Am I doing the wrong way in praying?

[Purana]

Just like seek some opinions, recently I have gone into some rough patch. As far as concern, this have been on going for about 240 days or more. Everyday I am unable to sleep well and furthermore with an unreasonable and incompetent supervisor to add on to the stress I am carrying.

I had prayed and prayed and even fast with sincere heart. But it seems that the issue still remain status quo. When I prayed for help in either lessening the issue or letting it be settled. I merely speak to Him like having conversation. No pun intended but to ask, am I doing the wrong thing? Or is that I am required to do the homa and proper chants? It seems that the issue did not lessen but worsen instead.

Thanks for any reply.

[c.smith]

Hari Om!

Praying from your heart is one fantastic way to go. Another is just talking as a friend like you've mentioned.

Although this situation is different, the approach may be helpful. When I have a painful situation, I thank my god for it, knowing that it must be a gift of some kind or another or he wouldn't have put it there in the first place. If nothing else, it acts as a release, a surrender of sorts. Just an idea for you.

Taking more time for spiritual activities to replace the negative activities and thoughts in your mind may also beneficial. Satsang, japa, etc. It's hard to pinpoint just what may be the remedy, but these are good old stand-by's that are proven time and again.

I also have a saying that I remind myself of from time to time. When I worry, I've taken the problem from God. If I release the situation to him, the solution is close at hand.

OK, it's easy being on the other side of the fence and to give the words written above, but please try any of them if you haven't already and see if there is any result. Don't try any of them if it's not your fancy.

One last mention. Perhaps a prayer to Lord Hanuman or Ganesha would benefit you. I'll include you in my evening intentions tonight.

All the best my friend.

Jai Jai Hanuman!

[Purana]

Thank you c.smith! That is very nice of you. I really appreciate your sharing on how you overcome difficulties.

[surrenderindailylife]

Just like seek some opinions, recently I have gone into some rough patch. As far as concern, this have been on going for about 240 days or more

Namaste Purana

I have personally gone through long periods of stress. When I started my career, the insipid job profile (as compared with my peer rivals) would trigger a "what if I lost out to them (rivals) in this race" kind of stress. Then there was stress due to tense relations with spouse. I have had two close shaves with job loss, and saved my job (by God's grace) by literally a whisker.

The one thing that has saved me all these years is God's design to push me to read more & more spiritual articles / texts. In these times of stress (when you somehow want to get over the pain, but are not able to do so) the only way out is to do what one is expected to do and spend as much time in deepening your spiritual depth. Personally, I have found that whenever I down with anxiety ("what will happen if XYZ doesnt work out well), Japa has worked out well, along with spiritual reading. Also watching comedy plays/ movies, playing with children helps to release tension.

Om Namah Shivay

[Purana]

Thank you very much surrenderindailylife for your sharing.

[devotee]

Namaste,

One should always talk to God as a son talks to his father. You have every right to ask for favour from Him. After all, you are His son. However, here, we fail. We don't have faith in our own prayers because somewhere we believe that He won't respond. We are able to connect easily with our father and mother of this temporal body but not to our Real Father. This has to be tackled well even if something happens which may be apparently bad for you. Pray and leave it to Him to decide the best course of action for you. If there are difficult times and it is not going even after talking to God, may be it is necessary for you to learn some important lesson. Keep praying to God for more strength if going through the test is inevitable. In the end, it would be better than what you wanted.

Can you have so much faith in God ?

OM

[kallol]

Any change is always tough to adjust.

The change happens in two ways :

1. Mostly - by how you start looking the "problem" in a different way. The mind calms down and helps one to adopt to ways of life. In this there can be again 2 ways - one you conform to the situation and get along. This requires reorientation of mind and skills. Another is to avoid - looking for space which might be the right place for your present state of mind and skill.

2. Changing the environment - One creates a situation to overcome the problem through bring in in another change whereby the supervisor conforms or leaves. This depends on the skills of negotiations, relationships, talent regading profession, etc.

However 2nd one needs higher level capabilities.

Every one will go through one or two and sometimes all of these.

[Seeker]

Purana,

May be the following excerpts from Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi will console you:

Devotee: Is it possible to enjoy samadhi while busy with worldly work?
Bhagavan: It is the feeling 'I work' that is the hindrance. Ask yourself: 'Who works?' Remember who you are. Then the work will not bind you. It will go on automatically. Make no effort either to work or to renounce; your effort is the bondage. What is destined to happen will happen. If you are destined to work, you will not be able to avoid it; you will be forced to engage in it. So leave it to the Higher Power. It is not really your choice whether you renounce or retain.
When women carrying jars of water on their heads stop to talk, they are very careful, keeping their mind on the water jars. Similarly, when a sage engages in activity, his mind remains fixed in the Self and his activity does not distract him.

Devotee: Will Bhagavan give his opinion about the future of the world, as we are living in critical times?
Bhagavan: Why should you worry about the future? You don't even know the present properly. Take care of the present and the future will take care of itself.

Devotee: Will the world soon enter a new era of friendliness and mutual help or will it go down in chaos and war?
Bhagavan: There is One who governs the world and it is His task to look after it. He who has given life to the world knows how to look after it also. He bears the burden of the world, not you.

Devotee:Yet, if one looks round with unprejudiced eyes, it is hard to see where this benevolent care comes in.
Bhagavan: As you are, so is the world. Without understanding yourself, what is the use of trying to understand the world? This is a question that seekers after Truth need not worry about. People waste their energy over all such questions. First find out the Truth behind yourself, then you will be in a better position to understand the Truth behind the world, of which you are a part.


OM Nama Sivaya

[Purana]

Thank you devotee, kallol & Seeker for your sharing. It does open my mind to more different views and perspectives.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Purana: We all have rough patches. Its part of life. The cause is life itself, but on a more specific level, it may be an astrologically lower time for the individual, some karma (action) coming on all at once, or several other factors. Accepting it without begrudging, and seeing it as another lesson on the path, are key. Ask, "What is it I'm to learn from this?"

Aum Namasivaya