A short speech by Siddheshvari Devi Ji (Didi Ji) responding to the question “What happens after death?”. This speech was recorded during week long sadhna retreat in Atlanta (Dec 2009 – Jan 2010).
Siddheshvari Devi Ji, addressed as Didi Ji (respected sister) is a senior disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj from Vrindavan, India. She received her graduate degree from York University in Toronto. However, the call of God was so strong that after graduating, Didi Ji’s spiritual quest led her to Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj, who is only the fifth personality in the past 5,000 years to be recognized as Jagadguru.
She is continuously striving to spread the deep spiritual teachings of Hinduism and dispel the myths and misconceptions related to it. An eloquent speaker, her mission is to simplify the eternal message of the Vedas and Shastras and awaken love for God within the hearts of seeking souls.
Didi Ji is the founder of Radha Madhav Society, a non-profit charitable organization in America, Canada and Trinidad, functioning under the auspices of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat.
A hunter went to bed at night and dreamt. In the dream, he saw that a fierce lion was chasing him and was about to jump at him. He was frightened. He gave out a terrible cry. He dreamt that he was stooping to pick up his bow and arrow, shouting at his comrade “Get me bow and arrow.” Actually, he slipped out of his bed in an effort to get the bow and arrow. At once, he woke up. His son, who was sleeping in the adjacent room, had heard his cry and his words: “Get me the bow and arrow.” He did not know what it was all about and so rushed in with bow and arrow. The father smiled and shook his head: “No, I do not want them now. It was a dream only. Now that I know it was a dream, I have no more use for the bow and arrow. What a wonderful dream it was; though now I am awake and realise it was all a dream, I do still remember the dream vividly and rejoice.”
Similarly, the Jiva lies down on the bed of the body. He dreams or imagines that he is roaming in the forest of this world. Great misery in the shape of disease, poverty, old age, etc., attacks him. He cries and shouts. He is wont on such occasions to take the weapon of sensual
indulgence in a vain attempt to kill the misery. But Grace of God takes him away from the body-consciousness. He attains Jnana. His friends and relatives treat him as they used to treat him before. But he smiles and declines to indulge the senses. He is an awakened soul. He now knows that his past life was but a long dream. In his awakened soul there is no misery at all; and therefore sense-indulgence has no meaning for him. Though he recalls the memory of his past life of ignorance, he now realises that it was all a long dream, fit only to be laughed over.
Swami Muktananda: “Everyone in this world has a tale of woe. Everyone is troubled by suffering, whether it is self-inflicted or comes from outside. For this reason, a person searches for happiness day and night. So absorbing is this search that he forgets his true Self. As his search for happiness takes him through endless troubles, he sighs and weeps. Yielding often to temptations and then repenting, burning with desires, harassed by suffering, a human being has a difficult life. In spite of all these, he does not give up his useless way of life. Nor does he look for some way to transform it. Nor does he seek a mantra from a liberated being who has transcended all these. How strange! This is true ignorance.
Your Days on Earth Are Numbered
“Day after day, the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west, then travels to the east again. With one complete cycle, a day is gone. Seven days make a week, and four weeks a month. In twelve months, a year is gone. In this way, a person’s life is spent, and then it disappears. Along with his birth, a person brings his death into the world with him. Like a round-trip ticket, death comes with birth. A human being is born in this diverse world, experiences happiness and unhappiness, and then, weeping, returns the same way he came, with his desires unfulfilled.
Who Are You to Offer Help to Others?
“Who knows how much time is left? O dear one, why are you not more conscious? Just as you are moving now irrevocably towards death, many other souls have travelled that same road. Although you have seen others die unsatisfied, there is no transformation in your own life. Even though you are being swept away by the river of illusion, you regard yourself a quite clever. You offer help to others, and yet you yourself are utterly helpless! Could anything be more astonishing than this? O dear soul, are you awake or asleep?
“Only when a person truly awakens does he realise his foolishness.”
