Hinduism and prayers: Hindu prayers

In the spiritual realm a prayer has a greater significance. Continuous recitation of gods name (nam japam) would lead to purification of the mind and inner transformation. It is the best way to develop communion with God and realize the inner self. Following are some of the basic concepts about prayers in Hinduism.

Read more here: » Hinduism and prayers: Hindu prayers

See also:

Some Hindu mantras, Some Hindu mantras - What is Dharma?, Some Hindu mantras - The Significance of the Symbol Om, Some Hindu mantras - Mantras and Prayers, Some Hindu mantras - Kirtan and Bhajan

Read more here: » Some Hindu mantras: Encyclopedia II - Some Hindu mantras - Mantras and Prayers

written prayers:

See: lekhaprartha havana.

(See also: Written prayers, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Prayer is an effort to communicate with God, or to some deity or deities, or another form of spiritual entity, or otherwise, either to offer praise, to make a request, or simply to express one's thoughts and emotions. Prayer - Approaches. There are a variety of approaches to understanding prayer: The belief that the prayer is listened to and may or may not get a response; The belief that prayer is intended to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, rather than to influence th ...

Including:

Prayer - Approaches Prayer - The act of prayer Prayer - Prayer in the Abrahamic religions
Prayer - Prayer in the Bible Prayer - Jewish prayer Prayer - Christian prayer Prayer - Islamic prayer Prayer - Bahá'í prayer
Prayer - Prayer in other religions
Prayer - Hindu Prayer Prayer - Buddhism Prayer - Prayer in Jainism Prayer - Neopagan Prayers
Prayer - Philosophical paradoxes of prayer
Prayer - The educational approach Prayer - The Kabbalistic view of prayer Prayer - The rationalist approach Prayer - The experiential approach
Prayer - Experimental evaluation of prayer Prayer - Historical polytheistic prayer Prayer - Prevalence Prayer - References and footnotes

Read more here: » Prayer: Encyclopedia - Prayer

Invocatory Kirtans - a Hindu Prayer.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Invocatory Kirtans - a Hindu Prayer

A Meditation On Lord Shiva - a Hindu Prayer

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Meditation On Lord Shiva - a Hindu Prayer

A Meditation On Sri Shankaracharya - a Hindu Prayer.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Meditation On Sri Shankaracharya - a Hindu Prayer

A Meditation On Lord Dattatreya - a Hindu Prayer.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Meditation On Lord Dattatreya - a Hindu Prayer

A Meditation On Lord Ganesha - a Hindu Prayer.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Meditation On Lord Ganesha - a Hindu Prayer

A Meditation On Lord Subramanya - a Hindu Prayer.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Meditation On Lord Subramanya - a Hindu Prayer

A Meditation On Sri Krishna - a Hindu Prayer.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Meditation On Sri Krishna - a Hindu Prayer

A Meditation On Sri Rama - a Hindu Prayer.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

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The Mantra on Lord Vishnu - a Hindu Prayer.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: The Mantra on Lord Vishnu - a Hindu Prayer

The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra - a Hindu Prayer

The Concluding Peace Chant.

From Hindu Fasts & Festivals by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Read more here: » Hindu Prayers: Concluding Peace Chants - a Hindu Prayer

Fasting and Penance Strengthen the Soul

A feature common to most religions, worldwide, is the practice of undertaking periodic fasts. Saum or fasts are an integral part of Islam. For Hindus, fasts are a form and part of prayer and worship and the word upvas means "being near God".

The concept of asan or fasting takes different forms in Jainism. Followers of Buddhism too observe fasts on certain days as do Christians, especially during Lent.

Abstaining from food during Ramadan is a part of the broader programme that Islam prescribes for man to fulfil his moral and spiritual destiny in this world and in the hereafter.

Read more here: » Spiritual Fasting: Fasting and Penance Strengthen the Soul

The Lord’s Prayer ("Our Father Who Art in Heaven...") is the best known and most popular prayer of Christians. Jesus taught his disciples this prayer when they asked him how to pray.

Analysing The Lord’s Prayer, Gerhard Ebeling says that " Abba father", the words Jesus used to call on God, signify "My father" or "our father", which is an invocation we can use when all words fail, when we become speechless. We can approach God in the familiar confident way a child approaches a loving parent.

(See also: Lord’s Prayer, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Lord’s Prayer: Lord’s Prayer: Common Prayer For Uncommon Wisdom  

A devotee asked Ramakrishna Parmahansa : "Sir, is God real and can I see Him?" Ramakrishna replied: "Yes, God is real. I see Him just as I see you or any other object around me." The devotee continued: "Can I also see Him as you do?" Said the sage: "Yes, you can, if the intensity of your longing for God is equal to the intensity of a drowning man longing for fresh air; or the intensity of a mother longing for the life of her only child in the grip of serious illness; or of the miser longing for more wealth. If your longing for God is at least a fraction of the longing which Radha had for Krishna, then you will see God."

The miracle of healing, is simply the body offering the subconscious mind's 'knowledge of perfect health' when the questioning nature of the conscious mind is silenced. Real faith is about things happening in the present. If it is hundred per cent faith, it must happen.

(See also: Power of Emotions, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Power of Emotions: Intensity of Faith Yields the Truth  

A little girl was to undergo an operation. The surgeon said to her: "Before we can make you well, we must put you to sleep for a little while." The little girl looked up and smiled: "Oh, if you are going to put me to sleep, I must say my prayers first".

She knelt down beside the table and prayed: "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray thee, Lord, my soul to keep, If I should die before I wake, I pray thee, Lord, my soul to take. " The surgeon said afterwards that he prayed that night for the first time in 30 years. Prayer doesn't change things. It changes people, and they change things. So, don't pray for lighter burdens; pray for stronger backs.

(See also: Science and Religion, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Science and Religion: No Conflict Between Faith & Reason  

Two men went into a mango garden. One man started counting the mango trees and the number of fruit each bore and approximate value of the orchard.

The other man went straight to the owner and making his acquaintance was invited by him to pluck and taste the fruit.

One was busy in counting and calculating, the other was enjoying the delicious fruit. Ramakrishna Paramhansa would cite this example to show the difference between the man of dry academics and the man of devotion.

(See also: Importance of emotions in relation with god, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Importance of emotions in relation with god: Your Creator can be Your Best Friend