Sunday, January 29, 2012

On Prayer and AT

What do the words "pray" and "prayer" mean to you?
Do they trigger a reaction in you, of any kind?

Take a moment to inhibit (pause to not-react), if you will.
Take a moment to create a space of nonjudgmental observation around these words and your relation to them.

Now, if you are curious about your beliefs and reactions related to these words, go ahead and read the following poem.

"Pray - period! Don't expect anything.
Or better, expect nothing.
Prayer cleanses us of expectations
 and allows holy will, providence,
and life itself an entry.
What could be more worth the effort -
or the non-effort?"
-  Thomas Moore

Don't expect anything.
Expect nothing.
Cleansing ourselves of expectations.
Allowing.
Allowing the holy will (isn't the innermost, deepest essence, Self, holy?)...an entry.
Allowing providence (guardianship, control)...an entry.
Allowing life to enter into us.
Effort/non-effort.


What if prayer, thought of in this way, were not so different from what we mean in Alexander "jargon", when we consider the words "inhibition" and "direction" and "conscious control of the individual" and "not endgaining" and "non-doing"...all with a view towards knowing the Self?

4 comments:

  1. Jennifer,

    This is a nice entry and goes towards breaking down the walls that the interpretation of words can bring.

    Consider putting this on Google's AlexTech Mail List as well.

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  2. Thanks John, I may do that. I really appreciate your comments!!

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  3. What if the AT directions were an oblique prayer for change.

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    Replies
    1. Nice! And sometimes an oblique prayer of thanksgiving for what is...

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