Prayer has nothing to do with religion; it is basically the approach of the artist. Prayer is an aesthetic phenomenon, not a religious phenomenon. But if you start feeling grateful and thankful toward existence, slowly, slowly you are surprised that a presence starts surrounding you which you had never felt before. It is only a thankful heart that starts feeling a vibe. That vibe is God. God only comes at a later stage, but then it comes as an experience – never as a belief, but always as an experience. Then God is a liberation, then God is nirvana.
But start with prayer. Never start with God because that God will be false. And if you are believing in a false God, your prayer is false. First make your prayer as deep as possible, as heartfelt as possible, and then God comes of its own accord. I am not worried about God, but I am certainly worried about prayer.
If people miss prayer, then there is no possibility, no hope. If God is dead, it is not our business. But if prayer is dead, then it is certainly a question of great concern because without prayer all that is beautiful, all that is great will be lost. So learn to be prayerful.
