Everyone is familiar with prayer, and it’s one of the more popular attributes of today’s religions. Out of a sense of belonging we pick up ideologies, gather in groups and choose concepts that suit our ideology and needs to make us feel better. Unfortunately, this act usually boosts our ego so we can look down on others. When prayer should be humbling us in the face of the unknown outcomes but instead we personalize it. God is leveraged out in so many directions for personal use showing how good you are by proclaiming out loud, I will pray for you.

Prayer looses its power or purpose when judgment or personal needs surface in the process, which negate any value that comes from them. Selfless prayer quietly done in private is rare today, few understand the value of the humble servant. True selfless prayer does help in life, when it’s done with sincerity and in private, not waiting for a thank you. Passing on good thoughts with sincere empathy helps, and the best you can do in most situations, besides financially. Thoughts have a subtle power and although they may not change anything on the surface, but they can help you and help people deal with the tragedy on the inside.

My teacher used Blessings as a replacement to prayer, and I think its benefits helps all, the one who is blessing and the blessed, helps us to see things differently.

The idea behind blessings is that sometimes shit happens, and there’s not much you can do about it, besides sending good blessings their way, it will help them and yourself in dealing with this crisis.

I’ve added a few words to the blessings, but for the most part they are the words of Vethathiri Maharishi.

Picture the people in your mind and say silently and in private, “ you are blessed by God’s Divine power, you are blessed in all your activities day and night in all places. You will live a long life, good health, prosperity, happiness, wisdom and peace, by the grace of the Divine. Or a shorter version say: you are blessed by the Divine, as often as you think is necessary, and notice that it is done by the first person from the power within the Soul, instead of asking for an external favor from another source which shows a calculated misunderstanding of entitlement.

At the point of blessing picture the individual and deliver a white light engulfing the one you are helping. We forget about the Divine power that is within us, this reaffirms this fact, that we are the child of God, an extension of That, so we should act accordingly. It forces us to stop thinking of God as something external that we need to shore down and ask personal favors thereby neglecting the power within, and just inflating the ego.

Back it up with a global blessing:

“May the rains fall timely and sufficiently along all parts of the world, so that good grains, fruits, and vegetables grow abundantly to the satisfaction of all living beings, by the grace of the Divine.” “May the leaders of all nations enjoy spiritual progress and do good services for humanity.”

“The whole world may enjoy prosperity, happiness, wisdom and peace, by the grace of the Divine.”

Replacing prayer for blessings is an ego neutralizer.