Matheikal
That's a marvelous answer to the qn on prayer.   Please  take your answer, copy on  Word, amend, add, etc as and if you think necessary and  post it as  part of the series I am talking about.
I truly think your answer is worth the read by many more and so do, please, post it as a blog.

Some time I'd urge you to expand on those ideas you have there highlighted in bold as ratioanl ethics. Take your time as these are invaluable ideas you have and all of us at sulekha who visit your blogs will benefit.

Thanks Thomas Cherian for that wonderful comment.  I particularly liked that quote from Lovecraft; it states my own position quite clearly.

You also touched upon the question of eternity.  Time belongs to the human mind.  In the outer space, I guess, it won't make much sense.  Hence eternity, if understood in terms of time, will not be logical.  Hence you reject it.  However, I view eternity as the timelessness out there.  When I spoke of the flow of eternity I meant the flow of that timelessness. 

matheikal
As my name suggests with people familar with the bible will know-I have always been a doubting thomas or fence sitter. I have read the bible from genesis to revelation, as I have many other religious books.  Growing up in Mumbai with a father who was an agnostic I did go to RSS shakas (grew up in a locality with predominatly Maharastrian brahmins)  Chinmaya missions and countless mahalakshmi puja and ganesh visarjans.

In my quest understand myself and the world around me especially after my DAD passed some years ago-I firmly rejected any connection I had with christianity not that I ever was an ardent devotee. I even practised and started reading buddhism a lot including books by Thich nhat hahn and other monks. I was attracted to Nichiren Buddhism a japanese sect and practised it with a bunch of japanese koreans and americans. It was a pleasure as many of these people opened their homes and hearts to me. I chanted with them, ate the food from their kitchens, read the lotus sutra and even joined their sect.  I was with these for almost two years.

But I got dillusioned with it and started reading books by people like Richard Dawkin and others of his ilk. It  did not answer all the questions I had but finally tore away any shred of faith I ever had in any gods or fairies or like. I understood once we conquered our fear of death and understand this is it. There is no eternity out there we can lead a very peaceful life and need no god to sleep at night. 

I believe a thinking person can never belief in the simplistic solution GOD. Anyway I would like to end my long note with a quote I love a lot from H.P.Lovecraft a gothic writer from early part of last century-
"It is easy to remove the mind from harping on the lost illusion of immortality. The disciplined intellect fears nothing and craves no sugarplum at the days end, but is content to accept life and serve society as best it may. Personally I should not care for immortality in the least. There is nothing better than oblivion, since in oblivion there is no wish unfulfilled. We had it before we were born, yet did not complain. Shall we then whine because we know it will reurn? It is Elysium enough for me at any rate"

Thanks, Raj, both for your comment and your enthusiasm to elicit more blogs from me on the subject. I think you’ll make me write a whole book on the topic.

To answer your major question: let me first say what prayer is not for me. 

1. Prayer is not a supplication to any supernatural power.  I guess such power(s) are not amendable to the whims of ordinary mortals.  At least they should not be. 
2. Prayer is not mumbo-jumbo.  Reciting memorised lines or mantras may have psychological effects on many.  But I haven’t derived any benefits from such prayers. 
3. Prayer is not listing my woes, desires or feelings to someone, even god – though I have said in the blog, “My prayer is a longing for a god.”  That was a metaphorical statement.  I have many times wished there was a god.  As Albert Camus commented on Dostoevsky, Ivan Karamazov’s utterance, “There is no god, therefore we are free,” was not made in delight.  It was a desperate cry.  It was an expression of a longing for a god.  I too feel that longing sometimes.

What then is prayer for me?

1. It is a psychological exercise.  Raghuram got it right.  Prayer is primarily an attempt to keep my ego under control.  I must confess that I do have an ego that is difficult to restrain.
2. It is a meditative reflection, a self-examination.
3. It is an attempt to cultivate greater sensitivity towards others, more compassion and other good qualities. 

Some may object to my use of the word ‘prayer’ for such an exercise.  But then, I have read about a Christian saint who, unable to find meaning in the traditional kinds of prayers, went and danced in front of his god. Dance too can be a prayer.  In Indian traditions too dances have played that role.  Prayer can take many forms, I believe.  The sanctity we attach to the act is what makes it prayer.

Your second question – about rational ethics – was asked to me many times earlier by other people too.  Your doubt is justified.  I have met many people who think that if there’s no after-life we can do what we want.  There’s no need to fear.  But my position is that it’s puerile as well as irrational.  It is puerile because it is based on fear of punishment.  Irrational because such thinking will only lead to chaos, destruction and terror. 

I think I have been elaborate enough.  At least for now.  Thanks a ton for taking so much interest in my views.  It helps me grow too. 

And Raghuram, I’m indebted to you for the compliment you’ve lavished on me.  You and many others like kookieswill and arambhusal make it even more necessary for me to pray – you boost my ego more than necessary.   

i too pray everyday .i pray  that  i  should be  given strength till the  end of  my life  not  to end up believing  in  a  god.
This   is  because ,I have  seen a  number  of  strong  atheists who ended  up  as  great  devotees of  some  god  or  goddesses.
i too do not  label my stand  on my belief .It  may  be  because belief is  a  positive stand on anything .I am afraid to take that  stand especially  of  things  which  I am not  sure of.A little  bit  of  trust in human beings  is all that  my little brain permit  that  too  with a bucket full of  salt.Forget  about  the gods.
My god  has only one  follower.that is  myself.The  follower and  the followed is one and the same.
Your blogs  provoke the imp in me.

Dear matheikal, I am visiting this comment space for the second time because I fell that Raj's comments deserve some response, one on the personal front which I giev below and which I have sent him as a note:

"Dear Raj, you did not make any mistake in interpreting what I have written on this matter. But, you made a blunder in favourably comparing many of my ramblings with this focused piece of matheikal's . His piece is so incisive, it is orders better than anything I have written, I am happy to admit. Honestly.  Indeed, I am affected (in a positive way) by it so much, I have taken it upon myself to define my thoughts and actions with more focus. I am not sure I will be successful.
 
Best regards,

Raghuram Ekambaram"

And now to one of his questions to you. I do not know how you would answer his query about what you consider a paryer. But, what I took it to be is that you would beseech your ego to let go of itself at least for those moments. It is a prayer to your ego to let yourself be free. This is why I quoted a snippet from your piece with a lot of admiration in my earlier comment.

Regards,

Raghuram Ekambaram

BTW, I am a believer.......

Lakshmi

matheikal

Amazing.............you are a human being who is able to see the beauty around you along with the sordid and pitiful.

That validates the fact of your existence .......whether you have a formal religion or not fades into the background and is irrelevant,  for me at least.

One sees so many of all faiths who go through the meaninglessness of believing when all their acts and entire lives negate everything that any religion or philosophy may propound.

Thnx for sharing this

lakshmi

Certain assignments kept me busy and hence I could not visit Sulekha for some time to answer the comments.  I am grateful to each one who posted comments and recommended the post.