No matter what part of the world you are from, your devotional practices away from the daily humdrum of life activities are a dedicated way to remember God, glorify God, thank God, or seek your own Divine Self. Sometimes you don’t have the time to sit down away from daily work to meditate, go to a worship place, or do ritualistic prayers.
But there are so many ways within our waking daily life to serve as reminders of our Guru’s teachings, to serve as moments of prayers, an opportunity to express gratitude, and to remember God.
Here are a few examples:
Boiling Water
When water is boiling, you see the liquid bubbling and steam coming out. Remind yourself that just like water is changing its form into steam which will again appear somewhere else. It can never be destroyed. Your bodily form will also change, but you can never be destroyed. You are always there.
Not only ancient Spiritual science but modern science also says everything is Energy. Water is Energy; you and your body are Energy. Energy can never be destroyed. It only changes its form. You are eternal and indestructible.
It can be a moment to pray for the ability to experience that invisible whole of you that is eternal and indestructible.
Ice Melting
When you see the ice melting, it can be a beautiful reminder of how water doesn’t hold on to its identity simply as ice or liquid. It changes its form, and both states have their own use and purpose. See that all forms are Energy in vibration. Not just Ice but Nothing is solid. Even Scientists have declared it – All is Energy, and nothing is solid. Look around you. Can you believe it? Everything that looks solid to you is NOT solid. It is one of the most fantastic illusions of this earthly world.
You are living an illusion in that sense. Things appear to be that they are not. You can pray to be able to see beyond appearances and illusions.
Cleaning Dishes
While cleaning dishes, you can have some of the best reminders of Masters’ teachings. Dirty dishes are like us humans. You have some piled-up layers of thoughts and beliefs blinding you to our Spirit-Self. God is the greatest dishwasher. He sends us his Creation- as people and circumstances to help clean our accumulated dirt.
Sometimes the pots get burned black. How hard do you have to scrub them? It takes a lot of detergent and elbow grease. When washing such pots, remember how God has to scrub you layer by layer to clean the pot of your mind. He has to cleanse you of the negative tendencies burnt in your mind that bind you to your birth and death cycle. Thank Him for His grace in making you a clean pot so you can live a joyful life.
When cleaning a glass with food stuck to its bottom, all the stuck food has to come up first for the glass to be clean. Similarly, When God is cleaning you up and rinsing you out, negative tendencies and emotions also surface. Accept them for what they are and release them. (Big part of meditation also serves the purpose of helping the negativity surface so it can be purged. But more about that in a separate blog)
When you are cleaning the dishes, you are holding the plate with one hand giving it support on one side, and scrubbing it with the other hand. Similarly, be reminded that God/Guru is always holding you and supporting you with one hand and scrubbing you clean with the other hand. You are never alone, even in your darkest hours. He is always there holding you. He’s ever-present. He’s holding you and supporting you the tightest when you need to be scrubbed the hardest.
Here is an empowering Prayer of Faith in my own words, “It looks too dark even though I don’t see currently how this suffering and pain are any good for me. Even though I don’t feel that you are helping me, even though I don’t feel you support me, and even though I am feeling alone and abandoned, I still know you are guiding me, and this situation is happening for my best. I have to learn something from this. I have to change something within me. Please help me with the strength to change. I was hoping you could give me the clarity to follow your guidance. Please give me the eyes to see how your guidance and protection are coming to me in many different ways. I know I’ll see how this situation has been a blessing in disguise once I have the clarity. Thank You, Lord, for guiding me and strengthening me.” (I got several opportunities to do prayers like these, and scrubbing burnt pots was a great reminder)
Sun and Moon
Rising and setting Sun is a reminder of, among many things, that all life is nonpermanent. Everything in life has a temporary period. Everything you can perceive with your external senses or you can define in time. Discovery of the Divine Self/God is the only permanence worth pursuing. It can be a moment to pray to God to help you see what indeed is permanent.
Moon is always there in the sky, but Sun’s light makes Moon invisible for a few hours every day. It is a reminder that just because something is invisible doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Life is not only what you experience with your outer senses and mind. There is much more to your Being that is invisible and exquisite. It can be a moment to remember God and of a prayer to be able to connect to your invisible and glorious self.
The fact is that if you have the longing, literally everything around you is a reason to practice gratitude and remembering of God. Your whole way of experiencing life can change.
Therefore, meditation or praying doesn’t have to be an isolated event away from daily waking activities. My Guru Ji, Swami Mohan Das Ji, emphasized that there is no excuse for not meditating. He said to practice it while sitting or standing or leaning against a wall or lying down, or while walking or working, basically anytime and anywhere.
When I tried to imbibe it, I started seeing that literally, everything is a reminder of God and a reason to practice gratitude anytime, anywhere.
In gratitude,
Ritu
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