Importance of Naam Mantra

Facebook –  Sri Ramana Maharshi Teachings. श्री रमण महर्षि के उपदेश with Raju Upadhyay.

21 April 2015 ·

 

Q: I have heard that Nisargadatta Maharaj initiated very few Westerners into the lineage because he considered them to be spiritual travellers. You are one of the very few, if not the only one, who is offering the Naam Mantra. We are very fortunate. What made you decide to do this, Maharaj?

Ramakant Maharaj: To make seekers enlightened.
To share knowledge with them, (in order) to remove them from the illusionary world.

Q: Do we really need to meditate?

Ramakant Maharaj: You see, from childhood until now, there has been a lot of attachment to the body, a lifetime of impressions, a lot of love and affection with the body.
All body-related relations are there.
This has to be dissolved.
Of course, meditation is also an illusion, but we need to use a thorn to remove another thorn.
And remember, this is just at the initial stage for focus, concentration, to CONCENTRATE ON THE CONCENTRATOR.

The body is not your identity.
You are ‘Final Truth’, ‘Ultimate Truth.
But in order to have this total conviction, all concepts and body knowledge need to dissolve.
We may understand everything intellectually, but intellectual understanding is not enough.
Therefore, you have to undergo the meditation.
It is essential at the beginning.
Later, at the advanced stage, it is no longer required.

In our lineage,(the Inchegiri Navnath Sampradaya), we are giving a mantra, some words, chanting these words. However, the mantra is not given to those who already have a Master.

Q: How does the mantra work?

Ramakant Maharaj: First, I have to tell you that the mantra, (the Master Key), is to be kept secret.
YOU MUST NOT REVEAL IT TO ANYONE.
So, how does it work?
The spirit is very sensitive.
Whatever is impressed upon it, is reflected.
You have forgotten your real identity, so the mantra reminds you of this.
The meaning of the mantra is ‘I AM BRAHMAN, BRAHMAN I AM’. The mantra produces vibrations within you, and through these vibrations, as you continue to recite the mantra, you will come to know the Reality.

Slowly, silently and permanently, after concentrating, you will feel some changes within you.
Your body knowledge will be dissolved.
You will be totally fearless because you will know “I am not the body”. ALL NEEDS ARE BODY-RELATED NEEDS: NEED OF GOD, NEED OF FOOD, NEED OF HAPPINESS,
NEED OF PEACE – all body-related.
When you came across with the body, all needs started.
PRIOR TO BEINGNESS, NO NEEDS WERE THERE, NO FEAR WAS THERE.
That said, look after the body, do your job, do your duties.
Do not neglect your body.
This is a precious opportunity.

Q: So, meditating regularly will help to bring about a shift, a change?

Ramakant Maharaj:
“Meditation is the base, the starting process to ensure that a perfect foundation, a strong foundation is laid.
As you recite this mantra, YOU ARE REMINDING YOUR ‘UNIDENTIFIED IDENTITY’, THAT YOU ARE ATMAN, BRAHMAN, PARAMATMAN.”

Maharaj continues: “You know Reality, but you have forgotten Reality.
Everybody has the Knowledge of their Reality within them, but THIS PROCESS OF MEDITATION IS NEEDED FOR CONVICTION, TO ESTABLISH AND ABSORB THE KNOWLEDGE. Dry knowledge, bookish knowledge or literal knowledge is not Self-Knowledge. MEDITATION ALONE WILL LEAD TO SELF-KNOWLEDGE.”

Q: When reciting the mantra, the question sometimes arises “Who is reciting?”

Ramakant Maharaj: Ah! “Who is reciting?”
The question came because you have body attachment.
There is no ‘Who?’, there is no ‘He’, ‘She’.
There is nothing.
These are just the terms, the body-related terms.
WHO IS RECITING THE MANTRA? THE CONCENTRATOR, THE INVISIBLE PRESENCE.
Why are you reciting it?
Because you forgot your identity.
While reciting, YOU ARE INVITING THE ATTENTION OF THE ‘INVISIBLE PRESENCE’ – YOUR ULTIMATE TRUTH.
So at the initial stage, you have to recite it deliberately.
After continuous reciting, it will happen spontaneously, without your knowledge for 24 hours – waking, dreaming, all the time.”

