Sri Brahmachaithanya Maharaj

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.16

2012-02-16T23:31:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.16

2012-02-16T23:28:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaitanya Pravachan-Feb.16

2012-02-16T23:23:00.000+05:30

Follow what the Saints Tell You

Feel happy in the circumstances in which God keeps you. Do not feel sorry about the misery and the reverses of family life. We always talk of 'me' and 'mine'; do we ever stop to consider how much of it we can really control or enjoy? The real reason for our misery is expectation, and avarice for more and yet more. This can only be cured by maintaining constant remembrance of God. Never forget that you belong to Him. True spiritualism requires that the mind is engaged in thoughts of God. Deceive not the world, nor let yourself be duped by it.
He who lives in nama really lives in the company of the godly. We usually keep company with those of like occupation and similar taste. Attach your mind to nama.
A dog is emboldened and barks at others when accompanied by its master; so, too, we should live fearlessly with the support of the Lord; only, we should not bark, that is, should not be puffed with pride that we chant nama. Such pride degrades the sadhana. We should forget that 'we' chant nama, and always behave with humility. Be attentive to your work, and treat all with love. A woman respects and tries to keep her in-laws pleased, with the primary object of pleasing the husband; similarly, behave so that the Lord is pleased.
If you ask the doctor, "Why don't you give me the medicine contained in that particular bottle?", he answers, "Because your illness is not one for which that is a remedy". Similarly, the sadhana prescribed by a sadguru is the one particularly suited for the individual's needs. Therefore, we should do as he tells us to; it is no use blindly imitating his actions. Hand over the reins of your life to him, and be carefree. Follow the guru's behest; when you come to the cross roads, he is right there to point out the correct way. What is the Use of doing nothing and merely asking, "What next?"
It is only the saints who have really comprehended the vedas. They have laid us under deep obligations by explaining the meaning in a simple manner. We should passively obey them to the letter, without adding anything of our own. We can rest assured of success then. A saint is brimful and dripping with love of God. Only nama-smarana will lead you to a saint.
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Sri Brahmachaitanya Pravachan-Feb.15

2012-02-15T21:41:00.000+05:30

" I am Present Wherever Nama is Chanted"

When I say "See me in nama," I mean that I treat my body as only the outer cloak but I am really in nama, for, really speaking, we are only where the mind is. Suppose you are on a pilgrimage, but your mind is thinking of your home; then you are virtually at home, not in the sacred place. If asked, "Where do you usually reside?" you will have to answer," In the world of the senses and sense objects." One can say that a person is where his liking lies. If, then, you are asked where your guru lives, will you not say, "In nama"? Therefore, I am where nama is being chanted; whoever chants nama may rest assured I am right by his side.
The learned, versed as they are in the shastras, claim that the jnyanamarg, the path of knowledge, is the way fit for them to attain God. In saying this, they lose sight of the fact that, path of knowledge is not only difficult but also risky, because it is very likely that the sadhaka may be infused with pride, the very thing which must be fully conquered before realization. They may verbally understand the doctrine that 'Brahman is the ultimate, undying Truth, while the creation is transitory', but they never experience it. In practice, they treat the body as the reality, although they theoretically declare the world unreal.
The orthodox, on their part, declare that they will rigidly adhere to the rites and observances prescribed by the vedas and shastras. They, too, deny faith in nama. They observe rules and limits very scrupulously, as if they were the goal and not the means, whereas the attainment of God is the end in view. Actually, the rules and rites have no more utility than the hedge for a field. They, however, mistake the one for the other, and assiduously water and manure the hedge; that is, they scrupulously carry out the rituals, forgetting all about the real objective, namely, God. It is accepted that vedic rituals are designed for purifying the heart, but that purification itself is for the attainment of God. If that ritual has not as its basis that objective, what ultimately emerges is sheer bigotry and orthodoxy. Actually, they contradict themselves; for, at the beginning of the sandhya or any ritual, they first utter Omkar that is, nama.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.15

2012-02-15T21:03:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.15

2012-02-15T20:57:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.14.

2012-02-14T22:44:00.000+05:30

Practise Nama if You Want Bliss

When the body lacks or has excess of any of the basic constituent elements, the metabolic system becomes unbalanced and causes illness. Dry ginger is a substance which restores the balance, by making up the deficiency or counteracting the excess. Nama, in a similar fashion, removes the obstacles posed by certain qualities or short-comings in an aspirant and ensures his smooth spiritual progress. So, whatever may be the obstructing tendencies, if the aspirant chants nama persistently and with firm faith, his spiritual path is cleared, and the attainment of the goal is ensured.
It is the practice with some of us to maintain an ever- burning oil lamp beside the idol of a deity. Naturally, a supply of oil to the lamp has to be maintained. Similarly, one who desires that his lamp of bliss be maintained, must feed it with nama constantly; in other words, he must live in nama; for, that bliss has its very root in nama. Just as coldness is a property of ice all over the world, so bliss is bound to be where God is.
I would readily approve the doctrine 'Eat, drink, and be merry' but for the fact that it is based on the physical body, which is itself impermanent, and the joy vanishes no sooner than the affluence declines. Man, on the other hand, should learn to be happy irrespective of the circumstances.
Learn to be one with God, if only for five minutes a day; the joy of those five minutes will surpass mere living for a hundred years, just as mere haranguing for an hour on the sweetness of sugar cannot equal the pleasure of actually tasting even a pinch of sugar. It is true that there is joy in living, but the living that has no joy in it is worse than death. He alone can have a joyful life who lives in God. So one who really wants to 'live' should chant nama.
Shri Samartha prayed that he ever remain united with God; while Shri Tukaram prayed, 'let me never forget Thee.' The plain reason for such prayers is that where there is God there is pure, permanent bliss. We should resolve to be happy in the present, leaving unhappiness for the never-dawning 'tomorrow.' For, one who learns to maintain a blissful mind in chanting nama will enjoy himself all the time.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb14

2012-02-14T06:33:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb14

2012-02-14T06:20:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.13

2012-02-13T21:36:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.13

2012-02-13T21:32:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.13

2012-02-13T21:31:00.000+05:30

Timeless Supremacy of Nama

Nama is 'Sat-Chit-Anand' itself. Nothing is closer to the Supreme Soul than nama. It is the parent source of energy, as also of all bliss. In its ebullience, it gives rise to all creation. It generates numberless forms, destroys them, recreates them; all the while it maintains its own eternality; is this not a supreme marvel? Ever since I learnt to speak, I have been incessantly talking about it, and yet have not said enough about its greatness, its supremacy. He alone will conceive its greatness whose identity has completely merged in nama. Such a person will either maintain complete silence on the subject, or will go on talking about it to his last breath; for, the greatness of nama can never be told completely or adequately, nor will the listener be ever satiated.
Nama wipes out all sin. To forget the Lord is the greatest of sins; nama keeps us ever awake to the Lord. It is superior even to the vedas. In order to benefit from them, we must first study all the four vedas, which will involve a vast amount of time and labour; nama needs no effort. Besides, not all people are eligible and qualified for such study, whereas nama can be chanted by all and sundry. All vedic mantras commence with Om, that is, with nama. It is superior to pilgrimages to sacred places; such visits aim at purifying the heart, but they require adequate money and means as well as physical well-being. Nama, on the other hand, brings about such transformation right where we may be. One should go to Pandharpur, for instance, to learn to chant nama, else the pilgrimage is in vain. Nama is the prince of all righteous actions, sat-karmas, for sat is God; and therefore that alone is sat-karma which leads to Him. Other actions that can lead to Him follow tortuous roads, while nama takes us straight to Him. Nama is a sovereign cure for bhava-roga, the disease of worldliness. To be addicted to worldliness is at the root of that disease. Nama directs our love to God, detaching it from its present object, worldliness. Nama relieves us from all pain and misery, for they rise from love for sensuousness, which nama destroys. Besides, because God is bliss incarnate, when we hold fast to Him with nama, how can misery even exist for us?

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.12

2012-02-12T21:06:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.12

2012-02-12T20:58:00.000+05:30

Shri Brhamachaithanya Pravachan- Feb.12

2012-02-12T20:36:00.000+05:30

Nama is the Ultimate Truth in Essence

Nama is doubtlessly superior to the form; so even if you are unable to visualise the form while meditating on nama, persist in the meditation. The form will follow in due course. The form, being material and perceptible, is subject to birth, growth, and decay, occupation and change of space, change in course of time, and such other limitations. Nama is subtle, transcendent to perception, causation, birth, growth, diminution and decay; nor is it subject to dimension, change of position, limitations of time and space, etc. It is, in fact, the Ultimate Truth, and more comprehensive and omnipotent than form. What is more potent is obviously more independent, that is, less restricted, less limited. Therefore, nama is more extensive and pervading, more powerful, more independent, more free of limitations, than the form.
Let us examine the process whereby we imbibe knowledge. Suppose we stand on a hill top and survey the scenery around us. Firstly, the rays of light from all the objects pass through the eyes to the brain. Sense organs are thus the instruments of knowledge of external objects. The sensations conveyed by the senses are co-ordinated by the mind, and the intellect, by its power of discrimination, gives them an interpretation, so that we come to know what the object really is. But the function of human intelligence does not end there. After perceiving these objects severally, the trees, creepers, houses, gardens, humans, birds, lakes, etc; it synthesizes all of them and creates the conception of scenic beauty. This co-ordination of separate impressions perceiving unity in diversity, is a unique characteristic of human knowledge. In this world we notice such a variety in everything. Diverse types of stones, insects, birds, animals, all of them share one common quality, 'existence,' whether they are living or non-living. Similarly, even the emotion of joy 'exists', or has 'existence'. This quality of 'existence' is nama, the divine name, or 'omkar', the symbol of the Ultimate Reality, 'Paramatman', the Cosmic Soul. Therefore, nama was there at the beginning of creation, it is there today, and it will survive even the destruction of all creation. Nama is God. It gives rise to myriad forms which, eventually, re-merge into it. The form, therefore, has no existence independent of nama, for nama includes and trancends the form.
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A brief biography of a Great Saint – Sri Brahmananda Maharaj - 14

2012-02-12T11:28:00.001+05:30

A brief biography of a Great Saint – Sri Brahmananda Maharaj - 14

Here after, Sri Brahmanand Maharaj stayed more at Venkata pur. His Bhajans were very inspiring. He wrote many Bhajans in Kannada and Marathi. They contain his teachings to the common man. A few of his Kannada Bahajans are given here.

