What is aspiration and prayer?
The word “aspiration” means to dream, to wish, to consider. When we make an aspiration we set ourselves in motion in the direction of our intentions. It’s like riding a bicycle–wherever we gaze, the bike tends to steer in that direction. Like that, by consciously making an aspiration we steer our life and efforts in the direction of our dreams, our wishes; in other words, our aspirations help us bring our actions and our deepest intentions into harmony.
Aspirations are similar to prayers but there is a small difference between the two. When we pray there is a sense of asking, while an aspiration has to do with stating our vision and commitment to something. When we pray, we don’t necessarily have to know who we are praying to. Our prayer may just be a recognition that we are part of a system of interdependent relationships, acknowledging that none of us act alone in life; we acknowledge that we need others, and sometimes we need help from the world. Prayer is a humble and intelligent way of asking for support for our aspirations and recognizing that we are not in total command of our world. Prayer, asking for help, is also a recognition that life is rich with resources for the aid of achieving our aspirations
Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
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