Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.22

Come What May, Never Forsake Nama
The sky will always be overhead, however far and fast you run in fear of it. So, too, whereever you go, the body, the mind, and the destined suffering of pleasure and pain are inescapable. Therefore, put up with whatever falls to your lot. Of course, so long as you feel that you should better have tried; by all means do so, but leave the success or otherwise to God. Leave all doership to Him. To ask God 'how long must I serve You?' amounts to deficiency in devotion. Similarly, asking for a limit for nama-smarana means deficiency in faith. Do we ever ask for a limit on the pleasures of the senses?
Today we hold one end of the rope, while God is at the far end. We should gradually haul ourselves up to Him with the help of nama. Association with the good is achieved to the extent to which we hold nama in the heart. Never let it go, whatever the circumstance in prapancha.
A vacant mind always runs after sense-pleasures. So always keep it engaged; and in doing every thing – sitting, rising, chanting a mantra, reading, gossiping, jesting - see that it is related ultimately to God; that is, never let God be out of your mind; this is what is called anusandhana. Everything we do must have reference to God. Nama is the link connecting the mind with God. So always keep the mind riveted to nama. Remember that Rama is omnipresent and omniscient, and therefore a witness to everything; this will preclude the performance of undesirable actions.
We make it a habit to cite an excuse for what we do or miss doing. Quite often, we are 'busy'. But our' spare' time is devoted to idle gossip, or to slandering others, or playing one game or another, and so on, rather than doing nama-smarana. Let us cure ourselves of that habit. The mind is inclined to wandering or listlessness, avoiding concentration and steady effort. It will have to be coerced into chanting nama. Nama is powerful enough to eradicate the 'body-am-I' delusion and establish itself firmly in the mind. We should habituate it to nama-smarana during waking hours; then it will percolate into the sleeping hours and dreams, and finally, if assiduously practised, it will stand in the mind at the moment of death.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.22

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Dec.22

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Dec.21

Do not Regard God as a Tool for Prapancha
A boy fled home. After much futile search, the mother comforted herself, saying, 'I wish him well, whereever he may be'. Similarly I say, 'Be you where you may, but never be without nama-smarana ; you may even force yourself to do it, if necessary. It would be better if you do it with faith, and still better if done with restraint on mental attitudes and desires.' The extraction of the juice of certain leaves requires a catalyser such as honey, milk, ghee, water, etc. Similar is the use of faith for producing relish in nama. The experience 'I am Brahma, the Ultimate Reality', presumes the existence of an individual 'I'; nama is even beyond that experience. One should therefore keep a constant awareness of God; it also facilitates prapancha. There is no sin in the world that call withstand the prowess of nama.
Do not give up nama for the reason that you are unable to visualize the form; you will not fail to do so later. It does not suffer from imperfectness because there is no return expected; there is nothing equivalent to it. The pundits always say, I will repeat nama only if I get love for it.' The ordinary, not-so-learned man generally begins to chant nama on being asked to do so. Nama is basically sweet, but it seems bitter to us because the venom of the snake-like worldliness and sense-pleasures has penetrated into our blood-stream. The remedy is to begin chanting nama from this very moment. Go in surrender to Rama without pride of your 'knowledge'. Approach Him in complete humility, and see the result. Keep your conduct morally clean, be sincere and earnest in devotion to Him; this will propitiate Him.
Knowledge is admittedly most excellent; however, it cannot survive without devotion. A devotee is one who is never separate from God; knowledge imparts a sense of identity with God; thus devotion gives birth to knowledge, which subsists on devotion. The true devotee also has true knowledge. True devotion desires God purely for His own sake, not as a tool for improvement of worldly conditions. Be contented with the condition in which Rama keeps you. One who spends his life in remembrance of nama can take it that he has made the best use of his life.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Dec.21

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada -Dec.21

ಭಗವಂತನನ್ನು ಪ್ರಪಂಚಕ್ಕಾಗಿ    ಸಾಧನೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬಾರದು.  

