Prev Next 2nd May, 1948
After writing to you the gist of yesterday’s discussion
about practice of meditation and desirelessness, I wanted
to give you the number of the chapter and the number of
the slokas that were quoted but could not locate them easily
in the Gita. So I thought the best thing would be to ask
Bhagavan himself. I went to the Ashram early in the
afternoon by about 2-30. Not many people were there. I
gave Bhagavan my copy of the Gita. Bhagavan was not only
pleased to point out the slokas but also once again explained
their meaning to me. While doing so some Andhras came
there in a group and sat down. One of them asked, “Swami,
what is the easiest way to attain moksha?”
Bhagavan said with a smile, “That is just what I am
explaining now. As and when the mind goes astray, it should
be turned inward and made to steady itself in the thought of
the Self. That is the only way.”
Another said, “To do so, the repeating of the name of
Rama is good, is it not?”
“Certainly it is good,” said Bhagavan. “What could be
better? The greatness of the japa (repeating) of the name of
Rama is extraordinary,” and looking at me, he said, “You
know the story of Namadeva. He is reported to have told
one devotee, ‘If you want to know the greatness of the name
of Rama you must first know what your own name is, (Own
name means one’s real nature Swarupa), who you are and
how you were born. Unless you know your own origin, you
will not know your name.’ This idea is found in the abhangas
of Namadeva written in Marathi language. Someone wrote
Adhyatma Ramayana in great detail in the Malayalam
language. It is stated in that book that when Anjaneya went
in search of Sita, he seated himself opposite to Ravana in the
Durbar Hall on a high pedestal and fearlessly spoke to him
thus: ‘Oh Ravana, I give you a teaching (upadesa) for attaining
liberation (moksha). Please listen to me carefully. It is certain
that the self (atma) gets purified by intense devotion to Hari,
who is in the lotus of the Heart at all times. The ego gets
destroyed and then the sin gets destroyed. Afterwards, in its
place, the knowledge of the transcendent Self emerges. With
a pure mind and with the Bliss (Ananda) generated by a firm
knowledge of the Self, the two letters ‘Ra’ ‘Ma’ which are like
mantras, will repeat themselves within you automatically. What
more is required for a person who has this knowledge,
however little it might be? Hence worship the lotus feet of
Vishnu, which will remove all worldly fears, which are dear
to all devotees and which shine as brightly as the light of a
crore of suns. Give up the ignorance of your mind.’ This has
been mentioned in two or three slokas in the Sanskrit Adhyatma
Ramayanam but not as elaborately as in the Malayalam text. Is
the greatness of the name of Rama ordinary?
“But one thing. The method of repeating the name (japa)
must be known. In the case of all japa it is stated ‘pranayame
viniyogaha’ which means that the breath is to be controlled
first, and then japa should be done. In other words the mind
must be controlled. Sambanda is a devotee of Siva. He
explained in a verse the way to do the Japa of Panchakshari
(five letters) of Lord Siva’s name. Its meaning is that one should
close navadwaras (the nine apertures of the human body, i.e.,
two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, mouth, anus and the organ of
generation), lock them and seal them; otherwise the mind
will run away. After sealing the nine doors, do Panchakshari
japa (repeating the five letters). If, by controlling the senses,
the mind can be controlled, i.e. submerged, that which remains
is the Self. One meditates on one’s Self and the japa becomes
one’s own Self.”
“Is that state called ‘ajapa’?” asked someone else.
Bhagavan: “That which is repeated inwardly is ‘ajapa’, but
how could the one which is repeated by the mouth be ‘ajapa’?”
Devotee: “Will it be possible for all people at all times to
do Japa like that?”
Bhagavan: “No, it will not be possible. That is why elders
have said that you should do japa for some time, sing for a
while, read, write and thus turn the mind to good deeds and
prevent it from getting into bad habits. The Gita also says
that one should stop the mind from wandering by practice
and desirelessness. Even japa is like that. The mind should
gradually be made single-pointed while performing japa. It
is to get that single-pointedness that all the other practices
have been prescribed for spiritual practice (sadhana).”
A_yas vEraGya_ya< tiÚraex>
Its (mind’s) control by practice and dispassion.
Patanjali Yoga Sutras
(c) Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai