CWTVKS Volume 2

Prayer and Vicarious Suffering

One can always ask for help, it is true that the Divine intervenes, but the intervention may not always be of the kind we want or expect, but will always be in such a way that it is in consonance with the Truth, furthering the progress of the sadhana, to our substantial and ultimate good. Of course such an intervention, implying mercy as it does, minimises the material and moral deficiencies, if they prevail in the environments and obstruct our path and progress of the Spirit and Truth in us.

But when we pray for others who are not concerned with our prayer, or are indifferent to its object, we are really inviting suffering upon ourselves. In the absence of repentance, the Christian confession, or a strong will, or a superb faith on the part of those on whose behalf we pray, what happens is that the vicarious suffering remains barren and a revolt on the other side may result.

Vicarious suffering is a recognised fact of spiritual life, it is fruitful under certain conditions, such as, a co-operating will, or a healthy robust faith, or a recognition of one's weakness and of the existence of a stronger power that could remove it, or a true moving repentance which is the underlying principle of the Catholic Confession.

But there is no vicarious repentance or vicarious confession.

21 June 1937