Guru and Namakirtan: So many people admit, “I am repeating the Name, but the mind is wandering. What can I do?” The cause is he thinks he is doing it.

Nama Article 6th December 2013

Devotee: How can a Sadhaka know whether he is progressing or not?

Swami Papa Ramdas: Each one can read for oneself, if he examines his mind — what he is thinking, desiring etc. Where there are cravings, desires, hankerings — do you think the mind is in tune with God? So many people admit, "I am repeating the Name, but the mind is wandering. What can I do?" The cause is he thinks he is doing it. He must be humble enough to admit that God is doing it — not merely orally saying but feeling so. It must become a consciousness. Whenever he is told that he is repeating the Name, at once he must be able to say, "God is making me repeat God's Name." Our sufferings are due to the assumption that we are doing everything. So we are asked to surrender, "I am nothing. O God! You are everything. I do nothing. O God! You do everything." We must pray to Him so that we may remember Him. Then our ego will slowly leave us.

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

Even if he gets a single good thought or recites the Divine Names of God once, the first thought that comes to him is, 'this happened because of the boundless grace of my Guru'!

When a disciple leads his life with the clear understanding that it is the Guru who is running his life - adverse or otherwise, completely emptying the mind of personal likes and dislikes, seeing everything as Guru's leela, attains realization

You should not only accept from the bottom of your heart the situation that the Lord keeps you in but also be grateful to Him for that because it is verily the Lord's blessing!

Guru's boundless grace is immeasurable, limitless and infinite.

If we surrender ourselves absolutely without any reservation to the Guru, He will save us from all sorrow and show us the way to salvation

The best offering that a disciple can give to the Guru is realizing that nothing else can equal his grace.

When can one earn Guru krupa? When God decides to bless a person, he receives Guru's grace. One has to be blessed with Bhakti; and that is blessed only by God/Guru.

To collect people living around one's home and help them chant the Lord's Name is verily service to the Guru. Or to follow the special instruction given to him/her by the Guru is verily 'service' to the Guru.

When one believes in the grace of the Lord alone and totally surrenders to Him, he is liberated in the very same birth.

Likewise, it would suffice if we do not block the Grace that is being sent out.

God's grace always flows in abundance. It is upto you to be ready to receive it.