Serious question What’s the material difference between institutionalized forms of prayer vs magical incantations and occult rituals? Beyond supplication vs command attitudes? You’re still operating with a supernatural interventionist expectation right?
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This isn’t snark. Most of my family believes in prayer. My father has said daily prayers all his life (though mostly the meditative rather than supplicatory type). Praying for vague or specific good fortune is routine in India. For grades, cures for disease, etc.
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Hinduism is weird that way. There’s a range of prayers and hymns ranging from metaphysical contemplation and epic memory genres to very specific intentional wishing.
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It’s kinda hilarious that I can recite large chunks of many Sanskrit hymns (they tend to be long do memorizing complete ones is a feat) simply by virtue of having picked them up through repeatedly hearing them and barely understanding 10-25%.
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My older relatives are convinced it does me good anyway. Even uncomprehending listening and rote parroting ability picked up despite yourself.
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Venkatesh Rao Retweeted Micah Redding 🤖 🚀 🗽𐃏
I suspect Christian prayer is significantly more social by default. Hindu prayer seems to be private by default.https://twitter.com/micahtredding/status/1318350061483532288?s=21 …
Venkatesh Rao added,
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Replying to @vgr
Does Hindu prayer involve “prayer requests”, where you ask someone else to pray about a concern on your behalf?
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Replying to @micahtredding @vgr
Yeah you can "commission" someone to do say, 24 hours of a very specific prayer.
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Replying to @MangoZeus @micahtredding
This was a big deal in medieval Europe. Nobles would leave perpetual bequests of kand to churches for eternal prayer for them.
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Replying to @vgr @micahtredding
You mean medieval India no?
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No, Europe! Perhaps India too but I’m not aware of examples. Also reincarnation beliefs mean there’s no point to eternal prayers s9nce you’re recycled immediately. Christian afterlife involves hanging out till judgment day in heaven or hell. So it’s worth praying.
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Replying to @vgr @micahtredding
I mean like you can commission a priest to chant the Mahamrityunjay mantra if someone sick in the family gets better.
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Until*
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