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Namo lambodara namo vighnaharaa namo devaavaraa gajaananaa

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smarana maatradinda sankata kaleyuvi devi gowri taayee nandanane

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mooshakavaahana dosha nivaarana paashaankusha dhara eesha kuvara

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Rama Rama Rama Seetha Rama Rama anniri. Ramasmaraneya horatu kaala vyartha kaleya bediri.||Pa||

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Snaana Sandhya nitya nema japava tapavanu maadiri| saayosankaTa bandaroo paradharma hidiyabediri ||1||

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Tande taayi bandhu balagavu mithyavendu tiliyiri| nandu naanendemba mohava bittu raamana bhajisiri ||2||

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Kaama krodha moha bittu manasu jalajalamaadiri| kaayavaacha manasininda guruvige sharanhogiri ||2||

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Pararanaari pararadravya narakavendu tiliyiri| chinteyillade raamachintisi janana maranava neegiri ||4||

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Bhaktibhaavadinda sadguru hariyu haranendariyiri | guruvinappaneyante nadedare muktiyendu tiliyiri ||5||

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Divasa raatri saadhu santara sanghavanne bayasiri | brahmaanandaru saari heluva raama naamava japisiri ||6||

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Patita paavana embo birudu satya maado raama indu

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Anatha naatha embo naamaa khare iralee meghashyaamaa

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Saadhu santa mahantarellaa deena dayaala antaaralla

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hogaluvudu ninna keerti sahajavidu vishwa moorti

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Brahmaananda beduva raamaa hrudayadalli bitto premaa ||6||

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Sri Shankaracharya of Koodli Mutt visited Venkatapur. When he found the atmosphere serene and calm, he decided to stay there for four months during chaaturmaasa.. Sri Brahmanand maharaj agreed and made arrangements for his comfortable stay along with his retinue.

Sri Brahmanand Maharaj arranged the Ramotsav in Baladhadi in a very grand manner inviting Sri Maharaj’s devotees from all over the country. Poojya Venkannaiah of Chintamani also received the invitation. He was very much interested to go there for the nine-day function, and so applied for leave. But, as the day of departure approached he did not receive the leave approval from his head-office. But, as he had applied for the leave, and it was a week-end any way, he went to Beladhadi planning to return by Monday morning to attend his work at the usual time.

SriBrahmanand Maharaj gladly received him, and arranged for his stay. Sri Venkannaiah had great moments of meditation and Bhajans there. He was addressed as ‘Mysoor Buva’ by Sri Brahmanand maharaj.( In those times, Mysore was a separate country comprising of sevaral districts like Mysore,Bangalore, Kolar,Tumkur,Hassan etc. Anybody from any of these places was called as a Mysorean, in other places. Dharwar, Gadag, Bijapur and some other places of the present Karnataka belonged to either Bombay Presidency or Hyderabad).

After two days, he had to return for the work, he approached Sri Brhamanand Maharaj for permission. But Sri Brahamandand Maharaj asked him to stay.

After two more days Sri Venkannaiah again told of his intention of leaving, but again Sri Brahmanand Maharaj asked him to remain. Now, Sri Venkannaiah was worried, but could not disobey the order of the great saint. However, he was happily surprised to receive, two days later, the leave-approval notice which was re-directed to Beladhadhi by one of his friends. The great saint must have known about the leave-approval! Other-wise, Sri Venkannaiah would have missed the grand final day!

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.11

2012-02-11T22:44:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marath-Feb.11

2012-02-11T22:42:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb. 11

2012-02-11T22:26:00.000+05:30

Nama, the Sole Antidote to Maya

There are many who keenly desire to devote themselves to Rama and nama, but do not actually practise it; why is this so? This is due to the obstruction of maya. How can we outwit maya and reach God? She is like His shadow; and to expect Him to come without His shadow is as good as asking Him not to come.
Maya is thus an unavoidable accompaniment to God. The only way to outwit maya is by repeating nama constantly. A shadow cannot exist without the substance; similarly maya has no independent existence. Nor, like the shadow, has she power of any kind by herself; she can only move as God does. Again, a person may not be visible but only his shadow; so, too, we can realize the existence of maya, though God himself may not be tangible. The shadow of a person going eastward will have to move in the same direction; should it wish to move in the opposite direction, it just cannot, unless the person himself does so. It is thus subordinate to the person. So is maya subordinate to God. The universe is a manifestation of maya, that is, it is the shadow of God, that is, it is, based on and sustained by Him.
Now, we want to reach God; how can we bypass maya and her obstruction? Suppose we want to see some prominent person whose house is guarded by a doorkeeper, dogs, etc. We cannot walk straight in, as in an ordinary house. Suppose, however, that we have a letter signed by the person himself, asking us to go and meet him; then the doorkeeper will on our showing him the letter, not only permit us to enter, but will himself usher us into his presence. In a like manner, if we persistently chant nama, which can be likened to an authorising letter, maya, the gatekeeper, will readily admit us to His presence. Nama-smarana is thus the permit that will take us into His presence despite the wiles of maya. Let us therefore get absorbed in nama, forgetting even the body. To lose body-consciousness in chanting nama is to become nirguna.
An urge for sensory pleasures constitutes domination of maya; nama-smarana is to live in God and in bliss.

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Dasa Navami -16-2-2012

2012-02-11T13:08:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.10

2012-02-10T10:03:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.10

2012-02-10T09:55:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachanu-Feb.10

2012-02-10T00:09:00.000+05:30

Advice to the Aged

Blessed is he who gets a chance to worship and serve Rama continuously. There can be no greater good fortune than serving Rama selflessly. Speech devoted to nama, the body dedicated to serving the Lord, the mind ever engaged in contemplation of God; in brief, complete dedication to God; this is the most perfect way to serve Him. Whatever is perceptible is perishable; this is what the spiritually great always bear in mind. Be you like them. Take care of the members of the family; never feel dejected. And yet, be detached at heart. Be in the practical world but not of it. Hold Rama in the heart always. Verily, I tell you, there is no better path to your true welfare. Tell yourself that henceforth you live for Rama alone, that you relinquish all doership to Him. Harbour no thought except the divine name. Give up all desire for popular esteem, think of God alone. Keep the mind focussed on Rama, and remember nama always. Dedicate yourself to Rama wholeheartedly. Never be despondent; remember that you are backed by Rama.
In advanced age the body becomes weak and incapacitated, but the hankering for self-esteem continues to flourish; set this self-conceit away. Entrust family affairs to the younger generation; do not interfere with them much, and remain detached and contented. Take care about your regimen, but never be dejected or miserable. Physical capacities may get attenuated, but desires and tendencies continue unabated. 'Me' and 'mine' continue to dominate so long as the body lives. So dispossess the mind of all these desires and tendencies by surrendering them at the feet of Rama.
The body becomes weak and incapacitated, so look after it carefully. The body should not be allowed to lapse into indolence; at the same time, we should not ignore its present condition, and should adjust ourselves to its requirements and limitations. Yet, our faith in Rama need not, should not get attenuated. Continue to be happy in family life, with full contentment at heart, for contentment depends on no external factor. This can be done if you treat gain and loss with equanimity. None but we ourselves affect the state of contentedness; it can be maintained if we leave the body to its destiny. Ascribe all doership to Rama, and forsake all anxiety. This can be achieved by constantly repeating His name.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.9

