Krishnam Vande Jagatgurum: 2013

Answers and Beyond - HH Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamigal

1. God, Devas (Celestial Beings), other realms, rebirth, sins, merits (punya) - are all these true? Answer - Yes, they are very much true

2. If that's the case, why are they not perceived by all? Answer - They are not perceived by all because not everybody posesses the caliber to do so.

3. What special caliber/attribute is required to perceive these? Answer - The only caliber/attribute that is required is devotion (Bhakthi) or Wisdom (Jnana). Devotion and Wisdom are "one" and the "same".

Read more from the book "Answers and Beyond", compilation of answers given by our Guru Maharaj to various questions by all kinds of people, the original compilation in Tamil is titled "Iniyavai Nooru" and has been translated in English by Bhagyaji. Radhe Radhe

Bhakthi is Namakeerthanam and Namakeerthanam is Bhakthi!

By HH Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamigal - The way to get "eternal happiness" in a simple way is bhagavannamakeerthanam.

This greatness of the namakeerthanam is what azhwar keeps telling in the tirumalai. Whatever be the type of jeevan, even if he is dirty and had several sins, what is the greatness with the namakeerthanam is that it will cleanse him, give him kripa and also grant him moksha. You dont have to search for methods to cleanse yourself, remove your sins and attaining mukthi. Namakeerthanam is to cleanse your mind as well as to attain Mukthi. One is very thirsty and desiring for water and say if this is not given to him, he will lose his life and just to preserve his life and breathing he needs water. But with he same water when he returns from outside back to his home, he cleans himself with the same water. He takes a bowl of water, washes his legs, washes his hands, washes his face, washes his eyes, washes his mouth and then drinks the same water also and says "appada!" and gets back his life again. Will we say that the water is different for the one he used fir washing his hands and legs and the other he drank. Both are essentially water.

What water purified him was also gave him life.

=== "Likewise the namakeerthanam purifies yourself as well gives you mukthi" ====

Whether you do Dhyana Yogam, Karma Yogam, Gnana Yogam its fine but namakeerthanam is MANDATORY. Do Namakeerthanam. Radhe Radhe!

As chanting nama constantly does its work of inner transformation in a subtle way, we sometimes may wonder as to why we are feeling the gratitude come within us spontaneously for all we have been given and often ponder over the nature around us as to why everything seems to be going on about its work nicely without any intervention whether we are part of it or not. These come as blessed and peaceful thoughts. The very basic instincts surface in us as our thoughts and actions being purified by nama start to become childlike and we would feel the same wonder a child feels about when he is moving about. You may notice this also when you see that little children look to you with their usual happy and peaceful smile. Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare. Radhe Radhe ~ Anand

'How can you know in which direction you are going? Why don't you do what the first-class railway passenger does? He tells the guard his destination, locks the doors and goes to sleep. The rest is done by the guard. If you could trust your Guru as much as you trust the railway guard, it would be quite enough to make you reach your destination. Your business is to shut the door and window and sleep. The guard will wake you up at your destination.'

In one of Guruji's Veedu Thedi Varugiran Vittalan Episodes, had an interesting revelation, for a thought I was pondering for a long time - which one is better listening to Nama or chanting Nama. Guruji says, chanting gives you twice the benefit. You chant with your mouth and listen to it as well with your own ears, 2 times the benefit. its thats simple, really. Radhe Radhe ~ Anand