The Power of the Word – Satya Vani – August 22nd, 2015
The Power of the Word – Satya Vani – August 22nd, 2015
The Power of the Word
From Satyavaani Satsang (August 22nd, 2015)
Prayers have a very important place in people’s lives. There are morning prayers, evening prayers, prayers for special occasions… Prayers when people are sick, prayers for weddings, prayers for funerals, prayers for exams. Like this people have developed a tradition to pray whenever they feel they need God’s support to achieve something. Prayers are words put in a structured way which have an intended meaning and purpose. Why should our prayers be heard? Why should our prayers be granted? What if they are not? Would the prayers be incorrect or incorrectly said? Satguru Kabir Saheb says that words have a very powerful effect in our lives. They have the power of translating our wishes into reality. But this power resides in the essence of the word, not the alphabets that make the word.
Guru, who is God, is described in Kabir Panth as being shabd swaroopi. The divine, which is represented by the Guru has no form, but still is likened to the word. The word itself has no form neither. In understanding this philosophy, if we are able to dissociate the alphabets that make the word from the word itself, then we will be able to perceive the power that resides in the word. The Hindu scriptures have an abundance of teachings which illustrate this power. In the Ramayana, when Hanuman and his army were trying to construct a bridge to go to Lanka, they failed to keep the rocks afloat on the sea at first attempt. When Hanuman wrote the word Ram on each and every rock, then they succeeded in building the bridge with all the rocks floating on the sea. It is not the alphabets of the word, but the essence of the word which conferred the power on the rocks to retain their mass, but remain afloat to become a pathway for Shri Ram and his army to cross the ocean. Satguru Kabir Saheb says :
“Man Jo Sumire Raam Ko, Raam Base Ghat Maahi; Ab Man Raam Hi Hwai Rahaa, Sheesh Navaaoon Kaahi.”
By meditating on the name of the Lord, we ultimately become one with Him. If we become one with the Lord, then our beingness makes of us an instrument through which everything happens. That is, all our affirmations are prayers. Everything we do is in the name of the Lord, therefore they are all prayers. Satguru Kabir Saheb says :
“Jaahan Jaahan Jaaoo Soee Parikarmaa, Jo Kuchh Karu So Poojaa; Grih Udhyaan Ek Sam Lekho, Bhaav Mitaaoo Doojaa”
Likewise, when we study we should pay attention to the meaning of the words rather than the words themselves. Learning at school, learning from books, or learning from teachers provide us with the basic knowledge which we need to understand concepts. Ultimately, we have to process that basic knowledge to gain the essence out of it. How we process it and how we get the essence of it depends on the Guru’s grace. This is why it is acknowledged that the Guru is the ultimate teacher. True wisdom cannot be taught by outside sources, but is earned from God when the soul is ready for awakening to the realities beyond the physical world. Essentially the difference is in the meaning of all that we learn. Because of different levels of understanding, there are gaps in interpretations. This is why prayers mean different things to different people. Therefore, how prayers translate into reality depend on whether people pray mechanically or with intent. When we affirm our words, we become them. The underlying concept of being in union with God rests on the basis of us affirming ourselves in our words. Otherwise, prayers would be mere words, without any meaning. As an example, somebody praying with the objective of winning the lottery also means so many others losing their money. How can that be a valid prayer? If praying implies harm/loss to anyone else, then it cannot be a prayer. This is the difference between thinking and being. Being implies being one with God. If we are one with God, the how can we expect any harm or loss to anyone else? Satguru Kabir Saheb says :
“Aakh Na Moodo Kaan Na Soodho, Kaayaa Kasht Na Dhaaro; Ughare Nain Se Saaheb Dekhoo, Sundar Roop Nihaaro.”
Prayer is being all the time immersed in the divine. The words that we pronounce have to be lived. We have to be those words, not merely say them as a recitation.