Source: pgs. 45-46, Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri by Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa
Question: Many obstacles confront me — I have no time to meditate, I am very tired from work, there are many demands upon me — yet something inside pushes me to keep searching.
Swami Muktananda: “That force inside you that keeps pushing you to search for something spiritual in your life is the real Truth.
“Is it only for spiritual practices that you don’t have time? Or, don’t you have time for anything else either? Everything else is ordinary, but this is most important. If you don’t have time for the inner search that will take you to the highest levels of consciousness, what is the point of just eating, drinking, and living in the outer world? If you don’t make time to work for your spiritual growth, what is the point of your human birth?
“Just as you have divided up your time for the different things you do in your life, you should also find time for meditation, becuase this is far more important than anything else. If you can’t find any time for it, at least meditate when you lie down to sleep. Start repeating the mantra and it will continue through your sleep. Even that will probably be enough for you.
“The situation that I find people trapped in amazes me. They say they don’t have time for realisation, they don’t have time for spiritual wealth, they don’t have time for inner peace. They don’t have even a hope of attaining any of these things if they continue as they are. What can you possibly get out of a life that is so intensely fast? At least, do something for your spiritual growth when you lie down to sleep.”
The purpose of life, as most people without basic spiritual understanding would think and like to believe, is to enjoy ourselves, gratify our senses, augment sensual pleasures, and to live in a carefree manner until we breathe our last: this, essentially, means watching movies, going on tours, clubbing, socialising, attending parties, chit-chatting, hobnobbing, mixing around with everyone, eating and drinking for their own sake, keeping late nights, gossiping, traducing, submitting to physical craving for sexual and carnal gratification, and, in a word, simply existing for the pleasures of one’s ego and sense gratification.
No one could have summarised it even better than my friend, who latterly told me, “How long are we gonna be on earth: therefore, eat to your heart’s content, enjoy your sleep, assert your rights to protect yourself, family and property from injury, and wherever it is possible, enjoy sex. What remains at the end of life is what we have enjoyed. What’s beyond is every religion’s contradictory speculations.”
People who subscribe to this view need not necessarily be atheists; in faith, they could even be Hindus, Christians or Muslims — the card-carrying ones — the long-haired intellectual agnostics, who have but fragmentary knowledge of science, cursory information of religions and spirituality, but who pass themselves off as spiritual people of sorts.
Hedonism and epicureanism are their cherished ideologies of life!
In regard to their lifestyle. the Mahabarath says,
AhAra-nidrA-bhaya-maithunam cha
samAnam_etat_pashubhir_narANAm |
dharmo hi teShAm adhiko visheSho
dharmeNa hInAH pashubhiH samAnAH||
That is, acts of eating food (ahara), sleeping (nidra), feeling fear (bhaya), and mating (maithunah) are what animals generally do, too. If we eat to our heart’s content, enjoy sleep and siesta, defend and protect ourselves, loved ones and our property, and engage in sex and sexual activities like any other living things, what then is the purpose of our birth and existence, and what essentially is the difference between us and animals?
Castigating such an attitude, Vyasa-Dev, the divine incarnation and the author of Srimad Bhagavatam says in Bhagavatam 1:2:10,
kāmasya nendriya-prītir
lābho jīveta yāvatā
jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā
nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ
We have come to earth not to find satisfaction (pritih) in getting our desires (kamasya) of the senses (indriya) fulfilled. That is not life’s purpose. We have come to earth only for one objective, i.e., to inquire (jijnasa) about the Absolute Truth (tattva). Other than this, nothing else should ever be the goal of one’s sojourn on earth.
In short, Vyasa-Dev pronounces that the sole purpose of human birth is only to attain God, from whom we have departed to wallow in His maya.
The same exhortation can be seen in Narada Muni’s advice in Srimad Bhagavatam 1:5:18 where he says that one should endeavour (prayateta) to find out one’s purpose on earth, and not just squander the precious gift of human life that cannot be obtained easily.
