Sometimes, we need to pray for help. The fifteenth lojong slogan mentions four practices that are the best methods. They include accumulating merit, laying down evil deeds, and feeding our ghosts. The final one is to pray for help. More traditionally, we hear it described as making an offering to the dharma protectors.

Traleg Kyabgon describes the dharma protectors as “a reflection of our wisdom consciousness.” I like that description, because it gives room for all of us in various spiritual traditions. Really, the wisdom behind praying for help is acknowledging something beyond us. Whatever you call that beyond-self, that’s what we need when we’re stuck.

Truly, there’s this constant paradox in spiritual growth. We show up and do our work and cultivate awareness. But also, there comes a time when we do nothing at all, and something is quite simply done to us. We don’t ever work our way into enlightenment. It’s more like we cultivate the soil for enlightenment to come to us, for compassion to grow in us, for love to blossom. Even faith is like this. We walk the road, and our steps are necessary to the journey. But we are brought home by something far beyond our feet.

For this reason, it’s so important to remember to pray for help. Because we are not alone. We can’t do any of this alone. We need wisdom to guide us.

Where do you need to pray for help this week? How can you be open to trusting the wisdom beyond you to give you what you need?