2012-02-09T23:20:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.9

2012-02-09T23:14:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.9

2012-02-09T22:19:00.000+05:30

Beware of Thirst for Esteem

Basically, we are part and parcel of the Eternal, but we erroneously believe that we are transitory. We have forgotten God, the Eternal. Because of a loving attachment for sensory objects we lose sight of the eternal. Our daily routine should be such that we are again and again reminded of the eternal. Really speaking, we should be constantly aware of the Eternal; since that does not happen, we should, as a reminder, devote at least some time every day to doing some appropriate reading and contemplation of what we read. This should become a habit with us. One who remains ceaselessly in nama-smarana lives in the eternal, as did Brahmanand.
Let us ponder how we can live unceasingly in nama. Implicit obedience to the sadguru is the sure means to this. Surrender yourself to him unreservedly. The seeker should read a little every day, think over it, act upon it, and finally surrender passively to the sadguru.
As a man grows in age his yearning to meet God should become keener. A sadhaka should do his spiritual exercise with an earnest mind, not merely as a routine. Haphazardness is harmful to spiritual progress. Implicit faith is the very stock-in-trade of sadhana. Rest assured that contentment is all in all. It is the thermometer with which to gauge one's progress. Do not think on the defects and shortcomings of others, for we ourselves carry their seeds in our hearts. Hankering for respect and applause from others is highly dangerous, for it leads even well-advanced seekers to downfall. So, too, do inordinate covetousness and lust. All these are snares in which seekers may be easily trapped. The sole attachment which liberates one is attachment to the Divine; it secures perfect, eternal contentment.
Guard yourself against becoming a prey to thirst for public applause, for this fosters the 'body-am-I' feeling even more than money and lust. Be extremely cautious in this regard. Avoid going where praise is likely. If you cannot avoid getting esteem, treat it as God's gift, not as what you merit. One who is really great never desires for respect and honour, and if they do come, cares not for them, spurns them. Search your heart to discover whether you desire respect; this will indicate what greatness you possess in reality.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.8

2012-02-08T22:41:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.8

2012-02-08T22:32:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan - Feb.8

2012-02-08T21:42:00.000+05:30

Nama-smarana Best for Self-interest
A gentleman met me and said, "I desire to see God. Have you seen Him?" I said, "Yes, I have." "Can I see Him, too?", he asked. I replied, "Yes, most certainly; but not with physical eyes. The sight with which to see Him is different." There is only one way to see Him, and that way is ceaseless nama-smarana. There is no other way. I say this to one and all, and it is necessary to heed to it in order that they should know whether they are following the path of their interest. But heeding will be effective only if put into practice. What is put into practice will alone serve you. Dedicate yourselves to nama-smarana; there is no other means of achieving ultimate self-interest. If there is anything which is naturally ours, which is free of all conditioning and restrictions, which is dependent on nothing else, it is the divine name. Therefore, whosoever repeats it with purity of heart and action, Rama will surely look after his interest.
Believe implicitly in the sadguru's behests. If he says, 'you will find the treasure if you go a hundred paces in this direction,' he evidently cannot be held responsible for failure to find it if you walk even twice as much but in a wrong direction. You say you desire to see God in form; but if seeing the sadguru and talking with him fails to satisfy you, what use will it be to see God in a tangible form? The idea that your well-being lies in something other than what the sadguru has told you to do, should not even enter the mind; so implicit should be your faith in him; you should wholly identify yourself with him, whole-heartedly belong to him:
There is nothing that achieves true self-interest except nama-smarana. To desire that, with the help of this potent nama, a member of the family should be cured of illness, is simply expending the power of nama for a petty mundane purpose.
When our need ends, we forget God, just as we throw away the remnants of medicine on getting over an illness. If we place implicit faith in the words of the sadguru, pleasant and unpleasant happenings cease to disturb the mind, implicit faith accompanied by unceasing sadhana breaks the shackles of worldly life; this constitutes genuine spirituality.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.7

2012-02-07T22:55:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.7

2012-02-07T22:48:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.7

2012-02-07T22:35:00.000+05:30

Devote Maximum Time to Thinking of God

People generally aim at acquiring more and more of those things which give pleasure to the senses, in the belief that this will result in greater happiness. This belief is not, however, substantiated by experience, for we do not find that those who have such things in abundance are happy. In fact, the more we have of them, the more is the greed for such things whetted. Besides, as a person ages, the body and its senses grow steadily weak and lose their capacity to derive pleasure. Thus, one never acquires real contentment.
A Wise man should therefore, studiously practise and learn to keep his happiness independent of external things, by focussing the mind on God instead of on such things. God is eternal, complete in Himself, and ever blissful; meditating on Him, therefore, instills these qualities in the mind. For one who acquires this divine bliss, life has a sweetness that passes our imagination.
A person who lives and works in the mundane world often finds it difficult to reconcile the demands of practical life with the practice of spirituality. It is common belief that one cannot do justice to both at the same time. For such a person, it would be advisable to do his worldly duties conscientiously and to devote all spare time and energy to contemplation of God. At present, we do not apply to God and to spirituality even such free time as we do have. Let us, therefore, resolve to dedicate at least some minimum time every day to chanting nama, the divine name. There are many things which interfere and prevent; reluctance itself constitutes a major impediment. We should be wary of such impediments and interferences, and persevere in chanting nama, disregarding the world's adverse influence and comments.
We should make it a practice to read every day some portion of a book or books by saints, concerning the divinity. We should meditate on what we read, and try to see how it can be put into practice. One who does this will progress rapidly in spirituality and attain true contentment which, in other words, constitutes divine bliss.
We should treat worldly life like a sport; pay proper attention to it, but without much concern for success or failure, holding God in the heart as the focal point.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.6

2012-02-06T22:47:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.6

2012-02-06T22:42:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.6.

2012-02-06T22:11:00.000+05:30

Nama, Self-surrender and God-realization

Complete self-surrender is the only means for God-realization; such self-surrender is best achieved by nama-smarana, or constant remembrance of nama. Remembrance and forgetting are both properties of the mind, not of the body; besides, they are both involuntary. They are both devoid of "doership" or ego, since there is no bodily action involved. Nama-smarana is, in this sense not 'done', it 'gets done' by the grace of God or the guru. Consequently, nama-smarana is most effective in surrendering oneself to God.
Self-surrender has another sense, namely, to stop activity of one's own volition in respect of action, speech, and thought. This, however, is not easy. Slow cycling for instance, is more difficult than normal or fast cycling. Desisting from doing a thing may often be more difficult than doing it. Self-surrender to the sadguru means effacement of ego, that is, of the pride of doership. Nama-smarana done at the behest of the sadguru eliminates the sense that '1 am doing it'. Indeed, it is the sadguru who is prompting me in it, and therefore He is the doer, not I. Nama-smarana is the means par excellence for achieving thorough self-surrender.
In the Bhagavadgita, the Lord asks Arjuna, "Simply surrender yourself to Me". Now such surrender is not possible without first eliminating bodyconsciousness. Attachment for worldly grandeur, and realization of God, do not go well together. It was therefore that Shrikrishna directed Uddhava to retire into solitude and meditate on nama if he was really keen to attain Him. This means that God is not attainable unless one turns one's back on the world and its lures.
The laws for attaining to God differ from those applying to the acquisition of worldly things. To do the necessary bodily acts and to dispose material things accordingly, to satisfy a desire arising in the mind, is the worldly way; it calls for translating an abstract idea into concrete act. With God, the situation is the reverse. Because the Supreme Being is extremely subtle, to attain to It is going from the concrete to the abstract. The instrument to achieve this must, therefore, be one that takes the concrete to the abstract. Nama, being physical on the one hand, and close to the subtle on the other, is the one such instrument.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada - Feb.5

2012-02-05T21:47:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.5

2012-02-05T21:33:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.5

2012-02-05T00:02:00.000+05:30

Nama-smarana with Genuine Sincerity

Usually we find it easier to repeat nama while we are in happy circumstances. If anything goes wrong, however, our attention is distracted, and it repeatedly reverts to whatever has gone wrong. The reason is that our chanting lacks genuine sincerity. Repeating nama with true faith is only possible if we have an intense conviction that God is our all in all; then, and then alone, shall we be able to maintain steady nama-smarana despite ill health, pain, reverses, set-backs. We read in the Mahabharata that Lord Krishna rushed to Draupadi's rescue only when she called out to Him with the conviction that it was He that was her last and true resort, her sole supporter and protector. We, too, must think of Him with the same sincere conviction, the same singleness of heart with which a child calls on his mother for help. It is only adversity that reveals on whom we really rely for help.
The practice of nama consists of three stages: one, chanting nama superficially, casually, in happy circumstances; two, remembering nama in adversity, with the unflinching trust that God is the sole support; and three, ceaseless remembrance of nama, after that trust becomes ingrained. In the first stage, one prays that calamities be averted. Saints, on the other hand, pray God to send calamities, because they know that it is in adversity alone that God is remembered with ardency.
We should feel as sure of the existence of God as we are of our own. We get only occasional glimpses of the presence of God; the idea will only become translated into practice if the mind is thoroughly convinced that God dwells everywhere. Only then shall we come to do nothing but what He likes or approves of.
We should get up early every morning, bow to God in submission, visualize Him in the mind, and pray, "O Lord, please caution me whenever I happen to forget You, for You are my only resort."
Whatever and wherever a man may be, he will surely get peace of mind if he remains absorbed in contemplation of God. One who lives for God will never get bored with life.
The joy of sensual pleasures is like the euphoria produced by an intoxicant, and has an aftermath of enhanced misery. Real joy can be experienced only by one who lives in God.
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Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.4

