The following excerpt is from Osho’s discourses on the Bauls, captured in two volumes titled The Beloved. This excerpt is from Vol 2, discourse number 6. Osho answers the first question from a Sannyasin about how to express her love in her prayers.
To read the entire transcript click here – Now Is Not Part Of Time.
What is Prayer ?
PRAYER is not a technique, it is not a ritual, it is not a formality. There is no pattern to it. It is a spontaneous outpouring of the heart, so don’t ask how, because there is no how and there cannot be any how to it. Whatsoever happens in the moment is right. If tears come, good. If you sing, good. If you dance, good. If nothing comes and you simply remain silent, good. Because prayer is not in the expression; it is not in the container, it is in the content. Sometimes silence is prayerful, sometimes singing is prayerful. It depends on you, it depends on the heart. So if I say sing, and you sing because I have told you to sing, then the prayer is false from the very beginning. Listen to your heart, feel your moment, and let it be. And whatsoever happens is good.
Sometimes nothing will happen, but that is what is happening. You allow it, you don’t impose your will on it. When you ask how, you are trying to impose your will, you are trying to plan. That’s how prayer has been missed. That’s how all the churches and religions have become rituals. They have a set prayer, a set form: the authorized version, the approved. But how can anybody approve prayer? How can anybody give you an authorized version?
Prayer has to arise in you, it has to flower in you. And each moment has its own prayer, and each mood has its own prayer. Nobody knows what is going to happen to your innermost world tomorrow morning. How can it be fixed? A fixed prayer is a false prayer: this much can certainly be said. A ritualized prayer is no longer prayer: this can be said in absolute terms. An unritualized, spontaneous gesture — that’s what prayer is.
Sometimes you may feel very sad, because sadness also belongs to God. Sadness is also divine. There is no necessity to always be happy. Then sadness is your prayer. Then let your heart cry and let your eyes pour down tears. Then let sadness be offered to God.
Whatsoever is there in your heart, let it be offered to the Divine Feet — joy or sadness, sometimes even anger.
Sometimes one is angry with God. If you cannot be angry with God, you have not yet known love. Sometimes one is really in a deep rage. Then let anger be your prayer. Fight with God — He is yours, you are His, and love knows no formality. Love can survive all fights. If it cannot survive a fight, then it is not love. So sometimes you don’t feel like praying; then let that be your prayer. You say to God, “Wait! I’m not in the mood, and the way you are doing things, it is not even worth praying.” But let it be a spontaneous pouring of your heart.
Never be inauthentic with God because that is the way of not being with Him. If you are insincere with God — deep down you are complaining, and on the surface praying? — then God will see the complaint, not the prayer. You have been false. He can look directly into your heart. Whom are you trying to deceive? The smile on your face is not going to deceive God; your truth will be known to Him. He can only know your truth; lies don’t exist for Him. So let the truth be there. You simply present your truth to Him and say that today you are angry, you are angry with His world, you are angry with Him, you are angry with your life: “I hate it! And I cannot pray, so you will have to remain without my prayer today. I suffer much; now you suffer.”
Often times we pray as a ritual … some of us do it everyday, some sporadically as the need arises and some never. For a long time I was in the last category. Not because I didn’t believe in prayers, I just felt that God has already given us so much, what more do I have to ask ? Then as health issues cropped up, prayers became a regular thing.
I don’t follow any ritual. I pray for good health and definitely for us to remain on the path of dharma (living upto our potential). Sometimes, we hear of friends and family going through a rough patch and I certainly pray for them. There is power in prayers and collective prayers are very effective. It’s basically affirmations !! Long back I had written this blog post on affirmations – Affirmations .. Prayers.
Do share your thoughts on this interesting topic …
Thank You Master 🙏🏿
B and K,
This talk about prayer confirms what I already believe and have practiced for as long as I remember, although it contradicts what I have been taught.
I appreciate Osho’s support for spontaneity. For me prayers arise out of simple moments of awe or anger, or love, but the moments move on to less reverent moments, having refreshed my spirit through their passage.
Katharine – these discourses of Osho are on the Baul mystics who do not follow any rituals or codified traditions. Their emphasis is on spontaneity and living in the here-now. I think Osho was a Baul mystic 😊.
Thanks for the info. Now I have a name for it. I have never heard of the Baul mystics, but I already like them.
Exactly what Osho said. He was an eternal soul who taught us how to be conscious and who to wake it up inside of our body. This is a real meaning of prayer. Thank you for sharing.