Beneath the scintillating blue dome of the Siddha Yoga Universal Hall, Gurumayi made a prayer. She spoke in Hindi; those of you who are familiar with the language might recall her words. And I think all of us, whether or not we understand Hindi, felt the thrum of power in her speech. We could recognize that something important was taking place.
This is what Gurumayi said:
May we find peace within. This is our prayer to God. When we experience peace, then everything feels good. When we experience happiness within our own self, we feel the Lord’s prasad to be present throughout this world. It is everywhere.
May we find peace within. This is our prayer to God. When we are at peace, we live our lives joyfully with others. When there is something or other going on within us, that’s when we create tumult on the outside.
May we find peace within. This is our prayer to God.
With each repetition of this refrain—“May we find peace within. This is our prayer to God”—I felt as though Gurumayi’s intention was being etched more deeply onto the folds of eternity. I also felt that this prayer was stitching itself into my very being. Or maybe it’s just that Gurumayi’s words were revealing the latent wish of my heart.
Even so, my understanding of Gurumayi’s prayer expanded as I took in her words. The first time Gurumayi said, “May we find peace within,” I figured that her prayer was about each of us experiencing peace in our own souls. As Gurumayi continued, I quickly realized that she was making a connection between the peace we might individually experience and a much broader peace. The peace that exists between people. The peace that is felt by the animals and creatures of this world. The peacefulness of the planet itself, alive as it is with Consciousness.
There is something vital in this connection that Gurumayi was bringing to our attention—the connection between the inner and outer peace. The world might not revolve around any one of us, but we do, in fact, make our world what it is. Our scope of influence is great. The choices we make, the atmosphere we foster within ourselves, the way we subsequently show up in our interactions—all of this ripples outward. And it builds on itself. It amplifies; it sets off dozens of chain reactions. We really can, if we so choose, magnify auspiciousness.
Sometimes, for me at least, the notion of world peace can be hard to grasp. It is something I desperately want, but it feels abstract, unattainable in any practical sense—especially in such a fraught and complex world. What I love so much about Gurumayi’s prayer is that she involves each of us in the achievement of this goal. She makes clear that we all have a part to play. The goal—peace in this world—remains as noble as ever, but I feel that it can be accessible as well, if we make the effort to access it. If we look carefully enough, we can find evidence of peace everywhere—proof of its existence, however fleeting. We can uncover peace in a moment of unexpected serenity, in a charitable deed, in any sincere attempt to resolve an argument or arrive at a place of mutual understanding. Examples like these give us hope. They remind us that peace will often begin with something small, something we might not have even thought would engender peace. And it is in the accumulation of such “small” expressions of peace, and in the prominence we accord to them in our individual and collective awareness, that a wider peace becomes possible.
With that in mind, let’s make the intention to reach for peace in this world. To touch it. To experience it. To do something about it. The act of prayer is itself a tangible step we can take. In the previous installment of “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words,” I wrote about how a lot goes into making a prayer on the Siddha Yoga path. I would add now that the same can be said about offering a prayer—for someone or something beyond ourselves.
I think it’s easier than we might realize to become indifferent to the plight of others. Life and death are happening all around us, all the time. In every moment, someone is being born. In every moment, someone is breathing their last. A bird lays eggs, and those eggs fall out of their nest. We go for a walk, and while we’re letting the delicious air fill our lungs—we step on a bug. Then there are the more dramatic examples, the lives lost to war or to some other calamity. We guard our hearts against the onslaught of such news, each new death making less of an impression than the last, simply because we need to survive, we need to go on. I wonder, though, whether in the course of our assiduous self-preservation, we also blunt some of our wonderment for life.
The making and offering of prayers presents an antidote to such thinking. It is a quiet but firm refusal. To genuinely pray for others requires that we have a conscious appreciation for life, and that we value the lives of others as much as we do our own. When we pray for the betterment of the world, we are actually constructing a vision of the world in which we do more than just try to “get by.” We are stepping out of such familiar, insular modes of being. We are recognizing our interconnection with all of life and, as we do so, I believe we gain entry to the wellspring of gratitude in our hearts. Our existence on this planet is no more of a given than anyone else’s. We are all equally lucky to be here, so why not find the best possibility for our own advancement in the progress we make with others?
