Swami Shivapadananda on Japa (repetition of God’s name)

SWAMI SHIVAPADANANDA

DAILY READINGS

Taken from Mother Radha’s
notes, written at Swamiji’s feet.

Day 63 

When doing japa [repetition of God’s name or a mantra] one hand is at
the heart the other above that. If the fingers are open your japa comes to
naught because the prana [universal energy/life-force] escapes and it does not do you good.

When doing
sadhana [spiritual practice] first worship the guru, then worship the Deity.
First repeat the guru mantras, then the pranam mantras. Master [Sri
Ramakrishna] is your guru so do that first.

If you meditate in the heart or on
top of the head the guru faces outwards. If you meditate on the throat or the
third eye [above and between the eyebrows on the forehead] the Deity faces
inward – i.e. the Deity faces you.

You must make the Deity living, or you must get drunk with the mood of
your Deity. This external murthi [form, picture or sculpture] is representative of that
guru – Sri Ramakrishna.

You make yourself tired by thinking you are tired.

Samadhi [superconsciousness] in union with the Self is nirvikalpa
[without form] samadhi. Samadhi in union with the Deity is savikalpa [with
form] samadhi.

When you say “Ramakrishna” say it with respect; feel the personality.
There must be devotion. Real devotees get gooseberries [goose bumps – Swamiji’s humourous term for them] when they
take the Master’s name like that. Their whole face changes.

Learn the shanti [peace] mantras. You can reach great heights just by
repeating them. Spiritual obstacles are only to test your strength – then you
go higher and higher. Feel your lineage of the great Rishis [teachers,
masters, seers]. They realized God and so will you. Feel this.

Posted by Clive Simpkins