2012-02-04T23:53:00.000+05:30

Nama Alone Annihilates Passions and Desires

Passions and desires are the root cause of birth. Desires can be summed up as wishing that the pleasures we have should continue forever, and fresh ones should be added. As a first step towards obtaining emancipation from this state, let us modify our desire and say to God," Grant the continuance of the happiness we have today, and give such additional happiness as You please to." We shall thereby be conscious that whatever we get in addition has come from Him; and about what we do not get, we shall always feel that He does not will it. There will gradually arise the conviction that everything comes from God, both what we have and what He grants. This will, in its turn, mitigate hankering and uneasiness for fresh things and attachment for what we already have. Likes and dislikes, as well as the feeling 'this I want' and 'that I don't want', will gradually wane.
It is impossible to vanquish and transcend passions and desires on one's own strength and determination; utter surrender to God and His will is the only remedy. Keeping appropriate company will also go a long way. If, for instance, we associate with a recluse, our desire for fine clothes will gradually die down; but living in the company of the rich may foster love for foppery. We should, therefore, keep such company as will gradually create a spirit of self-surrender.
Complete surrender to God means complete dedication of ourselves and all we have, to His service. This, in other words, means renouncing all upadhi. For this we must adopt a sadhana which is absolutely free of all upadhi. Nama-smarana is the only such sadhana. Time and space, good circumstance and bad, wealth and poverty, scholarship and ignorance, sickness and health, status, sex, age-none of these can be an impediment to the chanting of nama. Nor does nama require any appliance, whatever. The only essential thing is the will to chant it. It can be carried about in the heart, always and anywhere. Without penance or hardship, it will absolve the mind from desire and passion. Have faith that the Lord is at your help and support, and then vritti will not yield to passion and desire. While practising nama we should maintain an awareness of God's presence. Time and space are subservient to one who practises nama.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.4

2012-02-04T22:14:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.4

2012-02-04T22:03:00.000+05:30

श्री ब्रह्मचैतन्य महाराजांचा अष्टोत्तर

2012-02-04T18:06:00.000+05:30

To-day(4-2-2012) is Sri Maharaj's Jayanthi. Let us celebrate it by reading Sri Maharaj's AshtOttara naamaavali.

श्री ब्रह्मचैतन्य महाराजांचा अष्टोत्तर

ॐ ओंकारायनमः । ॐ निर्विकारायनमः । ॐ गीता पुत्रायनमः । ॐ गणेश्वराय नमः। ॐ जनमोहन सौंदर्य विग्रहाय नमः ।

ॐ सत्व शालिने नमः । ॐ बाल लीला विनोदाय नमः।
ॐ गोपालाय नमः। ॐ अध्बुत विग्रहाय नमः । ॐ भागीरथी प्रान नाथाय नमः । ओं गोन्दावली महा प्रभुवे नमः। ॐ वेणी बंध महानंदाय नमः। ॐ श्रीमंत अभीष्ट दायकाय नमः। ॐ गुरुदर्शन कान्क्षिने नमः। ॐ महायोगिने नमः। ॐ प्रतापाय नमः। ॐ जगदोध्धारकाय नमः। ॐ क्षेत्र यात्रातत्परशीलने नमः। ॐ रामलक्ष्मण सीता मारुती विग्रहारचकाय नमः। ॐ श्रीमद तुकाराम शिष्याय नमः| ॐ गुर्वाग्न्या पालकाय नमः| ॐ गुरोराशीर्वचन पूर्वक ब्रह्मचैतन्य नामकायनमः| ॐ तीर्थयात्रा विनोदाय नमः | ॐ शान्ताश्रम गुरुवे नमः| ॐ हरये नमः | ॐ प्रेतजीव प्रदायनमः| ॐ माता पितृ आनंददायनमः| ॐ आनंददायकायनमः | ॐ वैभवाय नमः| ॐ शांताय नमः |ॐ कुलकर्णी कुलोध्भवाय नमः| ॐ अयोध्या बदरि काशी नैमिषारण्य वासिने नमः | ॐ नाग पाशच्चिदे नमः| ॐ अग्नि भक्षकाय नमः | ॐ मुक्तिदायकाय नमः| ॐ राम महिमात्म संदर्षकाय नमः|ॐ कर्ण कुण्डल दायिने नमः| ॐ अग्नि मध्य स्थितो मूर्ति रक्षकाय नमः |ॐ यमुना पतिये नमः|ॐ श्रीराम स्थापकाय नमः| ॐ त्यागिने नमः |ॐ गीता मुक्ति प्रदायकाय नमः| ॐ अनंत सागरोध्धाराय नमः | ॐ शन्मासनिद्र आनंदाय नमः |ॐ रामदास स्वरूपिणे नमः | ॐ प्रेत संजीवन कराय नमः |ॐ निरपेक्षायिने नमः| ॐ निरामयाय नमः | ॐ त्रिविध ताप हराय नमः | ॐ ब्रह्म रूपिणे नमः| ॐ मारुति रूपिणे नमः | ॐ रामरूपिने नमः| ॐ भक्ष्याक्षय कराय नमः|ॐ अन्नदानिने नमः| ॐ महामुनये नमः| ॐ वैद्यराजाय नमः| ॐ लोकपूज्याय नमः | ॐ भक्ताभीष्ट फलप्रदाय नमः|ॐ आयाचित स्थितये नमः | ॐ संध्या ब्रह्म यग्न्योपदेशिने नमः| ॐ गंगा जलांतर्गताय नमः| ॐ भक्तोध्धार तत्पराय नमः| ॐ प्रारब्ध रोगच्चेदिने नमः| ॐ स्वप्न दुश्तांत दायकाय नमः| ॐ अश्व जीव प्रदायकाय नमः|ॐ मोक्ष दाय नमः |ॐ ईष्वराय नमः | ॐ मृत्योर्म्रुत्यु स्वरूपाय नमः|ॐ महा रोग निवारणे नमः|ॐ पतितोध्धारकाय नमः|ॐ श्रीमते नमः|ॐ शान्त पिताय नमः| ॐ अच्युताय नमः|ॐ महा पापहराय नमः|ॐ नित्याय नमः|ॐ जानकी मोक्ष दायकाय नमः| ॐ अन्न वृध्धिकराय नमः|ॐ धीराय नमः|ॐ चोराग्रेसर पूजिताय नमः|ॐ विश्व रूपिणे नमः|ॐ गुरुवर्याय नमः|ॐ गुणाधिकाय नमः |ॐ गर्भिणी रोग संहारिणे नमः| ॐ भक्त संकट नाशनाय नमः|ॐ देवाय नमः|ॐ भक्तोध्धार तत्पराय नमः| ॐ शांताय नमः| ॐ दान्ताय नमः| ॐ जित क्रोधाय नमः|ॐ वेदमार्गोपदेशकाय नमः|ॐ आनन्दाय नमः| ॐ निर्मलाय नमः|ॐ विश्वाय नमः | ॐ प्राग्न्याय नमः| ॐ धीमते नमः| ॐ निर्गुणाय नमः| ॐ निरहंकाराय नमः| ॐ नित्य साक्षिणे नमः| ॐ निरंजनाय नमः|ॐ रामनाम प्रियाय नमः | ॐ ब्रह्मचैतन्य नामकाय नमः ||

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.3

2012-02-03T23:17:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.3

2012-02-03T23:10:00.000+05:30

shreee brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.3

2012-02-03T22:12:00.001+05:30

Nama-smarana Reveals our Defects

Awareness of one's defects and shortcomings is the first step in any type of spiritual discipline or sadhana. As he makes progress in his sadhana, the aspirant comes to realize his sins and vices vividly. Eventually, they appear to be mountainous in proportions. Alarmed by this, he despairingly appeals to God; " Lord, full of these colossal frailties, how can I ever hope to be fit to see you at all? Can I ever qualify for your darshana (vision)?"
An ordinary man may be easily provoked to anger, for instance, but he either denies it, or justifies it as a pragmatic necessity to inspire others with due awe or sense of authority. A certain sadhaka once complained that he had lately become quite prone to fits of anger on even small provocation. The fact was that he had always been so, only, with progress in sadhana, he had come to notice it and recognize it as a defect.
A marriageable youth had seen many girls one after another, to choose a bride, but, being extremely finicky, none of them would measure up to his choice. On returning home from one such 'bride-selection' visit, his sister who had accompanied him, asked him, "What do you think of this girl?" The youth gave the usual negative opinion. The sister who was a shrewd girl, quickly held a mirror before his face and asked, " How does she compare with this?" The youth, perceiving that her looks far surpassed his own, had to admit the fact and agreed to accept her.
We see defects in others because we are unaware of our own. We should remember that when we see a shortcoming in another person, we have in ourselves the seed of that defect. One must, therefore, give up the habit of finding fault with others, and practise introspection of our drawbacks. To find defects in others is what the common man does, but this is inconsistent with spiritual life. A sincere spiritual seeker resorts to constant introspection. He does not notice defects in others because he is ever preoccupied with the enormous burden of his own, and in comparison, he finds others superior, even godly. This is the true spiritual attitude. Indeed, constant introspection to remove the seed of defects from oneself is a very effective spiritual exercise; and this can be achieved easily by nama-smarana.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.2

