Thought for Everyone

• Chanting certain specific "bheejakshara" mantras as an upasana without proper initiation is dangerous.

• Performing breath-control practices on one's own or taught by amateur masters is dangerous
• Similarly, analysing the mind without Bhakthi also leads to a lot of confusion.
• Believe in the grace of God as you take your life forward.
• Express your feelings to God with humility for His grace.
• With patience and preservarance in this spiritual practise, you will slowly realize that God is always with YOU.

- His Holiness Sri sri Muraidhara Swamiji
- Source : www.namadwaar.org

Gajendra Moksham

Our enriched Puranas, Bhagavathas or Upanishads has always got layers of meanings as told by Mahans. Here I have made a small attempt in sharing Gajendra Moksham. Here goes the story of Gajendra Moksham, which explains the greatness of Saranagathi. Gajendra was the king of elephants. While roaming in the jungles, the elephants were drinking water from a forest lake, when a crocodile caught hold of Gajendra's legs. The kith and kin of him realised that Gajendra is going to be no more since crocodiles are invincible in water as elephants in the terrestrial area. So they left him abandoned and started away. For a few hours, Gajendra was trying to fight the crocodile by kicking it but the valour of the crocodile was so high that Gajendra's energy started dwindling. Most of us cry out to the God in hopeless (nis-sahaya sthiti) situations and so did Gajendra. It took a Lotus from the pond and prayed to the Lord and called HIM as ''AADIMOOLA''. We can remember Purandaradasa quoting in a Ugabhoga as ''AANEYU KAREDARE AADIMOOLA BANDANTE''.No sooner did the Lord realize that the elephant had surrendered itself to Him, forgiving the ego and his(Gajendra's) over-self-confidence, Lord started on His Garuda Vahana and equipped with Sri Sudharshana Azhwar. Now the wind direction changed. The crocodile has to see its death and Gajendra got freed up. It is said that both Gajendra and crocodile were great devotees of Lord but due to curse they had to take form of Gajendra and crocodile. It is also said that Gajendra is Indra's elephant. This is not just a story. There is a tight linking of this story to mankind. 1.The human is Gajendra.2.The world is the lake, where human plays with his kith and kin. 3.The crocodile symbolizes the death and difficulties that attack man.The lesson that is being learnt from here is that nobody can liberate a human from the clutches of life. God alone can answer the prayers as HE is Karunasagara.

Jai Shri Ram

Thought for Everyone

All these feelings and emotions are caused by that which we know as mind. Give it Divine company and it will become strong and light! Mind has immense power and can make us or break us. It is our friend and enemy too!"

-His Holiness Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

Thought for Everyone

When the lamp contains oil, the wick is protected from burning out even while the lamp is alight.
Similarly, 'Prãrabdha' in the life of a 'jivã' does not trouble him who enjoys Guru's Grace.

- His Holiness Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

THOUGHT FOR EVERYONE

The Divine Name leads one to the state of 'nothingness' (the infinite)
- Jiddu Krishnamurti

Thought for Everyone

Like the body the mind too needs to be put at rest. That is why there has been enjoined constant repetition of Ramanama and other mantras. They instantly put the mind to rest.
- Mahatma Gandhi

Thought for Everyone

The entire cosmos reverberates to the tune of Rama Nama only. In fact, the all-pervading Rama Nama existed even before the Universe was formed. It is incorrect to believe that the Rama Nama came into existence only via Ramayana.

---- SRI SRI MURALIDHARA SWAMIJI

Thought for Everyone

Srimad Bhagavatam is the verbal form of Sri Krishna .
Reading atleast one chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam everyday would bestow one with all auspiciousness and joy.

From
Srimad Bhagavatam - An Introduction
by H.H.Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

LALITHAMBIKAI

Lalita means The One Who Plays. All creation, manifestation and dissolution is considered to be a play of Devi. Tri-Pura means the three worlds and Sundari means beauty. She is the transcendent beauty of the three worlds. Tripura also signifies:- She is the ruler of the the three gunas of Satva, Rajas and Tamas; and sun, moon and fire - the zodiac and the planets, and therefore Time itself; She is also "tripura" as Will (Iccha), Knowledge (Jnana) and Action (Kriya). She is also "tripura" as intellect, feelings & physical sensation; and She is triple as the three states of the soul - awakening, dreaming and -sleeping states. Her five triangles also represent the Pancha Tatwas and the Pancha Bhootas. (This is what the verse in Lalita Sahasranama means by -"Panchami pancha bhuteshi pancha sankhyopacharini ". It is difficult to say what She is not.
Lalita holds five flowery arrows, noose, goad and bow. The nose represents attachment, the goad represents repulsion, the sugarcane bow represents the mind and the flowery arrows are the five sense objects.

