Jump to content

1930_11_23 COMMUNION WITH GOD


Jackline Spasova-Bobeva
 Share

Recommended Posts

from The Blossoming of the Human Soul

 

COMMUNION WITH GOD

 

Life, as it reveals itself, possesses one real and one unreal side. The manifestations of Life have their practcal and theoretical meaning. Faith, for example, is one of the theoretical aspects of Life. Regardless of what you think about it, faith is still a theory. In this respect, people differ in their theoretical views about faith and Life. However, regarding what is real in Life or, in other words, regarding the essential aspects of Life, in general all living beings, including humans have similar perceptions, experiences, and perspectives. This implies that within the reality of things unity exists. For example, when Joy comes, it creates the same conditions and transformations among all living beings. However, they are most evident in humans. When someone is joyful, his pulse quickens, the blood flow from the heart increases, and all organs expand. In general, Joy brings expansion to people.

 

Prayer is another real element in Life. Whoever does not know how to pray can only theorize. However, theorizing about prayer cannot be called genuine prayer. Many people of today believe that prayer, in general, is mostly for the ordinary people. They consider prayer to be quite simple for scholars, geniuses, and saints. In reality, if the life of these people is reviewed, it would become evident that it is prayer from the beginning to the end and nothing else than prayer. Their life begins and finishes with a prayer. For example, the prayer of a genius indicates inspiration coming from some great idea, which the genius wants to fulfill as a contribution to the world. The genius’ life is completely selfless. For this reason, we state: Neither a genius nor a saint strive for personal benefits in life. Therefore, only those who are ready to perceive prayer in an intrinsic and intuitive way are able to grasp its deep meaning. None of modern languages can express the profound idea hidden in the concept of prayer. And in the different languages of today because of the lack of suitable words we use substitutes, which can only approximately convey the concept of prayer. Praying means to direct your mind, heart, soul, and spirit toward the Source of Life from which you have come. A person may become unkind, if he rarely thinks about the One Cause or, in other words, about the Primordial Source of Life. Therefore, the downfall of the present humankind has one profound, intrinsic cause: the negligence of the First Principle from which it originates.

 

People of today are negligent in their attitude toward God and that is why you often hear someone saying, “I am a free human being. I can do without God. I can do without praying as well.” This is the reasoning of a person who believes to be free. And yet, this reasoning is obviously incorrect for the sole reason that the Real, or in other words, the Absolute in the world cannot be divided. As God who has created us cannot forget us, in the same way, we do not have the right to forget Him. Should God forget us, everything will come to an end for us and we are going to die; likewise, if we forget God, we are going to die as well. You ask, “Why are we going to die?” I will tell you why death comes. When you ask: Is it not possible to live without praying, it is just as if you suggest that you can live without breathing. If you think that you are free and independent, try to stop breathing only for one hour. If try to do it, you will realize the necessity of breathing. In the same way as with breathing, the conscious awareness of God is not only vital, but even a thousand times more important than breathing for the human being. The more you remember God and keep Him in mind, the better your character becomes. The noble character depends on your mindfulness of God. It implies that if we desire to hold sublime ideals, we need to recognize this truth: God is the Essence that flows through all of us. In all situations that occur in our lives, whether joyful or sorrowful, we need to remember God. Education, sublime ideas, sciences, religions, arts, mastery cannot exist without God - none can exist without God. Someone may say, “Culture can exist without God.” I reply: Culture can exist without God as far as earthly life without sunshine. Culture can exist without God as far as plants without water. And Culture can exist without God as far as people without air. These comparisons show the great need of prayer. Human thought cannot develop without prayer. We do not consider the distorted human thoughts, in which the idea of God is presented in a twisted way. The idea of modern people about God is one of the fallen humankind. What they consider reality, in fact, is not Reality at all.

 

How many times have people prayed to God without receiving an answer? Why are the people’s prayers not answered? Praying to God without receiving an answer is like when a thirsty person dreams that he is drinking water; but waking up from his sleep, he is still thirsty. The water he drank in his dream has not quenched his thirst. It means that this water was not actually real. Reality is distinguished by its capability to satisfy any inner need that one feels. In Reality, one can advance continuously and unceasingly.

