Importance of Gondavale Lies in Love for Nama
A father deposits a sum of money in a bank, arranging that, after him, the interest be paid to his son. This is a minimum assured provision for his maintenance. I have similarly left deposits enough at Gondavale to benefit even depraved persons who may come to me in repentance and supplication, even if towards the end of their life. I assure sincere repentants that if they come to Gondavale for spiritual consolation, they will not fail to find peace at least at the moment of death. I do not say this as a boast, but what I do want to emphasize is that the atmosphere there is supercharged with love for nama.
How generous Rama is! He has amply rewarded my humble effort to propagate nama; and I am happy to see that many have enthusiastically taken to it. All villages are more or less the same; walls, houses, schools, shops; and yet each has its own name, each its peculiarity. Gondavale may not be prolific in money, but nama is a product which grows in the soil. A man from Gondavale should be easily distinguishable by his love for nama. A man, they say, is known from the behaviour of his son. So those who are mine should pray earnestly to Rama, 'May it please You, O Rama, to grant me Your love. We shall gladly treasure Your name in our heart of hearts. Whatever is in store for us, we will cheerfully accept, and be happy with the lot You place us in. Your sweet name shall be ever cherished in the heart.' If you pray thus, I assure you that Rama will shower His mercy on you, and you will find life far more cheerful than you can imagine.
In the Bhagavadgeeta, Lord Krishna urged Arjuna to remember Him and fight the opponents. In our humble lives, this means doing our duty conscientiously, but in the remembrance of God. The essential teaching of all religions is unanimous; to behave morally correctly, to execute duty, and maintain the remembrance of God. If we do so, can God withold His grace? So let us commence reciting nama; rest assured that it will lead us to the realization of God. Rama will undoubtedly back you up if you take to nama in earnest.
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