I have heard Gurumayi teach about the importance of maintaining a prayerful heart. I understand this to mean that even when we are not actively articulating a prayer, we can be cultivating the inner stance of prayer. We can be looking at our world, and approaching our world, in a way that is conducive to prayer. Then, when the time comes for us to actually offer our prayers, we are ready. We do not have to dig too deep to find the requisite empathy, the necessary tenderness of heart.
One way Gurumayi has taught us to do this is by paying attention to the language we use. This includes the thoughts in our heads and the words we say aloud to others. How do we describe the people we come across? What words come to mind? What words are we using to acknowledge their character, their behavior? What ideas about humanity are we reinforcing through our choice of language?
Gurumayi has shared with me, since I grew up in a Marathi-speaking household, that one of her favorite words in the Marathi language is tsāngla. It is a word that Baba Muktananda would often use when speaking with, or about, the devotees who would visit Gurudev Siddha Peeth—especially those of Maharashtrian origin. It is a beautiful word in Marathi. It is also a word that people use all the time, so I have definitely appreciated the reminder to remember its richness of meaning. Literally, tsāngla means “good.” Yet its essence encompasses so much more. A person who is tsānglā or tsānglī has a very good character and a very good outlook on life. They are honest, truthful, virtuous, well-intentioned—just absolutely, peerlessly good. To use tsāngla as a descriptor of someone is to see the best in them. It is to recognize their inherent goodness.
Similar words can be found in other languages, too. In Japanese, a person who is good-natured, who has a gentle and honest disposition, is described as zennin. In Spanish, such a person is bondadoso, good and kind. In Italian, that person is buono, sincere, virtuous, gentle-hearted. In Russian: dobryj, good, kind, kind-hearted. And in French, this is someone who is bon; they do good for others, they wish goodness upon others, they are compassionate and generous.
I mention all this to affirm—for myself, and for all of us—that we do have the tools we need to nurture a prayerful heart. Our words create our world. To be clear, this is not about pulling the wool over our eyes; seeing the good in others is not about ignoring falsehoods or accepting wrongdoing. But by seeking out, and acknowledging, what is authentically good in others, we do bolster our belief in the overall goodness of humanity. And if we don’t do what we can to keep this belief strong, then who and what are we praying for?
This is also why, in the context of Mahashivaratri especially, I find it beneficial to learn about Lord Shiva’s many names. Lord Shiva, as we know, is no different from the Self within. He is the Self in all. So when we call him Shiva—literally, “the auspicious one, the personification of goodness”—we are remembering our own goodness and the goodness in others. When we speak of him as Gunottama, “the one of utmost virtue,” we are recognizing this virtuousness in ourselves and in those around us. And when we refer to him as Shankara, “the beneficent one, the one who grants happiness,” we are acknowledging that we all have the ability to be kind and benevolent, and to bring forth goodness in our surroundings.
These are some of my initial thoughts about Gurumayi’s prayer from the satsang on Mahashivaratri. Now I want to know what Gurumayi’s prayer means to you. When you hear the words of Gurumayi’s prayer, what comes to mind? What arises in your heart? What efforts have you been making to relate the goodness you carry within yourself to your ability to make a difference in the lives of others? How might you use your goodness to make a positive impact, whether you think that impact is microscopic or infinitely great?
Gurumayi’s prayer and Eesha’s “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words” help me explore prayer as a sacred means of connection to the Lord.
When I participate in a Siddha Yoga Sadhana Circle, for example, I notice the beautiful prayers and intentions that people offer. I understand that prayers can be for healing, for easeful life transitions, for world peace. Often, I find myself needing to pray for a quiet mind, which in turn allows me to find peace within, as Gurumayi’s prayer invites me to do. When I feel peace, I feel closer to God, and I can offer serenity to those around me.
I have also discovered that if I am irritated by someone and it causes tumult in my mind, I can now stop myself, take a breath, and offer that person kindness and blessings in my heart. When I do, the tumult is softened. This is often how I pray.
Gurumayi’s teachings are affirming and encouraging to me.
