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Editorial At the Sadhu Vaswani Satsang, Rev. Dada, like his beloved Gurudev, ends his upadesh of the day with the unforgettable words: Brahma kripa hi kevalam Krishna kripa hi kevalam Guru kripa hi kevalam… Kevalam is the ultimate. The ultimate is that which transcends time and space. This is the quality of guru-kripa, which is equated with Brahma-kripa and Krishna-kripa. Can there be anything higher than the Guru’s grace? Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani tells us that God, in His kindness and compassion, has anticipated the drawbacks and shortcomings of humanity in this age of Kali: and therefore he has given us the simplest sadhana that we can all adopt painlessly: and that is Guru-bhakti sadhana. It is not only the easiest – but also the highest sadhana that is open for all of us. “There are four aspects of Guru-bhakti grow out of each other,” Rev. Dada tells us. “The spirit of true surrender to the Guru is born out of humility, faith and devotion. It is faith that gives the disciple absolute confidence in the Guru; it is faith which makes him repose all his trust in the Guru; it is faith that gives him the firm conviction that the Guru’s words are the highest truth. This faith and devotion find their best expression in obedience and service…” As we seek the Guru’s blessings on Guru Poornima, let us cultivate self-discipline and learn to conquer the ego through Guru-bhakti!
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(A Monthly Journal for Self-improvement, Self-knowledge, Self-realisation) Subscription Rates: Annual Subscription In India: r 50/Outside India: Airmail: $20 or £15 Snail Mail: $10 or £7.50 TO SUBSCRIBE KINDLY VISIT: www.dadavaswanisbooks.org Subscriptions may also be sent either by Money Orders or Bank Drafts payable to East and West Series, Pune. Kindly note that the cheques At Par will only be accepted. The Manager, East and West Series, 10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune - 411 001, (India) Email: eastandwestseries@sadhuvaswani.org
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Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare! Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare : Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare! Of all the mantras known and recited by Hindus, this is perhaps the most loved and the one that is most recited, sung, chanted in public and in private forms of prayer. How and why did it come to be known as the maha mantra? In the ancient scripture, Brahmanda Purana, Rishi Suta prays to sage Veda Vyasa asking him to elucidate the glories of the Hari mantra. This is the reply he gets:
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“The embodied soul who accepts this mantra will become filled with transcendence, and by accepting it, even a drunkard will attain all perfections. I will recite this mantra to you, for you are a swan-like mahabhagavata. ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.’ These sixteen names can destroy the sins of the three worlds, and nothing higher than them is to be found in all the Vedas.” A Sanskrit verse from Brhannaradiya Purana states: Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasti eva nasti eva nasti eva gatir anyatha
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which means: “In this age of Kali, there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative for spiritual progress other than the chanting of the holy name, the chanting of the holy name, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.” This great mantra is also rooted in what is called Gaudiya Vaishnavism and is traced back to the life and teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. One of his disciples tells us: “Seeing the people of the world afraid of the sins of the age of Kali and dejected at heart, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu personally gave them the Hari nama mantra and also ordered them to do loud sankirtana of this maha mantra while dancing and playing musical instruments.” The Chaitanya Bhagavata tells us: Maha Prabhu (i.e. Sri Chaitanya) ordered everyone in great joy: ‘Listen to the Krishnanama maha mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. Maha Prabhu said: “I have spoken this maha mantra. Perform japa of this according to the rules. All perfection will be attained through this. Chant this all the time – there is no other rule.” Some scholars observe that this is a simple, straightforward mantra of devotional utterance, containing no words like Om, namo, svaha, etc. which are all subject to several
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constraints and regulations. All we utter here is the Lord’s Name in its beauty, glory, divinity – and utter simplicity! We don’t need to be Sanskrit scholars; we don’t need to be renunciates and ascetics; we don’t need to perform complicated rites and rituals; even the most inarticulate amongst us cannot mispronounce the words in the mantra; all this mantra needs is to be uttered with faith and devotion and prema bhakti – loving adoration of the One Who is All Love and deserves all our love! Stephen Knapp, a western spiritual practitioner and votary of mantra japa tells us that there are several references to the maha mantra in the Upanishads and the Puranas. He mentions the following in particular: These sixteen words– Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare – are especially meant for counteracting the ill effects of the present age of quarrel and anxiety. (Kali-santarana Upanishad) All mantras and all processes for self-realisation are compressed into the Hare Krishna maha mantra. (Narada-pancaratra) Chant the holy names, chant the holy names, chant the holy names. In this age of Kali [the age of quarrel and confusion] without a doubt there is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way. (Brihan-naradiya Purana)