Thought for Everyone

Veda Vyasa is the authority of the Vedas and Narada is considered the foremost in Bhakti.Written by Veda Vyasa on the advice of Sage Narada, Srimad Bhagavatam is, no doubt, the essence of the Vedas and Bhakti

- H.H.Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

Thought for Everyone

Deepavali wishes to all!

Excerpts from a discourse by our Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

On the auspicious day of Deepavali (Festival of lights), when taking oil bath in warm water, during the early morning hours is considered as equivalent of dipping in the sacred waters of River Ganga.

Just by remembering the Divine Name daily at amy time what we will get?

Our scriptures say:

He has been to the Sacred River Ganga, to Gaya and Kashi, as well as to Pushakaram, on whose tongue reside these two alphabets: HaRi

स गँगा स गया सेतुः स काशी स च पुष्करम् ।

जिह्वाग्रे वर्तते यस्या हरिरित्यक्षर द्वयम् ॥

THOUGHT FOR EVERYONE

It is not being suggested that you leave everything behind and run away. Be with the world and its various demands, but keep a fire burning - the fire of His Name. If He chooses to bless you, then this fire will burn all impurities and lead your pure soul unto Him. Live your life in this world but keep Him along.

- Sri Anandamayi Ma

What is the reason for using this technique of Chanting the Divine Name?

What is the reason for using this technique of Chanting the Divine Name?

No dhyana or yoga will bear fruit as we possess no such power to perform these. We may, out of conceit boast of performing dhyana or yoga.

Bhagawan Nama Bodendra Saraswati Swamigal in Nama Siddhanta says that he conducted an enquiry into why people did not take to Rama Nama, which is so easy and simple to chant. He puts forth his findings in the following words, "Since it is so easy and simple, none takes to it!"

The reason for this is that everyone desires to do something 'grand' even though none possesses the aptitude. Everybody is aware of his shortcomings yet one desires to proudly declare that he is doing dhyana, yoga, etc. But the truth is all these people are only deceiving themselves.

In the present age these paths do not suit us. Well! What about the 'Nama' (Name of the Lord) that you advocate? Nama chanting will ultimately take you to the same goal that Vedanta vichhara or Yoga or 'Karmanushtana' takes one to. Through Nama one can attain the highest state. The Azhwars, the Nayanmars, Thiagaraja Swami, Panduranga Bhaktas, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have all shown that one CAN attain liberation through mere chanting of Nama. Even today we find Sadhus who have attained the highest state through mere chanting of Nãma. This is the glory of 'Nama Sankirtana' -- An absolutely easy, simple path.

Thought for Everyone

Thought for Everyone

As ordained by a Mahãtma when a person renders service, with faith and devotion, he need not worry about his lack of effort in Sãdhanas like Japa or Meditation. Dedicated service to a Mahãtma is a sãdhana in itself.
- H.H.Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

Thought for Everyone

Question :

What is 'Jnana drishti' (Divine sight)? Is there a third eye in our body? How is it possible to see a thing sans the use of our eyes?

H.H.Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

We see this external world with our eyes. At night when we are fast asleep our eyes are closed. We then see dreams quite clearly. Our eyes are closed! Are they not? How then do we see the dreams? It is seen through our inner sight ('manak-kann'). It is a mental vision. If this mind is cleansed and becomes divine one can see divine visions and gods through it. This inner sight is known as 'Jnana drishti'.

Thought for Everyone

Honey Droplets from Ramayana

In Sundara Kanda (a section in Ramayana), when Hanuman arrives at Asoka vana where Sita has been placed, he finds her preparing to hang herself. Hanuman immediately sings the Ramayana - beginning with Dasarata performing yaga for the birth of a child till his own arrival at Asoka vana.

Trijada (one of the demonesses guarding Sita but the only one who was sympathetic to Sita) describes the dream wherein she sees Rama coming there to kill Ravana and subsequently Rama Pattabhisheka taking place.

So, a gist of the whole Ramayana is found in Sundara kanda 'parayana'. The earlier part of Ramayana comes through Hanuman and the latter part through the dream of Trijada.

Thus, the whole Ramayana is contained in a nut shell in Sundarakanda; therefore, 'parayana' of Sundara kanda is akin to doing 'Parayana' of the whole Ramayana.

Power of Thought

The power of mind over matter is the creative power of thought.

