“Miracles do happen”

It was a great pleasure to read Brig (Retd) Noshir Grant’s letter "Miracles do happen” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, February 2004) highlighting his experience of a miracle from special prayers organized for his recovery by the Zoroastrian community of Chicago! This speaks volumes as to the efficacy of prayers offered faithfully and devotionally. Instances of prayers causing wonders or miracles are well known in our community.

I give here my personal experience. In 2002 some problems faced by me caused much worry and anxiety. As a staunch athornan I started to recite prayers regularly with full trust and faith in our Ahura Mazda, every morning and night, and beseeched Him to help me. After a few months He was gracious to hear my prayers and answer them, grant my wishes and bestow His bounties on me.

By reciting prayers I feel rewarded with God’s love and affection, grace and benedictions, strength and protection. Every night when I am awakened from sleep I automatically recite the prayer of Ashem Vohu in Avesta and thereby enjoy protection from evil forces. By devoted prayers evil spirits are disintegrated from the environment and become ineffective in their stride. People who have gained experience bear eloquent testimony in the matter.

I am convinced that prayer is a deep and profound communion with God. I believe that prayers recited in the language of revelation are really effective. Vibrations emanating from prayers so recited have a significant bearing on the efficacy of prayers. Gita for Hindus in Sanskrit, the Koran for Muslims in Arabic, the Torah for Jews in Hebrew and Khordeh Avesta for Parsi Zoroastrians in Avesta are more efficacious than in Hindi, Urdu, English or Gujarati being the languages commonly spoken and understood by the people concerned.

Prayers should be offered regularly and not intermittently, in prosperity and in adversity, in joy and in sorrow, in health and in sickness, in life and in death. To think of the Lord and seek His grace as one inhales his last breath is only possible if one conscientiously remembers Him regularly throughout his life. Many atheists and non-believers turn believers when faced with certain danger or death. As regards prayers Mahatma Gandhi succinctly observes, "Prayer is the key for the morning and bolt for the evening, there is no place without the grace of God and there is no God without prayers.”

Many people having faith in prayers select a slogan or a keynote as a mantra and chant it continuously with deep concentration and urge "Lord, lead me from unreal to real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.” A mantra so selected creates vibrations in the body and mind and frees one from attachment in life.

Regular chanting of mantras inspires the body to heal, the mind to be calm and the spirit to become powerful. A mind purified by mantras functions like a "magnetic center” and enables one to float with the waves of life. Life ultimately becomes full of opportunities and benedictions, generating waves of love and compassion.

As I grow older I do feel a sense of peace when I offer prayers in front of a sanctum sanctorum in the fire-temple. I feel communion with the Lord, Ahura Mazda. I feel some energy emanating from Him and the divine spirit descended into the most holy place in the temple. I feel His presence, however abstract He might be.

RUSTAM S. GAE

New Delhi