Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.7

Nama and Love are Like Twins
The average man has a tendency to live for sensual pleasures. Gratification of the senses gives immediate pleasure, which is what he seeks, and he gets so deeply absorbed therein that he thinks despisingly of the world. The poor fellow overlooks the fact that the end result of the pleasure is pain; for no one has ever been able to find abiding pleasure and contentment therein. The only way for obtaining these is to keep the mind steady at the feet of God. It should be thoroughly integrated with God, instead of being attached to worldly pleasures or sense-perceived things. This is what saints have all along dinned into our ears. To repeat nama is, in effect, to reverse the trend of the mind, from dwelling on palpable things to contemplation of the impalpable Elemental Reality. Prapancha should not be an involvement but a duty, an agential performance. Everyone should ponder whether he takes at least as much care of nama as he does of his prapancha. One should do one's duty very conscientiously, and with perfect contentment accept the result, remaining absorbed in nama.
Nama and love are attached to each other like twins. Today we have settled our love on numerous mundane things, individuals, wealth, knowledge, public esteem, the physical body, and sundry other things. The path of love for God is therefore not open to us, as it was in the case of the gopis. We must therefore choose the other way, namely, acquire love for God through the means of nama. We develop affection even for the house we live in; will association not similarly develop love for nama?
Our universe abounds in things which are uncomprehended yet by the fertile, versatile human brain. To understand who I am is still beyond human ken. The Ultimate Reality defies human imagination, reason, and logic. This Reality can be revealed if we remove the veil which conceals it. A truth is not created, but it can be masked. We mask the Reality by fear, fancy, etc.
We can stand on a bridge across a river, and enjoy the fun of the water flowing underneath, even without wetting the feet; similarly, one who has seen the truth, that is, God, may live in the midst of the palpable world and look on it and its lures with amused detachment.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.7

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.7

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.6

Detachment and Surrender
Suppose a person has a dagger. He replaces the original wooden handle by a steel one, or, may be, a silver or gold one; does it change the lethal nature of the weapon? Similarly, one's worldly position, good, bad or indifferent, is bound to be harmful to his spiritual interest; it is, like the sharp edge of the dagger, none the less harmful. The attachment one generally feels is the harmful part. So, carryon efficiently with your family life, service, or business, with unfailing duty, but never for a moment feel that it is for them that your life is meant. If you never lose sight of the fact that they are given to you for performance of duty, not for giving you permanent bliss, you will entertain neither pride of proprietorship, nor attachment for them. One should conduct oneself with practical caution, always remember God, and recite nama, and leave the rest to prarabdha. This alone can yield contentment in life. Blessed indeed is he who, at the last parting, says, "Here am I, quitting the world with perfect contentment." To attain this contentment, one should go through life with the staunch feeling that Rama is the real doer, that everything is happening according to His plan. Never spare effort, but leave the result to His will and remain contented with what happens.
God can be attained only by unreserved surrender. The main obstruction is the 'I and mine' feeling; this feeling can be countered only by nama; I therefore exhort you to take to nama. To have love for nama a pure heart is essential; pure means free of hatred, jealousy, pride, and such other pollutants. Love one another, beginning with the home. Love your son as a duty, not merely because he is congenial in his behaviour with you. To give love selflessly is paramartha. For that, one has to have constant awareness that Rama is the donor, the supporter. This awareness can be created and maintained only by repeating nama; this is the only way to achieve peace of mind.
Never cringe before others. You may roll in princely luxury, only take care to feel that you are happy not because of it, but because you belong to Rama. Never trust in material affluence; it may be yours today and leave you tomorrow. Rama is your staunch supporter. Live singing nama and be happy.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.6

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.6

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.5

'Ajapajapa' : Constant Involuntary Nama-smarana
There was once a well-behaved, well-meaning man who had no addiction whatsoever. He took keen interest in astrology. Once there came to his place a bairagee who soon became widely known for his accurate fortune-telling. So he went to see the bairagee. He found him reeking with the hemp which he was in the habit of smoking. Unaccustomed to the foul smell, our gentleman sat in a far corner and listened. Drawn by the deep knowledge and accurate foretelling of the bairagee, he drew closer and closer to the bairagee and soon got into deep friendship with him, and, one day even filled hemp into his pipe. Later, importuned by the bairagee, he started smoking hemp himself, and soon the disciple became a hard smoker and surpassed the master. All the result of company! A saint is one whose company creates love for God. It is needless to say that one should yearn for such noble company.
Maruti won over Shreerama by ceaselessly repeating nama. You do likewise, and you will similarly propitiate Shreerama. The repetition of nama will certainly reach Him if you have firm faith, no matter where, when, or how you say it. Pranayama, yogasanas, etc. are other means of attaining to the Lord, but far more important is devotion which becomes ingrained. The involuntary, innate recitation of nama is called ajapjapa; it is the highest form of devotion, involving as it does the complete annihilation of ego. This is true unification with God, the goal of paramartha. We should understand that our true self is identical with the Cosmic Soul. This understanding will come when we turn our thoughts inward.
Anxiety is the disturbance which invades the mind when it loses awareness of God. All sorrows and ailments are subjugated by irresistible joyousness and contentment, and this joyfulness and contentedness come by clean conduct and ceaseless reciting of nama. Contentment is the peace of mind which comes of firm faith in God. Nama is the link which joins the mind to God. If we treat nama as our all-in-all, we can easily attain to Him. The exhilaration of nama-smarana will make a man forget himself as well as the whole world. I am incessantly trying to create in everyone a strong liking for nama.
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