Unbroken Awareness is the Essence of Saint's Life
The chief object of the festival of any deity is to further its remembrance. God's remembrance is meant only to attain Him. The name of God automatically destroys all sins. To expect sensuous pleasures with nama, is like asking for an ass when you are likely to be gifted with a wish-fulfilling cow. It will lead to suffering only, if you aspire for wealth, fame or progeny, when God is likely to manifest Himself in your home.
It is the best form of samadhi to forget oneself in chanting nama. He alone will understand my life, who is so immersed in the joy of nama that he has utterly forgotten and lost his own identity; it cannot be appreciated merely by logic. A saint's life is more on a mental plane; physical activities have only secondary place in-his life and miracles have the least importance. The real essence of a saint's life is his maintaining unbroken awareness of God, irrespective of his body's condition. Unless oneself merges with God, one cannot realize how a saint merges with God. Therefore the author of a saint's biography must first immerse himself in the joy of nama, and write his biography only after obtaining his consent. In fact the biographer of a saint's life has to be a person born with this mission.
I am a devotee of Rama but I very much like Shiva's devotee. Shiva and Shrikrishna are two manifestations of the same Ultimate Reality. The shruti-smritis do not distinguish between Hari (Vishnu) and Hara (Shiva). Continuously chant nama, which is very dear to Shiva also. Nama has been held dear to the heart by all the greatest realized souls, from Shri Shiva to Shri Samartha Ramadas. A person who repeats nama three and a half crore times will definitely have an experience of his deity. With the help of nama, all of you should obtain the support of Rama. Have faith that Rama will bless you.
I have seen God, but the eyes with which God can be seen are not these physical eyes; they are the eyes of wisdom. You can develop them by continuous recitation of nama. What you have to learn from me is, not to worry and have faith that God alone is the doer. I linger around the place where nama is being chanted.
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