Vermont, United States
I loved Eesha’s elaboration on Gurumayi’s teaching of “the importance of maintaining a prayerful heart.” Often I feel conscious of and connected to my warm and loving heart from which meaningful prayers arise. However, in contemplating further, I suddenly realized that at times when I face adversity, I may fail to connect with and act from my heart.
For example, in heavy traffic when someone cuts in or when I observe a very rude person, agitation or anger can arise in me and cover my warmth and love. Cultivating a “prayerful heart” might mean that rather than giving in to frustration, I instead offer a kind prayer to that person who may likely need it.
This idea of my offering generosity, especially in the midst of adversity, seems to go right to the essence of what it takes to help engender world peace.
Florida, United States
Gurumayi’s prayer touched me deeply. I wrote it on a card and placed it on my puja altar. One day, I sat quietly with the prayer, reading and rereading it. I looked up the meaning of peace, and found it’s a state of not being interrupted by worry, problems, or unwanted actions. It also means freedom from war and violence, with people living together happily.
I thought, “All this happens within me too—worries, problems, inner battles, unwanted thoughts and actions. Yet Gurumayi says, ‘May we find peace within.’ This means peace already exists inside me. If I keep my focus on peace within, I can find it!”
Gurumayi’s words became an affirmation for me to repeat throughout the day: “May I find peace within.”
That day, a friend called, asking for support through a family crisis. It was a challenging experience, yet the affirmation kept me centered, calm, and safe from the tumult outside. I returned home with my good state intact.
This all reminded me how much shakti Gurumayi’s words carry. They are alive with Consciousness and have the power to keep me anchored within, even as life’s storms rage outside.
Bangalore, India
What arises in my heart
through all the confusions of identity and attachment
is how the Guru’s grace is everywhere and ongoing
What arises in my heart
is how seductive the world of maya is and yet
the peace we seek is the foundation
and interconnective tissue of all being
What arises in my heart
is how sadhana can involve deep and beatific struggle
and is an incredible gift to bridge seekers
from a place of lived experience to the full realization of the Guru within
What arises in my heart
is great love and gratitude for Gurumayi
as she carries the lantern of love before us
leading us deeper, each in our own way
What arises in my heart
is also gratitude for such a lovely contemplation
Nanaimo, Canada
When I read Gurumayi’s prayer, I contemplated it while consciously connecting with my heart. As I did so, I experienced a sense of stillness and equipoise.
As I continued to contemplate each word of Gurumayi’s prayer, I felt waves of joy and bliss rising from within my heart and moving throughout every part of my body. Then I experienced that these waves of joy and bliss were spreading out into the external world. Absorbed in this ecstatic state, I spontaneously uttered a prayer for peace, happiness, and bliss to spread to everyone in the world.
Lucknow, India
Gurumayi’s beautiful prayer resonates so deeply with me. In the past, when I had negative thoughts, I often felt that they spilled over into my external environment. Yet now, since I started meditating, I have such a profound inner peace that I feel it permeates others and the world.
Paris, France
The words prayerful heart really caught my attention. I sensed that my heart, when it is prayerful, is soft, like rich, dark soil—moist with nutrients, ready to receive and nourish seeds or, in this case, prayers.
My task is to guard against hard-heartedness, which can happen in an instant in a moment of threat or defensiveness. Sadhana, particularly for me the practices of mantra repetition, meditation, chanting, and dakshina, keeps my heart inclined toward prayerfulness, toward softness. This simple phrase, “prayerful heart,” brought so much together, helping me to understand the connection between my effort, the heart, grace—and prayer.
Rhode Island, United States
I loved the idea of a “prayerful heart” as a way of being in life. I thought of the second line in Gurumayi’s Message for 2026—“Observe! Uphold your dharma.” When confronted with a difficult situation or choice, I can go to my prayerful heart to see the authentically good, and then choose to act in a manner that stays true to my dharma.
I am grateful for this beautiful reflection. I felt at peace when I listened to it.
Maryland, United States
After reading “Gurumayi’s Prayer,” I am touched beyond words; my heart is still. I know that I need to make my heart “prayer-ready,” so that I can hold Gurumayi ji’s prayer in my heart. For me, this prayer is to find peace within, independent of what’s going on around me. The vastness of Gurumayi’s prayer reminds me that I need to cultivate a healthy heart that is ready to pray for everyone in this whole world, because the world, outside and inside, is one.