ಒಬ್ಬ ಹುಡುಗನು ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಓಡಿಹೋದನು. ಆಗ ಅವನ ತಾಯಿಯು "ಅವನು ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಇರಲಿ, ಆದರೆ ಸುಖವಾಗಿರಲಿ", ಎಂದು ಅಂದಳು. ಅದರಂತೆ ನೀವು ಎಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಇದ್ದರೂ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿರಬೇಕು. ನಾಮವನ್ನು ಅತ್ಯಂತ  ಆಗ್ರಹದಿ   ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಿರಿ. ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆಯಿಂದ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡರೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಉತ್ತಮ. ವೃತ್ತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಶಾಂತಗೊಳಿಸಿ   ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರೆ ಇನ್ನೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಉತ್ತಮ; ವನಸ್ಪ್ಮತಿಯ ಎಲೆಗಳ  ರಸ ತೆಗೆಯುವುದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ, ಕೆಲವು ಎಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಜೇನುತುಪ್ಪ ಹಾಕಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೆಲವು ಎಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಲು, ತುಪ್ಪ ಅಥವಾ ನೀರು ಹಾಕಬೇಕಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದರಂತೆ ಭಗವಂತನ ಪ್ರೇಮ ಪ್ರಾಪ್ತವಾಗುವುದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಹಾಗೂ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ರುಚಿ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾಗುವುದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ, ಆ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಶ್ರದ್ಧೆ ಹಾಕಬೇಕು. "ನಾನು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಇರುತೇನೆ", ಈ ಅನುಭವದಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಕೂಡ ಅಹಂಭಾವ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ನಾಮವು ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಆಚೆಗೆ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಭಗವಂತನ ನಾಮಸ್ಮರಣೆ ನಿರಂತರ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು; ಅದರಿಂದ ಪ್ರಪಂಚವು ಸುಲಭವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ನಾಮದ ಸತ್ತೆಯು ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಬಲವತ್ತರವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ.  ಜಗತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಎಂಥ ಪಾಪವೂ ನಾಮದ ಮುಂದೆ ನಿಲ್ಲಲು ಶಕ್ಯವಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಾಮವು ಭಗವಂತನ ಶತ್ರುವಿಗೂ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಂದಮೇಲೆ ನಮಗೆ ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡೇ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ರೂಪದ ಧ್ಯಾನವು ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬರದೆ ಇದ್ದರೂ ನಾಮ ಬಿಡಬಾರದು. ಮುಂದೆ ರೂಪವು ತಾನಾಗಿಯೇ ಬರತೊಡಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಸತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಏನಾದರೂ ರೂಪ ಕೊಡದ ಹೊರತು ನಮಗೆ ಅದರ ಅನುಸಂಧಾನ ಇತ್ತು ಕೊಳ್ಳ ಲಿಕ್ಕಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.. ನಾಮವು ಅದರ ರೂಪವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನಾಮದ ನಿರಂತರ ಅನುಸಂಧಾನವಿರಬೇಕು. ಭಗವಂತನ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರತಿಫಲದ ಅಪೇಕ್ಷೆ ಇರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಅದು ಅಪೂರಣವಾಗಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ದಡ್ಡ ಜನರಿಗೆ ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಹೇಳಿದರೆ ಅವರು ಕೂಡಲೇ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆದರೆ ವಿದ್ವಾಂಸರು ಮಾತ್ರ " ನಾಮದ ಪ್ರೇಮ ವಿದ್ದ್ದರೆ   ನಾನು ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತೇನೆ." ಎಂದು ಅನ್ನುತ್ತಾರೆ. ವಿಷಯರೂಪೀ ಸರ್ಪದ ವಿಷವು ಇಳಿದಿರದಿದ್ದರೆ ಭಗವಂತನ  ಅಮೃತದಂತೆ  ಮಧುವಾಗಿರುವ  ನಾಮವು ನಮಗೆ ರುಚಿಸಲಾರದು. ಇದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಈ ಕ್ಷಣದಿಂದಲೇ ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಬೇಕು. ನಾವು ರಾಮನವರಾಗಬೇಕು ಹಾಗೂ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಏನು ಸೇರುತ್ತದೆಯೋ ಅದನ್ನು ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಭಗವಂತನಿಗೆ ಬುಧ್ಧಿ ವಂತಿಕೆ ಯಿಂದ  ಶರಣು ಹೋಗದೆ   ಅಜ್ನ್ಯಾನದ ಭಾವದಿಂದ ಶರಣು ಹೋಗಬೇಕು. ಭಗವಂತನಿಗೆ ಅನನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶರನುಹೋಗಿ ಅನುಭವ ಪಡೆಯಬೇಕು. ನೀತಿಯಿಂದ ನಡೆಯಬೇಕು. ಭಕ್ತಿ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಅಂದರೆ ಭಗವಂತನು ಪ್ರಸನ್ನನಾಗುತ್ತಾನೆ.