 

The gathering this evening is dedicated to the true nature of prayer so that you could understand how to pray. I would like to hear from you how you pray. When you pray; in other words, when you go before God, you feel meek. Can you pray properly, when you are timid? And what is the reason for your timidity? When a student has learned his lesson, he rises hand bravely and decisively, and gives a good answer to every question asked by the teacher. And vice versa, if the lesson is not prepared, the student feels timid and tells himself, “The teacher is going to fail me.” When you pray to God, keep in mind the following quality of His: God is very patient, but expects us to make efforts. When you pray, pray for what is real and genuine. God does not like us to pray for superficial things, which we can do by ourselves. We should not expect God to act upon such things. It is ridiculous, for example, to go before God and say, “Lord, teach me how to eat,” or “Teach me, Lord, how to drink water; how to shake hands with people; how to dress.” Many prayers of today are of this nature.

 

I say: People of today need such a prayer that will set their lives right and will eradicate any self-indulgent behavior. Self-indulgence is a vice like an ulcer that eats away at the human soul. Like a cloud, it darkens one’s consciousness and hardens one’s heart. The self-indulgent individual thinks all day long only about oneself: to have a good meal and warm, comfortable home, to be healthy and well-dressed. As to the suffering of others, such person says, “It has nothing to do with me.” The lack of interest in others is an alien state which could be quite susceptible. It is rare but so offensive that one will need a long purification to be able to release it.

 

And so, remember the following truth: there is nothing greater in one’s life than prayer. People may tell you whatsoever, but you should not forget the foremost importance of prayer and communion with God. Neither knowledge nor love or wisdom on Earth can be compared to prayer, to the communion of the human being with the First Cause. The power of prayer lies in this: at worship people need to set all their virtues to work. Prayer in which it does not happen is not genuine. Prayer should include the qualities of Love, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Virtue, Compassion, and many other virtues. When you go before God with a prayer like this, you resemble a tree covered with ripe fruit. Seeing you so adorned, God will be pleased that a wise child stands before Him and knows how to speak in the sublime, Angelic language. You say, “We cannot all be wise children.” It does not matter as God is patient toward His foolish children as well, but there is a difference between the wise and the foolish child. The foolish child will never achieve the results of the wise one. We see this everywhere in Life: the wise child studies; while the foolish child always procrastinates. The wise child is rewarded, while the foolish child indulges oneself.

 

I say: If people of today do not know how to pray, they will lose even the little they have preserved. All good, great, and beautiful that is preserved in them is due to the Spirit of prayer acting in their souls. Therefore, as a result of praying, although it is not so well applied in the modern society, something good was preserved and something new was attained. Thanks to the prayers we offer we have become channels of the sublime powers and noble values through which the entire humankind is sustained. The soul needs intrinsic, spiritual nourishment that can be attained only through prayer.

 

Now, when I look at you, I notice that you are enriched by the knowledge I have passed to you; and yet, you have not still learned how to pray. In many aspects you think, preach, and speak as I do; but there remains something unknown for you: and that is how to pray as I do. The only thing that I cannot teach you is how to pray. I never allow myself to teach anyone how to pray. Why? From my point of view, prayer is the most sacred act that belongs to the soul itself. Someone asks me, “How do you pray, when do you pray?” I cannot tell you how,  but I am always praying. I pray when I eat and drink water, when I read and work. At all times and everywhere, I pray. You might ask, “Do you not feel burdened by so much praying?” On the contrary, I feel uplifted. Life consists primarily of the act of praying. Should one cease to pray, Life will disappear. Prayer is something great. It is not expressed through the mumbling or whispering of prayers. When you learn how to pray, your life will become meaningful. Christ’s disciples did not know how to pray either, that is why they turned to Him with the words, “Master, teach us how to pray.”[1] Christ answered them, “When the Spirit of Truth comes, It will teach you.”[2] However, they had a model of true worship in the presence of Christ.

 

I say: Everyone can learn how to pray. Prayer is determined by one’s virtues, so you should place Good as a foundation of Life. When the foundation is placed, you will not even notice how the ability to pray will come as a natural result of Life. Then your soul will get to blossom like a tree with thousands of fragrant blossoms.

 

When a person goes in the mood of supplication, malice ceases to exist for him. He is kindly disposed to every one. He rejoices in everything and gives thanks for all. Even if he sees a crawling worm, he will stop to help it in one way or another. When he looks at a tree whose branches and leaves sway in the breeze, he feels well-disposed toward it and desires to help it. Everything is alive to this person. He sees God’s Spirit working and assisting everywhere. This awakens within him the impulse to work too and to free oneself from the limiting conditions of Life.

 

You ask whether only human beings pray. Every living being prays including animals and plants. The fragrance that the plants disperse throughout the air is their prayer. When they lose their fragrance, they wither. As long as a plant is fragrant, it grows and develops. There are plants, whose leaves in addition to their blossoms disperse a fragrance.