But when should this inquiry begin? Oftentimes, people nourish the hedonistic and thoroughly egregious notion that one ought to begin the search for the meaning of life when one has retired, or at old age, or when one has fulfilled one’s so-called bounden duties.
Addressing this question, Sri Prahlada Maharaj warns us in Srimad Bhagavatam 7:6:1 that it ought to begin, not retirement or old age but, at childhood:
śrī-prahrāda uvāca
kaumāra ācaret prājño
dharmān bhāgavatān iha
durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
tad apy adhruvam arthadam
At “kaumāraḥ” (at childhood), one ought to begin practising (ācaret) the tasks of surrendering to God, slowly giving up other engagements extraneous to one’s search for the meaning of life on earth. Sri Prahlada reminds us that “manusam janma” (human birth), although “adhruvam” (impermanent), is rather “durlabham” (rarely obtained). It is, therefore, the most meaningful birth (arthadam) because it helps in procuring for us the deliverance from the cycle of births and deaths.
Commenting on the purpose of life, Swami Sivananda, adjures us to, “Ascend the ladder of Truth and reach the summit of Truth Absolute. Light the candle of Love and behold the Supreme Lord of Love, Who resides in every heart. Wear the garment of purity and enter the Kingdom of the Ever-pure Atman. Breathe the air of unity and attain union with the Supreme One, the All-pervading Brahman. That is the purpose of your life on earth. That is the purpose for which you have taken this human birth; not to eat, drink and make merry. Every moment is precious. Every moment rolls silently by and drops into the ocean of eternity; you cannot recall it. Live well. Love all.” (pg. 125, How to Cultivate Virtues and Eradicate Vices).
“Real victory is to carry out your good resolutions in spite of all difficulties. Let nothing break your determination. If you make a resolution and never cease trying to carry it out, you will succeed.” (pg. 391, The Conquest of Self is the Greatest Victory, The Divine Romance by Paramahansa Yogananda.)
“A patient man aways keeps his head cool. He keeps a balanced mind. He is not afraid of failures or difficulties. Mediate on this virtue in the morning.” (pg. 102, Patience and Perseverance in How to Cultivate Virtues and Eradicate Vices. By Swami Sivananda).
Swami Sivananda’s Commentary on Bhagavad Gita 18:58: “When thy mind, O Arjuna, is fixed on Me through single-minded devotion, thou shalt by My Grace cross over all difficulties and obstacles. But shouldst thou not take My teaching to heart, and through pride disregard it, thou shalt be ruined.” (pg. 518 [South African Ed] ).
“Do not worry worry yourself if there is delay in further progress. Wait coolly. You are bound to succeed. Develop courage by constantly feeling that you are the Self. Then, all difficulties, tribulations will come to an end”. (pg. 5, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)
“Do not worry about things which are likely to happen; so often they really do not. The surest antidote or penicillin injection for worry is to keep busy. Do always something useful. Do the best and leave the rest to God. Do not worry. You are indeed blessed now,” Swami Sivananda (pg. 90, Sermonettes of Swami Sivananda)
Ever remember God. Feel His presence wherever you go for God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. He is nearer than your breath. See Him in all faces. Cling to His feet. He will protect you and guide you.
Constant remembrance of the Lord will bring you everlasting happiness and Supreme Peace. Let thy every movement be a living prayer to the Lord. Think positively. You grow into a likeness of the thought picture which you hold on to with sincerity and persistence. Contemplate upon your ideal in which you wish to grow. This forms part of daily Spiritual Life.
Have perfect faith in the Lord. His Name is your sole prop, refuge and support. His temple is your pure heart. Be pure in heart and noble in work.
Japa of Lord’s Name is your real wealth. Everything else will pass away. The bungalows, the bank balance, the cars and gardens, do not constitute your real wealth. They will not give you peace of mind. You can have peace and bliss only in Him. Yo Vai Bhuma Tat Sukham. Remember this always.
