Asking things of god..

[Viraja]

In another site that I visit, I came across this beautiful story which shows us how it is to ask things of god. God is compared to a millionaire and us, the seekers, to beggars asking for futile things... Please read on.

There was a good-natured millionaire in the town. Three beggars thought of approaching him for help. The first man went to the millionaire and said: "O Lord! I want five rupees. Please give me." The millionaire was taken aback at this man's impudence. "What! You demand five rupees from me as though I owe you the money! How dare you? How can I afford to give five rupees to a single beggar? Here, take these two rupees and get away," he said. The man went away with the two rupees.

The next beggar went to the millionaire and said: "Oh Lord! I have not taken a square meal for the past ten days. Please help me."
"How much do you want?" asked the millionaire.

"Whatever you give me, Maharaj," replied the beggar.
"Here, take this ten rupee note. You can have nice food for at least three days." The beggar walked away with the ten rupee note.

The third beggar came. "Oh Lord, I have heard about your noble qualities. Therefore, I have come to see you. Men of such charitable disposition are verily the manifestations of God on earth," he said.

"Please sit down," said the millionaire. "You appear to be tired. Please take this food," he said, and offered food to the beggar.
"Now please tell me what I can do for you."

"Oh Lord," replied the beggar; "I merely came to meet such a noble personage that you are. You have given me this rich food already. What more need I get from you? You have already shown extraordinary kindness towards me. May God bless you!"

But the millionaire, struck by the beggar's spirit, begged of the beggar to remain with him, built a decent house for him in his own compound, and looked after him for the rest of his life.

God is like this good millionaire. Three classes of people approach Him, with three different desires and prayers. There is the greedy man full of vanity, full of arrogance, full of desires. He demands the objects of worldly enjoyment from God. Since this man, whatever be his vile desires, has had the good sense to approach God, He grants him some part of the desired objects (even these very soon pass away, just as the two rupees the first beggar got are spent before nightfall).

The other type of devotee prays to the Lord for relief from the sufferings of the world, but is better than the first one, in as much as he is ready to abide by His Will. To him the Lord grants full relief from suffering, and bestows on him much wealth and property.

The third type he merely prays to the Lord: "O Lord, Thou art Existence-Absolute, Knowledge-Absolute, Bliss-Absolute, etc., etc." What does he want? Nothing. But the Lord is highly pleased with his spirit ofrenunciation, of desirelessness and of self-surrender. Therefore, He makes him eat His own food, i.e., He grants this man Supreme Devotion to Himself. Over and above this, He makes the devotee to live in His own House For ever afterwards this devotee dwells in the Lord's Abode as a Liberated Sage.

I know, in the above, the millionaire sounds a little conceited, as in giving so much to the beggar who praises him, when god does not give credit to external words uttered to him! But the message remains the same, the humbler and genuine that we are, we tend to reap more rewards from god than the greedier and flattering we are.

So where do you belong, category 1, 2 or 3?

Any thoughts you wish to share on the story?

[satay]

Namaste,
This story makes God look like an aristocrat, egoist person. Possibly this God belongs in another religion.

[sunyata07]

Namaste Satay,

I see where you're coming from with the aristocrat air from this story's God! And yet someone was making a valid point the other day about some people on this earth treating God like a vending machine who will only go to Him when they need something.

I would like to think I am more like devotee number 2, but striving to cultivate the mindset and heart of the last and true kind of devotee. All the same, I do not like to see God as a king or money dispenser from whom I can leech money off. Too impersonal to really foster a sense of an innately loving relationship. Rather I think it is more apt to see God as a parent who provides for every one of His children, giving to those who ask for food and toys (needs and wants) as they require, and being greatly pleased with those who are spiritually evolved beyond explicitly asking for things, and who have grown sufficiently in themselves to see He is the final abode of joy.

Om namah Shivaya

[Viraja]

I'm so relieved to see someone who would ask god of things (Sunyata) because I do -- but, the things I ask of god are mostly welfare of those around me - my folks, my mum and so forth... when it comes to me, I barely ask for anything.. it just gives little peace of mind in a very uncertain world to have asked god for the welfare of our loved ones, as if 'paying from your pocket towards social security'.. Besides some of the things I ask for are totally crucial for peace of mind - having been in a family where some of the elders suffered from immobility towards old age, that is the foremost thing I ask of my mother - for her to remain mobile throughout her old age! So as said, I feel secure in having god known my thoughts, without asking, I feel as if I haven't let known my truest needs to him which I very much have a right to let him/her know!

[sunyata07]

Namaste Viraja,

I understand where you're coming from. I have been finding recently that most of my prayers and requests to God have been on behalf of someone else. Either for my parents with their money problems, the welfare of my extended family who are moving home, looking for employment, doing exams, and friends who are struggling with health problems, etc. I don't think this can be categorised in the same way that prayers for oneself to get rich, have a new car, or a pay rise. To pray for the benefit of other people is selfless and shows compassion, so how can this be classed as a request? More it is perhaps supplication that God shows mercy to the ones we love, to ask God for His love and strength and allow for the Self to shine through and be a beacon of hope and compassion for the people around us who we'd like to see get better, do well and make something of their dreams.