   ಜ್ನ್ಯಾನವು  ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ವಾದದ್ದೇನೋ ನಿಜ. ಆದರೆ ಅದು ಭಕ್ತಿಯ ಹೊರತಾಗಿ ಜೀವಮ್ತವಾಗಿರಲಾರದು. ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಭಗವಂತನಿಂದ ಎಂದೂ ವಿಭಾಕ್ತನಾಗದಿರುವವನೆ ಭಕ್ತನಾಗಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಅದು ಭಕ್ತಿಯ  ಆಧಾರದಿಂದಲೇ ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ನಿಜವಾದ ಭಕ್ತನು ಜ್ನ್ಯಾನಿಯೇ ಆಗಿರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಭಗವಂತನಿಗಾಗಿಯೇ ಭಗವಂತನು ಬೇಕೆಂದು ಭಕ್ತಿ ಮಾಡುವವರು ಲಕ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಬ್ಬರು. ಇದೇ ನಿಜವಾದ  ಭಕ್ತಿಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಯಬೇಕು. ನಾಮಕ್ಕಾಗಿಯೇ ನಾವು ನಾಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ರಾಮನು ಇತ್ತದ್ದರಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಸಮಾಧಾನ ಹೊಂದಬೇಕು. ಭಗವಂತನನ್ನು ಪ್ರಪಂಚಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ಸಾಧನೆ ಮಾಡಿಕೂಳಬಾರದು. ಅವನು ಸಾಧ್ಯನಾಗಿರಬೇಕು. ಯಾರು ಭಗವಂತನ ನಾಮದಲ್ಲ್ಲಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಆಯುಷ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕಳೆದಿರುವರೋ, ಅವರು ಹುಟ್ಟಿ ಬಂದು ಎಲ್ಲವನ್ನೂ ಸಾಧಿಸಿದರು.ಹಾಗೂ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ಸಾರ್ಥಕ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡರು.

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan -Dec.20

Hold the Mind Steadily Fixed to Nama
The mundane body will follow the path dictated by prarabdha, so give not your mind to it, let your mind not be affected by it. Prarabdha, after all, is the fruition of our own action performed in this or past lives. Being so, nobody can rectify or modify it. The Pandavas were friends and devotees of the Lord, and yet their banishment to the distressful life of the forest could not be avoided. Sudama, a beloved boyhood friend of Lord Krishna had to live a life of penury. Therefore, one should leave the body to face prarabdha, and cheerfully accept whatever happens. Just like misery and difficulty, an agreeable situation may follow, if it is in the destiny; so take both on par, fixing the mind on nama and God. Let the body be led by prarabdha; you will not feel the vicissitudes if you persistently remember God, and leave the result to His dispensation. Even sages, saints, and incarnations of God, could not escape their respective prarabdha. Since vicissitudes of life depend entirely on prarabdha, we should not base our contentment on them, but the remembrance of Rama will help keep mental equanimity.
There can be no better action than keeping nama always on the lips. The mind will become peaceful and lucid if we sincerely believe that nama is the Ultimate Truth. Be alert in doing your duty and unremitting in chanting nama. Guard the love for nama as closely as a miser watches every penny, for it is our real surety, our true saviour. Keep nama ever on the lips, even while outwardly you are busy with worldly tasks. Thus united with Rama, never entertain even the shadow of regret. You have so far staked everything for desire; now make nama your stock in trade. Remember that only he who has tremendous past merit to his credit will feel love for nama. On the other hand, one who loathes nama will not fare well. Chant nama without expecting a return of any kind, and you will assuredly attain the Cosmic Soul, the true God.
Any sadhana other than nama, will only be so much toil. The body is, of course, mortal, but nama I have given you is ever abiding. Keep steady love for it. Let no extraneous thoughts intrude on nama-smarana. Be always fully contented; that is the essence of paramartha.
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