Yad bhavam / Tad bhavathi - you become what you think. The world is a manifestation of our inner state. The situations we come across, the people we meet, the problems we confront, the life experiences we have, are all projections of what lie within. We create our reality. We are the architects of our destiny. Perceived reality eventually becomes manifested reality. So you become what you think; you find what you perceive.
Thought has immense power: It can create. Every time we perceive or harbour a thought containing a charge or emotion, the process of creation is set into motion; an arrow has been released into the ethereal planes, or the 'thoughtsphere'. Once released, similar thoughts or arrows bundle together and when the threshold is reached, the "law of reciprocal action" is set in motion.
The thought you released has now materialised into deed. If the arrow you released was judgment, you will come across judgmental people. If it was betrayal, you shall be betrayed; if it was hatred, you will be hated and so on. You have created your reality and no one is to be blamed for this. The world is reflecting your inner thoughts and feelings. You cannot be one thing inside and experience another reality outside. The two have to exist in synchronicity.
When we ask, "Why did this happen to me?" we do not perceive the relationship between thought and deed. Perhaps it is difficult because of the time lapse between the two. From thought to deed, it may take a week, a month, a year, a decade or more. Constant review of our lives will help us see the connection. The speed of reciprocation depends upon the evolution of the individual. Sometimes reaching the threshold point could take a lifetime or more. If we do not find answers even after examining our lives in the light of these cosmic principles, only the theory of reincarnation can explain the rest.
The whole process of thought materialising into deed is a karmic cycle. So our life is a series of karmic cycles. An awareness of these eternal laws gives us the power to alter the course of karma but not while in the midst of a karmic cycle. We have the power of wisdom and choice of free will to review and make changes to our life but not before the cycle comes to an end. A frog in mid-air cannot alter the course of its flight. However, on landing, it can choose the direction of its next leap. For true transformation we have to discover love, for which we need divine assistance.
Karma can be classified as that pertaining to the individual, family, nation and all of humanity. When we ask: "Why is the world so bad?" the world we see is a manifestation of our negative thoughts and emotions.
Our negative charges not only manifest as a painful situation in our life but create a negative occurrence elsewhere in the world. Every time we see, hear or read violence, we create violence somewhere. Every individual, irrespective of his nationality, is responsible for the kind of world we live in. The violent world we see is an example of the collective karma of mankind. So individual transformation can mean global transformation.
Karma is a cosmic principle and God is cosmic intelligence. Karma is independent of God. If God were to judge man's thought and action, then we are talking of reward and punishment.

THOUGHT FOR EVERYONE

The Truth is invisible; falsity is apparent.

The toughest job on Earth is that of a Guru who makes you forget the apparent and realize the invisible.

-- Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji

Guru and God

Gurus do not appeal to scriptures for their authority, nor are they prophets who declare the will of God. Indeed, there is an understanding in some forms of Hinduism that if the devotee were presented with the guru and God, first he would pay respect to the guru, since the guru had been instrumental in leading him to God. Some traditions claim "Guru, God and Self" (Self meaning soul, not personality) are one and the same. Saints and poets in India have expressed the following views about the relationship between Guru and God:

Kabir

Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?I bow before Guru who introduced God to me

Brahmanand

It is my great fortune that I found Satguru, all my doubts are removed.I bow before Guru. Guru's glory is greater than God's.

Brahmanda Purana

Guru is Shiva without his three eyes,Vishnu without his four armsBrahma without his four heads.He is parama Shiva himself in human form

Adi Shankara begins his Gurustotram or Verses to the Guru with the following Sanskrit Sloka, that has become a widely sung Bhajan:

Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara. Guru Sakshath Parambrahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.

(tr: Guru is the creator Brahma, Guru is the preserver Vishnu, Guru is the destroyer. Guru is directly the supreme spirit — I offer my salutations to this Guru.)

The guru-shishya traditionThe guru-shishya tradition is the transmission of teachings from a guru (teacher, गुरू) to a 'śiṣya' (disciple, िशष्य). In this relationship, subtle and advanced knowledge is conveyed and received through the student's respect, commitment, devotion and obedience. The student eventually masters the knowledge that the guru embodies.The dialogue between guru and disciple is a fundamental component of Hinduism, established in the oral traditions of the Upanishads (c. 2000 BC). The term Upanishad derives from the Sanskrit words upa (near), ni (down) and şad (to sit) — "sitting down near" a spiritual teacher to receive instruction

Thought for Everyone

Question:

How should the 'dhoopa' for the Lord be prepared?

H.H. Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

As it removes all evil and brings eternal happiness, it is called with the two sylabell word 'dhoo' and 'pa'. 
7 parts of chandan (sandal) 
6 parts of frankincense (sambrãni) 
5 parts of black dammer resin (kungilium) - Canarium strictum 
4 parts of saffron ('kumkumapoo') 
3 parts of nut grass tuber (Korai kizhangu) 
2 parts of Indian Cedar (agil) 
1 parts of Borneal Flakes (pachai karpooram) 

The 'dhoopam' so prepared in the stated proportion, along with a little ghee is called 'Sita dhoopam'. This is spoken of in 'Kãranãgamam'. This attracts all the devas.