A prayer doesn't always seek something. It doesn't always have to ask for some worldly benefit, as perishables as they are, seek a superconscious experiences, or serve mankind. A prayer can also express our appreciation and understanding of our spiritual experiences and praise the Lord out of the love of our heart.

When the Lord blesses us with this grace due to our love for Atman only, which is also due entirely to God's grace, we begin to partially comprehend (Gita 10:42) what is by nature incomprehensible.

In the Gita, Lord Krishna teaches us that as the spiritual babes we are, we can only learn to know our parents' greater glory as we grow in our understanding. In the beginning we see the Lord as our mother or father (Gita 11:44), friend, child, master, king, etc., but soon we advance and God shows us his/her greater universal form, such as Vishnu, Purussottam (Gita 11:46), Parameshwara, etc. But even these Infinitely vast forms, virtues, etc. are still within the field of ignorance known as maya. Ultimately we hope to be graced to go beyond these forms into the formless and nameless Creator whom we can neither describe nor comprehend. He is not only our Father in heaven but beyond.

Lord Buddha called this ultimate realization "Nirvana" just as the Gitaji calls it "Brahma-Nirvana" (Gita 2:72), or infinite joy, bliss and love. Shri Ramakrishna, we are told, realized Nirguna Brahman through the grace of Totapuri. He went beyond the form of Kali-ma, the Mother with form when her grace showed him Her infinite forms. Sooner or later each one of us has to know and realize that our Creator is absolute and beyond comprehension.

The above prayer reveals what sages of the Upanishadic period realized and gracefully expressed for our benefit what really can't be described. They used common language and objects such as the sun, moon, stars, lightening, etc. That state, Dhama (place) or experience is also often described in the Gita (Gita 5:24-26; 7:19, 24, 25; 8:8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 20-22, 28; 9:11; 13:17; 15:6).

Since only God's light, love, and life activates everything within the field of maya, whether good or evil, why should we ever be proud, arrogant, and vain? Certainly even a little purity will tell us how humble we should be when we scan the skies. No wonder Dr. Einstein said, "The more I know about the sciences and mathematics, the more I find out how little I know."

This humble statement must humble us all in all our fields including religion and spirituality.

--Swami Radhanandaji