Why Mass prayers?

Sri Swamiji spoke as follows:
I go to many places to meet people, to pray for their well being and to pray for an early resolution of their problems. Sometimes in a casual discussion, I ask them, “What do you do when you are confronted with a problem whose resolution is beyond normal human efforts?”

Some say, “We do pariharam (expiation rites).” Some say they visit astrologers. Some say they rely on the power of gems.

I rarely come across anyone who says, “I shall pray to the Lord to resolve the problem by His benign grace.”

What a sorry state we have all come to! How sad that we have all forgotten the grand path of prayers relying on Bhagavan’s grace!

When I saw this ‘perversion’ in the minds of many, in order to revive the faith in prayers and to make them more powerful, Mass prayers were initiated from the year 2006.

The fragrance of a single jasmine is sweet, but when we make a garland or a bouquet with many jasmine flowers, the fragrance is even more potent and benign. So when people gather together and pray, the impact is many, many times greater than just praying in isolation.

Why on Jan 1?

Even though we (Sri Swamiji and the members of GOD Satsang) do Mahamantra Mass prayers all round the year, the mass prayer on Jan 1 is done on a grand scale every year since 2007. Jan 1 is indeed a special day. Way back in 1886, in the divine abode of Cossipore garden house, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was physically weakened by cancer. But despite this, on this very day, in the afternoon, he came down to the garden for a stroll. At that time, he became a veritable Kalpatharu (wish-fulfilling divine tree) and blessed all the devotees.

He said, “What more shall I say! I bless you all. Be illumined!”

All the devotees who were present there got all their wishes fulfilled immediately by the blessings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. What Sri Ramakrishna did 125 years back as a kalpatharu, the Name of Rama and Krishna shall do this day as the same kalpatharu. The Mahamantra shall fulfill all the prayers of the people assembled here.

What do I pray for?

Sri Swamiji spoke as follows:
When I pray to Bhagavan what do I ask for?

I do not ask for liberation (moksha), nor do I ask for any yoga siddhis (divine powers). I ask no personal favors.

I only pray that He, out of his immense grace, should fulfill speedily ALL the prayers of you devotees who are in distress. None should leave this place empty handed. This is my only prayer.

Can we have materialistic prayers in our minds?

Sri Swamiji spoke thus:
Many people who are in the path of Nama sankirtan or are in the habit of visiting a temple or a mahatma regularly, also pray for relieving their problems. This is not kaamyaartha bhakti (‘temporary’ devotion with the aim of only having desires fulfilled, without real love for God).

With whom else can real devotees share their troubles and sorrows, and pray to for divine help but Bhagavan? Draupadi or Uttara, who were devotees of Krishna, could not do anything else but surrender to Krishna for help when they were in distress. That is certainly not kaamyartha bhakti.

If someone goes to a temple or to a mahatma only when they have problems and only to get relief from problems, only that is kamyaartha bhakti.

How powerful can prayers be?

We in Tamil Nadu and in another neighboring state were constantly troubled by the Kaveri problem spanning many decades. Whenever the monsoon failed, this problem would surface and many times take a severe dimension of violence, with loss of life on both sides. This was brought to my notice in 2007. We ordained a 48-day uninterrupted Akhanda Nama Kirtanam to pray for the water crisis to disappear in both states.

From that year onward, we seldom see this issue getting flared up. No one even sees this issue in the papers. This is a prayer by just about 100 people in one place. If this can bring about such a benign but drastic change, imagine the positive impact of mass prayers in many places, by many more devotees!

A Special Prasadam

Sri Swamiji spoke thus:
Today I am going to give you all, as a prasadam, a 1-rupee coin. It has ‘1′ marked on one side.

This tells us: ‘God is One and Mahamantra is the one way for all to receive His grace.’

The other side has the Ashoka chakra. ‘Ashoka’ means ‘destruction of sorrow’, which is the immediate result of chanting the Mahamantra.

So I am giving you all this coin as a prasadam of this Mahamantra mass prayer so that your sorrows are destroyed by the One God, through this One way of Mahamantra chanting.

**
Let us all also remember this message about Prayers performed with the Mahamantra. This New Year, let us all resolve to pray to the One God by chanting the Mahamantra and having all our problems resolved and all our wishes fulfilled.

