The Art of Prabhupada Prayer

Devotees suggest that one should pray to Prabhupada.  We use this word “pray” frequently in Krishna consciousness.  “Pray to Prabhupada.”  But what does it really mean?  How do you do it?

One way to pray to Prabhupada is to sit in a place where his presence can be felt intensely, such as his samadhi mandir, or in his rooms at Radha-Damodara Temple, or we may go to a place where he performed some pastime that is easy to meditate on.  We can then attempt to engage in sustained conversation with him.  We can help ourselves by making notes on a piece of paper first, or we can just sit quietly, although our minds will have a greater tendency to wander.  We could also sit in our chosen spot and chant japa, although there are specific advantages to planning our prayer-time ahead of time and going prepared to spend that time with Prabhupada.

Prayer to Prabhupada presumes that we have the faith that he is present and that he can hear our prayers.  It also presumes that we have the faith he will bless us in our endeavors on his behalf.  The Lord and Prabhupada already know what is in our hearts; technically, we don’t need to pray to report to them.  But we want to speed things up the way Narada Muni sped things up in Krishna’s pastimes.  We need to speed things up because our time in this body is short and we have a lot of distance to travel.  We are not satisfied with our progress.  There are also immediate points and crises and times and pathways facing us with different, alternative routes to take on the road.  We need to pray for direction. 

Dear Srila Prabhupada, please allow me to have the presence of mind to pray to you, and please allow me to find a peaceful place where I can be in your presence.  I want to be faithful to you, but I realize faithfulness takes creativity and courage and inspiration.  I can’t be faithful only by carrying out the program you gave me – the basic sadhana and guru-seva – in a mechanical way.  I pray that you will give me the courage and the intelligence how to enter deeply into my Krishna consciousness.  I have already encountered how my false ego gives me so many problems, but I know you can kick out all these obstacles very quickly.  Therefore, I pray to you: Let me realize Krishna consciousness in a way that is pleasing to you.