Disc 136 Track 1. Swamiji gives comprehensive advice on Japa – repeating a mantra or one of many names attributed to God.

A japa mala [rosary] for repeating a mantra, sacred word, sound syllable, or one of the many names attributed to God.

To listen to Swamiji speaking, please fully open this post and then click HERE.

Says Swamiji: Having a human body, what is the use of it, if you haven’t got a correct mind? What is the use of having a mind that is thinking of everything else [except God]? But if God made me crippled but He gave me a good mind that made me think about Him, then I think my human birth is blessed. 

The human body is so that I can do karma yoga [selfless work or service]. So I’ll achieve by doing karma yoga and also being within – Mano yoga. With the mind I will think about God. Tulsidas bhagavan effectively says that in the Kali Yuga people will blame everyone and everything except themselves. Even regarding japa [repetition of a mantra, sacred sound syllable or one of the many names attributed to God] he’s made it so easy. Saying that if you can’t do the full [round of 108 beads on the mala] then at least do half of that [54]. He brought it down to the easiest level for us. 

Swamiji says that looking at Tulsidas’ life itself, we’ll get great encouragement. Nobody’s asking us to sit down from morning to evening and do japa. Tulsidas says that whether sitting or standing, if even for one second, we sincerely think about God, God will liberate us. 

The same thing you have in the Muslim religion. First, they had to pray many times a day. Then they went to God and said, this is too much – Swamiji says, ‘It’s written there.’ So God cut it down. Make it 30 times a day. No, that, too, is too much. So God cut it again and made it five times a day. And that too, we will complain about! But the Muslim devotee has to pray at least five times a day.

Our Rishis and Munis [Saints and Sages] said that this Kali Yuga we are so busy earning bread, so they said, ‘Make it twice.’ Morning and evening. Even that too, we’re finding it difficult. So the yogis made it so easy for us, they said, then even only when you eat, think of God. You know why? They know that you won’t stop eating. That’s why at eating time we say the food prayer. What gracious, compassionate people these must be, to reduce it down to just taking God’s name when you’re eating. And yet we’ve got no sense of responsibility, and we do not appreciate such a valuable gift, given to us by God Himself.

Then Tulsidas asks, ‘Who do you blame?’ Are you going to blame God? Says Swamiji: I know that many houses do puja [ritual worship and prayers] and when nothing comes right, they become Christians. Then they become Muslims. A fellow told me that someone became a Christian and then died. I said ‘Good!’ He asked why do you say ‘good’? I said, [jokingly] better a Christian should die than a Hindu should die! [Devotes enjoy the humour.] Swamiji says: It’s by way of a joke you see, but you have to bring out this thing to them. You must have tremendous faith in your Deity.

Swamiji talks about the many new supposed ‘Gurus’ advising all sorts of methods for ‘seeing God.’ These are ‘new’ [quick fix] methods. The old method is tested. I’m not running down any methods says Swamiji, but the old method is tested and testified to, by many a saint. Therefore, the old method is the best method. So if you can’t think about God all day [while engaged in your daily duties] at least follow your prayer at home, even for one second.

Swamiji chants a verse from the Ramayana. It says here, Without satsang, it is said in the Ramayana, you will not get discrimination [viveka] Discrimination meaning that you cannot make out what is right and what is wrong. What is permanent and what is impermanent. This satsang is the fruit and all other sadhanas [spiritual practises] that we do, they say, is only the flower [the precursor to the fruit]. It means there will be time involved. From the bud, which must open, and then fully flower, and then naturally it must fall – somebody mustn’t pluck it – because if you do, no fruit will come. It has to fall automatically and naturally. 

Swamiji concludes by saying that you can do as much satsang as you like, but if you listen to the words of the chant, not once was grace mentioned. And if God’s grace is not there, the mind is going to run its own race. 

The free-to-read or download, 396 page Flipbook version of Swamiji’s biography is available by clicking HERE. If you’d prefer the PDF version, please click HERE.

These recordings or the excerpts from them, were made from the early 1970s onward, by Mother Radha, a close devotee of Swamiji’s and edited for uploading here by our gurubhai and her son, Brother Tim. Please be mindful that what Swamiji was saying may have been specific to an individual or a group of people with him, at the time.