Say we resolve to stop a long time habit (for e.g., coffee addiction). It (mind) is the one that makes us take up the resolution. It provides the confidence, and the impetus, and makes us want to do it. But it also knows when to put the brakes. Slowly but surely, even to one who has a strong will power, it will find a way to beat the resolution that it initiated in the first place. Why? Because the very nature of the mind is to keep us enslaved, for that alone feeds its sustenance. Will a corrupt agent ever turn himself in?

To achieve its purpose, perhaps the mind too takes the approach of sAma, dhAna, bheda, dhanda.  Initially we start off with some enthusiasm, but soon enough that very mind will begin to employ its arsenals. First it tries to reconcile (sAma). “What’s the big deal with coffee?  You can start or stop it anytime. You are not really addicted.” Then comes dhAna (sacrifice): “Look! Caffeine is the problem. Here’s decaf! – tastes just as good, and it’s better for your health.” If that doesn’t work, then there’s bheda (threat): “See, you’ll have a headache if you stop this morning coffee. Is it really worth having a lousy start every day?”

By now, most of us would have said goodbye to the challenge. To the most resolute, finally, there is ‘dhanda’ (fight). We go through several days of battle resisting the temptation over and over again. Time will test our endurance and will power, and a very small fraction of survivors may seemingly pass the test.  Here again, they may not have realized that the mind has conveniently switched the game on us by enslaving us on a replacement addiction. “Look, here’s a new toy. It’s Touch screen, it’s Android and has got Angry Birds!” So, we are off chasing something else.  The mind is happy as long as it pulls the strings on us.

Even in spiritual progress, the mind does the same because of its nature.  When we chant the Divine Names, it may interest us in a resolution to chant sitting in one place for 30 minutes without distraction, and define that as progress. Soon enough, it switches sides and aims to break that challenge. Here comes the sAma, dhAna, bheda, dhanda for this. You know you can chant and write Nama as well; Working on Satsang related things while chanting is acceptable, ok?; Maybe changing tunes every 5 min will make it go faster?; If you don’t finish this 30 min, then be ready to face the consequences!

Such is the vacillating nature of the mind. While seemingly appearing to be beneficial, it can prove quite damaging unless a strong sense of discrimination (viveka) is applied to each passing thought in order to filtering out the harmful ones.

Sriram Ramanujam, Houston, TX

Q. India has the same earth, water and resources like other countries. When that is the case, what makes India ‘Holy’?

A. Great saints have the same physical body like any common man. Would it be appropriate to state that they are all one and the same, based on the physical similarities? The saints are vibrant with spirituality and that sets them apart. Similarly, India may be similar to other countries as far as resources are concerned. The earth and the water may be similar externally. But this land is the seat of spirituality and everything about it is holy and spiritual.

Q. We find that majority of the advancements in modern science have originated from other countries. Why is it so?

A. If one researches into the external world with his intellect, scientific advancement ensues. If one turns inwards and dives within one’s own self, it results in spiritual progress. The natural tendency of our countrymen is to turn their vision inward and perform self-enquiry. This is the prime reason why our nation is the spiritual nucleus of the world and no other nation has matched us in spirituality. On the same note, one cannot deny that our Vedas have spoken of innumerable rare scientific facts too.

Q. Is it possible to prove the special sanctity that is attributed to the water from river Ganges?

A. There are countless instances that are mentioned in various scriptures that extol the greatness of the Ganges. Let us set aside all of them. If we collect some water from the Ganges and keep it in a sealed container, it remains pure, microbe-free and unaffected, without any special preservative, even after many years. Does this is not clearly prove that water from Ganges has special qualities?

Q. Why is there a worsening of a psychological disorder on the days such as Poornima (full moon) and Amavasya (New Moon)?

A. On these days, there is variation in the intensity of the gravitational force. Our scriptures and Mahatmas opine that fluctuations in the gravitational force disturb the neurotransmitters and therefore those with mental disorders experience aggravations.

For more such answers by Sri Swamiji, or to ask a question of your own, please visit the Nama Dwaar website at  www.namadwaar.org

Naren grew up to become the prime disciple of Ramakrishna Paramhamsa and the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Even today he is world famous for the inspiring talk that he gave representing Hinduism in the World’s Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893. His birthday is celebrated as National Youth Day in India.

