Question: How our prayers have to be for pleasing the Lord?
- Smt.Kamatchi, Madurai.
- Smt.Kamatchi, Madurai.
Answer: Due to heavy downpour, people are suffering today in Tamil Nadu. Once on a similar occasion, a young monk in Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai prayed to Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna thus: “Lord, please enable me to serve the people after this terrible cyclone is over”.
On knowing this another monk reprimanded the young monk for making such a prayer. The young monk was confused as he felt how a prayer for serving people could be wrong.
The other monk explained, “Brother, you know, thousands of people will suffer for want of food, shelter and clothes if the cyclone hits. They will blame the government and their livelihood will also be affected. No doubt, we need to serve people during such calamity. Hence your prayer should have been before the storm in the manner that such a cyclone causing immense suffering to the people should not even occur. Saying such prayers to protect people is our foremost and much needed service”.
Now decide whether a mother should take care of her child’s health in advance or only when the child has illness.
Last year everyone was scaring people that the NIVAR cyclone would strike and it would be worse than the GAJA cyclone. On that day when people were in panic expecting the worst, we, from Thanjavur, Sri Ramakrishna Math, organized a collective prayer and said our heartfelt prayers to ward off the destructive effects of the cyclone.
By the grace of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, NIVAR cyclone NEVER occurred, but only heavy rainfall was there. At that time, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Thanjavur had distributed food items for one week to over 5000 families worth Rs. 25 lakh in the delta region.
Hence, Jesus directs devotees, 'Watch and Pray'. Now, tell me, Kamatchi Ma, in what way are you going to please the Lord?
Swami Vimurtananda
08 November, 2021
Ramakrishna Math, Thanjavur