Prayer · Internal Reference¶
This version preserves source texts without alteration, organized thematically with citations.
[I] Definition and Nature¶
"The specific means of connection are: meditation and prayer."
"The second means is prayer. We must first be clear that the purpose of human existence is to serve the Greatest Creator. How to please the Greatest Creator is the primary purpose of our prayer."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Chapter on the Greatest Creator · The Eight Relationships between the Greatest Creator and Humanity · The Corresponding Relationship (Means of Connection))
"Prayer is a daily conscious activity; without prayer, one cannot receive divine assistance."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Chapter on Becoming a Celestial · Key Points of Spiritual Thinking)
"Prayer has an unimaginable power. When you feel trapped by circumstances and unable to realize your beautiful ideals, pray more!"
(Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th Edition · Concept 122)
"The means of connecting with the Greatest Creator are: reading the Wordless Heavenly Book, meditation, and prayer."
(Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th Edition · Concept 545)
[II] The Form and Content of Prayer¶
The complete procedure for prayer
"Regarding how to pray — the manner and content of prayer — Jesus Christ has already made it very clear to us. We simply follow his teaching. In general terms, prayer must come from sincere devotion; it must never be perfunctory or halfhearted. The content of prayer should begin with wholehearted gratitude for the Greatest Creator's grace, benevolence, and care, then proceed to praise and glorify the Greatest Creator's wisdom, supreme power, and greatness. Next, express your willingness to act in accordance with the Greatest Creator's will, without concern for personal success or failure. Then engage in deep, bone-cleansing repentance for your sins and errors, asking the Greatest Creator to be merciful and forgive your transgressions. Finally, seek the Greatest Creator's help in walking the righteous path so that your life may enter a higher realm of existence in the next lifetime. The closing should indicate that your prayer is offered in the name of Jesus, humanity's Father in Heaven."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Chapter on the Greatest Creator · The Eight Relationships between the Greatest Creator and Humanity · The Corresponding Relationship)
Prayer is a personal act — silent and interior
"Prayer is a personal act, not a social performance. The kind of prayer that involves shouting aloud, deliberately letting others hear, is false and useless. We must carry it out quietly, silently, without speaking aloud, because our mental activity transforms into thought-waves — like an EEG or ECG — broadcasting our heartfelt intentions into the vast universe. The Greatest Creator will surely respond. Furthermore, since we ourselves are a component of the Greatest Creator, when our prayer is heard by us, that marks the Greatest Creator having heard it."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Chapter on the Greatest Creator · The Eight Relationships between the Greatest Creator and Humanity · The Corresponding Relationship)
The detailed steps for prayer (from the perspective of transcending suffering)
"The third step is prayer. The best approach to prayer follows Jesus's teaching. The main content should be praising the Greatest Creator — if this day passed in peace, whether we dined on fine food or plain fare, as long as we ate our fill and had a place to sleep sheltered from wind and rain, we should be grateful and thank the Greatest Creator. Next, in prayer, thank all persons and things that brought benefit to us, ask the Greatest Creator to care for and bless them, and forgive those who harmed us, while hoping those who hurt us may attain a beautiful life. Finally, ask the Greatest Creator to grant us a peaceful, happy life and guide us into higher realms of existence."
"Repentance and prayer primarily serve to purify our souls, causing the antimatter structure of our lives to gradually evolve toward perfection. Never let repentance become sophistry or perfunctory excuses, or let prayer become greed or curses."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Tiqi Chapter · Transcending Suffering (Part II) — Tiqi Chapter No. 46)
Prayer as the highest form of spiritual communication
"Humans are capable of communicating with divine beings. Seeking blessings, burning incense, prostrating — these are all forms of communication with divine beings. But the best method is not through the body, posture, or language — it is through the soul. So, as long as one holds the divine in the heart and regularly repents and prays inwardly, this constitutes direct communication with divine beings, and the ways in which divine beings reciprocate are varied and wondrous beyond description."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Wisdom Chapter · The Highest Form of Communication)
An actual example of prayer
"O Almighty God, my beloved is of utmost importance to me — please do not allow the bus she is riding to have a serious accident. I beg you, God! Amen!"