Vivekananda loved to interact with children and youth. He would tell them many stories to instill values in the youngsters. Here is one such story told by Swami Vivekananda.

Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a boy named Arun who had a very small nose. His father was no more and he had to take care of his mother. He was a hard worker.

But his friends were naughty and they made fun of his nose. Arun felt bad and would complain about them to elders but his friends did not stop.

Slowly, Arun grew up but his friends continued to tease him. His mother became old and passed away, which made Arun very lonely. At that time an old man from the same village asked Arun to get married and start a new life. Arun agreed to get married but felt that beautiful girls would tease him so he said, “I will only marry a girl with a small nose.”

Finally he got married to a girl from nearby village who also had a small nose like Arun. He was vey happy and felt that all his problems would come to an end.

But it became worse; his friends now teased both husband and wife. Arun was annoyed and felt that he should pray to the Lord sincerely as it was He  who had given him a small nose.

Owing to his devotion God appeared before him and gave him three boons. Filled with excitement, he ran to his wife to share the message. His first desire was to ask for a beautiful nose but his wife wanted wealth, so she stopped him from asking. But Arun, in a rush, asked the first boon, “We want noses and nothing but beautiful noses”.

Immediately their bodies were covered with noses and both were shocked. Arun was upset and asked for the second boon, “Hey Lord! We do not want these noses, please take them away.“ Now even the small nose vanished, they became nose-less. Finally Arun was totally confused and asked for the third boon, “Please give us back our original noses.”

Learning: Opportunity once lost cannot be recovered. Use the opportunity wisely.

Adapted by
Shalini Kelappan, Doha, Qatar

2. Swami Vivekananda’s birth name is
A.  Virendar Dutta
B. Narendranath Dutta
C. Rabindranath Tagore

3. Name the birth-place of Swami Vivekananda
A. New Delhi
B. Kolkata
C. Chicago

4. Swami Vivekananda was the founder of
A. Sringeri Math
B. Ramakrishna Math
C. Ahobila Math

5. Swami Vivekananda was responsible for spreading knowledge about this religion in the West:
A. Buddhism
B. Jainism
C. Hinduism

6. Swami Vivekananda was born on the auspicious day of
A. Vaikunta Ekadasi
B. Makara Sankranthi
C. Durga Pooja

7.  The headquarters of Ramakrishna Math  and Ramakrishna Mission is
A. Belur Math
B. Sandeepani Gurukulam
C. Kapila Math

8. The birthday of Swami Vivekananda is celebrated in India as
A. National Youth day
B. Children’s day
C. Labor Day

9. Swami Vivekananda attained Mahasamadhi at the age of
A. 52
B. 39
C. 88

10.  Swami Vivekananda began his speech in World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893 with the following words
A. Brothers and Sisters
B. Ladies and Gentlemen
C. Sisters and Brothers of America

Compiled by:

Ramya Srinivasan, San Jose, CA

Answers:

1-A, 2-B, 3-B, 4-B, 5-C, 6-B,7-A, 8-A, 9-B, 10-C

Sri Rudra says, “The value of a moment’s association with the devotee of the Lord cannot be compared to the heavens or even Liberation, and so what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity which humans seek?”

Such is the greatness of sat-sanga (association with a Mahatma), as explained in Srimad Bhagavatam, which is the quintessence of all scriptures. The Bhagavatam reiterates time and again that satsang is the easiest way to attain the Lord.

Especially, in this age of Kali, such association is given by those who continuously engage in nama sankirtan and katha shravanam (singing and listening to the glories of the Lord). Once we associate with such sadhus, and ourselves indulge in celebrating the Lord thus, it takes us to the next level of satsang, which is association with a Mahatma. Now the Mahatma in turn, guides us back into shravanam and kirtanam, to make it evident that the means (sadhana) and the end (saadhya) are one and the same.

It is said that any person’s mental attitude is the median of the attitudes of the top five people that he interacts with. It is not surprising that for us to have a positive outlook on life, we need to associate with those who are positive by nature. Likewise even in the path of spirituality, what best way other than to associate with others on the same path?