“The terms ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘it’ are only used for understanding purposes. Guessing, logic or inference are not applicable to (the task of), knowing yourself in a real sense. Why?
BECAUSE YOUR EXISTENCE IS ‘SPONTANEOUS EXISTENCE’. How were you prior to Beingness?
How will you be, after leaving the body?
What is your identity?
Here, we conclude, that the identity is the same as it is today.
The only difference is that you are holding the body.
So, again, I repeat, body knowledge has to be erased completely, and for this to happen, you have to meditate.”

Q.Maharaj, I have been reciting the mantra for some time now, and it is now happening spontaneously, just as you said it would. Also, the effects of the meditation are now showing. There’s an almost tangible quality present, such as stunning silence and peace and emptiness, to use your word, ‘CleaReality’.There is just spontaneous happiness that is causeless.

Ramakant Maharaj: “You are operating the Master Key (Naam Mantra), with deep involvement, and so it is bringing you closer to Selfless Self. The spontaneous happiness is the fragrance of Selfless Self. This means that the Knowledge is being absorbed. Very nice. Embrace Selfless Self and go deeper and deeper.”

“You see, when you go deep and deep within the Selfless Self, you will find so many things, beyond your imagination.
You will forget this external or internal identity.
YOU WILL REMAIN UNKNOWN TO YOU.
NO KNOWLEDGE IS KNOWLEDGE.
NO KNOWLEDGE IS KNOWLEDGE.”

“WHATEVER KNOWLEDGE IS ROOTED TO THE BODY IS ILLUSION. YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF BRAHMAN, ATMAN, PARAMATMAN IS ALSO ILLUSION.
These are just the words, only W-O-R-D-S, (the Master spells it out). It is OK, maybe giving you some pleasure, momentary happiness, a little entertainment, BUT IT IS NOT ULTIMATE TRUTH.”

Ramakant Maharaj: The Naam Mantra is very important.
People say “I have got knowledge, why do I need the Naam mantra?”That’s OK, but if you want to know yourself perfectly, if you want to identify yourself perfectly, the process of Naam Mantra is most, most important. Humanity is having a lot of knowledge about Brahman, Atman, Paramatman, all these things, but it is not practical.
It is just (knowledge)for discussion, it is dry knowledge.

Q: Some followers of Nisargadatta Maharaj claim that they themslves have practical knowledge, without the Naam Mantra. Some people claim that it is enough to read Nisargadatta Maharaj’s books and follow his instructions. They claim to have found absolute knowledge, the absolute state, without the Naam Mantra.

Ramakant Maharaj: It is not a question of finding the ultimate stage, because whatever is found, is found against the backdrop of body-based knowledge.
Here, (Maharaj points to his body), the body-based knowledge is here, inside. So, unless it is dissolved, whatever you are building on top of it, will collapse. It is the basic, fundamental requirement.

Q: What you are saying is that knowledge cannot be built on the body-base foundation?

Ramakant Maharaj: People who are attending to spirituality, without the Naam Mantra, and saying “I’ve got knowledge”, it’s OK, but it is only a temporary relief.

Q: We need to dissolve the body knowledge first, and we need the help of the Mantra to do this?

Ramakant Maharaj: So one should undergo this process.
I will give you an example of a great philosopher and politician, about 65-70 years old.
He spent about 5 or 6 months, discussing spiritual matters with Maharaj(ie Nisargadatta). He was very well-read in philosophy, the Vedas, Janeshwar, Tukaram, etc, etc.
Then one day, he announced to Maharaj, “I know your knowledge very well, but, it is not so impressed inside me.

