[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Nama japam

[Guest guest]

Ohm Narayanaya Namah Veenaji, I totally agree with your posting and as my G said again and again Nama japa has its merit and value and the end result will definitely be good. I have a doubt...Please pardon me for raising this now since it is bothering me for sometime in the past.. What is Vedanta ? Veda, I can understand. Is Vedanta - the end of Veda or Veda that is blind? Appreciate your input and hope I will have peace of mind for getting rid of this doubt Thanks Ohm Narayanaya Namah "Veena A. Nair" <veeus18 wrote: Om Namo Narayanaya.Below are some excerpts from the book 'Vedanta for the western world' published in 1948. This book contains essays that appeared in the Voice of India, a bi-monthly newsletter of the American Vedanta Society, Los Angeles center. The American Vedanta Society was founded by Swami Vivekananda first in New York city; later several branches were also founded in other cities. This book, edited by Christopher Isherwood, is a collection of articles/essays (or speeches of) of the disciples of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa including among others Swami Prabhavananda, Vivekananda, Yatiswarananda, and plus Aldous Huxley and

Christopher Isherwood. ----The free will with which I make choices, react to situations and people is the sum total of my past deeds, thoughts and feelings. The subconscious mind carries the record of many many past lives and is an influential factor in our present lives. With experience we gain an understanding of good and evil. But sometimes we find oursleves helpless and are compelled to act in a certain manner. A thief wishes to reform himself and resolves not to steal. He then goes somewhere and sees that he can steal something very easily without being caught. So even though he knows better than to steal, he still does it. Similarly with any of us with any bad habit. We are thus slaves to our own sub-conscious minds, to our own characters. So then what is the

solution?In Patanjali'sYoga sutras the first aphorism or principle is "Yoga-schitta-vritti nirodha". Which means Yoga is the complete control of the modifications in the mind. Modifications meaning thoughts and contents of the mind. And how do we go about doing a complete overhauling of the mind?By the regular practice of doing japam the mind becomes calm. We can always find excuses for not doing japam, but once we get into the habit, the namam itself will take hold of the mind. The power of the naamam works even while one is asleep. One who practices japam continues to recite the name in all states of consciousness, whether waking or dreaming or in deep sleep. Just as the body breathes while asleep, so does the mind recite the name in sleep.After their return from Lanka, Rama gave Hanuman a pearl necklace. Hanumanji accepted it and then examined each pearl, and then with his teeth opened one of the

pearls, looked inside and threw the necklace away. Laxman, watching Hanumanji, was really upset and complained to Rama about this incident. Rama smiled and said go ask him why he did that. Hanumanji replied that he wanted to see if Rama's name was etched inside the pearl. Because if Rama is not in them, then Hanuman has no need of pearls. It is said that Hanuman recited Rama naamam even when Rama was around.--------------------------If we had to clean an ink bottle stuck to a table, we cannot do it by throwing out the ink. The solution is to pour clean water in and the ink and the dirt will spill out. We will have to keep pouring water in until all the dirt and ink have washed out and finally the bottle will contain only clean water. Similarly it is not possible to empty the mind by throwing out the contents of consciousness and making the

mind blank. What we can do is to pour into the mind the water of God until all the dirt spills out. In the beginning it is like all the dirt within us comes to the surface just like the dirty ink; all that dirt needs be got rid of. With patience and determination we need to continue pouring the water of God thought into our minds. Struggle to bring back the thought of God into the mind again and again---------------------------Meditation does not mean making your mind blank. Trying not to think of anything is not going to help. Mediation requires a great strenous effort to concentrate the mind upon God and it doesn't matter what the form is. But we must concentrate on something positive. We have to think of that one form to the exclusion of everything else. Never try to make your mind blank--then you will remain a blank! 'This is what the Hindu means by meditation, a constant flow of thought

towards one ideal. In other words you walk with God, you sleep with God, you eat with God, you live with God' (p. 141).----------------------------I think there is a prayer by Shankaracharya? and I don't know the exact words...but the approximate meaning is "..let my walking be a pradakshina around You, let the food that I eat be an offering to You, let my sleep be a namaskaram to You..." something to that extent. But when we are constantly thinking of God by doing nama japam we are saving our energies which otherwise is wasted in endless worry about things that are in the future or about stuff that happened in the past. So let us put our heads down and focus on God, like KVGji suggested maybe an hour every day. Or like Shyamalaji suggested while travelling and walking. So much time is spent in that. Om Namo

Narayanaya.Veena. Get on board. You're invited to try the new Mail.

[Guest guest]

Dear Veenaji,

There are many stotras which convey the meaning you referred to:

One is from "Siva-manasa-pooja", which is as follows:

 

"Atma twam, Girija mathih sahacharah, pranah sareeram griham,

Pooja the vishayopabhogarachana nidra samadhih stitih,

Sancharah padayoh pradakshina-vidhih, stotrani sarvah giro

Yad-yad karma karomi sarvamakhilam, Sambho thavaradhanam!

 

There are more or less similar ones in other works also. One from

Narayaneeyam,

 

"Vidhooya klesan mey kuru charanayugam dhrita-rasam,

Thava kshetraprapthou, karamapi cha they poojanavidhou,

Bhavan-moorthyaloke nayanam adha they pada-thulasi-

parighrane ghranam, sravanamapi they charu-charithey!

 

>From Bhagavatam, about Ambarisha in Bhag. IX-4/18-20

 

"Sa vai manah Krishna-padaravindayohr-

vachamsi Vaikundha-gunanuvarnane.

Karou Harer-mandira-marjanadishu

Srutim chakara-achyutha-satkathodaye. (18)

 

Mukunda-lingalaya-darsane drsou

Tad-bhrthya-gatrasparse angasangamam.

Ghranam cha tat-pada-saroja-sourabhe

Srimat-tulasya rasanam thadarpithe.-----(19)

 

Padou Hareh Kshetra-padanusarpane

Siro Hrisheekesa-padabhivandane.

Kamam cha dasye na thu kamakamyaya

Yathhotthama-sloka-janasraya rathih. ---(20)

 

Again, in Bhag. X-80/3 & 4,

 

Sa vag yaya thasya gunan gruneethey

Karou cha tat-karma-karou manascha.

Smareth vasantham Stthira-jangameshu

Srunothi that-punya-kathah sa karnah---(3 )

 

Sirasthu thasyobhaya-lingam anamet

Tadeva yad-pasyathi tad-hi chakshuh.

Angani vishnor-adha thaj-jananam

Padodakam yani bhajanthi nithyam. (4)

 

I havent extracted the meanings of the verses as it is time-consuming.

If you want, I cqn send them. Even this mail was started four days

ago, but got delayed due to lack of time.

 

Regards

KVG

 

 

 

 

 

Veena A. Nair wrote:

 

 

Om Namo Narayanaya.

 

Below are some excerpts from the book 'Vedanta for the western world'

published in 1948. This book contains essays that appeared in the Voice of India, a bi-monthly newsletter of

the American Vedanta Society, Los Angeles center. The American Vedanta

Society was founded by Swami Vivekananda first in New York city; later

several branches were also founded in other cities. This book, edited

by Christopher Isherwood, is a collection of articles/essays (or

speeches of) of the disciples of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa including among

others Swami Prabhavananda, Vivekananda, Yatiswarananda, and plus

Aldous Huxley and Christopher Isherwood.

 

----

 

The free will with

which I make choices, react to situations and people is the sum total

of my past deeds, thoughts and feelings. The subconscious mind carries

the record of many many past lives and is an influential factor in our

present lives. With experience we gain an understanding of good and

evil. But sometimes we find oursleves helpless and are compelled to act

in a certain manner. A thief wishes to reform himself and resolves not

to steal. He then goes somewhere and sees that he can steal something

very easily without being caught. So even though he knows better than

to steal, he still does it. Similarly with any of us with any bad

habit. We are thus slaves to our own sub-conscious minds, to our own

characters. So then what is the solution?

 

In Patanjali'sYoga sutras the first aphorism or principle is

"Yoga-schitta-vritti nirodha". Which means Yoga is the complete

control of the modifications in the mind. Modifications meaning

thoughts and contents of the mind. And how do we go about doing a

complete overhauling of the mind?

 

By the regular practice of doing japam the mind becomes calm. We can

always find excuses for not doing japam, but once we get into the

habit, the namam itself will take hold of the mind. The power of the

naamam works even while one is asleep. One who practices japam

continues to recite the name in all states of consciousness, whether

waking or dreaming or in deep sleep. Just as the body breathes while

asleep, so does the mind recite the name in sleep.

 

 

After their return from Lanka, Rama gave Hanuman a pearl

necklace. Hanumanji accepted it and then examined each pearl, and then

with his teeth opened one of the pearls, looked inside and threw the

necklace away. Laxman, watching Hanumanji, was really upset and

complained to Rama about this incident. Rama smiled and said go ask him

why he did that. Hanumanji replied that he wanted to see if Rama's name

was etched inside the pearl. Because if Rama is not in them, then

Hanuman has no need of pearls.

 

It is said that Hanuman recited

Rama naamam even when Rama was around.

 

--------------------------

 

If we had to clean an ink bottle stuck to a table, we cannot do it by

throwing out the ink. The solution is to pour clean water in and the

ink and the dirt will spill out. We will have to keep pouring water in

until all the dirt and ink have washed out and finally the bottle will

contain only clean water. Similarly it is not possible to empty the

mind by throwing out the contents of consciousness and making the mind

blank. What we can do is to pour into the mind the water of God until

all the dirt spills out. In the beginning it is like all the dirt

within us comes to the surface just like the dirty ink; all that dirt

needs be got rid of. With patience and determination we need to

continue pouring the water of God thought into our minds. Struggle to

bring back the thought of God into the mind again and again

 

---------------------------

 

Meditation does not mean making your mind blank. Trying not to think of

anything is not going to help. Mediation requires a great strenous

effort to concentrate the mind upon God and it doesn't matter what the

form is. But we must concentrate on something positive. We have to

think of that one form to the exclusion of everything else. Never try

to make your mind blank--then you will remain a blank! 'This is what

the Hindu means by meditation, a constant flow of thought towards one

ideal. In other words you walk with God, you sleep with God, you eat

with God, you live with God' (p. 141).

 

----------------------------

 

I think there is a prayer by

Shankaracharya? and I don't know the exact words...but the approximate

meaning is "..let my walking be a pradakshina around You, let

the food that I eat be an offering to You, let my sleep be a namaskaram

to You..." something to that extent.

But when we are constantly thinking of God by doing nama japam we are

saving our energies which otherwise is wasted in endless worry about

things that are in the future or about stuff that happened in the past.

So let us put our heads down and focus on God, like KVGji

suggested maybe an hour every day. Or like Shyamalaji suggested while

travelling and walking. So much time is spent in that.

 

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Veena.

 

 

 

 

 

Get on board. You're

invited to try the new Mail.