One need not have any doubt that satsang is truly the win-win deal. For starters, it passes the vital ‘rarity’ test. For us commoners, prized possessions need to be rare. If it is very commonly available it just can’t be too valuable, can it? While satsang is seemingly available widely and easily, it is rare because the common mindset is to not want it.

Next on our series of ‘value’ tests is the price of the product. How much does this satsang cost? Association with a true sadhu, or an Utthama Guru, does not require us to spend a dime. It is absolutely free, and available to all without any disparity. But why free? It is so because one cannot put a value to it. Satsang is so ‘invaluable’ that any amount we put on the label will fall short by infinity. That’s what Sri Rudra Himself says in the sloka, “na svargam, nApunarbhavam”, implying even the heavens, or better yet, even Liberation, is a far cry to the value of satsang.

So what effort does one need to put in satsang? In satsang with a Guru, our presence alone is sufficient. One does not need to practice any austerities or elaborate processes. It would just suffice to be seated in the presence of a Mahan, for that alone is the sadhana. “DarshanAd eva sAdhava:,” says Srimad Bhagavatam. Merely being in the company of a Mahatma for even half a second (kshanArdenApi) is a blessing, says Sri Rudra.

This ‘satsang’, therefore, is rare, free, requires no effort and gives only benefits with no iota of sorrow or side effects. While it appears to be a perfect match for our present day life style, why is it not more common? Is there is a catch?  The catch is that for one to get satsang, the grace of a Mahatma is a pre-requisite. So if satsang is obtained through the Guru’s grace, and Guru’s grace is obtained through satsang, is it a closed society? Certainly not!

God (or His manifestations as Sadhus/Mahatmas) intends for all of us to experience His love, grace and happiness. While it is undoubtedly true that one begets the other, yet, the Lord wants us to take the first step.

How? By having an earnest desire for Satsang.

For us to want it is indeed the greatest decision we have to make in our lives.

Sriram Ramanujam, Houston, TX

Publisher: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
First Edition: 1968

This riveting book about a great soul, Sri Krishnaprem, authored by renowned Bengali singer and musician, and disciple of Sri Aurobindo, Dilip Kumar Roy, brings to light the immense spiritual wisdom of Sri Krishnaprem. Through his close personal interactions with Sri Krishnaprem over about 40 years, in person, as well as through regular written correspondence, the author portrays Sri Krishnaprem’s transformation from an intellectual Englishman, Prof. Ronald Nixon, to a staunch Guru bhakta whose heart became completely filled with divine love of Sri Krishna and Radharani.

Leading a secluded life in Mirtola, near Almora, with his Guru, Yasoda Ma, and a couple of other Ashram inmates, Sri Krishnaprem would have remained largely unknown to the world if not for this book that comprises mostly of the letters that Sri Krishnaprem wrote to Dilip. The letters—which cover a wide range of spiritual topics from right from “free will vs. destiny” to the greatness of bhakti and love of Krishna—stand out in their clear and lucid handling of subjects that, under normal circumstances, are fuzzy and mysterious at best. Interestingly, the book also contains several letters from Sri Aurobindo to his disciple, the author, commenting on and substantiating the accuracy and validity of Sri Krishnaprem’s points.

A book that skeptics must read, Sri Krishnaprem’s sharp words strike hard on those who focus on mere “intellectual” discussion of what they consider the truth, instead of truly seeking out the Truth: That which is beyond the intellect, and cannot be spoken of, but only experienced.

“People who want the truth, must bear in mind that Reason can never be its pathfinder…. Reason, being only a “pleader”, it can plead for no matter what you enjoin it to, for it is a ready-enough advocate of your desires as psychoanalysts, too, have found out.”

Sri Krishnaprem constantly wrote about faith in Krishna and complete surrender to the Guru, who is none other than Krishna Himself. His words on the greatness of the Guru are heart-felt and are worth inscribing in stone. A year after the passing of his Guru, he wrote:

“I will tell you what is written in burning letters of fire in my heart that carry their own guarantee of truth.