Nisargadatta Maharaj used the analogy of a creeper/climber plant to respond:“You know the creeper plant that grows on walls?
How did it grow like that?
It is because the seeds were planted and took root under the enclosed ground in the correct environment(ie beside a wall to hold on to). So like that, spiritual knowledge should be rooted through Masters only (Master is like the wall). If you try and plant the creeper seed elsewhere, it won’t work”.

Maharaj continues: So, you must follow this guru mantra process, at the initial stage. It makes the perfect foundation for your spiritual knowledge. But everyone has different opinions.

Q: Did Nisargadatta Maharaj want people to take the Mantra?

Ramakant Maharaj:
He never insisted on any person – whether he was great or famous or foreign – to, say, “take the mantra and be my disciple”.
It happened spontaneously, like with the politician I mentioned.
He decided for himself, and said to Nisargadatta Maharaj,
“Now, I want to take the Guru Mantra”.
For him, it became important and essential.

Q: Are there other ways of getting there, of reaching the Absolute?

Ramakant Maharaj: “There’s other ways, like if you have strong devotion(Maharaj makes a fist and shakes it in the air), like Ekalavya(from the Mahabharata).
So it is not impossible to do it by another way.
But casual reading and casual enlightenment is not so easy.
We need total involvement, with a strong desire to find out, like “Yes, I want to know the Reality. I HAVE to know”.

And you HAVE to surrender totally to the Master – whosoever the Master may be. That is also very important.

Q: What if you are devoted to a Master who is no longer in the body, Maharaj?

Ramakant Maharaj: His presence may not be there in life,
may not be in existence, but if the involvement is very strong, then it is also possible. But perfect devotion rarely happens.
It is difficult because there should not be any type of dual mind.

Q: And Maharaj, do you want people to take the Mantra?

Ramakant Maharaj: I am not insisting on anything.
So many people are coming to me, but I am not insisting that they take the Mantra,
the Guru Mantra, that they be my disciples.
With them, I am openly discussing all the spiritual secrets.
I am not keeping anything to myself.
I am giving them all the secrets.
What effect all this Knowledge has on them, that is up to them. Some people are impressed deeply, others not so much.
Some feel it is important to take initiation and others are not interested. So it is different for everybody.
And also it depends on their spiritual maturity.

SOURCE :

 

 

AKHANDA BHAJAN – UNBROKEN NAMASMARANA IS THE GOAL

The human being is an embodiment of Divinity.  You see any picture of God. All forms of God are portrayed with a human face. That is why it is said “Daivam manusha rupena.” (God assumes human form). It is only the divine name that confers human birth on a being.  It is evident from the illustration narrated above that the birds and animals were able to get a human birth by listening to the holy name just once. Unfortunately, no transformation is taking place in the human beings in spite of repeating the Divine name several times.  You should chant the divine name whole heartedly with full faith. Faith develops love towards God and that love towards God confers human birth. No doubt, man today is repeating the holy name; but not with love and steady faith. He is more concerned with how others are singing and whether their Sruthi and Raga are in order, etc. He is doing the Namasankirtana with a wavering mind. There can be no transformation in him by such fickle minded Namasankirtan, inspite of doing it for hours together.  Namasankirtan has to be done with absolute concentration and steady faith like a yogi. It is said “Sathatham yoginah”. One can achieve great transformation if the mind is steadily fixed on the divine name.

SOURCE:

– From Bhagawan’s Discourse in Bhajan Mandir, Prasanthi Nilayam on 13^th  November 2007

Significance of Namasmarana

Significance of Namasmarana

Namasmarana – A Universal Sadhana

[from the original booklet.]

A Garland of Extracts from Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Discourses compiled by Dr. Brahmanand Mavinkurve.

