To use the name of God one must call upon Him and surrender to Him unreservedly

Nama Article 17th October 2012

 

Source: Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi

Talk 426

 

D.: What is meant by taking the name of God? How to reconcile the following two ideas?

The Bible says: "Do not take the name of God in vain."

The Hindu sastras enjoin taking the name of God all the time.

 

M.: One should not use the name of God artificially and superficially without feeling. To use the name of God one must call upon Him and surrender to Him unreservedly. After such surrender the name of God is constantly with the man.

 

Please check these: Excerpts from a discourse by our Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

 

Mechanical chanting is the only starting point we can attempt. It matures to love by grace.

 

Mechanical chanting is the starting phase. It will soon graduate to mental chanting and soon this mental one-pointed chanting will lead to the source of the chant, which is the truth.

 

The ultimate result of singing God's names is unconditional love towards one and all. Chanting the Divine names is both the means and the end.

 

The same scriptures also state that one should follow the words of the Guru without any doubts or questions and act accordingly.

 

Is chanting while doing work considered as meaningful chanting ?

 

Don't stop chanting for any reason. The rest of the things will be taken care of automatically.

 

It is not the count or time that matters. It is the intensity that matters.

 

Complete surrender is another name for jnana or liberation

 

The easiest way to surrender is to chant the Mahamantra. Continuously chant the Mahamantra

 

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

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