Sunday, December 25, 2005

An Advaitic interpretation of the Lord's prayer

Swami Prabhavananda gives a wonderful Vedantic interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount. I find it a little too theistic. The following is an attempt to interpret the Lord's Prayer in an Advaitic way:

9 After this manner therefore pray ye:

O Jiva, pray in the following way:

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.


O ParaBrahma which is the highest abode of the Atman,
Whatever names (and forms) are you worshipped, let them be sacred,
and You are everywhere, in the world, in the Maya and in the Atma.


Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

The realization that the Atman is not different from the Brahman will dawn on all the individual jivas.

Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.

Let the grace of seeing through Maya be in every jiva. Let there be cessation of all bonds with Maya.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
However powerful the avidya maya be -- or the one that has its beginnings in Vidya -- help this Atman stay away from its powerful clutches.


For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Let this happen in all the Jivas in the world and Let every Atman realize this truth, consciousness and Bliss forever. Let it be so.

Om. Peace, Peace, Peace
==
May the Christ within us grow. May we conquer the evil of avidya-maya, grow beyond maya and obtain God-realization!

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