Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April 10

Remain ever Dedicated to Rama

Listen carefully to what I say. Dedicate yourself completely to Rama in your heart of hearts. Surrender yourself to Rama in all respects, taking Him to be your sole friend, sole relative. He is mercy personified. Say to Him, "O Rama, you are my sole refuge. You are the only doer in the world. There is none but you who distributes both the pleasant and the unpleasant. I suffer pleasure and pain on account of and according to my mental attitude."
As long as the struggle for 'me' and 'mine' lasts, there can be no peace of mind. The only remedy as advised by saints is to approach Rama in utter surrender. They also show us the way to achieve this. Do not remain without effort; only, do not desire for a particular result or fruit. All action should be purely a matter of duty, never forgetting the Lord. In fact, first resign yourself to God, and strive only as an inspiration or direction by Him; be ceaselessly aware of His presence; and then your action will automatically stand dedicated to' Him.
A mind at peace with itself is the hall-mark of a saint. Remember always that everything that happens is by the will of Rama; but you must exercise due caution in your worldly affairs. Be fearless in the knowledge that Rama is your protector.
Never look to faults in others; remember that the same fault may be lurking in you. The body, of course, depends on so many persons and circumstances; but your mind is free, if you keep it fixed on God. He is really in bondage whose mind is attached to a worldly thing. One who places himself passively in charge of Lord Rama will never feel loss. Remain unceasingly in the remembrance of the Lord's name. In worldly life, observe the moral code. Women, children, everybody in fact, should adhere steadfastly to Rama.
The present times are really extraordinarily difficult. The mind, fickle by nature, is deluded or misguided too easily. One can never be too careful in this regard; for this, never let Rama be out of sight or out of mind. You don't have to go in search of Him; He is right here, by your side. Indeed, one who always keeps Him in mind need not be afraid even of death. Constant prayer purifies the heart, and then alone we become fit to see the Lord.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-April.10

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-April 10

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan- April.9

Mission of Saints is to Remind us of God
He who realises the Ultimate Truth becomes omniscient; those who hold fast to it are saints. They are ever eager to show us the way, but our self-conceit comes in the way. Some persons charge saints with making people unresisting and inactive by asking them to requite evil by forgiveness and even kindness. Actually, the saints have done such a great lot for humanity. However, there is a world of difference between their doings and ours, basically because they ascribe all doership to God, whereas we try to claim all credit for ourselves. The achievement of the saints is subtle, ours is only for show, and so ineffectual.
One may have a lot of book-learning, but it is evidently futile if it does not percolate into outlook and action. To understand the real nature of this world, we should go to one who successfully keeps himself free of the mesh of pleasure and pain. Such a person looks only objectively on the world, and is detached in outlook as well as in action, whereas we get enmeshed in the snare of pleasure and pain. Because a saint's heart is pure, untainted by selfishness, even his harsh words do not hurt, but are blessings in disguise.
Saints are usually not erudite in the popular sense. One may quit home while still only a child, another runs away from the wedding altar, while yet another may be utterly illiterate. Yet their existence makes itself felt even after they quit the body.
A child playing outside the home suddenly thinks of its mother and runs in to her. This means that the child always has a subconscious awareness of her. We should have a similar loving longing for God, a similar devotion. When this longing becomes a maddening passion, a saint comes along to pacify it.
Saints are born for the sacred mission of reminding the people at large of the existence of God. The greatest obligation they have conferred on the world is that, to the invisible Lord, they have given a habitation and a name, a saguna form that we can imagine, remember, and serve; they gave us the simple sadhana of nama-smarana; wrote for us great guiding and instructive books like the Jnyaneshwari and Eknathi Bhagwat; and advised us to feed people. One who performs these things to the best of his ability will never feel want, and will ever enjoy contentment.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-April 9

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-April 9

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-April.8.

Meditate on Nama with a Doubt-free Mind

When asked to practise nama people usually advance excuses. In point of fact, however, there is no real impediment. Stray thoughts throng the mind even when we are doing any other action; why, then, should we feel upset if such thoughts crowd the mind during meditation? As soon as you find time, take to chanting nama with faith.
Two pedestrian travellers saw a grove of mango trees. They asked the keeper if they could have some mangoes. He replied, "Yes, you may eat as many mangoes as you can in fifteen minutes." One of the travellers started eating the mangoes, while the other plied the keeper with questions about the owner of the grove, the tax paid on the grove, and so on. At the end of fifteen minutes, the keeper said, "Time for you to go". The first traveller had his fill, while the other had to depart without tasting a mango. This parable teaches us that instead of wasting time on idle inquiries we should start practising nama with implicit faith. We should go on with the practice whether or not we have understood its significance, as Dhruva did on being enjoined by Narada. He raised no doubts and queries, stuck to nama as the sole abiding truth, and thereby propitiated God. The saints are selfless souls and guide us with great sincerity; therefore, we should practise nama with trust in their word, and simply get saturated with it.
How long should we repeat nama? Until we get lost in it; for, once that happens nama will remain with us for ever. Nama is the highest truth. Spiritual knowledge, worship of deities, performance of rituals, etc., are undertaken to attain God and emancipation; but nama-smarana is the simplest and easiest path to it.
A large fortress was absolutely impregnable. It had a large gate secured by a strong lock. One person, however, managed to get hold of the key. Then entrance became absolutely easy. Nama is the key to emancipation. It makes attainment of God a simple matter. People complain that love for and faith in nama do not come easily. However, we may trust in what the saints preach, and take to nama wholeheartedly, incessantly. This is bound to lead to contentment. If we repeatedly chant nama we can certainly shake off the shackles of 'the body-am-I ' feeling.
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