The gates of structured religion may close. But the gate of tears—the raw, unmediated, broken-hearted cry of a being that knows it cannot save itself—that gate has no lock. It never did. It was never a gate at all. It was a wound in the universe through which the infinite pours in.
Tanya 157 offers a radical alternative: Pray anyway. When the words feel like lies, do not suppress that feeling. Let that dissonance become your prayer. The gap between what you are saying and what you feel—that very gap—is a tear in reality. And that tear is your true voice. tanya 157
At that exact moment of spiritual paralysis, the person should not suppress their frustration. Instead, they should direct it at themselves —but not in a guilt-ridden, self-hating way. They should feel a profound, wordless anguish: “I want to connect, but I cannot. I am trapped in this gross body. Even my ‘good’ thoughts are selfish. I have no entry.” The gates of structured religion may close
And that part, being divine, cannot be blocked. The “gates” are celestial bureaucracies. They exist to process prayers that come from the personality. But the essence-soul has no personality, no past, no sin. It is pure, naked, absolute nothingness before God. Its cry is God crying to God. Here is the counterintuitive genius of Tanya 157. In most spiritual systems, you must elevate yourself—purify your thoughts, master your impulses—to approach the divine. Tanya 157 inverts this: Your very inability to elevate yourself becomes your highest elevator. It was never a gate at all
The chapter describes a scenario: A person is praying, but their mind is scattered. They feel nothing. They try to concentrate on the meaning of the words, but a vulgar image intrudes. They attempt to feel awe of God, but they feel only boredom or hunger.