Do Japa, Kirtan, Prayer. Never hurt other’s feelings. Thought should be noble and divine. Start the day with God. End the day with God. Fill the day with God. Live the day with God.
Japa of Lord’s Name is your real wealth. Japa, Kirtan, Prayer and meditation will surely help you in the purification of the mind and heart.
Please take that Mantra which your heart likes best. That Mantra is the right Mantra which, when taken, brings joy and Peace. You should stick to one Mantra. You should not change from one Mantra to another.
Ever repeat the Name of the Lord. The Lord is everywhere. He is in you and you are in Him. There is no place where He is not. He is closer than your hands and feet. Attain the Lord by regular Japa, Puja and meditation.
Ever repeat the Divine Name of the Lord. The constant chanting of the Divine Name will bring you all joy and happiness.
Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Have separate hours for prayer and meditation. Speak sweetly. Speak little, Help others. Speak the truth at any cost. Be regular in your duties. Remember God at all times. This is Divine Life in essence.
Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. Feel the presence of God everywhere. God is in you and you are in Him. Do not forget this point. Therefore, hate not any one. Love all.
Practise the presence of the Lord wherever you go. God is everywhere. You are in Him and He is in you. This you will feel as you make progress in prayer and Meditation.
Before you start your Japa in the morning, wash your face and handsthoroughlyor take bath if you are used to taking cold bath. Select a particular place to do Japa. Daily practise Japa in the same place where you do Japa regularly. Do not change the place. Lead a simple life. Take Mitahara. Talk little. Speak truth. Be good. Do good. Do not hate anyone. Help others. Pray to God daily. Live righteously. Act truthfully. Meditate regularly. Attain knowledge of the Imperishable. There is no other way to wisdom and peace.
Ceaselessly think of God. Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. A regular study of scriptures, enquiry of “Who Am I”, and discrimination will undoubtedly lead your goodself to God.
Kindly continue to do your Japa. Wherever your mind moves feel there also, that there is God. Make the mind understand that there is no place left where there is no God. There is God in every speech. Watch the mind steadily. Let it wander for some time. Then try to bring it back upon your chosen ideal. Loud recitation of God’s Name helps to develop concentration. If you are not able to read books then request someone in the house to read for you an hour every day some useful spiritual literature.
Live in tune with the Infinite. Rejoice in the Self within. This is a great slogan of life. Ever remember the sacred Name of the Lord.
You can daily sing Lord Siva’s Name both morning and evening. Siva is everywhere. He is in you and you are in Him. Feel His presence everywhere.
Feed your mind with thought of God, your heart with purity and your hands with selfless service. Remain soaked in the remembrance of God with a one-pointed mind.
Have some Ideal in your life and work for it. The highest ideal in man’s life is the attainment of Perfection. This Perfection is full of peace and happiness. Peace and happiness can be attained by regular prayer and contemplation. Therefore, set apart a few hours of the day for this purpose. Start the day of your activities with prayer and end the day with prayer. Practise the presence of God by remembering Him constantly.
Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. See God in every face. Treat all with kindness and compassion. Live a life of simplicity and purity. This is Divine Life.
May His presence ever be felt by you wherever you are, whatever task you are engaged in and at all times. Make His Name thy supreme support. Let remembrance of the Divine be unto you even as breath in the nostrils. Know Him to be the indweller of all things. He is the ever present reality in the midst of changing names and forms.
A harmonious development of the body, mind and soul alone can enable you to fulfil the glorious role for which you have taken birth here. You can attain Self-realisation. Take the sacred Name of the Lord always. Nama Smaran or constant remembrance of the Lord is the onlyeasy Sadhana for God-realisation.
Set apart some fixed hours for Japa and prayer daily. Ever remember God. Let His sacred Name ever be upon thy lips. God is nearer than our hands and feet. He is nearer than your breath. He is everywhere. He is in you and you are in Him. See Him in all places.
Love God fully and intensely with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. You will be wholly absorbed in Him.