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Wisdom Chapter · Follow Your Feelings When Necessary)
[III] The Efficacy of Prayer and the Greatest Creator's Response¶
The Tao perceives prayer instantaneously
"The internal prayer, repentance, wishes, and blessings all have effect, value, and meaning."
"When you encounter danger, be sure to pray immediately and seek help from the Greatest Creator. Because the Tao possesses instantaneous resonance, our inner activities will be perceived by the Greatest Creator in an instant, and protective measures will be deployed at the critical moment. When facing a dilemma, communicate your most beautiful heartfelt wish to the Greatest Creator, then entrust your life to the Greatest Creator, let the Tao govern your path, then adapt to circumstances, act naturally, and respond to the moment — and you will not go wrong."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Transmission Chapter · Xuefeng's Teachings (1–8))
The Tao continuously senses prayer and wishes
"The Tao continuously senses our inward prayers and wishes, reflecting in real time the actual state of our current existence — this is the spirituality of the Tao."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Transmission Chapter · Xuefeng's Teachings (1–8))
The Greatest Creator responds to sincere prayer
"The Greatest Creator is loving, just, and forgiving. If you repent, the Greatest Creator will surely point out the great path of life for you; if you sincerely pray to the Greatest Creator, the Greatest Creator will surely respond and bless you."
"Your purpose in revering the Greatest Creator should be to walk the great path of life — not to seek wealth and power. So if you pray to the Greatest Creator and suffering still persists, it is not that the Greatest Creator has abandoned you, but that you are being tempered, tested, and shaped. So that you may understand: human beings do not live on food alone; only those who feed on the spirit of the Greatest Creator can attain eternal life."
"The offerings of the wicked are detestable to the Greatest Creator, but the prayers of the upright are pleasing to the Greatest Creator."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Life Teachings · Intermediate Life Guide (Part II))
The cosmic holographic mechanism of prayer
"The universe is holographic; the spirit of the Greatest Creator permeates every realm of space. Our every thought is intimately connected to the spirit of the Greatest Creator. Just as a tiny splinter in a toe is instantly registered by the brain, repentance and prayer are in actuality communication and exchange with the Greatest Creator. At the same time, our thought-waves expand outward like a radio transmitter into the vast antimatter universe — divine beings and Buddhas sense this and come to our effective aid."
"You might try this for 100 days. After 100 days, the people around you will notice a change in you — more empathetic, more reasonable, more optimistic, more tranquil. But that is secondary. What matters most is that your physiology and psychology silently evolve toward health, and your life-structure evolves toward a higher realm of existence."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Tiqi Chapter · Transcending Suffering (Part II))
If the faith is real, whatever you pray for will be realized
"Jesus said that with faith as small as a mustard seed, you could cause a tree nearby to be planted in the sea. If one's faith is truly real, whatever one prays to the Greatest Creator for will be realized."
(Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Q&A Chapter · Responding to Question (15))
In any hardship, prayer brings results
"In any arduous or difficult circumstances, as long as we pray to the Greatest Creator and ask for protection, our wishes will surely come true."
(Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Soul Chapter · Hold Tightly to the Hand of the Greatest Creator)
[IV] Prayer in Cultivation Practice¶
Prayer as one of the methods for transcending suffering
"There are several techniques for transcending suffering: first, repentance; second, action; third, prayer."
"The moment repentance and prayer are mentioned, clever people mock it as religious superstition — self-deception, self-comfort, wishful thinking, mental rigidity, an anaesthetic for losers fleeing from competitive reality."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Tiqi Chapter · Transcending Suffering (Part II))
Repentance and prayer purify the soul
"Repentance and prayer, purify the soul; follow the guide's direction, the path shines all the way through."
(Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan Chapter · Poem of Civility for Long-term Second-Home Celestials)
Prayer and repentance as methods for resolving karmic ties
"The Eight Methods for Releasing Earthly Bonds and Forming Celestial Bonds — First: Prayer, repentance, and formless giving."
"Following Jesus Christ's teaching to repent and pray, and following Buddha Shakyamuni's teaching to form the highest aspiration and practice formless giving, one can resolve all negative karmic ties, repay all debts accumulated through countless lifetimes, and accumulate treasures in Heaven — arriving directly at the Greatest Creator's realm of supreme bliss."
