(February 1, 2018 at 10:45 am)vulcanlogician Wrote: What is prayer?
Theists tout it as actual communion with the Divine. Of course, many of us here will reject that assertion, but that leaves the question: what exactly is it then? I'm sure many of you have read Christian accounts wherein Christians describe prayer as having therapeutic powers. I'm open to this idea. When I first began to study Hinduism and eastern texts, I used to use a mala (beaded necklace) to sing repetitive prayers to Ganesha or various bodhisattvas. Oftentimes, I was left energized by the activity. I wasn't so much a believer in any of it, just someone who incorporated it into a yoga, chi gung regiment that I employed to reduce stress.
This got me thinking about Christian prayer and what actual purpose it may serve to its practitioners. Is it a form of meditation or self-talk? Or is it pure delusion?
Not all theists think that prayer is communion with the Divine.
A religious prayer is actually asking God for the daily bread while many people practicing spirituality pray God for merging in Him.
So while the first is self centered the second is not.
But again to achieve communion prayer is not the tool to get there.
Meditation is and meditation is not a prayer.
