Nama Article 31st March 2009
Source: http://www.namadwaar.org/answers/questions.html
What is the secret of success in life?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
Staunch faith in God and chanting His Eternal Name together is the secret of success.
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 29th March 2009
Source: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
God and worldly duties
MASTER (to the devotees): "It is very difficult to do one's duty in the world. If you whirl round too fast you feel giddy and faint; but there is no such fear if you hold on to a post. Do your duty, but do not forget God.
"But one needs spiritual discipline to acquire such a state of mind; one should pray to God in solitude every now and then. It is possible to perform worldly duties after obtaining love for God. If you try to break a jackfruit, your hands will be smeared with its sticky juice. But that won't happen if, beforehand, you rub them with oil."
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 26th March 2009
Swami Papa Ramdas
"When you repeat the Name with faith and devotion, you will enjoy an ecstasy which comes from within. When you once taste the Name, the other things will taste insipid."
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 26th March 2009
Source: http://www.namadwaar.org/answers/questions.html
Now a main power is money. I always try to earn money in an honest way. I do not get time to pray to the Almighty. How can I make myself fit as a devotee of God?
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
In the Gita, the Lord says, 'swalpamapi yasya dharmasya thraayate mahato bhayaat', even if you do a very small Dharma, it will give you great benefit. The Lord who is all powerful and all knowing becomes bound by his devotee who chants His Names.
The easiest way to make yourself a devotee of the Lord is to chant His Divine Names regularly. There is no money or extra effort needed to go in this spiritual path. Where ever you are, what ever you do, you keep chanting His Names. That is enough.
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 24th March 2009
How do I protect myself from the "Aimpula kallvar" ?( meaning the five senses)
Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:
It is very easy to protect the house from the "Aimpula kallvar". All you need to do is keep a vigilant watchman or a ferocious dog and that is nothing but the divine names of the Lord.
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 23rd March 2009
Excerpts from a discourse by our Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji
1. One day a fisherman makes a big catch. When he cuts open the fish he finds an invaluable gem. He takes the gem to the trader who recognizes its value and offers twenty lakh rupees to the fisherman.
2. The trader takes it to the King who in turn recognizes its worth and pays a higher price to him.
3. The King then wears the gem on his own crown.
1. The person who Chants the Divine Name for financial benefit or to solve some problems in the family is likened to the fisherman. He is not aware of the real value of the gem.
2. The person who Chants the Divine Name for attainment of liberation is likened to the trader who realizes its worth.
3. And the person who enjoys Chanting the Divine Name and derives pleasure ('Aanandha') with the mere chanting/singing is likened to the King. Mahatmas are like the King.
Thiagaraja, Tukaram were all like this. They did not seek any worldly comforts. Japa/Chanting the Divine name was their life source ('Jeevana ãdhara') and 'dhãrakam, 'poshakam' (nourishment). They could not live without uttering the Name of the Lord. It was their very breath.
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Nama Article 21st March 2009
Swami Papa Ramdas
Whenever we face any problem, we tend to treat the immediate cause, either being unaware of, or ignoring the root cause. By doing so, we may get temporary relief but the problem recurs. We then seek other remedial measures, but a permanent solution eludes us. Having thus exhausted all our resources, we seek God's intervention, through prayer.
Intense prayer from the bottom of our heart makes us realize that a lasting solution to our problems is found only through constant God-remembrance – by chanting of His name, meditating on His attributes and filling the mind with noble thoughts and the ideal – coupled with regular reading of spiritual books, selfdenial and sacrifice.
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 19th March 2009
Source: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
Cultivate a taste for God's name
DEVOTEE: "How can I take delight in God's name?"
SRI RAMAKRISHNA : "Pray to God with a yearning heart that you may take delight in His name. He will certainly fulfill your heart's desire."
The Master sang:
What a delirious fever is this that I suffer from!
O Mother, Thy grace is my only cure.
False pride is the fever that racks my wasted form;
"I" and "mine" are my cry. Oh, what a wicked delusion!
My quenchless thirst for wealth and friends is never-ceasing;
How, then, shall I sustain my life?
Talk about things unreal, this is my wretched delirium,
And I indulge in it always, O Giver of all good fortune!
My eyes in seeming sleep are closed, my stomach is filled
With the vile worms of cruelty.
Alas! I wander about absorbed in unmeaning deeds;
Even for Thy holy name I have no taste, O Mother!
I doubt that I shall ever be cured of this malady.
Then the Master said: " 'Even for Thy holy name I have no taste.' A typhoid patient has very little chance of recovery if he loses all taste for food; but his life need not be despaired of if he enjoys food even a little.
That is why one should cultivate a taste for God's name.
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 18th March 2009
Source: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
DEVOTEE: "How can I develop love for God?"
MASTER: "Repeat His name, and sins will disappear. Thus you will destroy lust, anger, the desire for creature comforts, and so on."
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 14th March 2009
Japa (Repetition of God's name)
By Sri Ramana Maharshi
Edited by David Godman
Q: Is there no benefit at all in doing japa with the mouth?
Sri Ramana Maharshi:
Who said there is no benefit? Such japa will be the means for chitta suddhi [purifying the mind]. As the japa is done repeatedly the effort ripens and sooner or later leads to the right path. Good or bad, whatever is done never goes to waste. Only the differences and the merits and demerits of each will have to be told, looking to the stage of development of the person concerned.
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Nama Article 10th March 2009
Source: http://www.madhuramurali.org
A Pundit argued, "All this is mere exaggerated talk. If everybody would be elevated by mere chanting, then why did all the shastras come into existence? All this has been said in order to instill faith in the Lord's Name and there is no use in mere chanting without earning any other religious merits." Haridas replied,"Oh! Pundit! Immense faith in the Lord's name is indeed difficult to attain. But if the Divine Names are chanted with fervent devotion and dedication, knowledge of the shastras is not required. For, the shastras themselves only ask us to worship the Lord and have faith in Him. The shastras have come to exist only to enhance this faith in us!"
The Pundit could not reply further. In a fit of rage he said," If anything could be got just by chanting the Divine Names, then I shall severe my nose and ears." Haridas said, "It does not matter if you lack faith. I only conveyed my belief to you". Saying thus, Haridas moved away from that place. In a few days, the Pundit's nose became rotten due to a disease called 'Peenasa' (a cold related disease) and fell off on its own. The effects of slandering the Divine Names are limitless. The root cause for all our sorrows is the lack of faith in the Name of the Lord.
In this manner, Haridas lived along the banks of the Ganges firmly establishing the faith in the Lord's Names. After the advent of Chaitanya, he came to stay in Navadweep basking in the glory of Chanting of Divine Names. He shone as the intimate devotee of Mahaprabhu. He would take part in Namasankirtan along with Mahaprabhu all night, lose himself in dancing and would swoon in ecstasy. Even thinking of Haridas, the greatest among devotees, would impart on us the faith in the Lord's Name.
Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
