Mahatmas talk! Don’t they? Does it disqualify them as mahatmas, because as per your idea, talking can happen only when there is mind and memory, so if they talk they cease to be Mahatmas! If a Mahatma’s teaching made you think so, he has talked too! So, if that would disqualify him as a Mahatma, there is no need to read his teachings further! So something is wrong in the assumption? Is it not?
The ego, the mind has to be made silent. Chanting works on ego and dissolves it into its source. Mechanical chanting is the starting phase. It will soon graduate to mental chanting and soon this mental one-pointed chanting will lead to the source of the chant, which is the truth. So just like mere mechanical reading of books, soon starts working as understanding or ‘doubt’ in the mental level, chanting mechanically also leads to mental absorption.
Many saints have realized with the help of God’s grace just by chanting Mahamantra. There are infinite paths to infinite bliss. Truth is pathless. Infinity and zero are but two ways of telling this fact. In geometry, a theoretical question of how many sides does a perfect circle have, has two answers to depict the same truth – zero and infinity!
Understand that great sages like JK, Ramana Maharshi, Yogi Ramsuratkumar all have realized that one truth and are only speaking in different tones. Yogi Ramsuratkumar Maharaj says chanting is sufficient to realize. Easier way for normal people is to chant, even if it appears mechanical to start with.
MAHAMANTRA
The Mahamantra itself is so pure that you can take it any where but my friend was singing a Kirtan when he was in the wash room. Is it alright?
Yes. There is nothing wrong in it.
I chant the Mahamantra daily, but even then, there is no purity in my mind and thought. I can very well realize that the Almighty knows about my thoughts and impurities in my mind. How do I overcome these impurities?
First of all, expecting results immediately is wrong. Doing so will make you give up your practice very soon. You have to understand that the change will come only slowly.
A person is extremely devoted. At the same time, he has some nasty habits. Can it be said that his Bhakti itself is fraudulent? No. His Bhakti is true; and so are his bad qualities.
When cattle devours a newly planted mango sapling, it struggles to live and grow more leaves. But surpassing these struggles, when the plant grows into a tree, then the cattle is no more a threat to the tree.
Likewise, when your devotion is in its initial stages, the ills of the world affect you to a great extent. When you continues to chant, with patience and perseverance, your bhakti becomes strong enough and the ills of the world don’t affect you any more.
This will take time. But you can rest assured that your efforts will never go in vain.
I am chanting the Nama with Mala. I chant whenever I get time. In the evening I perform it as a Kirtan. Is it the right way to do it? Is there any special procedure that I need to follow? While chanting, I am not able to control my mind it starts moving here and there. Why does this happen?
Nama Kirtan has absolutely no restrictions. You can chant it with mala or without Mala. There are no prescribed procedures, no rules or regulations. Hence you can chant it any way, at any time and any place.
When someone plans to travel abroad, he needs to apply for his passport, get his visa stamped and book his tickets in advance. Similarly, chanting the Nama is the preparation for our journey towards God. Don’t bother about difficulties, road blocks or miseries on your path. Come what may, if you continue to chant the Divine name with steadfast faith and devotion, one day, you will definitely reap the sweet fruit!
We have heard of great Mahans chanting the Rama Nama or the Krishna Nama towards attaining God-Realization. Are there other Mahans besides Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who have chanted the Maha Mantra to attain the Lord? Moreover I have read that a Sadhak should stick to one name and form. The Mahamantra has both Rama and Krishna’s names. So to avoid the mind from wavering can I contemplate on my Guru while chanting the Maha Mantra?
The beauty and power of the Divine Name is that it completely takes over. All you need to do is chant. when you chant do not bother whether your mind wavers or not. Nama will take care of that.
Though there maybe so many names and mantras, this mantra is specifically prescribed by the Upanishad for this age (Kali Santarana Upanishad). Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Sivananda, Swami Abhedananda, numerous sadhus in Vrindavan, advocate this mantra as the simplest solution in this Yuga.
Bhagavan Ramana used to say that the doubt whether one would be able to attain liberation is the greatest hurdle and nothing else. Faith is the bedrock of anything in this world. For certain questions, any amount of intellectual analysis will not help find a decisive answer and they will always remain. The secret is to hold on to a path advocated by the Guru and proceed doubtlessly with faith in the words of the Guru and the experience the bliss Yourself.
Sri Swamiji says that the only way to liberation in Kali Yuga is to chant the Maha Mantra. Some saints say that the Gayatri mantra is the Maha mantra for this kali yuga and it is the most potent mantra. This is quite confusing. So are we to chant both the mantras daily. What is the correct thing to do?
Gayathri mantra is definitely powerful and is cited in the Vedas. But there are strict rules for chanting it as prescribed by the Vedas. However, Maha Mantra too is prescribed in the Upanishads, and it is clearly said therein that there is absolutely no rules or restrictions chanting the Maha Mantra.
The more you chant a Mantra, the quicker you realize its potency. From that perspective, one gets the unlimited privilege of chanting the Maha Mantra any where and anytime. So this Mantra is alone enough.