My prayer is to make my heart ready so that I can hold the exact prayer that Gurumayi ji has prayed for us.
Pune, India
Reading Gurumayi’s prayer reignited and enlivened the original spark that brought me to the Siddha Yoga path thirty-three years ago. Her words always have a way of reconnecting my heart to the pure path, the true path, the good path.
So many people keep saying “In times like these” when they offer blessings and good thoughts, but I always wonder to myself, “Haven’t times always been tumultuous? What makes this present time especially worthy of this phrase?”
Gurumayi’s prayer and words reminded me that we simply like to believe that present times are somehow more tumultuous than times in the past. Or maybe having so much access to modern technology and communication systems has given us the impression that these times are exponentially more trying than times in the past.
I’m so relieved to be reminded that we still have the power of prayer, the power of goodness, and that this power has never left us.
California, United States
I am grateful to Gurumayi for this exquisite prayer. It is certainly my secret wish to live in peace, and this exposition shined a bright light on what I can do in a world that seems to be spinning out of control.
Through remembering this light, I have found that a kind word or gesture brings out something hidden in another person. The Guru is showing me that this is what is important, and I have the power to bring it forward.
New York, United States
When Gurumayi spoke the prayer in Hindi, I understood only the word shanti many times. Now, I very much appreciate hearing the rest of the prayer.
My wish is that every one of us experience inner peace and goodness, and that this inner peace and goodness circle and sparkle around the whole planet Earth.
Hindelang, Germany
Gurumayi’s prayer touched my soul. It felt like the perfect antidote to all the things that are going on in the world today. It gave me the power to step back from my emotions and conceptions of right and wrong and to view the world as the “field” where karmas are worked out. It gave me the understanding that I can live cheerfully and happily and allow that cheerfulness and happiness to ripple out around me. Instead of feeling helpless, I can allow the Guru’s grace and my own efforts to transform myself and the world around me.
Vancouver, Canada
Eesha’s words about praying for others reminded me of a wondrous experience.
In 2000 I celebrated my fiftieth birthday at Shree Muktananda Ashram. I longed to offer something special coming from my heart, but I didn’t know what that could be. Sitting in meditation in the Temple, I suddenly knew what to do. I left the Temple—thanking Bade Baba, for I felt I had received inspiration directly from him.
The inspiration I received was to offer prayer sticks to fifty people around the Ashram. I approached each one and said, “My prayer is that your most heartfelt prayer be heard and answered.” Everyone received my gift with respect and gratitude.
I remember one person who touched me deeply. He was a young man who looked sad. When he received the prayer stick, tears welled up in his eyes. He said, “This is exactly what I needed. Thank you!” and he ran off toward the Shiva Nataraj. I stood in awe at the power of the Guru’s grace and infinite compassion.
When there was one last prayer stick left, I wrote my own prayer: “May the prayers of the people I offered prayer sticks to be heard and answered.”
Québec, Canada
When I read “Gurumayi’s Prayer” today, I realized that peace has so many levels and that it begins within me!
I will now try to clearly recognize my inner disharmonies by being honest with myself and never again doubting the love and light within me and others. If I love and respect myself unconditionally, I can also love and respect others unconditionally.
If someone criticizes me, it certainly does not mean that I am not a good person and that I must question my integrity. I can view criticism as fertilizer to support growth so that I can become stronger.
I am certain that I can cultivate more harmonious relationships when I am at peace with myself.
Konolfingen, Switzerland
After listening to the audio recording of “Gurumayi’s Prayer,” the part that stood out for me was about using language to maintain a “prayerful heart.” I noticed that, at first, I could not come up with any “tsāngla“ shabda—good words—to describe the ones closest to me!
I then meditated to really see what I was blind to—their good qualities and their positive impact on my life. I now feel a new appreciation and gratefulness for their presence—and a wholeness in myself I hadn’t felt before.
Pune, India
Every day for the past several months, I have been chanting Om Dyauh Shanti, a prayer for universal peace, available on the Siddha Yoga path website. As I chant these syllables, I feel the vibrations of a deep and calming connection to my heart, a peacefulness that I inherently know I am sending out to the world.