Kindly do Ananya Chintana (constant remembrance) of the Lord.None can explain the immense benefits of Japa. Japa is the rod in the hand of the blind aspirant to plod on the road to realisation, Japa is the philosopher’s stone or divine elixir that makes him God-like. Through Japa alone one can realise God in this life.
Pray to God daily. Let the sacred Name of the Lord ever be upon thy lips. Dedicate all your household duties to the Lord at the end of each day. Feel the presence of the Lord wherever you go.
Life is precious. Therefore, spend your time in useful pursuits. Set apart sometime during the course of the day for prayer and worship. Feel the presence of the Lord wherever you go for He is everywhere. He is closer than our breath and nearer than our hands and feet. He is in you and you are in Him. Always abide in Him.
Start the day with prayer and Japa of the Divine Name. Follow this by little exercises and deep breathing. Remember God at all times, everywhere. You need not be a Yogi but you must be an Aadarsha-Purusha. Your personality must shine with a radiant light of great qualities. Virtue must occupy your heart and mind. Be bold. Be courageous. Be cheerful always. Service, worship and meditation must constitute your inner life. Always do vichar.
Feel the presence of God wherever you go for God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. He is in you and you are in Him. He is nearer than relatives and friends. Live in Him. Love for the Lord brings you all joy, bliss and blessedness in life.
Real happiness lies in a simple and pure life. Love of the Lord will transform you into a Divine Being. Cultivate true love for the Lord by glorifying Him, by chanting His Name and by hearing His glories.
Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Be regular in your prayers, Japa and Svadhyaya. Do not forget the Lord even a single moment of your life. Hold on to God as fast as you can. In Him alone you will find true happiness.
Always remember God. Let His sacred Name ever be upon your lips. Be merged in the thought of God. Give your mind to God and hands to work. Be good. Do good. Hate none. Love all. This is Divine Life.
Live in God. The love of God alone can bring you real happiness in life. God alone is real and all else is unreal. Therefore detach yourself from the worldly objects and attach yourself to God. Ever repeat His sacred Name. Do all your duties as worship of the Lord.
Life is a holy and joyous movement towards God, who is the eternal Source of our being. Life is an expression of our continuous spiritual link with the Divine Essence that pervades and is present everywhere. The practice of the Divine Name and loving remembrance is the secret of regaining this Inner Connection. Offer up all that you do, dedicate your life unto the Divine. This is the golden key to blessedness, fearlessness, freedom and bliss.
Do your duties with full attention. Every act is worship and Yoga if done with the correct spiritual Bhava. The tongue may always go on repeating the Divine OM silently when the body is engaged in work. Morning and evening offer your activities to God by doing Brahmarpan or Krishnarpan.
In prayer, you draw near to the Divine. Devotion develops the spiritual consciousness in the devotees. The practice of the Divine Name grants the priceless treasure of Bhakti or devotion or Divine Love. Loving remembrance of God makes mature this Bhakti and brings you face to face with God. Live for attaining God-vision.
Even though you do not find much time to spend in meditation you may repeat the Lord’s Name during the day, whatever the body may be engaged in. This is a very effective Sadhana to win the Lord’s Grace. The Divine Name is very potent. Together with the repetition of the Name there should be the attitude of surrender to the will of the Lord, knowing that everything happens by His Will and for our own good. With this inner feeling of absolute surrender to God there arises constant peace and bliss.
Remember to do three things without fail:
one: cultivate the virtues of truth, purity, selflessness, kindness, and simplicity in nature. Control anger, give up hatred or ill-feelings. Treat all as thine own.
Two: remember God at all times and repeat His Name constantly.
Three: dedicate all thy actions to God. Don’t think of any activity as worldly. Regard all that you do as sacred and make Arpan to God at every step. Let each day be a day of worshipfulness. Develop your pure emotions but keep them in wise check. Discriminate wisely.
