People pray out of misery. They pray because they are miserable and they think they will be able to get out of it through prayer. At the most, that kind of prayer can help to console them, but it cannot help them to get out of misery. They will become settled and adjusted to their misery — that is really dangerous. The so-called religions work in that way: they help you become adjusted to all kinds of misery.
That’s why in the East you will see people living in all kinds of miseries without any rebellion, without any effort to improve their lives. It is because of their so-called religiousness; they have become adjusted to everything, they have forgotten completely that life can be different. They have accepted life as it is.
This is not a good situation: it stops evolution. Hence I never suggest prayer when one is in misery. Prayer should be only when you are cheerful, blissful; when you can dance and sing, when you can rejoice. Then prayer is a tremendous leap into the unknown because it helps you trust existence. Prayer is trust. It is a love affair with the whole, a love affair with the trees and the stars and the mountains and all that is.
