We all know what’s happening in the world. We all know that Paris, the City of Light, the mighty city that belongs to the entire world has been attacked last Friday, 13th November 2015, that universities, theatres, places of culture, relaxation and freedom are besieged all over the world, from Lebanon to Mali, from Egypt to Tunisia, from Iraq to Syria and beyond, far beyond. We all know what’s happening in the world. What we don’t know is what the hell can do about it. What can we do about it that we haven’t done before? What can we do about it that doesn’t involve more crime, more violence, more hatred, more fear, more of the same of what we’ve always done? What can we do to release this horrible karma we seem to share?
To be honest, I don’t know. And when I don’t know what to do, I always pray.
I think our mixed feelings towards the idea of religion and the institution of church has also made us reactive to the idea of ’prayer’. I believe that something bigger than us (at individual level), something of a superior consciousness that does not care about religion, whatever name we give it or how many churches we build in its name, wants to communicate with us, wants to help us. If only we weren’t so busy not listening.
I believe that important things happened in my life as a result of accepting help from this superior consciousness and allowing it to take charge of my well-being. I also believe that, in the light of what’s happening in the world, the shit has gotten so bad that we find ourselves in a similar place at collective level, a place where we should stop pretending we are in control and just let this power show us the way out of the darkness.
I’ve heard people refusing to pray for Paris and misinterpreting the words of the Dalai Lama who said we can’t pray to God to solve our problems, that we have to solve them ourselves. And that indeed is true, we have work to do here. Lots of it. But prayer is not asking for a higher power to clean up the mess we’ve made. The way I see it and the way I’ve always seen it prayer is asking for guidance.
’I know not how to deal with this situation. Show me way.’ I aways say.
Personally, again, I know not how to deal with the terror and the fear and the threats our world is under. ’Show us the way.’ But perhaps if we all ask for the guidance, something will give. Maybe it is really is within our power to create significant change.
And that’s why I choose to pray for Paris, and Mali, and Beirut, an Kenya and Tunisia, and Iraq, and Syria and everywhere where scared souls are praying just to stay alive. Because I don’t know the way. And all I can think of is pray.
