A Sadhaka should attach no more importance to worldly affairs than one might attach to a toilet in a Palace.

A Sadhaka  should attach no more importance   to worldly affairs than one might attach to a toilet in  a Palace.

One person asked, "When one tries to conduct worldly affairs fittingly* sincerely, the mind gets engrossed in them, and the objective of attainment of God gets neglected. So, when one is pursuing attainment of God, assigning top importance to it, how much attention ought one to pay to worldly affairs ? In what proportion T ShriMaharaj said, "When one builds a grand palace, even it needs to have a toilet. Bear in mind that the task of attainment of God needs worldly affairs in a like pro­portion. I feel that one ought to spend most of the time of the day in the hall, on carpets or sofas. But it makes me sad that, instead of that, you spend most of your time in the toilet typified by worldly affairs. Doubtless, Shree Samartha (Shree Samarth Ramdas) has said that one should conduct worldly af­fairs ' fittingly ', but it is a mistake that instead of con­ducting worldly affairs fittingly', one conducts them Vig­orously'. The attainment of God should be pursued with vigour, whereby worldly affairs automatically get con­ducted fittingly; this is decidedly what Samartha  wants to say. The conduct of worldly affairs which takes place in remembrance of God is truly in a fitting manner."

When One’s bodily consciousness vanishes censure and praise seem alike.

When One’s bodily consciousness vanishes censure and praise seem alike.

While speaking about how saints put up so facilely with both censure and praise, ShriMaharaj said, "The grandfather is not at home, but his coat hangs from the peg. The children sometimes beat it with a stick, while sometimes someone drapes a garland over it. The grandfather is not wearing the coat, and by itself the coat has no consciousness of pain or pleasure arising out of either of these actions. Likewise, saints have lost the bodily consciousness; whether someone heaps praises on the body or censures it, they are not concerned about either. In a sense, they are not within their bodies, but withGod.^w

How Far is it to God ?

   How Far is it to God ?

A Sadhaka asked, "While one is engaged in practising the means for attainment of God, how does one know what distance remains to be covered on the way to attainment of God?" ShriMaharaj said, "When one sets about practising Namasmarana the mind is obsessed by thoughts of worldly affairs. When it so happens that the mind is obsessed by .Nama when one is discussing or conducting worldly affairs, one may conclude that the distance remaining is short."

One Should Triumph over Death and anxiety byWorship of God.

. One Should Triumph  over Death and anxiety byWorship of God.

   Shri Maharaj always used to say that one should thing of God while engaged in conducting worldly affairs. So one person asked him, “Is it so very necessary to bring God in?

Will it matter if it is not done ?” To this ShriMaharaj said, "Sometimes I, too, feel that the awareness of God should not meddle in worldly affairs. I am fully willing to permit free, unfettered enjoyment of worldly pleasures. But I have a condition to prescribe; and that is that one should in no case worry, as one invariably does while conducting worldly aifairs. If you can conduct worldly affairs without worrying under any circumstances, I will fully agree to not worship­ping God." The questioner said, "Circumstances do not al­ways remain favourable in worldly affairs. Regardless of what one may say, anxiety arises whenever the circum­stances turn adverse." To this ShriMaharaj said, "This means that you are slaves to circumstances. It is not in your hands to stop adverse circumstances from developing. An extremely adverse circumstance is death. The fear of Death constantly daunts you. On taking up worship of God and sincerely continuing to chant Nama, Rama confers His grace on you. So Death begins to act like your slave. This is a very unique type of luxury. It is in order that all may have it that I have set up this entire business of mine."

61st Varshikotsav of Sri Brahmachaithanya Sri Rama Mandir.

 

The Sadguru confers beneficence when a person delights in chanting Nama

The Sadguru confers beneficence when a person delights in chanting Nama

A devotee asked, "Maharaj, of saints, Shri Tukoba has said, "Instantly do they make you the like of themselves.' We have been with you for as much as twenty years, yet we have remained unchanged." Upon this, ShriMaharaj smiled and said, "Here 'instantly" connotes, 'with the arrival of the appropriate instant.' In the course of practice of chanting Nama, the mind gets cleansed, and a Sadhaka begins to lose awareness of the body while delighting in chanting Nama. At that instant the Sadguru does not brook a moment's delay in conferring full beneficence on him; that is what the line means. The Sadguru is constantly on the alert, waiting for the arrival of such an opportune time."

