A Serene Prayer

      Nowadays I dread reading the newspaper or listening to the news on the various news channels on television. Almost everyday there is a young person committing suicide and most newspapers or channels realize that nothing sells like sensationalizing tragedies.

      Most young people fall prey to addictions and depression. It is often very difficult to ascertain which came first – the addiction or the depression. This has become a very major problem in today’s world though.

      My cousin had occasion to be involved with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a volunteer and he was the one who first introduced me to the Serenity Prayer, which has become the mantra of the AA. The prayer has been attributed to the theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr and was subsequently adopted by the AA. It is, as a matter of fact, embossed on the AA medallion which every member wears, on a chain, around his/ her neck.

      I remember being very moved even as my cousin read out the prayer and ever since it has remained close to my heart. I find myself chanting the prayer, from time to time, on my way to work and it never fails to give me a lot of peace.

      For some reason, the higher powers above prompted me to share the prayer with you all today. It is very simple but very beautiful, intense and moving. I am writing the modified AA version of the original prayer:

      God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

      Courage to change the things I can,

      And Wisdom to know the difference.

      Whenever I chant this prayer I get the intense conviction that it will surely provide a lot of hope and succour to many people in distress. So be it!

      My pranams at the lotus feet of Gurudev 🙏.