Hymns and Prayers (cont'd)

The Place of Hymns and Prayers in Worship


Sound and thought are inseparably connected, the former being an expression or vehicle of the latter. The spiritual aspirant takes the help of the sound with a view to awaken the holy thought in his mind. On rising to the mental plane he may do away with the sound symbol altogether. And if he is able to ascend to the heights of realization and lose himself in divine communion, he dispenses with the mental worship even.But until the divine vision dawn on him, he has to seek the help of symbols-material, verbal, or mental- which may be taken up either singly or jointly. “Material worship (or the use of image as symbolizing the ideal),” say the Hindu scriptures “is the first step; then comes the repetition of the Lord’s name and the singing of His praise; the next course is mental worship or meditation; and the final stage is the realization of the ONE without the second.” Thus, man comes to take up higher and higher forms of spiritual practice in his march towards the highest illumination. And in this matter hymns and prayers have even formed an important aid.

From Universal Prayers By Swami Yatiswarananda of Ramakrishna Mutt