Constantly aspire to feel His presence by calling upon Him. Repeat the Holy Name of the Lord. Constant remembrance of the Lord by the repetition of His Name and thinking of His peace, bliss and light is the surest way to contact Him and live in His immediate and comforting presence. What is wanted is a sustained and constant aspiration with a heart full of love. The Lord is sure to respond to a heart that calls in love, for He is all mercy and all compassion. Be patient and calm and His response will always come.
Side by side with daily and constant meditation you may also read inspiring books written by realised saints and sages. This will keep the aspiration intense and will inspire you. Kindly go through the books of our Divine Master.Every word of his is filled with power and the ability to transform us and lead us Godward. Introspect and remove all defects. At the same time fill the entire being with all Divine qualities.
It is only through selfless service, prayer and worship that one can attain purity of mind. Constantly remember the Lord’s Name.
Remain firm in thy adherence to the ideal of Divine Living. Never neglect the study of spiritual books daily even if it be for a short period. Spiritualise thy ordinary professional work by the Bhava of worshipfulness. Be ever cheerful. Practise kindness and charity towards souls that are less favoured by Providence. Let the Divine Name of God be ever upon thy lips. Be a fearless Messenger of Truth and a humble servant of God.
Remembrance of God is Life. Forgetfulness of God is death. The most invaluable and supreme treasure in this world is faith in God and devotion to God. A life without devotion is a dreary waste. Such a life is essenceless and useless. There is no greater treasure than the Divine Name. There is no greater wealth than Dharma or character. Dharma leads to God and in God alone you will find true happiness, peace and bliss. If you want happiness, you must attain God. There is no other way. This is the only way. This is the truth.
He who turns your mind towards God is your greatest well-wisher. He who creates in you devotion for Dharma is your true friend. Spiritual discourses and Satsangas inspire man and turn the mind towards God. A lofty service indeed to mankind.
Set apart sometime both morning and evening for prayer and repetition of God’s Name. Start the day with the thought of God. Fill the entire day with the thought of God and retire to bed with the thought of God.
Ever remain immersed in the thought of God for God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. He is in you and you are in Him. Feel this by regular worship and prayer to God.
Your only sole purpose in life is to attain God. All else is useless and worthless. Therefore, strive to attain the Supreme by leading a noble life of simplicity and purity. Take the Name of the Lord always. Let His sacred Name ever be upon your lips. His Name when sincerely taken bestows upon you all joy and blessedness.
Start this New Year feeling the Divine Presence everywhere. Constantly offer prayer to the Lord. Feel He is your very own. Turn your gaze within and enjoy the Eternal Bliss.
Please be regular in your daily meditation. Morning and evening, you should spend at least half an hour in meditation. Constantly live in the remembrance of the Lord. Let His sacred Name ever be on thy lips.
My advice to you is: Lead Divine Life. Practise Japa every day. Sing the Lord’s Name every morning and evening. Take regular morning exercises. Speak the truth. Serve the elders. Study Gita and Ramayana. Develop Bhakti. This is Divine Life. Live this noble life. You will attain God-realisation.
Kirtan purifies the mind and heart. All worldly thoughts will disappear during Sankirtan. In this Kaliyuga, the Name of the Lord is the surest remedy for all worldly ills. Please carry on your Sadhana with redoubled vigour and zeal.
You should continue to repeat the sacred Mantra, Om Namah Sivaya. This has my approval. Yes, you can combine Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. Try to do Japa of the sacred Mantra. Also write the Mantra on a separate notebook. This is called Likhit Japa. Write for half an hour daily. Observe Mouna while writing Japa. Practise Asanas and easy Pranayama to start with. Spend two hours in the early morning in spiritual Sadhana. Chalk out a Sadhana programme for daily practice.
There is infinite Shakti in the Lord’s Name. The Lord’s Name is the solution for all the troubles that have beset mankind in this modern age.
You are simple and pure. You have to strive hard to cultivate virtues. Be noble. Be simple, and plain like a child. Be honest and truthful. Do not forget to offer daily prayers—morning and evening—unto the Lord. Do Japa and observe silence for half an hour daily. You will have Divine Life.
