Thursday, February 27, 2014

Even mere mechanical repetition has very great effect.

Nama Article 27th February 2014

 

BENEFITS OF JAPA - By Swami Sivananda

 

When you repeat the Mantra, have Satvik Bhava or Shuddha Bhava (right mental attitude, Satvic feeling). The Bhava comes slowly when the purification process goes on. Even mere mechanical repetition has very great effect. The vibration in the mind set up by the repetition purifies the Chitta and brings Chitta Shuddhi (purification of the mind).

 

If the Mantra is repeated for 6 hours daily, the heart will be purified quickly, you can feel the purity. You must have great faith in your Guru Mantra.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Nama Smarana is easy, comfort-giving and simple. It is therefore said that to be the ‘Head’, the ‘King’ of all Sadhanas.

Nama Article 26th February 2014

 

BENEFITS OF JAPA - By Swami Sivananda

 

Nama Smarana is easy, comfort-giving and simple. It is therefore said that to be the 'Head', the 'King' of all Sadhanas.

 

When you repeat His Name, you must evince from the bottom of your heart Ananya Bhakti. You must drive off all other worldly thoughts from your mind. Fill the mind with thoughts of God and God alone. You must exert hard. Remain absorbed in Him. Just as you remember all the qualities of your son when you think of His name, eg: Visvanathan, you should remember the qualities of God as omnipotence, omniscience, etc. when you think of His Name.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


Monday, February 24, 2014

Repetition or thinking of His Name produces a tremendous influence on the mind. It transforms the mental substance

Nama Article 24th February 2014

 

BENEFITS OF JAPA - By Swami Sivananda

 

If you utter the word 'excreta' or 'urine' when your friend is taking his meals, he may at once vomit

his food. If you think of 'Garam Pakoda', 'hot Pakoda', your tongue will get salivation. There is a Shakti or power in every word. When such is the case with ordinary words, how much more power or Shakti should there be in the Name of God – Hari, Ram, Siva or Krishna? Repetition or thinking of His Name produces a tremendous influence on the mind. It transforms the mental substance – Chitta (mind-stuff), overhauls the vicious old Samskaras in the mind, transmutes the Asuric or diabolical nature and brings the devotee face to face with God. There is no doubt about this.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


Saturday, February 22, 2014

Even simple mechanical repetition of a Mantra has got very great effect. It purifies the mind. It serves as a gatekeeper.

Nama Article 23rd February 2014

 

BENEFITS OF JAPA - By Swami Sivananda

 

Silent repetition of God's Name, Hari Om or Sri Ram is a tremendous tonic and potent specific for all diseases. It should never be stopped even for a day under any circumstances. It is a spiritual food for the hungry soul. You can drink and live on the nectar that flows during Japa and meditation. Even simple mechanical repetition of a Mantra has got very great effect. It purifies the mind. It serves as a gatekeeper. It gives intimations to you whenever some worldly thoughts enter the mind. At once you can drive away those thoughts and do Smarana of the Mantra. Even during mechanical repetition a portion of the mind is there at work with it.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


Japa changes the mental substance from passion to purity. It calms and strengthens the mind. It makes the mind introspective.

Nama Article 21st February 2014

 

BENEFITS OF JAPA - By Swami Sivananda

 

Japa changes the mental substance from passion to purity. It calms and strengthens the  mind. It makes the mind introspective. It checks the outgoing tendencies of the mind. It eradicates all kinds of evil thoughts and inclinations. It induces determination and austerity. Eventually it leads to the direct Darshan of God, the Ishta-devta or tutelary Deity or God-realization.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare 
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


He who entertains thoughts of Divinity becomes transformed actually into the Divinity itself by constant thinking and meditation.

Nama Article 22nd February 2014

BENEFITS OF JAPA - By Swami Sivananda

The mind is purified by constant Japa and worship. It is filled with good and pure thoughts. Repetition of Mantra and worship strengthen the good Samskaras. 'As the man thinks, so he becomes'. The mind of a man who trains himself in thinking good holy thoughts, develops a tendency to think of good thoughts. His character is moulded and transformed by continued good thoughts. When the mind thinks of the image of the Lord during Japa and worship, the mental substance actually assumes the form of the image. The impression of the object is left on the mind. This is called Samskara. When the act is repeated very often, the Samskaras gain strength by repetition and a tendency or a habit is formed in the mind. He who entertains thoughts of Divinity becomes transformed actually into the Divinity itself by constant thinking and meditation. His Bhava or disposition is purified and divinized. The meditator and the meditated, the worshipper and the worshipped, the thinker and the thought, become one and the same. This is Samadhi. This is the fruit of worship and Upasana and doing Japa.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Japa checks the force of the thought current moving towards objects. It forces the mind to move towards God.