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In this age there is no use in meditation, sacrifice and temple worship. Simply by chanting the holy name of Krishna – Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare – one can achieve perfect self-realisation. (Vishnu Purana) The self-realisation which was achieved in the Satya millennium by meditation, in the Treta millennium by the performance of different sacrifices, and in the Dvapara millennium by worship of Lord Krishna [as the Deity in the temple], can be achieved in the age of Kali simply by chanting the holy names, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama. (Srimad Bhagavatam) Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Krishna, which is feared by fear personified. (Srimad Bhagavatam) When instructing King Parikshit, the great sage Sri Shukadeva said, “O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are selfsatisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge. What is the value of a prolonged life which is wasted,
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inexperienced by years in this world? Better a moment of full consciousness, because that gives one a start in searching after his supreme interest.” (Srimad Bhagavatam) Rama-tapaniyopanisad explains the meaning of the maha mantra as follows: “The Lord is known as Hari because He takes away the sins and three types of suffering accumulated over millions of births, of those who remember Him. The root ‘krs’ indicates the supreme attractiveness of the Lord, the suffix ‘na’ indicates the supreme joy. Thus, the name Krsna indicates the Supreme Brahman who is the acme of these two characteristics. “The yogis take pleasure in the Supreme Self which is existence, knowledge and bliss absolute. Therefore that truth, known as the Param Brahman is also called Rama.” Some people say that the current popularity of this ancient mantra which has been recited in India for a long time, is due to the fact that it was taken by Swami Bhaktivedanta Prabhupâda who gave it to his disciples of the Hare Krishna Movement, making its power and energy known to a worldwide audience. Swamiji also encouraged the constant repetition and japa of this sacred mantra, which he felt, would raise us to the level of Krishna Consciousness. Thus, the mantra actually lent its name to the worldwide Hare
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Krishna Movement, one of the modern offshoots of the Hindu faith. What can I tell you about the meaning and power of this divine mantra? I doubt if there is even one among my readers who has not recited it or thrilled to hear it recited by the devout! In any case it would be as futile to try and explain this mantra to you, as it would be to try and capture the essence of the beauty and fragrance of an Indian rose! “Five red petals, soft pollen, circular overlapping arrangement of outer petals…” Nowhere near enough to capturing the beauty of the rose, is it? So too with the Maha mantra: chant it; recite it with others; repeat it in the silence of your heart – and you will discover its power and beauty. If we were to look at this mantra, we see that it is made up of sixteen words – but there are just three words that are repeated again and again! Hare, Rama and Krishna – or, if you prefer the order in which the Krishna Consciousness devotees repeat it – Hare, Krishna and Rama. I do not need to be a scholar or a philosopher to tell you that Rama and Krishna are the Divine Names taken on by Lord Vishnu in His Seventh and Ninth incarnations: Sri Rama and Sri Krishna are perhaps closer to us than all the other incarnations. But, as Jiva Goswami, Tulsidas, Vallabhacharya and Narsi Mehta discovered, Rama and Krishna are One – the Supreme Lord of the Universe.
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What’s in a name is a question you cannot ask in this context: it is precisely because millions upon millions of devout Hindus have been uttering these names for thousands and thousands of years, that the Names of Rama and Krishna have acquired the power and energy that they now offer us: the love, devotion, longing and spiritual intensity with which our people have uttered these Names have added to their already potent power and made them vibrate with such resonance that we thrill at the very sound of their utterance, and feel elevated to a state of absolute faith and peaceful surrender! The word Hare is traced by some people to its root form ‘Haran’ which means to take away or to end. So when we chant Hare Krishna, we are asking God to take away our sorrows, sufferings and misfortunes, as well as our negative karmas, our weaknesses and shortcomings. Depending on the type of individuals we happen to be, we can ask for material abundance and worldly success through this mantra; or we can ask the Lord to give us the Ultimate Gift that he alone can give – the Gift of Liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Thus the maha mantra is actually a prayer to God for taking away all our sorrows and pains (on whichever level of consciousness we dwell) and replacing them with pure peace and bliss!