"Repentance, prayer, giving, and selfless dedication are the best means of eliminating karmic ties — especially negative ones — before they fully manifest."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Transmission Chapter · The Mystery and True Meaning of Yuan (Affinity))
Prayer for health
"Three prescriptions: First, repent and pray to the Greatest Creator-Buddha; Second, maintain a joyful state of mind; Third, practice the Chanyuan fitness exercises daily."
"Regarding the first prescription: any Celestial who feels physically unwell or ill must pray to the Greatest Creator-Buddha using the repentance-and-prayer text that I have written."
(Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Chanyuan Chapter · How the Second Home Ensures the Health of Siblings)
Prayer and repentance as the path back to our heavenly homeland
"Only through constant repentance and prayer can we hope to return to our original homeland in Heaven. Whether our life's journey is smooth or difficult, this does not ultimately matter — what matters is that every step is steadily directed toward the ideal shore of life."
(Source: Xuefeng Corpus ·励志 Chapter · We Are Nurses of the Greatest Creator)
The Guide's own practice
"This is my faith and my life: constant repentance, washing the impurities from my soul; constant prayer, seeking the Greatest Creator's forgiveness for my transgressions; constant reflection, exploring the depth and breadth of the Tao; constant effort, bravely ascending toward the highest realms of life and existence."
(Source: Xuefeng Corpus · 励志 Chapter · My Faith and Outlook on Life)
Learning to pray
"Learn to pray to the Greatest Creator, so that the Greatest Creator will delight in and receive you."
(Source: Other Articles by the Guide · 2006 · A Candid Chat and Undoing Spells)
[V] Distinctions and Boundaries¶
Walking the Tao is not the same as religious rote prayer
"Walking the path of the Greatest Creator is the most effortless, simplest, most direct, and most effective approach. There is no need to abstain from this or that, no need to chant scriptures and pray every day, no need to specially cultivate supernatural powers or divine abilities, no need to exhaust yourself searching for sages — simply follow nature and all will be accomplished."
(Source: New Era Human 800 Concepts, 4th Edition · Concept 539)
Do not pray for miracles — in normal circumstances
"Miracles do occur frequently, but we must not pray for their appearance. A hen needs 21 days to hatch an egg; the chick breaking out of its shell is itself a miracle. If we wish it to hatch in a few days, we are disrupting the program's operation — this is acting against the Tao."
"Both sides in a war devoutly pray for God to side with them and defeat the other — what is God to do? Everyone prays for God to make everything go their way and make them prosper — what is God to do? The Greatest Creator absolutely does not take sides. The sun shines on good and bad alike; what determines the outcome is the program. Whoever follows the program is the ultimate winner."
"Therefore, praying for miracles to occur is harmful. Miracles must be allowed to happen naturally and imperceptibly; do not force growth or kill the goose for the golden eggs."
"Do not pray for miracles. If you pray for a miracle and it occurs, you will forever disregard process and program, growing habitually lucky-minded — you may become demonic or monstrous. If you pray for a miracle and it does not occur, you will lose faith, curse the heavens, cause your beliefs to collapse, and descend into psychological and spiritual chaos."
"But there are exceptions to every rule. When we are in a truly dangerous and perilous situation, it is time to 'spend a thousand days training troops for use in an emergency' — and pray for a miracle. In ordinary circumstances use ordinary methods; in extraordinary circumstances use extraordinary methods. This is the ordinary and wondrous use of the Tao."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Transmission Chapter · Transmission No. 33: Do Not Pray for Miracles)
The forbidden content of prayer: evil intentions align with demons, not God
"When praying, be absolutely certain never to harbor evil intentions. Praying for someone's downfall, praying for promotions and wealth, praying for family glory, complaining about God's injustice — these will be received by demons, and the one who prays will be the ultimate victim. Because evil intentions are not on the same frequency as the Greatest Creator — they only resonate with demons."
(Source: Chanyuan Corpus · Chapter on the Greatest Creator · The Corresponding Relationship)
Prayer does not substitute for personal effort
"You should certainly enjoy what you are entitled to enjoy. If you make no effort to enjoy or protect your right to enjoy — just waiting day after day for the world to turn peaceful, praying every day for the Greatest Creator to take care of you, making no effort yourself — such a person is certainly not pleasing to the Greatest Creator."
(Source: Xuefeng Corpus · Essays · You Must Take Action)