Hours of Prayerfulness

I recently heard a good friend of mine, Reverend Patrick Cameron, talk about an interesting idea. It has been suggested that to truly master something it takes approximately 10,000 hours of practice.

Personally, I'm not that concerned whether 5,000 or 20,000 hours is closer to the truth. But I really do like the idea that practice does translate into mastery after a given period of time. As I got thinking about 10,000 hours as being an estimate for mastery, my mind (as it occasionally does) wandered down an analytical road. If 10,000 hours of practice is required then that would translate into the following approximate numbers to master this philosophy:

• 200 years through attending 1 service per week
• 29 years if I spent one hour a day in meditation and prayer
• 20 years if I attended a class every week and spent an hour a day in meditation and prayer
• 10 years if I attended a class, spent an hour a day in meditation and actively contributed 10 hours of mindful and giving Seva (service) each week

A few thoughts come to mind. The journey not the destination (or in this case mastery) is the point. These numbers are somewhat subjective at best. But there is a valid point. If we truly seek fulfillment, to grow and to contribute to the fulfillment and growth of others then surely the key point here is that attending a class and daily meditation is only a part of the required journey.

A concept that stands out for me is the idea of walking through life in a constant state of 'prayerfulness'. A practitioner I greatly respect, Linda Watson of the Agape centre, talks of prayerfulness as her approach to life now. Personally, I can think of few ways to better turn those 10 years into a moment than by moving into a constant state of prayerfulness.

But what do I mean by mastery of this philosophy? Well, here's a list that begins to clarify how this infinite topic might begin to be broached:

• Spending each moment in mindfulness or prayerfulness
• Knowing that God (the Christ Consciousness, Spirit, One Mind) only knows love. In knowing only love as an infinite Being there is no criticism, judgment, punishment, or condemnation in the Mind of God. God has no favourites and does not look at anyone personally.
• Living the interpretation of the commandment “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour,” through knowing that every living person is my neighbour, and that they are a spiritual being. Whether they know this or not does not invalidate this for me. Every living person includes those who live in our house, neighbourhood, city, country or on this planet.
• Constantly seeking God to express through me without specific purpose.
• Demonstrating Cause, not things, conditions and effects.
• Meditating on the nature of Universe and those signs, events and things that exist to offer me the choice to be mindful
• Living only in this moment

Blessings, joy and peace my friends.