2012-02-02T22:57:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.2

2012-02-02T22:49:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan - Feb.2

2012-02-02T21:58:00.000+05:30

Nama Alone can Rectify Thinking

In a last effort to avert the impending internecine war between the Kauravas and Pandavas, Lord Shri krishna Himself approached Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas and pleaded for the grant of a token kingdom of just five villages to the five Pandavas. Duryodhana replied, "Intellectually, I accept the logic and justice of the demand, but the inclinations of my mind refuse to accept it. As you are the Lord Omnipotent, just metamorphose my mind, and the very root cause of dispute will vanish." This could not be done, however, and a bloody war did follow. Similarly, Ravana too could not be brought to reason. This shows that even a divine incarnation cannot rectify evil dispositions of the mind. It is only the Lord's name that can achieve this. The dire circumstances of the present age therefore call for recourse to nama with singleness of heart.
Suppose a man develops some trouble in a limb, say, the leg, and the doctor advises amputation, to obviate possible future danger to his life. Would it not be wise to sacrifice the limb for the safety of life? Similarly, constant awareness of God should be considered the main function of human life, and other activities subordinated to it; for, such other activities without that awareness would lead to miserable disappointment and frustration in the end.
The root cause of human misery is, not that things do not shape up as we want them to, but, rather, we desire them to be different from what God, in His infinite wisdom, has ordered.
A cat, having caught a mouse, toys with it for some time before finally killing and eating it up. Exactly likewise do time and death play with us humans, beguiling us with false hopes but callously passing on beyond our limited span of life. We should very clearly recognize this, beware of being deluded and misled by such false hopes, and should understand that living in constant awareness of God alone makes life worthwhile and gainful.
The pundits pride themselves on their erudition, discuss abstract, abstruse matters, and profess to guide others; but they all really labour under a delusion, forgetting that top priority should be assigned to maintaining constant awareness of God.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Feb.1

2012-02-01T22:43:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Feb.1

2012-02-01T22:38:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.1.

2012-02-01T22:34:00.000+05:30

Nama-smarana Eradicates the "Body-Am-I" Belief

Nama-smarana is the only means whereby one can realise one's true self. There is a spark of the divine in all creation. However, human being alone, of all creations, is capable of realising it, because he is the only being endowed with the faculty of logical reasoning and inference.
Initially aware of his high lineage, jeeva gradually degrades himself. At birth, he helds the conviction "I am He, the Divine Being." Then he lapses into "I belong to Him." Finally, when his fall is complete, he goes to the extent of denying even His existence. This is the result of the increasing hold of the body-consciousness, the "body-am-I" feeling, culminating in the firm belief that he is nothing but the body.
Even so, however, man sometimes speaks as if he knows the truth. For instance, if a friend dies, a man says, "Gone, alas, is my friend", although he may be present before the dead body. This means that his friendship did not relate to the friend's body but with the spirit or soul that had departed. Curiously enough he completely overlooks this in thinking of his own body and other living persons. This happens because, evidently he forgets the eternal, imperishable soul part, and body-consciousness has taken complete possession of him.
The obvious remedy for redemption from this situation is retracing the steps. The first thing to do, then, is to disabuse the mind of the idea 'I am the body,' and to rekindle the awareness that 'I am, in reality, a part of the eternal Cosmic Spirit.' Finally, one should realize the identity between the individual spirit and the Cosmic Spirit or Brahman. This can be achieved by constantly reminding oneself of the Cosmic Spirit, from whom the individual spirit came and to whom one really belongs. Nama is the easiest and most effective such reminder. Constant repetition of nama will awaken and maintain the knowledge and realization of the true self.
The spiritual destination is not difficult to reach if one follows the correct path. It is as simple as untying a knot, provided one knows which end of the string is to be pulled; if we pull the wrong end, however, the knot turns into a tangle. Since the Cosmic Spirit is nirguna, I can only realize it if I likewise become nirguna; and this I can achieve only by shedding the 'body-am-I' belief.
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A Brief Biography of Sri Brahmananda Maharaj - 13

2012-02-01T11:16:00.000+05:30

After the Aradhanotsav, Sri Brahmanand Maharaj stayed for a month in Gondavale, and arranged for the regular poojas to be conducted in the Samadhi Mandir and at all the temples built by Sri Maharaj in Gondavale. He made arrangements for the food and accommodation to the many devotees from other places, visiting the Samadhi Mandir. He arranged for the construction of the goshaala (cow-shed) near the Samadhi Mandir.

Then he left Gondavale. Sri Maharaj had ordered for the renovation of the temple at Venkatapur. The construction was going on. He had to supervise it. In order to raise funds for the expenses, he had to visit the places where he had followers. Most of the time, he walked the distances on barefoot. On the way, he chanced to visit Ramadurga, a small village. He had a large number of followers there. But, when he mentioned about the contribution to the construction of the Venkatapur temple, they all pleaded that as there was famine because of the absence of the rain, they could willingly do any work Guruji tells except giving out money. For that Sri Brahmanand Maharaj smiled, and told them then that they should do one and a half crores of nama-japam within fifteen days. They all agreed. And the Japam started the same day. To start with, they were only 30 members. But as the news spread, many people from the surrounding places participated. Sri Brahmanand maharaj arranged food for all of them. The one and a half crores of Japam were completed on the fifteenth day. The completion ceremony (Saangatha Yagnya) was arranged on the next day; and all the people of the village were invited for the Maha Prasad.

When Sri Brahmanad maharaj started to leave the place, all the people of the village assembled and gave out whatever money they could afford individually. Sri Brahmanad maharaj asked them to do namasmaran; he blessed that Sri Ram will remove all their difficulties and improve their condition.

After renovating the Sri Venkateshwara temple, he had only the work of spreading Ram-nam, as per his Guru’s order. He arranged many sapthahas and initiated thousands of people with Tharaka naam. As his main work was spreading of Ram-nam and Annadaan, he used to get cooks from a place called Pimpala, near Udupi in Karnataka. The Brahmins there were very poor and lived by cooking . One Sri Ramaiah and his team were regular cooks for Sri Brahmanand Maharaj. They developed high regard for Sri Brahmanand Maharaj , and took to Ram-naam. After witnessing the constructions of many Rama Mandirs, they felt they should also build a Rama mandir in their place. When they expressed their desire, Sri Brahmanand Maharaj ignored it initially. But when their urge was extreme, he asked them to request Sri Maharaj when he visited Bidarahally Ramotsav. These cooks fell on the hot sand before the procession of Sri Maharaj, and got sanctioned for the Mandir. They got the Mandir ready and even the Idols for installation; but as Sri Maharaj was unwell and Sri Brahmanand was not very willing personally to install the idols, they could not get the Rama Mandir, early. After Shri Maharaj left his body, they again approached Sri Brahmanand Maharaj with intense desire for the Mandir. Sri Brahmanad agreed , but told them that the idols they already had were not suitable and got different idols from Bombay. Finally, the idols were installed, and as the place where the Mandir was built was full of Ashwatha trees, he called the place as Ashwathapur. He formed a trust of devotees to look after the Mandir. He charted out the daily pooja Vidhaan, which is followed to this day.

Before he left Ashwathapur, he handed out the Prasad of cashew nuts, handful to each of the devotees gathered to see him off. The cashews were placed in a plate, but the devotees were many. But he gave the handful of cashews with his blessings to every body. Needless to say that the number of cashews in the plate increased automatically, and still, a few more remained in the plate after giving out to everybody.

This event of the installation of Sri Rama Mandir, became a turning point in the lives of the villagers. Their prosperity increased and now the Aswathapurians have spread all over the world with success to their credit in different fields.

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan Jan.31

2012-01-31T23:14:00.000+05:30

Nama is the Incarnation of the Divine

In the present age, nama itself is the manifestation of the Supreme Being. The Lord says in the Bhagavadgeeta," I reincarnate myself to protect the righteous and destroy the sinful." This shows that the righteous as well as the sinful both inhabit the earth; and it is when the sinful get the upper hand and persecute the righteous that the Lord appears in an appropriate incarnation, and rids the earth of the sinful. What we see in the present day world, however, is that the right-minded have dwindled in number to a virtual non-entity. How, and for whom, then is the Lord to manifest Himself in concrete form? This does not mean that an avatar cannot, or positively will not, take place, but we should realise what the situation is.
There is a vital difference between the conditions obtaining today, and those of the ancient past, the Purana times. Formerly, righteous desire did exist, though latently; only, it could not shape into concrete action for the disapproval and intolerance of the wicked. Today, on the other hand, righteous desire has become virtually extinct; that is, the very basis of character has been undermined, and therefore the question of action does not arise at all. In the past, the subtle goodwill in the heart of the righteous only needed to be fortified to help it turn into concrete action; God did the needful by assuming a physical form and annihilated the obstructing individuals.
The present problem, however, is how to refine the defiled, polluted, corrupted inclinations of mankind as a whole. This belongs to the field of mind, and is subtle in form. Consequently, the remedy also must be subtle in nature, as advised by the adage "like disease, like medicine," or, " set a thief to catch a thief." Basic inclinations are very strong; the remedy, therefore, must also be very powerful; such is the Lord's nama. If there is any divine form that can meet the challenge of the present crisis, it is nama. Indeed, every utterance of nama is divine incarnation, and it is our primary and sacred duty to chant it. If we do our part, nama will show its effect.
Adorably sweet is the form and person of Rama, and so, too, every act of His; how sweet, then, must be His nama! The whole of Ramayana is epitomized in that nama.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.31

2012-01-31T06:54:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.31

2012-01-31T06:52:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.30

2012-01-30T23:00:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.30

2012-01-30T22:55:00.000+05:30

Satsang at Manchappana halli. (29-01-2012)

2012-01-30T22:41:00.001+05:30

Satsang at Manchappanahally

Manchappanahally is an ancestral place of Sri B.C. Prasad, from his mother's side. There is a small temple of Sri Muneeshwar built by his father Sri B.S. Ramasheshaiah about 78 years back. A satsang was arranged there by Sri B.C.Prasad and family. A large number of devotees from Chintamani, Bangalore and other places had gathered , and spent divine moments.The presence of the Divine Padukas of Sri Maharaj, from Chintamani had created a spiritual atmosphere.
A few pictures...

