ಶ್ರೀ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚೈತನ್ಯ ಮಹಾರಾಜರ ಪ್ರವಚನ
Friday, February 28, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.27
Why We Fail to Develop Love for Nama
The names of the great saints such as Jnyaneshwar, Tukaram, Samartha Ramdas, have survived these long centuries. The reason is that they had intense love for nama. We have faith in the words of these saints. We also feel that we should have the same intense love for nama that they had. Why do we not succeed in this? This point deserves consideration.
The saints declare that nama surpasses even nectar in its deliciousness. Why, then, do we fail to feel love for it? Certainly there must be something that stands in the way. If sugar placed on the tongue fails to taste sweet, we say that evidently there is something wrong with our palate and health; similarly, since we fail to find sweetness in nama, there must be something wrong with us.
Almost all people put forward one plea or another. One says," I do not feel love for nama because I am yet unmarried; when I have a wife and children and a family of my own, I shall naturally come to love nama." But then, how many of those who are married and have a family, love nama? Some others say," Because we are short of money, we have always to labour under anxiety, and this bars the rise of love for nama." How many of the affluent millionaires can we show who have developed this love? Yet others plead preoccupation with worldly responsibilities such as the wife and the family, illness, management of farms and property, as the cause for the lack of love for nama. Yet others say, "I am fed up with the travails of worldly life; I shall now renounce all these and become a sanyasin so that I may acquire love for nama. "Yet others may be so disgusted as to be inclined to ending life by suicide. In brief, everyone blames the situation he finds himself in, for failure to acquire love for nama. We should give serious thought to this and find out whether the external situation is a real impediment to the generation and development of love for nama. To my mind, the true cause is that we do not sincerely desire to have God as the mentor and support. Indeed, to feel such a desire is a matter of rare good fortune. When such a desire arises, that itself will show you the way.
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Feb.26
Nothing Makes Nama-smarana Impossible
Man's entire struggle is for lasting contentment. Because such contentment is only with God, everyone needs Him. Everyone says that despite his efforts he has not succeeded in attaining God, and blames circumstances for the failure. Let us consider the problem in earnest.
Circumstances are of two kinds: external, and internal. The first and foremost factor of external circumstance is bodily health. Can we do nama-smarana irrespective of the state of health? The Lord states in the Bhagavadgeeta that it is possible to do nama-smarana even at the moment of death, when the body becomes very weak and infirm. It is therefore incorrect to say that the condition of health affects nama- smarana.
Many complain of financial stringency, and say want of money gives worry and prevents giving attention to God. Now tell me, how many of those who have amassed vast wealth and reached the pinnacle of prosperity, turn to nama-smarana? How many kings have quit their kingdom and turned recluse with the object of attaining God? Therefore, want of money cannot justifiably be put forward as a reason hindering the attainment of God. On the contrary it is money that lessens faith, for it gives a false sense of security. One saves money against needs of advanced age; but what guarantee is there that one may at all live to be old? Happiness and contentment have no relation to money. Every person has his retinue; when the king of ghosts is in procession, he is followed by ghosts and evil spirits; whereas, in His procession, God will be accompanied by compassion, forgiveness, and a spirit of joy. Similarly, accumulation of money is followed in its wake by anxiety, avarice, and dissatisfaction. A woman may resist the adulterous advances of a man, but money does not resist even ill use. It is almost always money that causes discord between even a parent and son or daughter, or between siblings or between friends. It cannot be said that to collect money is improper; but it should not create a sense of security, nor should it be allowed to stand in the way of consciousness of God. When the desire to attain God arises, that will itself show you the way to Him.
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