Regarding the run-of-the-mill prayers which many devotees bring before the heart, does not need to be said that God knows what you want before you approach Him for something. He knew before you even knew it yourself! The explicit bowing of the head and hands joined in prayer as we make a request of Deva... is perhaps more than just as it appears as a request. Perhaps it is more for the sake of the devotee to feel he has gone through the motions of asking the Supreme Being to be merciful, and to know God is there and ready and listening rather than make an invocation aloud, as it is for God to hear us as he has done so many countless times before when he does provide.

Om namah Shivaya

[NayaSurya]

Each year, there was only one time when i had asked for something for myself. It was upon my birthday. I always made three wishes.


Many many times, these wishes came true. So many times, and some of them turning out very badly for me.

When i reached the ocean this year i tell Mahadeva, "Beloved Father...i am so ignorant...such a fool...that i am not intelligent enough to make good wishes for myself...and therefore ask you to make my wishes for me...from now on."

One wish made by Mahadeva is so infinitely wonderful, worth more than trillions and trillions of my foolish wishes.

As i left the ocean...i bought a thread with a shell upon it, and asked Mahadeva to make the wish when it breaks.

The string is very ready to break at this moment, but i won't pull on it...it's all in His Hands you know...it always is.

i do still pray for others, but now i am wise enough to say...

"Beloved Mahadeva please help them, if it would be allowed...and if not please make this lesson go swiftly for them."


For me, Bhagavan would have given food to everyone of those men. You see...knowing Mahadeva is SO good at His job....anyone who is able to find Him...was designed destinty...as No one ever finds Mahadeva without Him allowing it.

Hari Om <3

[Viraja]

For me, Bhagavan would have given food to everyone of those men. You see...knowing Mahadeva is SO good at His job....anyone who is able to find Him...was designed destinty...as No one ever finds Mahadeva without Him allowing it.

Hari Om <3

Absolutely true!

The individual soul (jivatman) is compared to the thumb finger, while god is compared to the index finger. Unless the index finger bends down on its own, only then the thumb can touch the index finger, meaning, the grace of god has to fall on a person for him to be able to reach him - his Lord, otherwise no amount of strife of the index on its own will help it reach the tip of the index finger.

[Necromancer]

Namaste.

For many years, the only question I asked of the Lord was 'why me?' and I wouldn't take 'why not you?' for an answer.

I can only pray and ask the Lord to allow me to feel this love I have for Him always.

Many tell me I don't really need to ask anything of Shiva this because 'I am Shiva' So I pray and ask 'how can I love You and be You simultaneously and more importantly, who is praying to whom here?'

So, I try not to ask God anything when I pray, it just gets too confusing. I just give Him my heart (he already has it a million times over anyway) and surrender my thinking mind....just chanting...

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Necromancer]

Namaste.

This post comes on the back of another thread...one in which I became the 'voice' for Lord Shiva....again.

Whenever that happens, I tend to feel slightly uncomfortable and uneasy - I mean, I shouldn't feel that way if I am 'confident', right?

It took many years for me to come out of the 'yeah, God speaks to me, so what?' closet.

At first, I thought that I was just going insane and if I actually told anybody about it, they would just confirm my hypothesis and recommend a good psychiatrist.

I got over that and knew I wasn't schizophrenic nor did I have 'multiple personalities' ...the voice wasn't telling me to harm anybody, or myself - on the contrary, it was telling me to love and trust myself...just as "I" do.

At first, that "I" bit was confusing, leading me to really believe the "I" was only imagining it all....then again, what was imagining what? and who was creating whom in their mind?

The very first time I poked my nose out of the closet door, yup, I got the entirely anticipated "you are only imagining it - Shiva only exists within your own mind (and heart)". I got angry...I wasn't imagining it - Shiva exists everywhere!

Then, He spoke 'why did you get angry'?
"Because people were discrediting You, M'Lord. Because, according to them, what's going on now, shouldn't be".
"So, would you like for Me to go away forever and prove them right?"
"Only if You represent 'wishful thinking' on my part".
"...and if I do, what then?...by you becoming angry only means you are subconsciously agreeing with them."

I mean, one cannot argue with Shiva.

They can ask...but what Shiva actually gives you, won't be the answer to your 'prayers'. If anything, it will only serve to upset you more until you realise there's nothing to ask!

Aum Namah Shivaya

[Viraja]

They can ask...but what Shiva actually gives you, won't be the answer to your 'prayers'. If anything, it will only serve to upset you more until you realise there's nothing to ask!

Aum Namah Shivaya

Wonderful words of wisdom, Nec! I have infact read in the stories of profound devotees that god indeed gives them things they have never asked for, but I have also read instances where the devotees prayed to god for important things like a child and have been blessed by god as such. (So much for all the prarthanas that go on in various sthalas that have become notorious for one or two specific things asked by devotees....!). Very true, he (she) sometimes gives undue troubles that are totally against what we ask for that we are, motivated to not ask for anything in the end!