Spiritual Stories: Post #7 “INITIATION”

[Guest guest]

MURUGA SARANAM

 

10th Sep 2006

Spiritual Stories: Post #7 "INITIATION"

 

Dear Members..

 

This mail reaching your computer screens this Sunday is one of the smallest but the most effective one of the series of stories by Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi. It says that one needs to recite a mantra only after being initiated by a Guru. For long I use to believe that you can pick up any mantra and recite as long as you are able to read the language. I have even copied many small and long verses of mantras to people without knowing this fact. I came to know only much later that it is not correct.

 

 

I am not sure, but it is said that any mantra that ends with Namaha or containing certain syllables need to be recited or chanted only after being initiated by a qualified Guru. I would request the learned members of this group to explain it and also tell us why it is so. The story says the fact. But we may need to understand it only by experiencing it ourselves when we get such a Guru I think.

 

 

Let us seek the blessings of Skandagurunathan who is also the Guru of Lord Siva at Thiru Yeragam (Swami Malai). Until we get His blessings, let us be happy that we are free to sing His glories in any other form without any hesitation and enjoy His beauty.

 

 

May All Glories be to Swami Natha Swamy

 

MURUGA SARANAM

 

With Best Regards

Meyyappan S

 

****

The Story begins here

 

INITIATION

 

A devotee asked, "Can anyone get any benefit by repeating sacred syllables (

mantras

) picked up casually?"

Sri Bhagavan replied, "No. He must be competent and initiated in such mantras

.."

To illustrate this he told the following story.

 

 

A KING VISITED his minister in his residence. There he was told that the minister was engaged in repetition of sacred syllables (

japa

). The king waited for him and, on meeting him, asked what the japa

was. The minister said that it was the holiest of all, Gayatri

.. The king desired to be initiated by the minister but the minister confessed his inability to initiate him. Therefore the king learned it from someone else, and meeting the minister later he repeated the

Gayatri and wanted to know if it was right. The minister said that the

mantra was correct, but it was not proper for him to say it. When pressed for an explanation the minister called to a page (*) close by and ordered him to take hold of the king. The order was not obeyed. The order was often repeated, and still not obeyed. The king flew into a rage and ordered the same man to hold the minister, and it was immediately done. The minister laughed and said that the incident was the explanation required by the king. "How?" asked the king. The minister replied, "The order was the same and the executor also, but the authority was different. When I ordered, the effect was nil

whereas, when you ordered, there was immediate effect. Similarly with mantras.

"

 

Courtesy – American English Learner's Dictionary

(*)Page - Someone who runs errands (a small task that somone goes to some place and do) and delivers messages, especially in a hotel, library or legislatture

 

 

Ends

********