Sri Raghunatha Reddy gave a lecture explaining Sri Maharaj's Pravachan of 29-1-2012

On the way back to Chintamani, devotees visited Sri Datta Mandir (Sri Rama Dasaashrama) in Dodda Gubbi.

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan -Jan.30

2012-01-30T21:56:00.000+05:30

God and Nama Exist Together

Listen to me; you devout people. Keep company with me, and chant nama at all times. One who always repeats nama is truly ever in my company. Where there is Rama-nama there assuredly do I reside. Bearing this in mind, you may lead a happy, carefree worldly life. He lives virtually in my vision in nama. Constantly to yearn for Rama is truly to live in association with me. Nama is verily my life, so hold it always in your heart. Whosoever desires to be mine should ever keep uttering nama. Who grants me this, to him I dedicate myself. I reside where there is nama, or with whosoever feels pleasure only in nama. I exhort you to remain in meditation of nama to the utmost of your capacity. My home is where nama is; of this you may always be sure.
I have not studied the Vedas, nor do I have knowledge of the Shastras, nor am I acquainted with the Shrutis, the Smritis, and the Upanishads. Such an ignoramus am I; and yet, I enjoy a state of uninterrupted contentment, thanks to my firm faith in devotion and dedication to Rama.
Believe me when I say that I am by you, and take courage. Practise nama-smarana, read the Dasabodha, and see me in them. If you do this, Rama will surely bestow His grace on you. Rama and I are both to be found everywhere, but in a subtle, intangible form, not in a visible form. Never think that I am not by your side. I have never "gone" anywhere, I am everywhere, all-pervading. It is upto you to realise me. I cannot exist without Rama. I am assuredly where there is love of Rama.
Strive earnestly to associate with me; for that, you do not have to go anywhere, I am there right in your home. Look for me in Lord Rama. Live in nama and live in bliss. Maintain contentment, for it is like my very life. Whatever I sought to do, was fulfilled, thanks to the grace of Rama.
We will have accomplished the very purpose of life as a human, if we acquire fondness for nama and get absorbed in the bliss that nama is. This we can achieve if we direct to nama the loving attachment which today we bear for mundane life.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.29

2012-01-29T21:55:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.29

2012-01-29T21:50:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan - jan.29

2012-01-29T06:34:00.000+05:30

Cultivate Firm Faith in Nama

Love for nama is a product of continuous repetition of nama and of a determined effort to diminish love for sense-objects and sensuous pleasures. We should have firm faith that it is only nama that will secure final liberation. We may obtain medicine through a servant, but the cure is attributed to the doctor, not to the servant. Why not go a step further and attribute it to God's grace?
True surrender to God means a firm faith that He and none else is really ours; that it is He, not we, that is the doer; and that everything He does is for our interest. A man loves his wife and children because he considers them to be his; if, then, we call God our own, will not love for Him be automatically generated? To create personal relationship with God there must be long association with His nama.
Further, when we hold the conviction that God is our dearest friend and benefactor and is doing everything solely in our interest, where is the cause for any anxiety at all? Our interest really lies in a studied effort for the annihilation of the consciousness of the body.
Do not go after occult powers and miracles; they are actually obstacles in the spiritual journey. For instance, someone may acquire immunity from snake poison; but what is there in this to marvel at? If one could see in a serpent and in every other creature an image of oneself, of God, who can be considered an enemy? Just as a child lives fearlessly in the assurance that the mother is about, similarly we, too, should move in the world free of fear, in the trust that God is about us.
At a railway station, our main concern is with the train for the place we want to go to. Pursue the spiritual path similarly. Do not engage in futile discussions like the number of the basic elements that make up the universe. Such discussions are inconclusive, and only give rise to doubts. Nama, on the other hand, will not stabilize in the heart unless the mind is free from all doubt. We do not realise the true greatness of nama until we shed all consciousness of the body. So, if you are keen on your spiritual uplift, never abandon practice of nama.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.28

2012-01-28T21:52:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.28

2012-01-28T21:48:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.28

2012-01-28T20:51:00.000+05:30

Practise Nama with Complete Self-effacement

Spirituality consists in doing nothing with a sense of doership, not feeling that you have yet something to do. However, a man does not feel happy if he is asked not to do anything whatsoever; in fact, this is considered the direst punishment to a prisoner. We have a habit always to be doing something or other, mentally if not physically. To prevent the body from doing anything is difficult; to keep the mind idle is still more so; while most difficult of all is to keep the mind inactive while the body is doing something.
What the mind really needs is a state of repose; but, for this, one must make a conscious and conscientious effort. Let us see what disturbs peace of mind; first, happenings which go counter to our desire; the second, recurring memories of past deeds and happenings, good, bad and indifferent; and thirdly, worry for the future.
Regarding the first cause, we should remember that everyone in the world wants things to happen as he pleases. Then how can we expect them to do only what we want? Some of them are bound to go counter to our desire. The best remedy against this, therefore, is not to entertain any desire whatsoever. Give up expectation from others. Go about your duty with complete pridelessness. We become upset and unhappy if we do not succeed in an undertaking, in spite of having taken pains for it. But there need be no unhappiness if we forego doership. After having done our best, whatever result follows should be ascribed to Rama's ( God's) will. To ascribe everything to Rama thus is equivalent to being in His constant awareness. This attitude can be built up by ceaseless repetition of His nama (name). Whatever has happened, is happening, will happen, is God's doing, and must be in our ultimate interest; we are not the doer; this thought will become ingrained only by constantly chanting nama. So we should not fret for yesterday, nor worry about tomorrow, but live in the present in remembrance of God. If there is any real rest in worldly life; it is while we are practising God's nama.
Not to be contented in the existing circumstances is a feature of corporeal consciousness, and we look on everything from that angle. Let us stabilise our mind in God, while we let the body do its worldly duties.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.27

2012-01-27T20:52:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.27

2012-01-27T20:45:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.27

2012-01-27T20:04:00.000+05:30

Nama is the Royal Road to God

Nama is the royal road for reaching God, but we do not realise its pre-eminence without His grace. Indeed, nama-smarana(chanting of Divine name) is the supreme sadhana, vital as life itself, while the other sadhanas are of subordinate importance, like the limbs. Nama is most auspicious and sacred. Remember well that our life is in the hands of God, who is Himself in the hands of nama.
Yoga gives contentment only while it is being practised, whereas awareness of nama gives lasting contentment. We cannot adopt the nirguna form of worship unless and until we ourselves become free from gunas. Vision of the celestial light or audition of the eternal sound, are such things not in the sphere of gunas? On the other hand, to see God as the essential element of all creation, is truly to transcend the gunas. Yoga, therefore, should be adopted in so far as it can aid in nama-smarana, but not for its own sake.
Nama includes and transcends Yoga. All sadhanas finally culminate in nama-smarana. Visions of divine colours or light or sound are like intermediate stations which nama-smarana passes by; it takes us straight to God, the destination. Other means may show results early, but these are often transitory; the results of nama-smarana may not be noticeable early, but they will be abiding, because nama effects basic improvement. Indeed, namasmarana is the means par excellence to reach God. It consists of pure bliss; in the ecstasy of that bliss, a man will lose all individual awareness. Saint Tukaram says that his tongue became uncontrollable; that is; in the ecstasy of nama-smarana, it went on uttering nama ceaselessly, far beyond his expectation, like an unbraked vehicle rolling down a slope.
Four persons suffering from the same disorder had varying financial means. The physician prescribed the same medicine to all, but with different "vehicles"; the poorest with the juice of tulsi leaves, the next richer with honey, the next with saffron, and the richest with musk. Similarly, nama may be sung according to the individual's capability. It may be uttered plainly, it may be repeated with passive faith, it may be coupled with a control on basic inclinations, or remembered as the sole truth in creation; all will profit from it.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.26

