Prayer

PRAYER Clarified spirit Calmed heart!

MARIANNE KLAUSER STALDER

Part Two

Develop a personal prayer culture

Praying is a pathway that is to be well-kept! Several aspects will have a positive effect on the development of a personal prayer culture, namely the trust that we place in prayer, the necessary preparation and the individual shaping of the prayer in accordance with our own personality.

Pray with heartfelt confidence

Many people find it difficult to pray because of adopted errors that act as stumbling blocks on the path thereto. One of these is the idea of an arbitrarily punitive or helpful God. It is rightly perceived that this conception of God, which was transmitted in former times, described in many facets in the Old Testament or depicted in art, can never correspond to what God really must be: HE, the Creator of the whole Universe, the starting point of all Power and all Light, high and sublime, stands far above all human conceptions and visualisations.

peoples from the misery ensuing therefrom. Sooner or later, those who utter such prayers meet with disappointment, because their prayers seemingly remain unanswered. The wars only get worse and the misery increases unabated.

Nevertheless, it may be assumed that prayers which originate from genuine compassion and longing for peace do not remain without effect. However, we must first come to the recognition that God does not intervene arbitrarily in man-made events, nor does He need to, because, already from the very beginning of Creation, He has woven His Will in the form of active forces into all parts of Creation in such a way that they have an ordering and regulating effect in absolute perfection over everything in Creation. These lawfully acting forces of Creation can be recognised by human beings as Laws of Nature as soon as they open their eyes to these forces which act in nature as well as in human life.

Drawing on the parables of Jesus, Paul described one of these Laws in his letter to the Galatians: ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ (6,7) This describes the principle of reciprocity, which runs through the entire Universe and not only manifests in nature as seed and harvest, but also confronts us human beings

Nothing could be simpler, and yet it is the hardest: simply to be.

From ‘Ephesus’ (Published by Stiftung Gralsbotschaft, Stuttgart)

ISTOCK

There is a great Law that permeates the whole Creation. He who does not sow shall not reap either. That means: he who would like to obtain something shall strive for it. Striving for it, however, does not mean impetuously rushing at it, wanting to force along fulfillment of the wish at all costs. When the wish will be fulfilled, when the harvest is ripe, depends on God’s Will. When man has done his part, he must wait. Exactly at the hour decreed by God, he may then receive what he has earned through his deeds.

Zoroaster

in the Law of Reciprocal Action with the fact that we must reap what we send out, thus what issues from us, be it in thoughts, words or deeds.

Fate or so-called karma develops in the strict activity of this Natural Law for the individual human being as well as for whole nations and ethnic groups and can thus be seen as a consequence of former events and personal decisions, which often go far back into previous earth lives. Only when we take into consideration that every person living on earth at the present time already has a number of earth lives behind him at different times and in different places, does it become clear to us why a particular fate often must inevitably develop, be it in the life of the individual or encompassing whole groups of peoples.

At the same time, however, it has to be borne in mind that not everything that we human beings lament or deplore as hardship, serious setbacks, crisis situations and ill-fated events are karmic repercussions. Rather, many devastating or harrowing developments, such as the loss of a loved one or even the homeland, a severe illness or other mental and emotional traumas, act as catalysts towards faster spiritual maturing and may thus ultimately be seen as a blessing, however difficult this may be to recognise at the time.

Thus, there have been in the course of thousands of years, again and again, peoples who have matured more quickly as a result of terrible events such as war and oppression than those who lived carefree lives in peace and prosperity.

However, karma can begin anew, just as old karma, instead of being redeemed, can be continually reinforced by bad thoughts and hateful, rage-filled emotions that cannot be overcome and laid aside.

In order not to fall into one-sided judgments about the fate of individuals as well as of entire nations or ethnic groups, it is necessary to realise and accept that we human beings do not have an overview of our entire existence and often can only forebodingly distinguish between a ‘blow of fate’ and merciful grace with great difficulty.

In order to be able to deal with everything that is imposed on us in life for our own maturation, the Creator, in His all-embracing love, has placed the healing and strengthening power of the Light and of Love into Creation. Innumerable figures in higher spheres are fully engaged directing these forces in manifold active forms to humans. These forces spring into action as soon as a person seeks a connection with them. That is why Jesus, who knew of these activities in Creation, said, ‘Seek, and ye shall find! Knock, and it shall be opened unto you!’ We may therefore call for help at any time, something which can be experienced especially poignantly in prayer. With the assuredness of these active forces as well as the just exercising of the Natural Laws, the inner attitude of the praying person may be borne by calm confidence, thus confidence in these perfectly acting Cosmic Laws, trust in the Creator's living Power flowing constantly through Creation which holds, at the ready, help for every need and a solution to every pressing question, but also trust in absolute justice, which belongs only to Him, the Creator, as a mark of His perfection.

