Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When someone prays, we usually think of two: the person praying and the One being prayed to. But here is the secret — the One is both.
The One is the temple you walk into, and the caring that fills it; the One is the person bowing, and the One being bowed to. Both sides of every prayer are the same One.
In every prayer, the One is on both sides.
Aap hee mandar aapeh sayvaa means the One is the temple, and the One is the sayvaa, the loving service done there. Aap hee poojaaree aap hee dayvaa means the One is the worshipper and also the One being worshipped.
Usually we picture two: a person praying, and the One who listens. Here the gap between them closes. It is like a phone call where the caller and the one who answers are the same voice. The One is meeting itself.
The temple and its image are named with respect. The point is not to make fun of anyone's way of praying. The point is that the One is everywhere, even on both sides of a prayer.
If the One is on both sides of a prayer, what do you think prayer is for?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI