Acharya Prashant explains that the mind is all and everything. The purpose of prayer is to nourish the right and auspicious parts of the mind. The mind is both the highest and the lowest; it can take you higher and higher, or it can take itself lower and lower. Gods refer to the forces inside the mind itself that offer it ascension and an upward propulsion. Conversely, demons refer to the forces within the mind that sink it into all kinds of depravities and perversions. Both these forces, Gods and demons, reside within the mind itself. Citing the Amritabindu Upanishad, the speaker states that the mind is its own best friend and its own worst enemy. Since you are all and everything, your friend and your enemy are within you. The reason Gods and demons have diverse names is that there are various kinds of forces within that help you and various kinds of forces that cause you to sink. There is no God out there somewhere; prayer is a reminder to oneself, an encouragement, a monologue, or a soliloquy. When a prayer says, "O Gods, may we hear what is auspicious," it should be understood as a reminder to oneself to hear only what is auspicious, because the Gods are not outside of you. This understanding places responsibility at the center of all genuine spirituality. You are responsible for what you have become and for what you will become. This is contrary to a popular version of religion that breeds an enfeebling kind of meekness and helps one evade responsibility. The man of wisdom is firm and does not surrender easily; therefore, his surrender carries meaning. The one you love must be worthy of worship, and the one you worship, you must be in love with. There must be no difference between the two.