Maxiavelli: The Prayer that Embodies Teachings of All Religions

Italian Landscape by Antal Ligeti

"Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
And never bring us into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:9-13)

As any prayer, this is one that is so simple yet so deep. I always found it interesting because it embodies the teachings of all religions in the world; being, thus, an universal prayer that could be said by any individual professing any religion.

"Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your Name."

Despite not being visible; despite remaining in occultation; God's name is to be sanctified through our actions (e.g. to follow His basic rules [the Tens Commandments are a start] and fulfil the mission bestowed upon each and everyone of us).

"May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

God's kingdom is inner peace. This state of mind and spirit can be achieved through any form of meditation (e.g. Prayer, Tai Chi Chuan, Dhyana, breath meditation, Raja Yoga, Mantra Chanting etc) and through one simple yet complex exercise: Mushin. What does "Mushin" mean? It means "no mind"; it means that you do not allow your mind to drift, to over-think and trigger fear and anxiety; it means that you exercise the Right Effort (to avoid distracting the mind from its task and, by consequence, allow confusion to take over).
God's Will implies many things (and each religion will argue differently upon this); however, I will sum it up in one sentence: fulfil the mission which you were sent to earth for. "On earth as it is in heaven" is usually interpreted as God's Omnipotence; but it should also be connoted to the Hermetic Law of Correspondence "As above, so below!".

"Give us today our daily bread."

No, this doesn't mean that God will write us a check or miraculously put a pita bread in front of us. This passage is a confirmation of God's commandment "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return unto the ground" and a plea that He give us the strength, the health and provide the opportunities to sustain our household (to start with, He could help us putting some sense in those politicians who, breaking the rule of Right Action, come up with regulations that hinder the lives of those who seek an alternative way to provide for their family).

"And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us."

Who is without blemish? No one; hence the cycle of transmigration. There are daily transgressions that are inevitable to many: envy, jealousy, vanity, gluttony, sloth, adultery, wrath, hatred, resentment, pettiness, etc - God may wash these sins away if He chooses to do so; but His willingness to forgive is what should serve as an example to us: we are to be willing to forgive as well (and return the mind to a wholesome state).

"And never bring us into temptation, but deliver us from evil." 

This is a nice request, although it is more than proven that God put us to the test from times to times - ask Job. When God decides that our faith, our assurance and our resolve need to be tested, He will allow Satan (the Accuser) to tempt, to guile and to play us. He will deliver us from evil, though, by forbidding Satan from claiming our soul for himself.

Before leaving, I would like to wish Pope Benedict XVI all the best in this new phase of his life. I understand well why he resigned and I commend him for doing so because, unlike many politicians, he does not hamper Progress.