This awareness of all these active cosmic connections makes it possible to develop in the praying person a deeply felt reverence, calmness, assurance, hope and joy as well as a new fervour while praying.

Praying calls for preparation

That praying is not an everyday activity that can be quickly attended to without much effort, thought or preparation or merely out of habit, is made abundantly clear in the following quotation from the Grail Message:

‘Prayer requires profound earnestness. Pray in quietness and purity, so that the power of the intuitive perception will be increased through quietness and receive through purity that luminous lightness which will enable the prayer to be carried upward to the heights of all that is light and pure! Then the supplicant will receive that fulfilment which will be most beneficial for him and really advance him in his whole being!’ (Lecture: Prayer)

Whoever feels like praying must, therefore, attune to ‘quietness and purity’, must gather himself together and commune with silence, because only through quiescence can a connection be made with the true Heights. However, this requires neither an exhaustive, time-consuming meditation nor any other longwinded exercise, but rather the realisation that one now intends to direct one’s attention solely to God, to HIM, the Most High, the Origin and Creator of all life on earth, the inexhaustible Source of Light and of all Power constantly pulsating through Creation.

This realisation alone can convey a soothing calm and quiescence, through which the external stimuli recede and prevailing thoughts and feelings also calm down. The great forerunners such as Zoroaster, Moses and John the Baptist withdrew for a certain period into solitude in order – surrounded by nature – to prepare themselves for their task. Only in this way could they develop a receptive attitude that was directed upwards and gave rise to a strong connection with the highest planes, where they found new insights and an inexhaustible source of power for their

later work, giving them a completely new strength of personality that expressed itself in clarity of spirit, unperturbed by the hustle and bustle of human activities and independent of their views. At the same time they had to ensure their physical survival, so they could not ‘waft away’, but had to be vigilant towards all earthly exigencies. All of them were tested, challenged, even subjected to temptation several times during this preparatory phase and had to prove their inner orientation. They became patient thereby, having learned to wait. Even the Son of God Jesus withdrew into the desert at about thirty years of age, after becoming aware of His true origin and mission, in order to gain new clarity, awareness and independence in the silence and solitude of this environment.

We humans can learn a lot from this and hereby receive encouragement to seek quiet moments ever again amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life, whereby it becomes possible to delve deeply within ourselves and at the same time to lift our gaze upwards in order to find a connection with luminous higher spheres and also with the threads of Light standing by to help us. This is exactly what develops the true essence of life, that indescribable quality that each person experiences differently again, according to his or her personality and that ultimately gives rise to ‘watching and praying’ as an integral part of the person’s demeanour.

This preparation, thus giving room to silence and quietness, will only take up a few moments, but nevertheless requires a conscious, active focus and all the power that a person can muster according to his individual nature at this moment, in the awareness that he is not about to conduct an everyday conversation, but is seeking a connection with the Most High. Therefore, in all the prayer traditions of the great religions, a special stance, far removed from everyday gestures is adopted, such as the lifting or folding of the hands, which is to serve to gather one’s thoughts and makes it clear that one is now separated from everyday affairs, even if only momentarily, and aims to focus on higher spheres. So it can also help the individual to cultivate a personal stance and disposition that corresponds with the special moment of praying.

This phase of preparation must proceed speedily, because with a long, preparatory meditation comes the danger that everyday thoughts begin to dance around in the brain again, the suppression of which causes much power to be wasted.

A story from a Buddhist monastery may clarify this: One day a cat appeared shortly before prayers and began to disturb the momentum of the necessary composure of the monks. On the advice of the abbot, the cat had to be tethered before praying in order to ensure the necessary peace! But when the cat died years later, the monks could no longer pray... until a new cat appeared that they could tether!

‘Tethering the cat’ is thus a symbol for a certain, preparatory movement, a necessary act, which is meant to bring about a distancing from everyday thoughts, which then makes the inner adjustment and composure possible. Each person will find a personal way to ‘tether the cat’, in order to distance himself from everyday concerns and thereby to find the necessary composure of thoughts. Often this requires an inner jolt, an active bestirring, so that even during phases of absent-mindedness, disquiet and depression, a true prayer can still result. Strongly squeezing together the index finger, thumb and middle finger is a proven exercise for many situations requiring concentration and composure, including preparation for prayer.

A useful form of preparation can also be in reflecting on something good in one’s current life, be it in the morning or at the end of the day. As a result, gratitude will be immediately perceptible, which is expressed, first and foremost, in thanks directed ‘upwards’. This can occur in the form of a thought, a sentence or just a word, or else simply in the intuitive perception, without words.

Reading a poem can be another way towards composure, because the speech rhythm, along with the content, has a helpful – centring effect. It is also a great help for the soul, if it can devote itself, during times of extreme duress or restlessness, to a predetermined, uplifting text.

Beautiful music can also impart a distancing from everyday events and enables the senses to be receptive towards movements from higher spheres.

For people inclined towards the visual arts, viewing a picture may help them attain composure and inner preparation. Art has produced impressive representations of various biblical events – often in connection with luminous phenomena – which are able to tune the viewer's senses to forms of radiation from otherworldly spheres.

The conscious examination of one's own actions and behaviour as well as the current inner attitude also furthers preparation for prayer. But this must not lead to a brooding attitude that loses itself in self-doubt and diffuse feelings of guilt, which only presses down. Rather the preparation should work towards composure and receptivity, to adjust the individual’s senses towards a readiness to receive.

Only attempt a prayer when your soul stirs, be it in joy or in suffering. But every prayer out of wantonness or habit is sacrilege towards God! Let His Name be too sacred for you to have it on your lips at every opportunity!

From ‘Past Millennia’ (Published by Stiftung Gralsbotschaft, Stuttgart)

The tragedy of life is not so much what men suffer, but rather what they miss.

Thomas Carlyle

Such forms of attunement and composure bring with them a distancing from everyday thoughts and should make it possible to direct oneself ‘upwards’, to listen and to open up.

Find the courage for individual prayer

What is needed for prayer preparation is also true for the prayer itself: He who seeks, finds! He who seeks a suitable form of praying will discover for himself the pathways leading to it, and be assured that it will be personal, harmonious and last but not least, attuned to the level of maturity he has attained!

It is only with the right attunement that the foundation is created on which a personal prayer culture can develop, in which prayer receives its regular place in everyday life; for example, as a morning prayer that expresses the intention to begin the day by looking up to the Creator and to subordinate oneself to a higher order ordained by Him.

Or, as an evening prayer that concludes the day’s review of one's own behaviour and expresses gratitude for all one has experienced.

Abd-ru-shin gave two prayers for this purpose, expressing in their brevity and freshness the simple truth that praying is not meant to be an endless stringing or repeating of words. (Page 24)

In addition, in the work, In the Light of Truth the following advice is given:

‘Therefore become natural in your praying, men, become free and unaffected! What you have learned by heart so easily becomes a recitation. You only make it difficult for yourselves by this.’ (Lecture: Ask, and it shall be given unto you!)

In the Grail Message it is also pointed out that the ‘Lord’s Prayer’, this masterpiece of prayer given by Jesus Himself, should not be ‘rattled off’ in the hitherto accustomed manner. Rather, this prayer is a compendium of spiritual knowledge. Each statement is an invitation to hearken, thus to listen attentively, to reflect deeply in silence. Whoever makes this effort will find that the gate is opened to him so that he may find the way to the recognition of the Most High, just as Jesus had promised.

The path of development towards a personally appropriate, natural praying style varies widely for each person, according to his individual nature: A predetermined prayer may provide the necessary support for one person, while for another, it is just this which would be perceived as a constriction. While words help one person to express and shape his inner perception, for another, a visualisation of higher planes in the mind is better suited to this.

In addition to the planned prayer accompanied by the appropriate preparation, spontaneous forms of prayer are just as valuable in everyday life. These may arise during distressing emotional states or when facing especially challenging tasks, but also out of pure relief and gratitude when things turn out well. As a result, a human being can repeatedly reconnect with higher spheres and receive strength and inspiration from there.

Regularly holding back and reflecting during the course of a day also has a beneficial effect; this can be a brief pause during which one asks oneself: ‘Where do I stand with my inner orientation right now?’ Maybe, a small correction is necessary right now in order to refocus and ‘stay on track’ so that one does not lose oneself in the hustle and bustle of one’s surroundings. A brief upward gaze, the visualisation of the active forces from the spiritual world, but also a review of our own intentions and goals, can bring an undreamt-of brightness, a real ray of light into the daily routine and make us calm, cheerful and sensible even in difficult moments. If we were to take only a few seconds to utter a short, heartfelt prayer in disturbing situations, there would be far less reckless behaviour or inflammatory language stemming from these, since at the moment of prayer, the mind is able to calm down, rebalance and attain some clarity.

