I once visited a home where there was a young baby. I was talking to the family and the mother was busy somewhere in the kitchen. The baby was playing with its toys. After a while, the baby cried a little and started putting things in its mouth, thinking that by sucking on them, it might get some milk to satisfy its hunger. A little crying, a little trying, again a little crying; this went on for a while. When it had sucked everything and not found any milk, it cried some more.

Then the mother came with a rubber pacifier. The baby started sucking the pacifier and stopped crying. But very soon it found out that milk wasn't coming even from the pacifier. Then it started kicking everything and really crying. This time the cry was completely different. And now the mother knew that the crying was real and came running to take the baby and feed it.

That taught me a very good lesson. I used to meditate and pray a little, but my mind was on the market and the cinema. I used to go to the Himalayas, sit in front of the Ganges, close my eyes, and start meditating, but I would be meditating on the cinemas of New Delhi. I would be sitting in a cave, but my mind was in the city. I repeated all the prayers correctly, and people who heard them said they sounded wonderful. They admired how I would sit quietly for hours and hours in meditation. But nothing came to my heart. I didn't feel or realize anything.

When I saw the baby I understood my mistake. I never cried, I never prayed sincerely, as the baby cried at the very end. I used to sit in prayer, but the moment I smelled some good food, I would finish quickly and go to the kitchen to eat. And when I sat down to pray, I would watch the time to make sure that I wouldn't be late for the first show. My prayers were not answered properly because they were not real and sincere.

Then I learned to pray for the sake of prayer and not for anything else. I would not be satisfied with anything but God. If our prayers are that sincere and our interest is only in God and nothing else, then God cannot sit quietly somewhere. He has to run to us. If we need help, it is always waiting. All we need to do is ask sincerely.

Source: www.yogaville.org