Krishna and Guru are one: but if I leave Him, Krishna may leave me… But my Guru will never leave me whatever I do… I may fall from the Path, return to the flesh-pots and wallow in their filthy slops for five lives or fifty lives; I may blaspheme the Sacred Stone within my heart and die cursing God and man—all this and more I may do but She will never leave my side. Each separate folly of mine will be a stab of sorrow in the heart of Her, but She will never turn away Her face nor cease from trying to assuage the pains that I must suffer from my own foolish acts. Never, never will she leave my side nor cease to guide my steps until I stand in that eternal Braja where She stands now. God-forsaken and man-forsaken I may be, but Guru-forsaken, never.”

For Sri Krishnaprem, who saw and lived in love for Krishna, Krishna was the Supreme Reality above everything else, not a mere symbol or “form” of God. His advice to the author (and all spiritual seekers) was: “Give yourself utterly to Krishna and in finding Him you will find everything while your critics will remain merely talking about. Go forward, caring nothing for anything else. Only ask nothing, give everything.”

Nisha Giri, Houston, TX

Q. Why should one have a Guru?

A. Devotion and Wisdom are not entities that can be comprehended or acquired by the use of one’s intellect. It is beyond that. If we enter a house where a death has occurred, an indescribable sadness grips us automatically. If we visit a place where a joyful celebration is in progress, the waves of happiness prevalent there are infectious. Like wise, we need to be in the company of those great souls who are ever immersed in devotion to nurture the same within us. Guru is the one whose company arouses the urge to realize God within every one of us.

Q. Why is it customary to exchange Betel leaves on important occasions? Why do we offer betel leaves to God during worship?

A. Every betel leaf has an innate quality that we may not be aware of. There is a herb known as ‘Pathala Bhairavi’ which can nurture enmity between two individuals. There are herbs that can transform Iron into Gold. Some herbs can bestow wealth. We even find descriptions about herbs that can make a man disappear. Likewise, betel leaves possess the unique property of nurturing love between two persons. In those days, betel leaves were exchanged at the time of registrations, engagements and weddings as a sign of love and trust. It is believed that relationships such as Husband-wife, devotee-God are fortified by betel leaves. This explains why betel leaves constitute an integral part of worship. In fact, a monk who has renounced all worldly relationship is forbidden from taking betel leaves because he should not develop worldly attachment or bondage.

Q. Why can’t we say that Vedas were authored by people? (Contrary to the fact that they originated from God)

A. If we say that Vedas were written by man, it would amount to confining them to the limit of the human intellect. But the content of the Vedas are way beyond the realm of human Intellect. Therefore it would not be correct to say that they were authored by Man.

For more such answers by Sri Swamiji, or to ask a question of your own, please visit the Nama Dwaar website at  www.namadwaar.org.

Owing to his deep and complete devotion, the eight goddesses blessed the king that he would be granted their vision whenever he desired. With their blessings, the king ruled the country happily. His kingdom was blessed with every kind of wealth and hence all the citizens were happy and prosperous.

One day, the eight Lakshmis appeared in the king’s dream and told him, “O King, we have decided to leave your kingdom. But because of your devoted service, we will offer you one boon. You can choose one among us to stay back in your country. Please let us know your decision.”

The next day, the king put the question to his courtiers and subjects in the Royal Court and asked for their opinion.

The minister said, “We need money for proper governing of the kingdom. Let us retain Dhana Lakshmi.”

Next the farmers opined that the goddess of grains, Dhaanya Lakshmi, should be retained so that there will be not be any food scarcity.

Others said, “We have to retain the goddess of issue, Santaana Lakshmi.”

After hearing everyone’s opinion, the king then performed his puja to the goddesses. They appeared before him and asked him for his decision.

The king prayed to them and asked the goddess of courage, Dhairya Lakshmi, to stay back.

Everybody wanted to know the reason for the king’s decision. The king replied, “The man who possesses courage alone can do any job and fulfill his responsibilities. It is indeed in vain if one has the blessings of the other Lakshmis but not that of the goddess of courage.”

As a result of the king’s decision, all the Lakshmis decided to stay back as they were all destined to stay wherever Dhairya Lakshmi resided.

The subjects were all very happy and went home having learned the valuable lesson from their king that good fortune always favors the courageous.

Source: www.namadwaar.org