Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan- June.29

Celebrating a Saint's Anniversary

The spirit of a saint is particularly active, beneficent, on the day of his anniversary. The devout vow you make on such a day receives his special grace and support. Determine on the anniversary to live in the divine name.
I wish to be ever in the company of everyone who comes here to me, but you virtually shut me out of your heart by living in mundane interests. Keep uttering nama assiduously, persistently, to keep mundane interests away. Bad times loom ahead threateningly; you will ward off their evil influence if you keep faith in nama. If anyone, no matter how great or learned he is, tells you anything against nama, believe him not, and never leave off chanting nama. Just as a thing tied firmly to a deeply-anchored post will resist being washed away by a torrent, if you hold firmly on to nama, you will successfully resist the onslaught of the bad times.
As Shree Samartha says, the form is identical, co- existent, with nama; so you will undoubtedly perceive the form if you persist in nama. We have to realize the Lord in our own heart; it is in our own interest that we gradually realize Him there through persistent nama-smarana. Only thereby shall we perceive Him truly and permanently. There are those who show or perform miracles; one may see some divine aura, or a vision; even if true, such experiences are only occasional and short-lived. If a lanky person, desiring to look normally fat, prays for swelling over the body, it would be evidently foolish. If, on the other hand, he takes proper medicine, he may not look fat but will at least become tough. The 'spiritual experiences,' visions, and similar things may not be permanent. So, on a saint's anniversary, we should pray for his blessings and help in sterling spiritual progress, not for temporary or elusive 'experiences'. Constant nama-smarana will definitely give love for God.
Religious festivals, holy days, saint's anniversaries --- all remind us of our spiritual duty in the midst of the multifarious claims of prapancha. To do nama-smarana in all these various distractions does need a resolute heart. Nama is backed by God Himself, and includes company of the good. So resolve right now to chant nama continuously without expectation of reward.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-June 29

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-June 29

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-June.28

Paramartha is a Practice-oriented Discipline

A highly learned man once went to the palace of King Janaka, and sent in word of his arrival, expecting the king to order that he be immediately ushered in, and to shower honours on him. The saintly king divined that the guest was filled with pride, and so sent a reply that he come alone, meaning minus the pride. So we, too, should set aside our ego and sense of self-importance when we go to see Rama, or the sadguru. So long as I recollect who I am, duality evidently exists. We should not approach God in order that our ego or self-pride may be pampered. Even at the shadow of a desire that evil come to another person, take it as a sure sign that pride is lurking, nay, growing in the heart.
You should love God as much as, if not more than, your wife and children. Desire nothing but what God wills; that is the key to success in paramartha. Merge your desire into that of the Lord, and live contentedly and happily.
Duty done with complete selflessness is its own reward. A mortgagee is not entitled to put a mortgaged article to use; treat your wife, children, everything you have, as a mortgage to you by God; do your duty in everything, but keep off the idea that they belong to you. Protect them dutifully, but be unconcerned, detached, about them in your heart of hearts. It is, indeed, a crime to feel attachment or proprietorship for them and to feel pleasure or pain on their account.
A person who has turned to God must show an appropriate change in his attitude and behaviour. One should abide by certain moral standards, either out of understanding or by implicit faith. One should be firm on one's belief, free from confusion. The mind should be adequately determined, fortified. Just as a white garment is easily soiled, so are good deeds more prone to meet with opposition; we should resolve to disregard them. When thought and action are in consonance, words will automatically conform to them.
The more a man's learnedness, the weaker his faith. Read but little, ponder deeply over it, and act up to it. Paramartha is entirely a practice-oriented discipline; its goal is acquisition of unshakable contentment and joy. Joy comes to your life when you do your duty in the remembrance of God.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-June 28

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-June28

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-june.27

HOW TO ACHIEVE IMPERISHABLE HAPPINESS

One who delivers moving and convincing sermons, or carries out religious rituals meticulously, may yet fail to realize for himself unalloyed, imperturbable contentment; he continues to suffer from one dissatisfaction or another. The reason is that his goal is not clear to him. People often observe moral rules for fear of popular disapproval rather than for personal thought or conviction. Anything done merely for social regard will fail to give genuine, lasting contentment. Nor, on the other hand, does contentment come to one who disregards the moral code and behaves contrary to public regard, for his own conscience constantly pricks him.
A man once bitterly complained that God is very unjust. "Why do you say so?" I asked. He answered, "I conducted myself righteously, morally correctly; and yet could afford only a humble house; whereas that mere assistant of mine amassed wealth by dishonesty enough to build a three-storeyed house right opposite mine!" "Why did you not do likewise?" I asked again. He replied, "What would people say about me?" Something done like this merely to avoid public comment and censure will never give genuine contentment. We observe morals for fear of social disapproval, and perform religious rites to earn happiness which rests only in God. An action, however good, but done without genuine devotion to the Eternal God, is bound to fail in yielding real contentment; nor, conversely, can the edifice of paramartha stand without the foundation of moral behaviour.
Paramartha is, as a matter of fact, very simple and straightforward; it is the professional philosophers, the argumentative erudites, who make or represent it as highly intricate. It can be easily attained with the help of one of three things; one, actual company of a living saint; two, keeping in touch with the saint's writings, and acting on them; and three, constant repetition of the divine name, for such repetition will keep us in the company of God, ceaselessly aware of Him. To follow a Saint's behests faithfully, doubtlessly, is the first step, and to persist in them with determination, faith, and love constitutes the last. This, indeed, is the easy way to unperishing contentment.


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