religiousness possible. The sutras: <q>OUR BELOVED MASTER, WHEN SEKITO RECEIVED THE PRECEPTS, HIS MASTER, SEIGEN, ASKED HIM, "NOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE PRECEPTS, YOU WANT TO LEARN THE VINAYA, DON'T YOU?"</q> Vinaya is one of the scriptures of Gautam Buddha. The whole name is vinaya pitak. Seigen asked Sekito, "You are initiated into sannyas, do you now want to learn the scriptures called VINAYA?" The word vinaya means humbleness. It is one of the series of discourses of Buddha.…
Can prayer sometimes be harmful?
outcome"Without awareness, prayer becomes a mindless ritual; true prayer is the conscious presence of the heart, not a superstition of the mind."
Do prayers reach God?
definition"True prayer is not a request but the fragrance of a grateful heart; it transforms the pray-er and reaches the essence of one's own being, not a distant God."
How and when is prayer born?
definition"Prayer is born the moment surrender flowers within, when the ego relaxes and the heart whispers, "I am not; Thou art." Let your prayer take its unique form, shaped by your own sensitivity and the essence of existence."
"Prayer as a ritual creates a separation between you and God, but true prayerfulness is a state of being where every act becomes an expression of gratitude, dissolving the illusion of duality."
How should I pray and worship?
practice"Prayer is not an act of doing; it is the natural blossoming of silence when the doer steps aside. In that surrendered emptiness, your true essence will express itself in tears, song, and a living mantra."
"Let your prayer be a spontaneous outpouring of love, an authentic expression of your heart in whatever form it takes—be it tears, song, or silence. Speak to the Divine as you would to a beloved, with intimacy and honesty, free from the constraints of formality."
How should I pray?
practice"Pray not with the head but with the heart, for true prayer arises from vulnerability, love, and the silent surrender of the soul."
"Prayer is not a plea for God's love; it is the celebration of existence, where you realize your own divinity and the grace that is already within you."
"In the aching longing of separation, let your tears be the invocation; this sacred pain is the price of true prayer."
How to pray?
practice"Prayer is not a method; it is the fragrance of love—wordless, spontaneous, and unique to each heart. Open your eyes and heart, and join existence’s celebration, receiving the Infinite with the emptiness of your being."
If there is no God, what is prayer?
definition"True prayer is not a petition; it is a silent, choiceless consent to existence, a deep trust and gratitude for whatever unfolds."
"True prayer is not a request for comfort, but a surrender to the dissolution of the self; it is the ripeness to vanish into non-being."
"Prayer is not something you do; it is a way of being, where every act becomes a sacred expression of gratitude and oneness with the Divine."
Is prayer enough?
outcome"Real prayer arises from your innermost core; it is not about words, but about a deep, authentic connection that transforms you."
Is prayer nothing but repentance?
definition"True prayer is not a confession of guilt, but a spontaneous plunge into the present moment, a celebration of existence free from the burdens of the past and the anxieties of the future."
Is prayer only for oneself?
definition"True prayer begins when the “I” disappears; it is a selfless sharing of joy that dissolves separation and unites the heart with the divine."
"Singing the song of the divine is not just prayer; it is the ecstatic overflow of gratitude that transforms silent thanksgiving into a vibrant expression of joy."
"True religion turns inward; replace prayer with meditation and transform a beggar into an emperor."
What exactly is prayer?
definition"Prayer is not an act but a state of being, a silent harmony with existence that transcends the self and dissolves the illusion of separation."
"When you find no light, let your prayer be a formless silence; trust the darkness and allow your inner flame of awareness to ignite."
"Gratitude in prayer transforms your heart from craving to surrender, allowing grace to blossom in the fertile soil of trust and patience."
"Prayer is not about expecting a reply; it is the act of surrender itself that brings fulfillment and grace."
"Unanswered prayers are not prayers; they are demands weighed down by desire. True prayer is a silent gratitude that rises like wings, inviting grace to respond with joy and blessing."
What is prayer and is it only for oneself?
definition"Prayer is not a plea or a ritual; it is a silent surrender where the 'I' dissolves into the cosmic rhythm, becoming a universal presence that transcends all boundaries."
What is prayer?
definition"Prayer is the heart's wordless celebration; when you embrace existence with festive eyes, every moment becomes a prayer."
Profound Quotes on Prayer
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