The Power of God's Name in Kali Yuga
Chanting God's name and immersing oneself in His stories are potent practices in Kali Yuga, offering a direct and accessible path to the Divine, guided by the heart's true intention.
From the Ramacharitmanas, I heard in the last chapter he is describing what Kali Yug is like, and it really feels like you said, there's a pro and a con. And he said the advantage over here, why people still want to be born in this realm now, is because you can just take God's name and that should help you to move forward, rather than all the tapasya they had to do in Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga and all those.
Its tricks for a long time. Even then, what are the five types of mental afflictions? To take the unreal to be real. From the Ramacharitmanas, I heard in the last chapter he was describing what Kali Yug is like, and it really feels like you said—there's a pro and a con. And he said the advantage over here, why people still want to be born in this realm now, is because you can just take God's name and that should help you to move forward, rather than all the tapasya they have to do in Treta Yuga and Dwapara Yuga and all those other ones. Here, you just really just call for God and you will be helped. Just even saying His name is enough; you don't have to do so much more than that. It feels even difficult. I was reading also, similarly, Kakbhushundi Ji told Garuda Ji, and then Kakbhushundi told Yajnavalkya. And I was just like, how did Yajnavalkya come here? Because he's supposed to be like the Mahagyani variety of gurus. I've always had a fascination for Yajnavalkya, although I knew very little about him. But apparently, he heard the Ram Katha and that brought him to the realization. So it's so beautiful. How can hearing a narrative of God, the story of God—the Katha is literally the Gatha, the story—how can that bring us to truth and freedom?
This is what I meant to convey when I wanted to talk about the company that we are keeping. Yeah. So, even to immerse ourselves in the company of God's story, in the company of—and it doesn't matter, it could be Ram Katha, Krishna Leela, the Bible—as long as we are keeping the right company, then that starts to affect us. It has to affect us. And right now, the section I'm reading, Tulsidas Ji has gone at least some twenty or thirty verses talking about how the name of the Lord is the highest. He said the name Ram can bring us insight about the Nirguna and the Saguna, you see? Therefore, the name of God must be higher than Nirguna and Saguna. He said that if you chant the name of God, then even Ram has to come. So the name of Ram has to be higher even than Ram Himself. So in his devotion, it's so sweet that he has so much joy, so much love in chanting the name of God. And he's speaking from experience.
And that is why when they say that in this Kali Yug it's so difficult to do anything, but God has given us an easy way, which is to chant His name. So whatever gets us to be with Him is worthy; whatever makes it about 'me' is not worthy. And how will we know for sure? We know in our heart. See, even if it feels like, 'But I'm not able to hear my heart and I don't know if I feel the presence,' then also we have something called the conscience, which will prevent us from making the big mistakes at least. But the moment-to-moment, it's a bit of a bigger tool, a more gross tool to use moment-to-moment. For that, you need the presence of your heart to guide you. What is our intention? To make every moment in our life about God? Are we still hiding some parts? I don't know. At least this utter silence. What's our intention?
Key Teachings
- In Kali Yuga, chanting God's name is the easiest and most effective path to spiritual progress, surpassing other arduous practices.
- Immersing oneself in God's stories (Katha) or scriptures from any tradition positively transforms the seeker.
- The name of God is considered higher than both the formless (Nirguna) and manifest (Saguna) aspects, as it can reveal both.
- The heart knows what is truly about God versus the ego, guiding one towards worthy actions and intentions.
From: Remain with God, Remain with His Light, and Allow the Movie to Play By Itself - 29th May 2024