Which atonement ('prãyaschiita') is the best?

Nama Article - 14th August 2007

 

Excerpts from a discourse by our Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

 

Once Samarta Ramdas wanders about the forest freely. Lots of birds are flying up in the sky. Ramadas had a bag hung from his shoulder. He picks up a stone and hits a flying bird and it falls down dead. He picks up the dead bird and drops it in his bag. In this manner he hits the birds one by one and drops them in his bag. Those who watched him thought, 'Everyone calls him a Mahatma. But, he is killing the birds one by one and is dropping them in his bag.' They go up to him and tell, "Swami! The whole world calls you a Mahatma. But, you are committing such an act!"

 

Ramadas asks, "Is what I am doing sinful?"

 

The people reply, "Certainly! What you are doing is sinful. One by one you are killing all the birds and dropping them in your bag!"

 

Ramadas, "Well! What is the atonement for it?"

 

They speak elaborately on the atonement to be done and Ramadas performs all of them though them.

 

Soon after Ramdas asks them, "At your behest I have performed all the atonement rites. But, the birds do not seem to fly!"

 

They say, "Your sins have flown away. But, the birds will not fly!"

 

Do you know what Samarta Ramdas said?

 

"I will now do an atonement. Will you watch?"

 

He picked up a bird from the bag and held it in his hand. He uttered, 'Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram!' and lifted his hand. The bird happily soared up into the sky! As he picked up the birds one by one and uttered the Nãma they all flew away into the sky!

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

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

Which atonement ('prãyaschiita') is the best?

Nama Article 13th August 2007

 

Excerpts from a discourse by our Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

 

'Nãmasankirtanam yasya sarva pãpa pranãshanam

pranãmo dukkhashamanah tam namãmi Harimparam!'

                                                (Srimad Bhagavatham)

 

In the Karma 'kãnda' (chapter) various atonements ('prãyaschiita'), as laid down in the Dharma Shastra/Manusmriti, have been prescribed.

 

One may ask, 'Well! He can perform those atonements. Can't he?'

 

The answer is, 'Yes, he can. But no purpose would be served by that!'

 

A man was pushed into a situation of accepting a bribe. The bribe amounted to one lakh rupees. He consulted his parents and they advised him, "No, don't accept it. It is verily a sin.' He approached the 'Shastrigal' (Priest) and the latter said, "There is an atonement ('prayaschitta') for this. It will cost 10,000 rupees and you will be relieved of this sin."

 

He calculated the ultimate profit - 'the income from the bribe is 1,00,000 rupees and the expense for obliterating the sin is only 10,000 rupees. I stand to gain 90,000 rupees'.

 

So, this encourages him to commit sins in future. Does it not? So, this kind of 'prayaschitta' is like 'manye kunjarashouchavat'.

 

'Manye kunjarashouchavat' - What does this mean? The elephant has a big body. It takes the mahout lots of effort to clean this big body. He orders the elephant to lie on different angles and with a black wood that is like a black stone scrubs the body repeatedly - thoroughly. Just through watching him bathe the elephant we experience pain in our hands! He bathes it so thoroughly. He then leaves the elephant on the banks and goes back to the water to clean his hands and legs. When he turns around he finds the elephant picking up some sand and dropping it on its body! Just as the elephant throws sand on its body no sooner than it has been given a thorough clean up, so, too, does this man even before the process of atonement for a sin committed is complete, commits another.

 

But, if you do Nãmasankirtan, it not only becomes atonement for all the sins committed but is also 'shipram bhavati dharmãtma' == It also completely erases the feeling ('buddhi') to commit a sin again. Very soon it makes you a Dharmãtma (righteous person).

 

That is the 'prabhãva' (glory) of Nãmakirtan.

 

Chant the Mahamantra Nama kirtan :

 

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

A tidal wave of spirituality breaks upon the world, and people feel spirituality almost full in the air..........

Nama Article - 12th August 2007

 

Source: 'Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda' - Volume 3- Bhakthi Yoga-

CHAPTER VI INCARNATE TEACHERS AND INCARNATION:

 

"Wherever His name is spoken, that very place is holy. How much more so is the man who speaks His name, and with what veneration ,ought we approach that man out of whom comes to us spiritual truth! Such great teachers of spiritual truth are indeed very few in number in this world, but the world is never altogether without them. They are always the fairest flowers of human life "the ocean of mercy without any motive". "Know the Guru to be Me", says Shri Krishna in the Bhagavata. The moment the world is absolutely bereft of these, it becomes a hideous hell and hastens on to its destruction."  

 

God understands human failings and becomes man to do good to humanity:

 

"Whenever virtue subsides and wickedness prevails, I manifest Myself. To establish virtue, to destroy evil, to save the good I come from Yuga (age) to Yuga."

 

"Fools deride Me who have assumed the human form, without knowing My real nature as the Lord of the universe." Such is Shri Krishna's declaration in the Gita on Incarnation.

 

"When a huge tidal wave comes," says Bhagavan Shri Ramakrishna, "all the little brooks and ditches become full to the brim without any effort or consciousness on their own part; so when an Incarnation comes, a tidal wave of spirituality breaks upon the world, and people feel spirituality almost full in the air."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - 9th August 2007

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

When we pray, we all seek God's pardon saying, "Please forgive me God, for the mistakes that I have done unknowingly".

 

But if we wish to be honest, we should pray "God! Please forgive me for all the mistakes that I have committed knowingly, on account of my sense of ego".

 

This would indeed be the right prayer!

 

-- Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

While in meditation, think of God as not as an image or idol but as your most lovable one in flesh and bones.

 

-- Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

The Truth is invisible;   falsity is apparent.

The toughest job on Earth is that of a Guru who makes you forget the apparent and realize the invisible.

 

-- Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

Sri Lanka is the only nation in the world whose name is prefixed by 'Sri', the reason behind that being, Sri Mahalakshmi Herself (in the form of Sita Devi) stayed in Asoka Vana there for ten months.

 

  -- Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji