Praying—in the normal sense of the word—is not a Buddhist concept since their is no divinity in Buddhism; there is thus no one to pray to. But in my interpretation of the Buddha dharma, there is a divinity within each of us that we can pray to. (See my post, "Buddhism and the Divine.")
Whether you call it your true Buddha nature, the divine essence within you, or the child of the Universe in you—there is someone you can pray to ... your true self. Prayer in this context is different from what people traditionally think of as prayer. And it is different from meditation.
Here you are not asking for someone external from yourself to make something happen; to manipulate events to bring about what you desire. Instead, you are just stating what you desire; you are letting your true self and the Universe know what it is your desire. That idea is not that they will make something happen, but that a happenstance will occur that provides you with the opportunity to further your desire. What you do with that opportunity is then your responsibility. (See my post, "Happenstance - Part II" - You, Your Buddha Nature, and the Universe.")
The second practice is to imagine yourself with what you desire. While you are in meditation/prayer, close your eyes and imagine yourself as being in the job you want, or haven the resources you want, or whatever. This is a peaceful, positive exercise that will bring a smile to your face and your heart. It's telling yourself, "Yes I can," and removing the feeling that there are obstacles that you must overcome. The things that you viewed as obstacles may still be there, but you no longer view them as that and so they no longer have a negative power over you.
The other aspect of prayer is that it should not be purpose-driven. It should always include a statement of things you are grateful for. This reminds us that although there are things in our life that we would like to change, there is so much that we are grateful for. This is essential if we are to be able to say, "It's would be great if this happens; but it's ok if it doesn't." It's essential in order for you to maintain a space of equanimity.
As a Buddhist it will probably feel strange at first to pray. Also it may be that, like me, you are very turned off by the traditional concept of prayer. But open your mind to the possibility that the type of prayer I'm advocating is both good for your peace and happiness and totally consistent with the Buddha dharma.
Whether you call it your true Buddha nature, the divine essence within you, or the child of the Universe in you—there is someone you can pray to ... your true self. Prayer in this context is different from what people traditionally think of as prayer. And it is different from meditation.
Here you are not asking for someone external from yourself to make something happen; to manipulate events to bring about what you desire. Instead, you are just stating what you desire; you are letting your true self and the Universe know what it is your desire. That idea is not that they will make something happen, but that a happenstance will occur that provides you with the opportunity to further your desire. What you do with that opportunity is then your responsibility. (See my post, "Happenstance - Part II" - You, Your Buddha Nature, and the Universe.")
The second practice is to imagine yourself with what you desire. While you are in meditation/prayer, close your eyes and imagine yourself as being in the job you want, or haven the resources you want, or whatever. This is a peaceful, positive exercise that will bring a smile to your face and your heart. It's telling yourself, "Yes I can," and removing the feeling that there are obstacles that you must overcome. The things that you viewed as obstacles may still be there, but you no longer view them as that and so they no longer have a negative power over you.
The other aspect of prayer is that it should not be purpose-driven. It should always include a statement of things you are grateful for. This reminds us that although there are things in our life that we would like to change, there is so much that we are grateful for. This is essential if we are to be able to say, "It's would be great if this happens; but it's ok if it doesn't." It's essential in order for you to maintain a space of equanimity.
As a Buddhist it will probably feel strange at first to pray. Also it may be that, like me, you are very turned off by the traditional concept of prayer. But open your mind to the possibility that the type of prayer I'm advocating is both good for your peace and happiness and totally consistent with the Buddha dharma.
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