Have reverence and faith for the Name.The glory of the Name of God cannot be established through reasoning. But it can certainly be experienced through faith, devotion and constant repetition.
Ever repeat the Name of the Lord. Feel His presence wherever you go. He is in you and you are in Him. Let all the various duties that you discharge be as one continuous prayer to the Lord.
Do all your work as a worship or as an offering unto the Lord. Repeat the Name of the Lord mentally all the time. Remembrance and worship are the potent means of drawing His grace. Whatever may be your occupation, wherever you may go or travel, constantly remember Him and offer all that you do as worship unto Him. You will soon attain Divine Grace.
Live in the awareness of God. Seek the company of saints. The company of saints will inspire you and you will be filled with noble thoughts. They help you to contact God. God is the only thing that is worth seeking in this world. Therefore, cling to his Divine Name.
Yes, You are perfectly correct in saying that the easiest way to attain Him is to remember Him always. In remembering Him you grow in love for Him. To think of the Lord is to draw His grace. In His grace there is fulfilment of the purpose of human birth.
Ever repeat the sacred Name of the Lord. The Divine Name is a powerful spiritual force which can counter and ultimately destroy all obstacles, all forces that oppose the aspirant in his inward path of meditation and prayer. The power of the Name cannot be easily realised unless one keeps deep faith in the Name of God and goes on practising it, and the method of awakening the power of the Name is through proper Bhava.
There is infinite Shakti in Ram Nam. Rama Nama is the remedy for all ills. Therefore, let the sacred Name of the Lord be ever upon your lips.
The sacred and auspicious Name of Siva may be repeated all the times of the day. There is no such restrictions that you should recite only at particular times. For a Sadhaka every moment of his life is precious. Therefore, think of the Lord Siva always besides your morning and evening sittings for Japa. Even in the midst of your work, you can repeat His Name mentally. There is no fixed rule.
The Name of the Lord is the surest remedy for all the ills of life. Not only it removes physical troubles, but also cures Bhava-Roga. Therefore, take the Name of the Lord with faith and devotion. Cling to the Divine Name. The Name of the Lord is great relief and consolation.
Verily, life is temporary, body is perishable, and death is a certainty. But God is a great Reality and while man lives he must seek the Eternal. This is life and its central purpose.
Even when the body is engaged in activities, even then your inner being must contemplate the permanent Reality. Let there be remembrance every moment. Let the Name ever be upon thy tongue. Even daily activity should be a dedication with devotion. The Divine Presence is here and now. Behold the light shining through all forms. Such a life will bring you blessedness, joy and peace.
Let the holy and sacred Name of Rama ever be upon thy lips. Do not forget God even a single moment of your life. Give your mind to God and hands to work.
Be rooted in firm faith. Make God the very centre of your life. Draw strength from prayer. His Divine Name is your support. Chant the Name of the Lord loudly in the morning and night. Let the Divine Name fill the home. May peace, prosperity and blessedness be yours.
Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Pray to the Lord daily. There is no place where God is not. He is everywhere. He is all-pervading. See Him everywhere.
Always feel that every movement of your entire being is a living prayer and adoration to the Divinity that resides within the innermost centre of your being. He is the Antaratman. He shines within us as a Divine Light. You are never away from Him even for a moment. He is ever with you. This is the truth. Japa is the method of keeping up this awareness.
Ever feel the presence of God and ever remember Him and take His Name at all times. Serve man and worship God. Fill thy home with the chant of His Divine Name.
When you do Japa concentrate upon the Mantra. Recite every Mantra clearly. When your mind is restless, you can chant the Mantra a bit loudly so that you alone could hear. When your mind is calm, then you can do Japa of this Mantra mentally. Have a fixed place and Asana. Do not change the place. Keep the place neat and clean.