1. “Nowadays, people laugh at the idea of Nama- smarana and Namasankeertana. ‘What is in a name?’ they ask. To them, it is just an assortment of words and sounds. My words too are assortments of words and sound, but when they enter your hearts, you feel encouraged, you feel contented, don’t you? Words have tremendous power, they can arouse emotions and passions and they can calm them as well. They can direct, infuriate; they can inspire; they bring up reserves of strength and wisdom. Therefore, have faith in the Name and repeat it whenever you get a chance or an opportunity.”

2. “There is no cause to feel that only some Divine Names are powerful or that some are more powerful than others. God is “Sahasra Shirsha, Sahasra Pada, Sahasra Aksha”, that is, ‘thousand-headed, thousand-footed, and thousand-eyed.’ Consequently, every one is most likely to like that Divine Name which appeals to him most. So also, one can have any form of God before his mind’s eye for Namasmarana or Bhajan. In fact, Sai Bhajan Organisations should not have restrictions about singing Bhajans on any God or Goddess. Repeat each line only twice and no more. Have only two speeds, one slow, one fast. In this way, within one hour’s Bhajan, you can have more songs on more Forms, more tunes and more variety.”

3. “We have it on the authority of the Shastras that in this Kali Yuga one can attain moksha or liberation from bondage of mortal and miserable existence by singing the Name of the Lord. In fact, Namasmarana is the only solution to life’s problems in this age. In the Krita Yuga, it was Dhyana; in the Treta Yuga, it was Yajna; in the Dwapara Yuga, it was Archana or worship. In this Kali Yuga, due to the predominance of Rajasic activity in Man, it is not possible to engage oneself in Dhyana, Yajna and Worship. So Namasmarana is declared the best means to cross the ocean of delusion. Other Sadhanas like Dhyana, Yajna and Worship would be fruitful in this age only when the Divine Name and its Sweetness of Love also merge in them.”

4. “For the bird in mid-ocean flying over the dark, deep waters, the only resting place is the mast of the ship sailing across. So too, the Lord isthe only refuge for Man. However far the bird may fly, it knows where it can rest; that knowledge gives it confidence, lt has the memory of the mast steady in its mind; its form is fixed in its eye. The Name of the Lord is the mast for you; remember it ever.”

5. “Another special merit of Namasmarana is this: other Sadhanas like Yoga and Tapas may awaken Siddhis or Occult Powers in the Sadhaka who, blinded by pride on that account, is likely to forsake the Lord and even let go the victory and spiritual strength won by that Sadhana. No such dangers beset, the path of Namasmarana, which develops Prema or Love in the devotee. Through Prema, Shanti is achieved. Once Shanti or Peace of Mind is achieved, all other benefits are attained automatically. This Extraordinary Prema is far superior to the Extraordinary Power of Yoga and Tapas.”

SOURCE: Vahini.org

The Power of the Name: a Story

The Power of the Lord’s Name and the Efficacy of Namasmarana According to Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Once upon a time, the celestial and ever-wandering sage Narada got a doubt. He began to wonder on the power inherent in the Lord’s name. This was surprising, considering the fact that he always chanted the name of his Lord, Narayana. But then, these things happen in life when, suddenly, you stop doing whatever you are doing and question the wisdom and logic behind the same. Unable to understand the power of the Lord’s name, sage Narada approached his Lord Narayana (or Sri Maha Vishnu) and asked him:

“Lord, please forgive my impertinence and indulge me. What is the power of the Lord’s name? I have been contemplating on your name and chanting it too for all my life. So, I would love to hear the answer from you.”

Lord Narayana smiled and told him:

“Narada, there is never a wrong time to get a doubt cleared. But once your doubt is cleared and you are given an experience, hold on to the lesson with faith. Do not be like a monkey that daily pulled out a planted sapling to check whether the roots were growing!”

“I understand, my Lord. I shall not be like that. Seeing the growth of leaves and fruits on the plant, I will have faith that the roots are indeed growing stronger within the soil. But as you yourself said, till the doubt is cleared, the lack of faith is not a sin!”