Nama Article 19th February 2014

 

BENEFITS OF JAPA - By Swami Sivananda

 

Japa checks the force of the thought current moving towards objects. It forces the mind to move towards God. It eventually helps to have darshan of God. The Mantra Chaitanya is hidden in every Mantra. Whenever the Sadhaka or spiritual aspirant shows lack of vigour in his Sadhana the Mantra – Shakti of the Mantra reinforces the Sadhana Shakti of the Sadhaka. During Japa all the divine qualities steadily flow into your mind from the Lord. Japa transforms the nature of the mind.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


Sunday, February 16, 2014

Those who recite the eight-syllable Mantra (OmNamoNarayanaya), over and over again, He elevates and rids them of their birth.

Nama Article 16th February 2014

 

திருமங்கையாழ்வார்

பேசுமிந்திருநாமமெட்டெழுத்தும் சொல்லிநின்று, பின்னரும்,

பேசுவார்த்தம்மையுய்யவாங்கிப் பிறப்பறுக்கும் பிரானிடம்,

வாசமாமலர்நாறுவார் பொழில்சூழ்தருமுலகுக்கெல்லாம்,

தேசமாய்த்திகழும்மலை திருவேங்கடமடைநெஞ்சமே.

 

Thirumangai Azhwar

Those who recite the eight-syllable Mantra (OmNamoNarayanaya), over and over again,- He elevates and rids them of their birth.

He resides in fragrant blossoming flowers which is the beacon for the entire world, in Tiruvenkatam, - thitherward, O Heart!

 

Excerpts from a discourse by our Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

 

Thus the Name Rama contains both Narayana and Nama Sivaaya.

 

In spite of having the Divine Name 'Narayana', which can free people from all sins, and the mouth to Chant the Divine Name, people still fall in the hell by not chanting it! What a wonder!!!

 

He who meditates on the immutable Lord Narayana, even for moment, attains salvation. How easy should be, then, for those who are wholly devoted to Him.

 

Knowing through revelations, if we chart Narayana and his many other names, will not our worship secure for us a place by his side

 

I have discovered a word which gives good for ever. It is the divine name Narayana.

 

Essence of the Vedas and all the holy scriptures is "Repeat the name of Narayana." Without the remembrance of Hari, all other practices, such as rituals and austerities, are only futile exertions.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


Monday, February 10, 2014

On single utterance of the Krishna Nama the entire hell was immediately transformed into heaven

ஸ்ரீ தொண்டரடிப்பொடியாழ்வார்


நமனும்முற் கலனும் பேச நரகில்நின் றார்கள் கேட்க

நரகமே சுவர்க்க மாகும் நாமங்க ளுடைய நம்பி

அவனதூ ரரங்க மென்னாது அயர்த்துவீழ்ந் தளிய மாந்தர்

கவலையுள் படுகின் றாரென் றதனுக்கே கவல்கின் றேனே.

 

Sri Thondaradippodi Azhwar


The inmates of Hell overheard the words exchanged by Yama and Mudgala, and immediately hell became Heaven, -- such is the power of your name, O Lord. Learned men fail and falter, forget that you reside in Arangam, and fall into deep worries. That worries me immensely.

 

------------

In a glowing tribute to the glory of the Lord's holy names, Sri Thondaradippodi Azhwar recounts the episode of a conversation between Mudgala and Yamadharma Raja. Mudgala was an extremely wicked person, guilty of innumerable acts of sin. Quite unusually for him, he gifted a cow one day, accompanying it with the words, "Let this be for Krishna" ("KrishNAya nama:").. When he died and reached Yamaloka, Yamadharmaraja himself received him with all honour and acclaim. When the surprised Mudgala sought the reason for the unusual reception, Yama told him that the single word "Krishna" uttered by Mudgala during the "Godhanam" earlier, had rid him of all evil.

 

The beneficial effects of the single utterance of the Krishna Nama did not stop with Mudgala. Those in Naraka who listened to the conversation between Yama and Mudgala, and, in the process, to the Krishna Nama, were instantly absolved of their sins. What is more, the entire hell was immediately transformed into heaven.

 

Such indeed is the efficacy of the holy name of the Lord, which is capable of benefiting even those who utter or listen to it, by sheer accident, without any instinct of devotion or adulation. Azhwar's pasuram is in turn based on the Sri Vishnu Dharmam, where the episode is narrated in detail.


Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare