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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