Constant remembrance of the Lord comes through regular habit. Feel the presence of the Lord wherever you go. Feel His presence in every action you do during the course of the day. Make a conscious effort to remember God at all times. Associate God’s Name with the work you do daily mentally. Take God’s Name while you walk, while you sit and while you eat.
Feel that God is the inner ruler who manipulates your mind, body and sense-organs. Feel that I am only an instrument in the hands of God. Feel that God is the doer. Ever remain immersed in the thought of God. Constantly take the sacred Name of the Lord.
Have a stiff bound notebook to write Mantras. Keep the notebook where you do prayers and worship. Observe silence when you write Mantras. Do not entertain any worldly thoughts during Mantra writing. Write the sacred Mantras with Bhava.
Feel the Presence of the Lord wherever you go for God is everywhere. There is no place where He is not. He is in you and you are in Him. Feel this by regular Japa and meditation.
Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Remember the Lord always. Have a fixed period for prayers and Japa. Respect elders. Entertain guests. Serve thy neighbour. Lead an ideal life. Be an example to others.
Your goodself will find eternal happiness only in God. Trust in Him. Have faith in Him. He will give you all joy and happiness. Lead a life of simplicity and purity. Have fixed hours to practise prayer and Japa. Take His sacred Name constantly. Feel His all-pervading presence wherever you go. God is nearer than your hands and feet. He is nearer than your breath.
Take God’s Name always. Rama Nama will cure all the ills of life. Have intense faith in His Name. He and His Name are one and the same. There is no difference. Feel His presence everywhere.
Do your work as the worship of God. Feel the presence of God in your office. Have confidence in yourself. Be kind to one and all. Do not use harsh words. Respect your superior officers. Do not doubt your subordinates. God bless you.
Set apart some fixed period for Japa and meditation. Do Kirtan. Do worship of God. Give your mind to God and hands to work.
See God in every living creature and within you. Feel His presence everywhere. You will experience immense bliss, strength and indescribable joy.
Do not forget God even a single moment of your life. God is the source of strength. Remembrance of God is strength and life.
Be ever repeating the holy Name of the Lord which you like most. Start it now itself. Cultivate intense faith and love for God. Ever long for His Grace. Through regular Japa and meditation the Divine flame grows brighter and brighter.
The Lord is within you. He is seated in the heart of all beings. Whatever you see, hear, touch or feel is God. Happiness comes to him who seeks the happiness of others. Relieve the sufferings of those who are distressed as per your ability.
Always repeat the Name of the Lord. Let His sacred and holy Name ever be upon the lips of all devotees and members of your Branch. God alone is real. This life is meant to attain Him. Therefore, lead a life of simplicity and purity and attain this life’s end.
Aspire for Bliss Eternal. Strive to attain Reality. Find God everywhere.
Ever practise the presence of God. Rise up from bed with his sacred Name upon thy lips. Remember Him throughout the day during your activity. Retire to bed with His holy Name on your lips. Such a constant Smaran of the Lord will bring you all peace and happiness.
Start your Japa with right earnest and become a great Japa Yogi. Cling to the Lord’s Name. The practice of the constant repetition of the Lord’s Name is the greatest of all Yogas in this Kali Yuga. Therefore, acquire the habit of “Ananya Chintan” of the Lord. This will take you to the Lord safely.
Devotion to the Lord is regarded as a very efficacious method of attaining self-realisation. Therefore, cultivate devotion through Japa, prayer, Kirtan, study of Ramayana, Bhagavata and through service of Sadhus and His devotees.
Kindly do not worry that you are not able to visualise the form of your Ishta Devata when you do Japa. When you advance in the path you will achieve this.
Sit in front of the picture of your Ishta Devata. Look at it with a steady gaze for some time. Then close your eyes and bring the form to the mind. Repeated efforts will give you success. Withdraw the mind from worldly thoughts. Develop concentration and attention. Be patient. Take Sattvic diet. Pray. Be regular in Japa. All these will aid you to advance in the spiritual path.
(pgs. 36-53, Eternal Messages of Swami Chidananda)
Antaryamin's Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.