NAMA IS MY VERY LIFE

NAMA IS MY VERY LIFE

   A boy said to Shri Maharaj, "Maharaj, I do not like any other Gods, you alone are God to me, and I have found you.Then what is the need for chanting Nama?" To this Shri Maharaj rejoined, "What you have said is true. But do you want me dead or alive? Nama is my very life. It is for this reason that you should chant Nama.

ನಾಮಸಾಧನೆಗಾಗಿ ನೀ ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಬಂದಿರುವೆ |

ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮನಾಮದಲಿ ನೀ ವಾಸ ಮಾಡಿರುವೆ |

ರಾಮನಾಮದ ಕೀರ್ತಿ ಹಾಡುತ್ತಲಿರುವೆ

ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ ಶ್ರೀ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚೈತನ್ಯ ಗುರುವೆ||

जयाचा जानी जन्म नामार्थ जाला 

जयाने सदा वासा नामाथ केला 

जयाचा मुखी सर्वदा नाम कीर्ति 

नमस्कार श्री ब्रह्मचैतन्य मूर्ती

The Basic Character of a Self-Knowing being

The Basic Character of a Self-knowing Being

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   A seeker of knowledge asked Shri Maharaj, "What is the state of mind of a person in the birth in which he attains knowledge of the Self?" Shri Maharaj said, "He is well aware, right from his birth, what a great treasure human life is, what a great opportunity it is to be born as a human being. He is aware of how important a lifetime is, and how valuable every moment of it is. At this juncture, it is with great difficulty, and only after a convincing personal experience, that there occurs the finding of the Sadguru. Then he settles into a state of unbroken awareness of God and the Sadguru. Later,while performing every task, he performs it only after considering whether it will meet with the Sadguu's approval, and whether it will be of a beneficial effect at the time of his last moment." The seeker further asked, "One repeatedly forgets the importance of being born as a human being. What stratagem may be used to maintain its constant consciousness?". Upon this, Shri Maharaj said, "The Shastras state that there are in all eighty-four hundred thousand life-forms. The gift of speech is absent in all life-forms except the human being. So, one should constantly bear in mind that this unique gift of God one must devote, dedicate, to God; which is to say that one should continually practice Namasmarana.. So one should remember that this is all accomplished by continual practice of Namasmarana."

How can one Gauge one's Progress ?

How can one Gauge one's Progress ?

   A woman asked, "Maharaj, I practice worshiping  a great deal. But how can I gauge how far I have progressed on the path to attainment of God?"  Shri Maharaj replied, "When one's mind develops as much attachment for God as a woman has for the cream floating on milk, one may assume that one has made considerable progress on the path to attainment of God".

If One were mentally to become pervasive and boundless in Love, One's joy will also be Boundless.

If One were mentally to become pervasive and boundless in Love, One's joy will also be Boundless.

   A gentleman fell ill with an affliction of the liver. Shri Maharaj told him to take medication as advised by the doctor. Even after three months had passed, he did not feel any better. Whereupon Shri Maharaj said, "Now you may start attending work. From tomorrow, begin sitting immersed waist deep in a tub of cold water in the morning. After leaving the tub, one ought to warm up with some exercise. You may not be able to bear the strain at present, so lie down in a warm bed for one-half to three -quarter of an hour after the tub bath, so that the lost warmth will be regained." During his illness he had suffered from lack of sleep. He began falling asleep when he lay down in the warm bed after having sat immersed in water. Because of the rest obtained during the sleep, his health gradually improved. When he had fully recovered, Shri Maharaj said to him, "It is said that three quarters of the globe is covered with water, and only one -fourth with land.The water in the tub is an insignificant part of the entire water. Your body came in contact with such an insignificant portion. The body is made of the five gross elements with water as one of them. You felt so much better when you came to contact with even such an insignificant part of it. How much greater will be your joy if, by the grace of Rama, you brought into contact will all the five gross elements?" (The essence of what Shri Maharaj said was that one's joy will be boundless if one were to become as pervasive and boundless as the five basic elements, namely, earth,water,fire,air and akash {or the sky or space}).

To Provide Help to those in Distress because of Natural calamities is also a function of a Temple

To Provide Help to those in Distress because of Natural calamities is also a function of a Temple.


While talking about what use his temple was, Shri Maharaj said, "Human beings cannot be blamed for natural calamities like occurrence of floods, which are due to God's will. Families rendered helpless and without shelter should be provided with shelter, food and clothing by the temple. They should sustain themselves with whatever coarse food may be available in the temple, and practice Namasmarana as much as possible. If the temple is not useful in such a calamity, what function does it serve?"