 

Therefore, when people pray, they produce some fragrance like plants. The more they pray, the more fragrance they produce. If praying ceased, the fragrance will gradually dissipate. Those who have never prayed or forgot how to pray have this fragrance lost. It depends on the quality of their development, on the virtues they have. The more developed virtues are, the stronger fragrance one emits.

 

Therefore, prayer is the most valuable work in Life. As far as the way one should pray, it is a personal matter and you are going to learn it on your own. You will hear just an echo, if I teach you how to pray, so you will find it tiresome at the end and will cease praying. Prayer is genuinely precious only when it comes from the depth of your soul. If you ask someone to teach you praying, he will answer, “I would better pray for you, but you will work for me.” This is the Law: If you work for someone, he will inevitably pray for you. If he does not, you, in turn, are not obliged to work for him. Such are the manners among spiritual people. If you pray for someone, that person will work for you.

 

This evening I would like you to pray, while I am going to work, or vice versa, I will pray and you will work. We can divide into two groups: one-half will work, the other half will pray. Whatever you agree upon, one thing is important: all of you need to participate and direct your attention to God. There is not a moment that is more solemn than raising our minds and hearts toward the One Who has granted all Blessings to us. If you do this continuously in the course of a whole year, you are going to be joyful and cheerful all the time, experiencing the presence of God. Prayer can be helpful in all circumstances of Life. Without prayer, anything: whether science, religion, or love remains uninspired. Without grace even nourishment is wearisome. All you do without prayer deprives you of joy.

 

There are worshippers who are very precise in their prayers: their prayers are rigid, measured, reserved. However, there are others, especially among the poor, whose prayers go freely and fluently with the flow of their feelings at a given moment. After such a prayer, the faces of these people become luminous and get to smile; at the same time, a change occurs in their souls as well. You may listen to a poor person who is praying like this, “Lord, I have an inner desire to pray, but I do not know how. I am aware that You bestow Your time and care upon me, but I have not yet learned how to pray. I make efforts to do Your Will, but do not succeed always, as I make mistakes. If You should strike me down, Your arm will crush me. Have mercy upon me. I will not repeat the same mistakes again.” Receiving this prayer, God sends a Blessing to this soul and says, “This is a wise child of Mine who will readily improve.” I am presenting things in the human perspective as they happen among people. Who has never met in life a candid and sincere person speaking from the depth of one’s soul? Listening to his words, you feel that person’s readiness to offer you any service, and do any sacrifice for you. So you feel well-disposed to such person. Even when he has caused you some harm, you are ready to forgive him right then. I say: Your transgressions will not be forgiven, unless you forgive the transgressions of your fellowmen. Often you turn to God with a plea to learn some secret. Many things will be revealed to you, but only when you learn to pray properly.

 

Now, looking at you this evening, I notice that there are both young and old people among you. You all say that you love one another and have brotherly feelings among yourselves. What distinguishes the old from the young? The old wants to render service to the young and the young is willing to work. It implies that they both are ready to do any assigned work. All human beings should have in their souls the absolute willingness of serving God in the same way as Angels and Advanced Beings are ready to help anyone regardless of the difference in the living conditions.

 

You say, “In which direction should we face when we pray?” You should know one thing: worship does not tolerate rules or limitations. When praying properly, one is always facing God. You cannot pray if you are not facing God. If you pray to God, but think of someone else - it may be your friend, mother or father - then, you are praying to that person. If you pray to God while thinking of your money or home, you are praying to those. If you pray to God while thinking of a saint, you are praying to that saint but not to God. If you want your prayer to be received by God, your thought should be exclusively focused on Him. During prayer, your mind should be free of any extrinsic thoughts.

 

Therefore, the image of God should be the focus of your mind while praying, no other image. You may say, “We do not know the image of God.” No, you know it and you should only recall it now within yourselves.

 

There is an instant in Life when all beings - from the least to the greatest ones - pray to God. In this case, the mystical aspect of praying lies in one’s ability to recognize this instant and unite with the collective prayer, saying, “I turn my mind, heart, soul, and spirit to God Whom all others address at that very moment.” At that point, all will send forth their thoughts to God according to their own development. God will answer this collective prayer by sending to each one as much Light as needed.

 

Now, let us say “The Good Prayer”[3] directing our minds toward God Whom all beings are appealing to tonight. This is a collective prayer not only for the humankind but for the entire Universe: for all Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Dominions, and Powers.

 

Prayer is the only way to obtain God’s Blessings so that we can grow and develop according to God’s Will.

 

Lecture of the Master Beinsa Douno held on November 23, 1930, Sofia, Izgrev.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. See also Luke 11:1, “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’”

2. See also John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all Truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

3. A prayer given by the Master.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...