Thus praying is not only actualised at certain times of the day or in given situations but will, in time, evolve into an inner attitude, which then forms a vital basis for thoughts to brighten and for the mind to clarify. Challenging emotional states such as anxiety attacks or depressive moods as well as constrictions brought about by addiction gradually undergo a progressive brightening right up to a complete dissolution through regular prayer and through the confidence engendered thereby. However, one should view this as a process which requires the necessary time to take effect.

A further aspect of prayer, which Abd-ru-shin points out in the Grail Message, opens up a completely new vision; it is a praying with the help of pictures, which needs no words:

‘If man cannot combine both, i.e., the word and his volition, if he must think too much about the right forming of his words, then it is better only to pray and to thank, or to petition intuitively without words! Then it will surely be undimmed. The firmly formed word blurs much too easily and cramps every intuitive perception.

‘Much more beautiful is it, and also stronger, if you can drop your words and replace them only with one picture arising spiritually before you, into which you can pour intuitive sensing, great and pure! You must try which is easier for you and which does not restrict you! ‘As soon as you can dispense with earthly words then it is your soul which speaks – the soul as it will speak when it has departed from this earth and also from all the planes of gross matter, for then the formed word remains behind.’ (Lecture: Threads of Light above you)

This reveals to us a new kind of praying, which leads away from merely stringing words together, to a heartfelt attitude of willing only what is good, from which, in turn, new forms of prayer emerge, namely living forms that are attuned to the respective state of mind and the individual nature of the praying person.

The ways of prayer are constantly changing in the course of life and, fully in line with the Cosmic Law of Movement, keeping pace thereby with the ongoing personal development of the individual concerned.

Forms of prayer that weary or weigh down indicate that an appropriate form of personalised prayer has not yet been found.

The Grail Message encourages everyone to personalise their whole life, including the development of a personal prayer culture:

‘In so doing he [the human being] must not keep to rigid forms, but everyone must develop himself, from within.’ (Lecture: Awake)

Anyone who takes this statement seriously and seeks to put it into practice, will soon experience that such a personal prayer will always feel good, lively, invigorating, warming, reassuring as well as encourage the gaining of new insights. These new perceptions enable the necessary change of perspective to take place and thereby open fundamentally new horizons. These, in turn, will result in profound joy and confidence as well as encourage the generation of new thoughts.

‘Watch and pray’: thought and mind cultivation in prayer

Most people consider their biography as the result of everything that has approached them from without; for example, whether they were fortunate enough to have a good career or were able to find a suitable partner, whether they are healthy or suffering from illhealth, whether they had to cope with misfortune, or whether they had received help when they needed it. But in reality, it is the other way around: A person’s so-called fate develops on the basis of his thoughts, words and deeds! The person himself is the focal point for the way that his life unfolds! Most people suspect, upon examination of their own lives, that their deeds do have consequences, which fall back on them in accordance with the Cosmic Law of Reciprocal Action, but they generally do not include their thoughts in this. However, thoughts too, have similar repercussions:

With the nature of the thoughts emanating from him, each person – even before these manifest in concrete actions – creates a finer material environment which envelops him, the existence of which is not recognisable with the physical eye, but is real nevertheless. This environment, located in the world of fine matter, is characterised by forms and colours that correspond exactly to the nature of the thoughts produced. These radiate outwards, while at the same time also react backwards upon the originator. It is thus the human being himself who creates these radiating shapes and colours.

This radiation, that is, the thought-energy, attracts similar thoughts from the finer material part of Creation, whereby the initial thought gains reinforcement. Good, luminous, upbuilding and thoughts borne of love attract similar thoughts, which over time can form a protective layer around a human being.

Destructive thoughts of hatred, anger, envy, resentment or those linked to addictions or evil habits likewise attract similar human-created forms from the base planes of the ethereal world.

This reinforcement from the centres of thoughtforms in the ethereal world explains why a person often finds a perceptible strengthening of his or her original thoughts, be it in an upbuilding, inspiring or creative manner or at the other end of the scale, reinforced with sombrely depressing, aggressive, angry, fervid or destructive content.

This vividly active cosmic causal relationship is described in more detail in the Grail Message:

‘The Living Creative Power which flows through man collects ethereal substance through the volition of a completed thought and moulds it into a form which gives expression to the will of this thought. Thus this form is something real, something living, which now, in accordance with the Law of Attraction of Homogeneous Species, attracts what is homogeneous in this world of thought-forms or is attracted by them, depending on the strength it possesses.’