The Real You
Who needs Krsna? It is the person who begins to one day think, “I am actually Your part, I belong to You, I have my position in the spiritual world, but I somehow got lost here in the world.” Our journey back home, back to Godhead, starts really when we begin to understand who we are.
This beautiful prayer by Juan Ramón Jiménez expresses this understanding:
I am not I.
I am not I.
I am this one
walking beside me whom I do not see,
whom at times I manage to visit,
and whom at other times I forget;
the one who listens quietly while I speak,
the one who forgives, gently, when I hate,
the one who goes where I am not,
the one who will remain standing when I die.
The prayer hints at that part in us, our true self really, who’s somewhere behind all the layers. Who has what we can call an eternal longing. Because that true self, that true me, the true I, cannot be satisfied by what the world can give us.
This eternal longing for our eternal home is expressed in the art of prayer. It is in prayer where the real you speaks to the real eternal you. It is in prayer that you come away from the surface level and enter into who you really are and address Krsna with the concerns and desires of the soul.
Prayer always is an immensely personal process.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam is filled with such sincere outpourings of prayers. For instance the prayers of Dhruva Maharaja or the prayers of Prahlada Maharaja, or of Gajendra the elephant. These prayers come from a heart that is turning to Krsna and turning away from the world. A prayer, thus, is not so much a matter of language or of words, it is the language of the heart. It takes place where everything that is not you has fallen away. Therefore also, real prayer is only prayer uttered with sincerity.
It is sometimes not so easy for us to come to this point – where the real me, the real I starts to give up and starts to pray. Because in this world we are accustomed to purusukara, that is, focusing on what a human being can do. We are used to making our endeavor and getting a corresponding result. Prayer is another way of thinking. It is, ”I can’t do it on my own, I can’t chant on my own, I can’t progress on my own, I have seen it – I’m trying but I am failing.” And then saying: ”Okay. I surrender, I pray to Krsna: ‘please give me strength, I have no strength on my own.’” And it is here, at this moment, when we turn from purusukara to daivi – to the divine, to Krsna, where the miracles happen.
His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja expressed it like this: ”When a devotee is asked to do something which is clearly beyond their capacity but still they act without hesitation, at that time empowerment happens.” Probably, we all have acted at times without hesitation but then no empowerment took place. Often that is because we forgot to pray for it! We should say to Krsna, ”I have to be honest, this is a tall order. I’m not accustomed to this, please help me, my Lord.” Again, not as a lip service. In prayer, the heart has to speak. It’s not so much about the words. Too many of us do speak the words, but the heart is numb and silent. Lip prayers will not go far, lip japa will not go very far (even though there is some benefit), lip kirtan will also not go very far. The real person has to speak. The one ‘who stands silently’ while the false ego talks and does things. The real person. And when Krsna hears such real prayers, He will help you.
And the chanting of the Holy Names is a prayer! It is a prayer where you turn to the Lord with this one concern of a soul that is lost in this world: ”Please accept me in Your service!”
Form a lecture by Sacinandana Swami at Radhadesh, September 15, 2023.
Srila Prabhupada: How to pray while chanting the Holy Names
This one practice – chanting Hare Krsna, and hearing – that is very nice. And praying to Krsna, ”Please give me strength.” Hare, ”O Energy of Krsna, O Krsna, I am fallen; I have no strength. Please accept me.” That’s all. ”I have no qualification. I am frail. I am trying, but I am failing.” All these appeals should be made. And Krsna is all-powerful; He can do anything. Even [when] we do not perform, trying our best, if we fail, Krsna will help us. Just like a child tries his best, but he falls down. The mother takes up and ”All right. Come on. Walk.” Like that.
Srila Prabhupada on a morning walk in San Francisco, on March 23, 1968.