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A Unique Relationship: Guru and Disciple J. P VASWANI
From birth until death, human beings are sustained by a network of relationships: parents-children; brothers-sisters; uncles-aunts-cousins; friendsneighbours; partners-colleaguesassociates; superiors-authoritiessubordinates; buyers–sellers… the relationships form an endless link… Among them all, the GuruShishya relationship is unique. It is ordained by Divine Grace; it is born out of inner conviction and inner need; in its genuine form it is a pure, selfless, spiritual relationship which lifts human beings on to a higher plane, far
above the mundane relationships of this world. The Guru is the truly vital, living link between the aspiring soul (jivatman) and the Universal soul (Paramatman). The Guru may be in the human form, like the rest of us: but his awareness and consciousness are elevated by his sadhana to the level of God realisation. Thus he holds the key that opens the door to liberation – the door to moksha– for us. This is also the key that can unlock our true self, which is trapped in maya, in this worldly existence of ours. The key to (Continued on page 26)
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LAUGH YOUR WAY TO HEALTH
Teacher: Glenn, how do you spell ‘crocodile?’ Glenn: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L Teacher: No, that’s wrong Teacher: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it. *** Teacher: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? Donald: H I J K L M N O. Teacher: What are you talking about? Donald: Yesterday you said it’s H to O. *** Teacher: Millie, give me a sentence starting with ‘I’. Millie: I is.. Teacher: No, Millie... Always say, ‘I am.’ Teacher: All right... ‘I am the ninth letter of the alphabet. ’ *** Question: What’s the best way to make a small fortune in the stock market? Answer: Start off with a big one! ***
Mrs. Cameron, a primary teacher, was teaching her class about the difference between right and wrong. “All right children, let’s take an example,” Mrs. Cameron said. “If I were to put my hand into a man’s pocket and take his wallet with all his money, what would I be?” Little Tony raises his hand, and with a confident smile says, “You’d be his wife.” *** Physics Teacher: “Isaac Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple fell on his head and he discovered gravity. Isn’t that wonderful?” Student: “Yes sir, if he had been sitting in class looking at books like us, he wouldn’t have discovered anything.” *** The teacher of the earth science class was lecturing on map reading. After explaining about latitude, longitude, degrees and minutes the teacher asked, “Suppose I asked you to meet me for lunch at 23 degrees, 4
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minutes north latitude and 45 degrees, 15 minutes east longitude…?” After a confused silence, a voice volunteered, “I guess you’d be eating alone.” *** Teacher: “If you had one dollar and you asked your father for another, how many dollars would you have?” Vincent: “One dollar.” Teacher: “You don’t know your arithmetic.” Vincent: “You don’t know my father.” *** Sylvia: “Dad, can you write in the dark?” Dad: “I think so. What do you want me to write?” Sylvia: “Your name on this report card.” *** Mother: “Why did you get such a low mark on that test?” Junior: “Because of absence.” Mother: “You mean you were absent on the day of the test?” Junior: “No, but the kid who sits next to me was.” *** Teacher: “George Washington not only chopped down his father’s cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn’t punish him?” Louie: “Because George still had the axe in his hand.” *** Customer: Waiter, this soup tastes funny. Waiter: Funny? But then why aren’t you laughing? ***
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Customer: Waiter, there’s a fly swimming in my soup. Waiter: So what do you expect me to do, call a lifeguard? *** Customer: Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup. Waiter: That’s all right sir, he won’t drink much. *** Lady: Is this my train? Station Master: No, it belongs to the Railway Company. Lady: Don’t try to be funny. I mean to ask if I can take this train to New Delhi. Station Master: No Madam, I’m afraid it’s too heavy. *** “Mary, why did you kick your brother in the stomach?” exclaimed the angry mother. “It was pure accident, Mama. He turned around.” *** “Divide fourteen sugar cubes into three cups of coffee so that each cup has an odd number of sugar cubes in it.” “That’s easy: one, one, and twelve.” “But twelve isn’t odd!” “It’s an odd number of cubes to put in a cup of coffee…” *** “My mother really talked to the airplane pilot when we got on the plane.” “Really? What’d she talk about.” “Oh, she just told him not to go faster than sound because she and I wanted to talk a lot.” ***