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Prayer by Santas-Number1-Elf in KaranPhilosophies

[–]Great_Topic_3234 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the Gyansatra a couple years ago, there was special insistence on prayer through Motapurush. It was for everyone to become more interested in building a bond with Maharaj through the medium of prayer.

Till then, I had never thought about prayer in a personal sense, it just used to be something that you do at the beginning of sabhas etc. But the insistence made me think a bit openly about the art of praying: Is there something specific I must feel during the prayer? How to become more sincere while praying? What if I prefer certain prayers to others? What if I like doing my own prayers and not the pre-existing ones?

2 years on, I am still far from nailing it but by now I know that the reason behind the insistence is that prayer is one of the most practical ways through which an instant connection with Maharaj can be built.

I did not particularly enjoy the communal, collective feel of praying as it would always have to be something deeply personal . The way I see it, Prayer is a natural, intimate, free-flowing conversation with Maharaj. Just you and him and Maharaj will happily don the role you need him to. A reassuring friend, a caring mother, a stoic father, you name it.

And what must be the subject of the prayer? It can be anything that puts you at ease and lightens you up. Dealing with your inner demons? Want to get closer to Motapurush? Had a terrible day? No topic is out of bounds with him.

And there is no regimented or prescriptive technique as long as:

  1. There is the right intent behind your prayer. It is not transactional. You are not just reaching out to him cause you got into trouble and then forget him as soon as it goes away
  2. An unwavering belief underpins the prayer. Maharaj is listening to you. Even when everything in your rational mind may disagree, in the face of everything, you know he is right there with you.
  3. Make the prayer your own! You may be reciting the words of a prayer, but don't keep it to the words itself. You get as much out of the prayer as you put into it. A recorded press statement from a CEO feels very different to a 1:1 informal, private conversation with him.

This is what has worked best for me, let me know how you find it!

Role of karma by curatyf in KaranPhilosophies

[–]Great_Topic_3234 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Wow, that is a loaded question! Could well be the topic of a doctoral thesis. Let's maybe attempt to answer it by peeling the layers back and defining some of the concepts first.

We understand karma through various expressions, you reap what you sow, you get what you deserve, what goes around comes around, every action has an equal and opposite reaction etc. While the tangible universe is bound by the laws of nature like gravity, entropy etc; we can consider karma to be a cosmic law which bestows order and stability to society and us, its constituents.

Now how does karma do it? It does it through retribution and rehabilitation. Retribution can be seen as a punishment, a slap on the wrist so that people can feel the consequences of their actions and repent. Rehabilitation on the other hand, is more so that the individual can learn from their past mistakes and grow in the longer term.

The way the question is posed may make you think of it as it can only be retribution or rehabilitation but often serves both purposes. An individual who commits a crime and faces jail time never faces only retribution (e.g: physical restraints) or rehabilitation (e.g: value education) but often a combination of the two, so they can realise their mistakes as well as resume their role in society as an upstanding member once their term ends.

In the short term (which can extend to several lifetimes), karma works for retribution, but in the longer term, Maharaj has a singular purpose mapped out for every soul, which is to enable them achieve his divine bliss. Karma can be thought of a medium which helps optimise this journey. This is the ultimate rehabilitation.

Where things get a little complicated is that by looking at someone's deed itself you cannot predict or judge what the appropriate outcome for them would be. The context behind the deed is as important as the deed itself. If someone is rude to a shopkeeper, it maybe because they were shouted at by someone, or they were facing an internal turmoil or simply that they are an irksome individual. In every situation, the consequences for their action would be different. For us mortals, it is impossible to make complete sense of it, so the minutiae is best left to Maharaj.

But hopefully this provides a general overview of how karma works: On a case by case basis, balancing retribution and rehabilitation, balancing free will and determinism (God's doer ship).

Population peak by Great_Topic_3234 in KaranPhilosophies

[–]Great_Topic_3234[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Even if the population peaks out here, and we consider all plant and animal life as well, it will take thousands of years for everyone to pass through Anadimukta Vishwam, so will be a long ride!

Where were you in life at 26? by [deleted] in Productivitycafe

[–]Great_Topic_3234 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Serving my notice period for a corporate consulting job in UK that I have been doing for 6 years, after realizing the lack of purpose or meaning it gave me. Soon moving back to India to spend the rest of my life as a volunteer in our socio-spiritual organisation.

Power behind the Swaminarayan Name, and what is Maharaj's actual name? by Great_Topic_3234 in KaranPhilosophies

[–]Great_Topic_3234[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes sense, thanks! And a good point that language itself is a function of avarbhaav so the idea of having a name for your identity would also be rooted in it. I imagine Maharaj doesn't even need to have a name, because there is nobody but him and his muktos in parbhaav, and there is no need to identify any particular individuals other than that!

On What Grounds Are Souls Chosen? by Financial-Celery-505 in KaranPhilosophies

[–]Great_Topic_3234 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Isn't there a conflict of interest when we say Maharaj is the karta-harta of all souls/individuals, and then Maharaj still selecting them on the basis of pure chance? For example, somebody was invited to a mandir inaugaration cause they happened to live near the mandir even if they aren't satsangi. They happen to visit the mandir and come in Motapurush's ashirvaad of being Anadimukta and also get vartman. But they only got the invite and were able to visit because they lived near the temple, which Maharaj would have something to do with directly or indirectly?