Devotion to Guru (Bhakti) - Part 4 By Sri Sri Muralidhara swamiji

[Ravishankar.G]

Dear All,

Contd.....

The well is the family life into which we have fallen. It is verily the Guru(spiritual preceptor) who has come up to lift us out of this well of a family life. The rope that he drops for us to take hold of is verily the path of Namasankirtan (taking the Divine Name of the Lord). It has the trademark of innumerable saints who have followed this path. If the Guru says wear green or red cloth you may doubt. But, this is the path shown by innumerable Mahans (Saints).

What Path does a Sadguru show?

He shows the Path that Mahans such as Mira, Thiagaraja, Badrachala Ramdas, Azhwars, Nayanmars, the devotees of Pandaripur (Maharashtra state West of India) like Namdev, Tukkaram have all shown; and they have all taken the path as shown by the Scriptures.

A true Guru shows the path taken by such great devotees. Namasankirtanam is a very easy path. Do not think, I do not know to sing. I do not possess melodious voice. I have no knowledge of 'ragas'. Just utter 'Ra'-'Ma'. It is also verily Namasankirtan. That is all to it.

But, people are always in awe of arduous ways. This is the reason for their indifference to this easy Path. The banyan tree which is hundreds / thousands of years old. If we desire to bring it down we bring bulldozers and such big machines. With great difficulty we try to bring it down. Instead, if we get some termites to the tree they gradually multiply in crores, eat away the wood and thus bring the deep-rooted huge tree down easily.

Rama Nam is verily this termite that can easily, gradually eat away the kama, krodha, moha within you and make you pure! Yogabhyasa (Practice of Yoga), karmas, Vedanta vichara (Enquiry) are like the big bulldozer.

When the Guru gives you 'initiation' of the Divine Name, He bestows His Penance (tapas) along with it.

We may question, 'why can't I meditate on the clock on the wall or on the black dot on the wall?'

Sound has power. Food and water affect our body. Alcohol affects our body. The five elements - fire in our body digests the food that we take. If we drink contaminated water it affects the body health. If unhealthy food is eaten we suffer from food poison. All the five elements are found in our body - fire, water, earth, air and space. Space does not mean the sky seen on the outside but there is space within our body, too. There is space between the liver and another part of our body. There is space between the different parts of our body. This space is affected by the sound that is heard.

Just as unhygienic drink or food affects our system so does unhealthy sounds (in the form of vulgar songs, speeches) affect our system both physically and mentally. Just as medicines prescribed by a doctor cure us of the infection from impure water and food so do the sound of the Vedas, Divine Name of the Lord purifies the space within, which has been infected with impure sounds.

!!! Will Continue !!!
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Regards & Chant the Maha Mantra:
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
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