Spiritual Stories by Ramana

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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. "