In Hinduism, how does one pray properly, and what can be achieved through prayer?

[NickSM11]

From the perspective of Hinduism, how does a person pray properly, and what can be achieved through prayer?

[Vinayaka]

The most common way would be to stand before God, (usually at a temple, but certainly after presence has been invoked) and silently petition him for what you want, be it clarity, comfort. etc. and mentally say it as clearly as you can in your own language. Then, after whatever is gotten, a thank you is in order, in the same way.

Since it's God, all languages are acceptable, and also since it's God, anything adharmic won't be answered. Why would God do anything adharmic?

There are also standard Sanskrit prayers you can learn and recite.

[peteyzen]

love Vinayaka`s answer. I would say ask for oeverything, and offer up to the divine everything. All the time you ask you are connecting and getting that divine connection.

[NickSM11]

Thank you guys.

Would you say that faith plays an important role in Hindu prayer? If so, what kind of role?

[dattaseva]

Faith should be based on logic, but at the same time, should be above logic. From what I've learned, prayers to God can be of three types:

1) The devotee asks God for a specific thing. Here, the person is sure of what he/she wants and gives no liberty to God in granting a boon.

2) The devotee gives 50 percent freedom to God. He prays to God, but asks only for good. God is given the liberty to give anything God wants, but only if that something turns out to be good for the devotee.

3) The best devotee gives 100 percent freedom to the Lord. He asks the Lord to do whatever the Lord likes. This devotee is prepared to receive bad results also if it can please the Lord. His only aim is to do whatever God likes; his goal is the pleasure of God. This devotee feels that he is only an inert means for the play of the Lord by which the Lord is entertained.

A player kicks a football and is entertained. This kind of a devotee also likes to receive continuous sufferings if such suffering can entertain the Lord.

When Jesus was doing His last prayer, He tried to avoid the future agony of death. For a moment, He was shaken with the forthcoming agony of crucifixion. But He immediately regained His original state and ended the prayer by saying "Let Thy will be done". He finally said that He was prepared to suffer if that was the will of the Lord. This is the best devotion.

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by NickSM11

Thank you guys.

Would you say that faith plays an important role in Hindu prayer? If so, what kind of role?

I'm not sure what you mean by faith in this context. Faith in the Gods? Faith in their ability to answer prayers?

Yes I have faith personally. I wouldn't be a Hindu without faith. Faith, being an intuitive process, is quite illogical. The rational mind will try to discount it. But it's also based on one's personal experiences.

I'll tell the farmer on the road analogy ... Suppose there is a farmer on the road, just below a hill. As you walk by each day, he says things like ... 'over the hill, you will see a blue car' or 'over the hill today, you will see an elephant' . So life goes on like this, for let's say, 100 days, and every single day the farmer is correct about what is over the hill.

Eventually you come to completely trust that farmer. You have faith in what he says, based on the 100 experience.

So too it is with Guru, and Gods. Eventually, because they never fail you, you just learn to trust.

[Shivani Devi]

Namaste.

I think it has something to do with bhava...or right emotion and meaningful purpose to prayer:

https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5935/bhava

I also like all the answers given.

Om Namah Shivaya

[NickSM11]

Thanks to everyone for contributing.

Originally Posted by Vinayaka

I'm not sure what you mean by faith in this context. Faith in the Gods? Faith in their ability to answer prayers?

Yes I have faith personally. I wouldn't be a Hindu without faith. Faith, being an intuitive process, is quite illogical. The rational mind will try to discount it. But it's also based on one's personal experiences.

I'll tell the farmer on the road analogy ... Suppose there is a farmer on the road, just below a hill. As you walk by each day, he says things like ... 'over the hill, you will see a blue car' or 'over the hill today, you will see an elephant' . So life goes on like this, for let's say, 100 days, and every single day the farmer is correct about what is over the hill.

Eventually you come to completely trust that farmer. You have faith in what he says, based on the 100 experience.

So too it is with Guru, and Gods. Eventually, because they never fail you, you just learn to trust.

That was a great analogy. I might have to use that sometime in the future.

What I meant was faith in God's ability to answer prayers. The main reason why I asked if faith plays an important role in the Hindu style of prayer is because I know that a lot of religions share the same principles, and I wanted to know exactly how similar Hindu prayer is to Christian prayer. In Christianity, the essence of proper prayer is faith.

Jesus said:
Whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.
It is done unto you according to your faith
All things are possible to they who believe.

[Shivani Devi]

How I see it personally is that the whole 'faith set' is built into the auspices of Lord Shiva.

He is known as "Bholenath" and that means that worshiping Him doesn't take rocket science...it is so easy, anybody can do it.

He is known as "Asutosh" and that means "easily pleased" or "satisfied".

So basically, Lord Shiva is satisfied with the simplest worship of Him and grants wishes or boons to his sincere devotees...He's pretty much notorious for it.

Anything I have ever wanted, He has always given me...but I know not to ask for money or possessions or material things because that is an antithesis to the worship of Him.

It's also in the way we pray...if we stand before God saying "I want this, please help me" chances are, it's not going to eventuate.

When we pray, we go "I have a problem and I'm sure You are aware of it...being God and all...is it possible to override karma here?...of course, You know what is best for me and I love You regardless...I shall await Your decision in the matter..."

Yeah, it's sort of like that.

Om Namah Shivaya

[Vinayaka]

Originally Posted by NickSM11

Thanks to everyone for contributing.


That was a great analogy. I might have to use that sometime in the future.

What I meant was faith in God's ability to answer prayers. The main reason why I asked if faith plays an important role in the Hindu style of prayer is because I know that a lot of religions share the same principles, and I wanted to know exactly how similar Hindu prayer is to Christian prayer. In Christianity, the essence of proper prayer is faith.

Jesus said:
Whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.
It is done unto you according to your faith
All things are possible to they who believe.

Of course we Hindus hold that prayers have to be within dharma. I'm not familiar with Christianity enough to comment.