“True Narada. But I need not answer your question. You see that parrot there? Go and ask your question of the parrot.”

-1-

START NOW!

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

START NOW with the first step, namely repeating the Name of the Lord, the Universal Indweller. That will lead you on to the further steps. March on until the goal is reached. Keep the outer-faced senses closed to the influences that attract; instead, concentrate on the Name of the Lord, Its Sweetness and Beauty. Develop qualities of Divinity like Universal Love, Absence of Attachment. Then you will be entitled to assert ‘Shivo-ham Shivo-ham’ or ‘I am the Pure Sat-Chit-Ananda Consciousness’. But, with the Lord’s Grace, you may not have to assert it at all, because there will be no ‘aham’ feeling in you then.”

“For Namasmarana is the chief among the Sadhanas for removing the taints of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’. When you dwelt on the Names of the Lord, His Majesty, His Grace, His Omnipotence, His All-Pervasiveness etc. these get fixed in your consciousness and your own capacities and capabilities. get eclipsed in the Divine. So, humility develops and a spirit of surrender sprouts in the heart. This takes the devotee nearer to God and prepares him to merge in His Glory. The mind is gradually liberated from all its distracting thoughts, desires and imagery from givingFREE PLAY to the senses. All accumulated impurities which veil the Ananda within are removed and the latent Divinity manifests Itself. When we attain the Grace of God who is Sat i.e. Sathya Padartha which is ever the same without change; Chit i.e. Sathya Jnana or True and Pure Awareness; this Knowledge Itself has Ananda as it is Poorna or Perfect and Ever full. That is how Namasmarana serves for us as the best means to liberate ourselves from the limitations of ignorance, misery and death.

SOURCE:

Namasmarana 31/42

Namasmarana: as extolled by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

31. The one who makes ‘nama’ his abode and takes up his seat there becomes free from ‘knowingness’.

32. The mantra is given by the Guru to give a name to the Self, it is not the name of a person. The mantra given by the Guru should be recited throughout the day.

33. The merits of the ‘nama’ you recite will get formed in your memory, only recite the ‘nama’ given by the Guru.

34. The more you do Namasmarana, the more it will purify the body and mind and it shall manifest in your speech, your word will be God’s word.

35. Memory and ‘prana’ must get combined, and then there is knowledge. Namasmarana brings about this combination, but it has to be done with a great need and love. Namasmarana is done by the ‘prana’.

36. Namasmarana should be done lesser with voice and more silently in the mind, only then it gets transformed into ‘dhyanyoga’ or meditation.

37. In order to develop the ability to discriminate as to how and like what I am, Namasmarana has to be done throughout the day.

38. Keep doing Namasmarana and then you will come to know how ‘nama’ goes on automatically and effortlessly.

39. In order to destroy negative or evil thoughts continuous Namasmaran must be done, such thoughts pollute the ‘sattwa’ quality.

40. According to my experience if Namasmarana is done in consonance with breathing, the mind automatically calms down and the state of ‘samadhi’ ensues.

41. The Sadguru has given or initiated you into a ‘nama’ and meditation which enable you to meet God.

42. The day the Guru gave you a ‘nama’ and told you that ‘you are not the body’ you are free from all humanness and there is no more birth for you.

SOURCE:
The Nisargadatta Sadhana

Namasmarana 21/30

Namasmarana: as extolled by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

21. Constant Namasmarana purifies the word. Once the word is purified the mind also gets purified.

22. The ‘nama’ or name given by the Guru is the name of Parabrahman. Repeatedly calling by this name exposes the Self of the caller.

23. Say the ‘nama’ or name given to you in the mind without speaking but keep meditating on the Self. By and by the knowledge beyond the body would get exposed and you will realize who you are.

24. Keep doing Namasmarana with the insistence that I am the form of the ‘nama’ I am reciting.

25. It must be clear as to what are you for yourself, this is possible only when you do Namasmarana as recommended by the saints.