2012-01-26T22:43:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.26

2012-01-26T22:32:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.26

2012-01-26T05:56:00.000+05:30

Remembering Nama at the Moment of Death

To remember nama at the time of death is a consummation devoutly to be wished; and to achieve it, one must practise nama-smarana. Our real home is with the Supreme Being; the body that the soul inhabits at present is a 'rented' house. So one should be happy to leave this body, like a person moving into his own home from rented quarters. We can manage this when we have the conviction that our true home is with the Lord. For this we should be in unbroken remembrance of His nama. We should pray to God: "Lord, call me Thine; I have surrendered myself entirely to Thee; now let me never think of asking for anything."
We should always consider God as our protector. To remember Him continuously is to believe that whatever takes place at our hands is by His will. Spiritual life means doing our worldly duty without a sense of ownership, but only as an agent of God; knowledge is to have the conviction that God is our all-in-all. When this knowledge is assimilated, then alone can one be called a true seeker. Then he yearns for nothing but God; and it is this intense, pin-pointed liking which is called Bhakti or devotion. The culmination of Bhakti is the crowning achievement, namely, remembering God at the moment of death: and this can be achieved only by remembering nama continuously. It is not to be assumed, however, that remembering God at the last moment of life absolves a man from all desire for sense-pleasures, but such desire is sublimated in his next birth; that is, his desire will be extremely keenly inclined to attainment of God.
The sadhana should go on parallel to breathing: it should be as continuous, and without conscious effort, without egoism, as breathing. We should forsake the restless eagerness with which we pursue family matters.
Scrupulously obey the sadguru. Because we have long association with the physical body over many incarnations, we come to have great attachment for the body; we can similarly cultivate attachment for nama by long, continuous association; thereby, craving for sensuous pleasures will also decline.
Yogic practice calls for great physical discipline, and therefore, to attain perfection in it is well-nigh impossible in the present-day world. The consummation of all kinds of spiritual discipline is in nama.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.25

2012-01-25T22:51:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.25

2012-01-25T22:43:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.25

2012-01-25T22:11:00.000+05:30

Nama-smarana for Constant Awareness

The practice of the divine nama is not for making family and worldly life more congenial and happy but, rather, for reducing our love and attachment for them. Even so, it will not affect that life adversely. One should trust in God and believe that whatever happens is for one's good.
I met a person once, who said," I devote all my idle time to nama-smarana". I said, "Really speaking, time spent in repeating nama is the only time employed usefully; how do you call it 'idle' time?" He later said," All saints say that the effect of our past actions is inescapable, and it has inevitably to be suffered. What good can, then, accrue from remembering the divine nama ?" The query is doubtless a proper one. It is quite true that one must suffer the consequences of past actions; the difficulty is that we become uneasy when bearing unpleasant consequences. If, however, the mind is busy with remembering God, the impact of the situation is softened and becomes less disturbing, more bearable. In our present state, it will make things easier to think that "Everything takes place at His will", or that "Whatever He does must be for our ultimate good."
Simple as this sounds, it contains a very important point. This faith will arise if a continuous awareness of Him is maintained. The sadguru's exhortation is: keep contented in the present, and maintain awareness of the Supreme Being. If such awareness is disturbed when some one causes us pain, the fault is with us, not with him.
One may not know how to get rid of the distractions of the mind, or how to concentrate the mind. It is better to think of what is to be learnt than of what is to be unlearned. So one should rather practise awareness of God, for that will bring in its wake all the desirable virtues just as all parts of the body grow in proportion, or just as watering the root is enough to nourish a tree. Indeed, as Lord Krishna Himself said to Arjuna in the Bhagavadgita, "While you grope and suffer in the darkness of ignorance, remember Me constantly, and you will in due course see light." We keep on feeding oil to a lamp to keep it burning; similarly, to maintain awareness of God, keep remembering nama.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.24

2012-01-24T22:37:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.24

2012-01-24T22:31:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.24

2012-01-24T20:50:00.000+05:30

How to Practise Nama-smarana

How should nama be practised? If we pour water on a stone all at once, it will only wet the surface, which will be dry no sooner the water evaporates. But if the water falls on one spot, even drop by drop but continuously, the stone will gradually get worn out and eventually even crack and break. Likewise, practising nama even in a somewhat small quantity, but regularly, at the same time every day, and preferably in the same place, is more effective than much but sporadic practice.
A hand-rotated stone flour mill has two millstones; the lower one is stationary, while the upper one is rotated. However, if both stones go round, the grain cannot be ground, and the effort is wasted. The human body and mind together make such a mill. Of these two millstones, the body, under the influence of destiny, may go about its worldly duties, like the rotating stone; the other, the mind, should be held firmly fixed in the remembrance of God. This, in effect, is what nama-sadhana means. It can be practised by all and sundry, and anybody can succeed in it. However, the poor fail for being preoccupied with poverty; the rich for their avarice and pride of wealth; the learned for pride of their knowledge; and the ignorant because they do not know what to do. No amount of practice of nama-smarana will give contentment if done with a suspicious mind.
A sadhaka will attain his objective if he is possessed of moral conduct, behaviour as laid down in the Shastras, a pure heart, and constant remembrance of the Supreme Being.
We need not be disheartened if evil thoughts throng the mind while pursuing the pathway in spirituality; resort to nama-smarana when they crowd in, and they will automatically be checked. Persist in nama with firm faith. Contentment will spring only where there is attention to duty along with remembrance of the Lord. If you constantly remind yourself that you belong to Him, and live for Him, His presence will become more and more evident, and the ego will proportionately shrink, and the mind will feel disburdened. Let us make it our goal to attain to God, and re-align our life accordingly, that is keep ourselves ever aware of Him.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.23

2012-01-23T21:16:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.23

2012-01-23T21:06:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.23

2012-01-23T19:51:00.000+05:30

Cultivation of the Field of Nama-smarana

What are the things necessary to get a good crop in the field of nama-smarana? (1) Righteous conduct; it is like the protective fence. (2) Pure heart; this is like fertile, friable soil. We have to clean it by removing weeds and pebbles that is, purging the heart of malice, hatred, and similar passions. (3) Repeated remembrance of nama. This corresponds to the seed sown in the soil; it should not be rotten, polluted, or infected with any desire or the ego. The best seed is to practise nama for its own sake. (4) Pilgrimage to holy places, blessings of saints, and suchlike; these correspond to water channels for the growing crop. (5) Last, but by far not the least, the grace of God. This corresponds to rain-water, which, however, is not in our control and command. Lack of it may nullify all our care. However, this field of nama-smarana has its own speciality; it has a magnet-like attraction which draws down showers of God's grace. So it never happens that the crop is lost for want of rain.
Now suppose there are two farmers owning adjacent fields. One of them diligently attends to all the operations outlined above, while the other is negligent and indolent, inattentive to his field. When, in the usual course, the rains do come, the field of the first farmer will produce a rich yield, whereas that of the other will naturally give a poor crop; that is, even if God showers His grace equally on both, the first of the two farmers will have a bumper harvest, while the field of the other may yield next to nothing.
The moral of this parable applies equally well to spiritual life. God showers His grace on all; the benefit will accrue according to the degree to which each man's heart is purified. It is in this sense that God and the saints are equanimus, impartial. They harbour no discrimination between persons; it is we who must prepare ourselves to utilize their grace. The saints have already told us what we should do; it is upto us to understand and put their advice into practice. The 'partiality' which some of us ascribe to them is a result of our own action. If we repeat nama with purity of heart, we are bound to find God's grace.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.22

2012-01-22T22:07:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.22

2012-01-22T22:01:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Nirupan-Jan.22

2012-01-22T19:41:00.000+05:30

Nama: Means to Fathom Ocean of Worldly Life

Nama is self-existent, and therefore free of all encumbrance and conditioning. It is we ourselves who often impose these on it for happiness, or there may be an egoistical feeling behind it. This often puts hindrance in our progress. So take care to repeat nama(Divine name) purely for its own sake, and with an awareness that it is the sadguru who is getting it done. This will avoid the rise of egoism, and create single-hearted self surrender. Indeed, chanting the nama is the simplest and surest way to achieve self-surrender, so let us resort to it. It is really impossible adequately to express the greatness and the prowess of nama.
Man bobs up and down pitifully, helplessly, in the surge and swell of the ocean of worldly life. Nama is like a boat to cross this ocean of worldliness. One precaution is necessary, namely, that we ensure that water does not enter the boat and make it sink; that is, we should not allow difficulties of worldly life to prevent us from remembering nama, nor should we seek to make use of nama for getting over such difficulties. Then we can reach God.
No one can say when the body may fall, so nama-smarana(chanting of Divine-name) should not be postponed to old age; one cannot be sure of even tomorrow. One takes out a life-insurance just because one is unsure of life. Let us dedicate ourselves, body and all, at the feet of Rama, and become free from all anxiety; let us conduct ourselves in life like a guest at a ceremonial function:detached, unconcerned about its difficulties, successes, and failures.
To reach God, nama is a means which is common to all alike, irrespective of their status. Nama automatically annihilates all defects and drawbacks. We can gauge our progress in spirituality from the degree to which we become certain of the existence or the doership of God.
To be contented with the situation in which Rama chooses to keep you, is a true sign of devotion. The nama given to you by the sadguru can purify the whole world; be sure that Rama will shower His grace on you. The conditions of and around the body are ever-changing. We have to take due care of these conditions, but without forgetting God.

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Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.21

2012-01-21T23:03:00.000+05:30

The Fruition of Nama

What consists of fruition of nama? Properly speaking it is not to be looked for in anything other than itself. The very idea that there is anything to be expected by way of fruit or experience of nama should be scotched from the mind. That nama comes to our lips is itself the experience. We should understand that the extent to which nama-smarana takes place is the index of the experience of nama. It may be called total when nama-smarana is continuous, unbroken. It sharpens concentration of the mind, and when we completely lose awareness of the body, we can be said to have realized nirguna.
To recognize your Real Self, first begin by uttering nama; when, in course of time, you chant it continuously, it will automatically spring from within. When ultimately you lose awareness of the body in the utterance of nama, you will experience who you really are and what the Supreme Reality is.
As you develop a passion for nama, you will find that your perception of sorrow will become increasingly dim. When such perception fades, it ceases to matter whether pain or sorrow exists. In the darkness of the night, a walking stick helps you to feel the way and avoid pits in the street; similarly nama helps us notice occasions of temptation, avarice, etc., that we come across in everyday life, and to overcome these passions and tendencies.
Butter melts if kept near fire; so does the ego melt away in the presence of nama. This is a noticeable experience. However, people are generally found unwilling to listen to anything about nama; the few that do so listen, often do not reflect on it; and only a handful practise it.
There is no difficulty that can hamper the chanting of nama; so never advance excuses for not doing it. Excuses have often been invented, which lead to deception and indolence, which must eventually cause ruin. Make it a rule to remember God immediately on waking from sleep. If convenient, you may take a bath before sitting for meditation, but do not make it a precondition to nama-smarana, which is really the important thing; ceaselessly done, it itself imparts the utmost purity. Therefore, what you need is only to place your single-hearted trust in Rama.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.21

2012-01-21T22:07:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.21

2012-01-21T21:58:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.20

2012-01-20T21:49:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.20

2012-01-20T21:34:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.20

2012-01-20T20:43:00.000+05:30

Where There is Nama There is Rama (God)

Any faith other than that in Rama (God) is sheer incredulity or scepticism. One who places trust in anything except the nama (any divine name of God) will never be able to attain God. Consider yourself defiled even if you merely touch such a disbeliever. Where you come to complete absorption in nama, there surely is Rama. The feeling of happiness in the absence of Rama will certainly lead to eventual unhappiness. Building of or visits to temples and religious halls by one who does not hold Rama in his heart, will not yield him any good. Win the grace of Rama, and end the cycle of birth and death. Rama alone and none else can give you this. Attention to God's name brings contentment to all. If you dedicate yourself to Rama, whatever takes place will always lead you to contentment. Do not let your mind be engrossed in this vast expanse of worldly life, with its illusion, temptation, and attachment. You need not mortify the flesh to obtain contentment, for contentment will come only from awareness of God and remembrance of His nama.
I beg you to grant me this: hope not for happiness in anything but nama; surrender yourself completely to Rama; this is all I expect you to do. Give up liking for pragmatic thought, public affairs and esteem, and sensuous pleasures, for these will hinder spiritual progress. So these should be put aside, and only God should be adhered to. Decide that the world is a complete illusion, and attach your heart only to Rama. Public esteem has a value only in relation to the body, which is itself impermanent; so we should not be attracted or prompted by it. Let us not give up our main goal, God, for the sake of paltry sensual pleasures. One may be deeply versed in the ancient scriptures, but how can one come by contentment unless the mind achieves equanimity? The gist of all the scriptures is that we should devoutly adore the Supreme Being, Rama.
Contentment will naturally ensue if we concentrate our attention on nama. This we can do if we keep constant awareness of God; we need not then feel depressed or despondent about worldly life. The highest type of good deed is to dedicate yourself to Rama. Think constantly of Him, though you may not be able to change your life physically.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.19

2012-01-19T22:08:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan-19

2012-01-19T22:03:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.19

2012-01-19T21:11:00.000+05:30

Nama and the Influence of Destiny

Many ask about the mutual effect of nama and destiny. This question assumes importance because the common man believes that the pleasure of the body is his pleasure, and its pain is his pain; and expects that chanting the nama will help him circumvent destiny. On the other hand, it has been asserted that destiny can never be circumvented. What is the fact in the matter and what can be done about it?
Here one should bear in mind that the scope of the fruition of past actions is limited to the body. Consequently, to the extent to which the body-consciousness is diminished, one ceases to be affected by the pain or pleasure of the body. Nama reduces body-consciousness. Therefore, a person who lives in nama is happy even while suffering the effects of destiny; in the joyfulness of nama he thinks nothing of them. Nama, indeed, is so potent that it purges all sins of the past, and saves the depraved and the perverted. Nama is the crown of prayer, worship, and service.
The practice of nama takes us close to the ever-blissful Divine Being, and makes us fit for His grace; indeed, one begins to take His nama only when He confers His grace. Nama is the only sadhana which can be practised by anyone, anywhere, anytime, and irrespective of the condition one may be in. Nama is itself free of encumbrance or conditioning, and so it is the most effective sadhana to establish a relationship with the Lord, who is free of all conditioning. To be in unbroken remembrance of nama is true liberation; it is the devotion of the liberated; it is the mark of a saint. Do not disregard this exhortation. I urge you: never forget nama; be contented in the situation in which God chooses to place you, without weariness or disgust for whatever comes to your lot; and once again, never, never forget nama. Nama purifies the sinful and makes them righteous, for reduction of body-consciousness is real merit, and that can be achieved by nama. Leave the body to bear the buffeting of fate, keep mentally aloof from it, and be happy in whatever happens. Contentment will come to you if you accept your lot as God's will, rather than as the doing of destiny.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.18

2012-01-18T22:19:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.18

2012-01-18T22:14:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.18

2012-01-18T22:04:00.000+05:30

Chant Nama with Unflinching Faith

To chant nama with implicit faith means doing it because one's guru or some such highly regarded person has advised it. If chanted with this faith, there are no misgivings. Such faith, however, is a matter of extremely good fortune, and is rarely to be found. Misgivings in regard to nama may be of various types, such as, whether nama-smarana done without concentration is of any use, what (yogic) posture it should be done in, where to settle the sight, whether nama; smarana should be preceded by ablution, and so on. We may comprehensively state all these in a single doubt: does my chanting of the nama at all reach the divinity? Actually, God and His nama being identical with each other, nothing can come between the two. If a person hears his name uttered even from behind, he instantly looks back. If this happens with man, should we not expect it with God, who is omniscient?
As a matter of fact, that a person utters God's name is only because of His grace; that is, it is He who utters it; how, then, can we doubt whether the nama reaches Him or not? Imagine that two persons sit down to dinner, one eating heartily, while the other, with a mind preoccupied with some thought, eats but absent-mindedly. Which of them will remain hungry at the end of the dinner? Neither, because both of them have had their fill. Likewise, how can the nama, remembered in any way, go to waste?
Suppose you write to an unacquainted person and ask him to see you; he calls on you and says, 'I am the person you have called'; we believe him. Now the lord has Himself said, "I, the Supreme Lord, am ever present where my name is chanted." Why do we disbelieve it? Why do we not take His nama and see Him therein? This is faith.
Our father's name is put following our name as we are born to him. We should do the same in the case of God. We should live in His nama, with the firm belief that he is the doer of everything, our protector and saviour, and there is none else that we can call our own in this world. One who so makes God his all-in-all, is raised by Him even higher than Himself. Chant nama with the unshakable faith that alone will lead you to God.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.17

2012-01-17T23:25:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.17

2012-01-17T23:19:00.000+05:30

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Jan.17

2012-01-17T22:35:00.000+05:30

Nama and the Other Sadhanas

The order in which the nine forms of devotion are described in Dasabodha is the natural order. The first of them is shravana or listening. A newborn begins to learn by audition. It speaks what and as it hears. The dumb must of necessity be deaf; they are unable to speak because they are unable to hear. A child speaks its native language because it hears it spoken by its parents and neighbours. So the first kind of devotion is listening to devotional hymns and books and discourses.
The second stage of devotion is Kirtana or speaking, and includes singing of hymns, etc. The third stage is nama-smarana, the action of chanting nama. When this becomes a habit we need undertake no effort for the remaining forms of worship, because their effect is included in it. Imagine that a person wanting to meet another living nine miles away, starts for that place; when he has walked three miles he sees the very person he had set out to meet; it is then unnecessary for him to walk further. Similarly, if one has developed a genuine liking for nama-smarana, one need not attempt the rest of the forms of worship, for they are all duly covered in nama-smarana, and the purpose is served.
Rest assured that the remembrance of God includes everything. It is like the very life, whereas all other sadhnnas such as generous acts, pilgrimages, repeated perusals of religious and devotional books, etc., are like the limbs. Limbs without life are futile. So consider nama-smarana as vital to you; for the rest, you can lead normal worldly life happily. Fail not in doing your duty, but remember the Supreme Soul always; utter the nama of Rama.
A devotee should allow only as much encumbrance or conditioning (upadhi) as is necessary, so it does not encroach on the unbroken awareness of God. Nama-smarana should be limited to what you can do with convenience and pleasure. It should not be overdone, for then it will cease to be pleasurable. The object should be to create love for nama; therefore it should be chanted with fondness, and not as a means to achieve something else; only then it will bring love. To have love for nama is a very high state of spiritual development, and is not easily attained. For this one must chant nama correctly, constantly, with perseverance. The Person who says ‘I do not understand anything except nama‘ has understood everything.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Jan.16

2012-01-16T21:21:00.000+05:30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Jan.16

2012-01-16T21:16:00.000+05:30