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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00015 Apr 2002

 
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Respected Ramanuja Bhaktas,

The ability to have free control over our mind and intellect, and the
ability to put our thoughts into practical action is a great gift to
humanity, one that sets us apart from all other creatures in this world.

Sadly, the nature of present day life has conditioned human beings to
limit our use of this magnificent gift. Our interests today are mundane
and immediate. I have a house with a 2-car garage, but feel that a
house with a 4-car garage would be better. So, I strive for that.

The Upanishads, particularly, the Taittiriya Upanishad tells of the
great advancements that an individual can make if one conditions his/her
mind and thoughts towards great things. This conditioning process
involves contemplation on the meaning and power of certain specific
mantras.

For example, if a person wants to achieve tremendous power, the
Upanishad suggests that one meditate on the word "Brahma." If we wish
to achieve invincability, then we should meditate on "Prathishta:ha."
There are many, many other examples. But, each limits us only to that
one specific achievement.

But, to know the purpose of life is to achieve everything. For this,
there is one simple word that we need, a word that we are all familiar
with, "Namaha".

Namaha is used in so many different ways throughout the day. When we
greet each other, we Indians traditionally use forms of this word -
"Namaste:", "Namask:aram", "Namaska:r." When we go to the temple to
perform archana, the priest recites it for us 108 times with each name
of the deity that is being worshipped - "Ke:sava:ya Namaha",
"Na:rayana:ya Namah," "Ma:dhava:ya Namaha" and so on. Of course, in
this day and age, the priest, sensing our need to complete the ritual so
that we can go home quickly, and perhaps also out of his own unawareness
of the importance of this word, simply recites as fast as he can,
generally slurring the words so much that we can hardly recognize what
the Upanishads say is the most important word in the recitation.

Meditating on Namaha leads us to what is really necessary in order for
the betterment of ourselves and the betterment of this world. It is
what we should strive to cultivate in our life, it is our life's true
purpose. And in Sanksrit and Telugu, it is defined by just two words,
"vinayam" and "vidhe:yata".

Vinayam means polite conduct, modesty, and humility. Vidhe:yata means
an obedience to what one ought to do; it is virtue guided by good
principles.

Humanity should cultivate these good qualities and put them into
practice, because having these firmly established in our mind and heart
will naturally blossom into respect for our elders, respect for our
sa:stras, respect for our Teachers, integrity, dignity, pure love for
God, and compassion for our fellow living beings. This refined approach
to life is what we must all constantly strive towards.

So, does merely blindly chanting, Namaha and saying Namaste: to everyone
move us towards this goal? No. We need to recite this wonderful mantra
with a proper understanding of its deeper meaning.

For this, we must require some patience, as this subject will be
addressed in HH Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamy's next Telugu discourse at the
end of April.

Jai Sriman Na:ra:yana!

Azhwa:r Emperuma:na:r Jeeyar Thirvadigale: Saranam

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
mohan





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