26. Never stop the RINGING of the alarm of ‘nama’, make the mind or ‘prana’ say ‘I am indestructible, I am eternal’.

27. Namasmarana, meditation, concentration, bhajan all have been told for us to develop the ability to know our Self.

28. Do not waste a moment without investigating the Self, Namasmarana purifies the mind and brings about a change in one’s NATURE.

29. For all those who continuously meditate or do Namasmarana all difficulties and obstacles diminish day by day.

30. The seed of ‘Chaitanya Brahma’ is sown by the Sadguru, holding on to that ‘nama’ in the mind is meditation.

SOURCE:
The Nisargadatta Sadhana

Namasmarana 11/20

Namasmarana: as extolled by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

11. Namasmarana is best done by fixing your attention on the in and out going breath, without moving your tongue and throat.

12. ‘Prana’ or the ‘I am’ is the God, contemplate on it. It is the ‘prana’ that is doing Namasmarana or meditation. The ‘prana’ is your only capital.

13. It is easy to gain mastery over the ‘prana’, make it do a lot of Namasmarana and then all your four speeches will get activated.

14. Namasmarana and the Guru’s command must become one. Let the ‘prana’ repeatedly remember ‘I am Brahma’. Namasmarana is used to consume the ‘prana’.

15. The Guru has given or initiated you into a ‘nama’ in order to recognize your Self and have faith in the Self.

16. Namasmarana is used as a means to worship and please the ‘prana’. Worship it in order to conquer your mind. This power of the ‘prana’ is quite special in you.

17. Keep doing Namasmarana earnestly. Whatever you remember the most influences you the most. Use Namasmarana to constantly remember or abide in the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’.

18. The speed of your success depends on the amount of faith you have in the one who has given or initiated you into a ‘nama’ to remember your Self.

19. By giving or initiating you into a ‘nama’ the Sadguru tells you who you are. Use the ‘prana’ to recite it, which means continuous Namasmarana.

20. The design of Namasmarana is such that the one who does it faces no obstacles. Namasmarana or meditation is used as means to purify the mind. Only a purified mind directly perceives theLIGHT of Brahma.

SOURCE:
The Nisargadatta Sadhana

Namasmarana 1/10

Namasmarana: as extolled by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

For daily ‘Namasmarana‘ or reciting God’s name in order to get stabilized in the ‘I AM’. The ‘I AM’ and God are one and the same. This small book is a device to carry out the ‘Sadhana’ or practice as prescribed by my Guru Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj to abide in the ‘I AM’.

Compiled from the Marathi book ‘Sadgurubodh’ part 2 by Sri Dinkar Kshirsagar.

1. The first thing to be done in order to understand the ultimate truth is to purify your ‘prana’ which you know as your sense of ‘being’, ‘presence’ or the feeling ‘I am’.

2. Namasmarana (constantly remembering the name of God/mantra/mahavakya by reciting it) or meditation is used to purify the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’.

3. Since it is difficult to meditate on the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’, the practice of Namasmarana has been recommended.

4. The Sadhaka who takes the nama/mantra/mahavakya given to him by the Guru as a vow and constantly recites it will definitely realize the Self.

5. The Guru with his mantra uses your faith to create the form of Guru in you.

6. Constant Namasmarana is constant meditation which is constantly investigating the Self.

7. Whatever name you may recite it is made up of the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’. No ‘prana’, no word. The name of itself created by the ‘prana’ is the ‘nama’ or the name you recite.

8. Continue doing Namasmarana to be one with your Self. Namasmarana will purify the prana and the mind as well.

9. For Self-knowledge the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’ has to be worshipped with great intensity. In this worship Namasmarana has to be done silently without using your voice and with complete devotion.

10. By doing Namasmarana you are calling out your Self, do it with the same desperation by which you look for food when you are hungry.

SOURCE:
The Nisargadatta Sadhana