Guest guest Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Also just Rama Nama (chanting Raama, Raama, Raama) is very powerful. Gandhi used it effectively. In his book called Prayers, there is an entire section on Rama Nama, where he describes how chanting the name cured him of many illnesses. http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Mahatma-Gandhi/dp/1893163091/sr=8-6/qid=1163251328/ref=sr_1_6/102-7187509-8819319?ie=UTF8&s=books Swami Sivanada said it consists of three bija mantras - Ra for Agni (Fire), Aa for Surya (Sun), and Ma for Chandra (Moon). In ancient Egypt Ra was considerd the Sun God and Ma of course is feminine energy, so this one combines both energies. Plus you get to say Amma's name with every chant. How much better can it get? While Rama is considered a historical personality in Indian mythology, the word is also used as a general word for God in Sikhism (you find the word Raam in many of their writings). Probably Rahim (used by Muslims) is some variation of Ram. For anyone interested in Advaita, it might help to read the Yoga Vasistha (translation by Swami Venkatesananda), which is a discourse between the Sage Vasistha and Rama. It is very sublime. An interesting story on how Kabir (the ancient poet philospher of India) got initiated into Rama Nama. He wanted to be initiated from a Guru, but wasn't sure how to get it. So he lay on the steps to the river when he knew the Guru would be going down. When the Guru stepped on him by mistake, he said Raama, Raama, and Kabir took this as his initiation. Rama Nama is simple, yet powerful and effective. Of course the usual disclaimer holds - it may not work for everybody. What makes a mantra effective is not the mantra in itself but the belief in it that the chanter bring to the chanting. Then any mantra can work equally effectively. That is why ultimately it might be best to use the mantra given by Amma, because we have the most belief in that. It's really all about belief. Labd Ammachi, nierika wrote: > > > > > Dear wakkamann ~ thank you so much for sharing this. The other healing > mantra I have used is the gayatri mantra, but, ever since seeing parts of the > made-for-Indian-tv series videos about the Ramayana, I have loved Ram, and so > this mantra is a great gift. I am going to try it out, and pray that it eases > even a bit of my pain, if not all, whatever (S)He Wills. In my case, my pain > seems to keep ratcheting up another notch or two about every 3 or 4 months. So > where I was going from (on a scale of 1 to 10) between a 4 and a 7, now it is > between 4/5 and 8/9 with the periods of relief, when the pain meds work, > getting shorter. Do you recommend saying this mantra as a mala? I might have to > do that at first because it is a bit long. After I have learned it, I could > use it for meditation. Is this mantra used in this way? Also, do you know of > any CDs that have this mantra sung? Blessings ~ Linda > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 11, 2006 Report Share Posted November 11, 2006 Just for completeness, I wanted to add more tidbits on Ramanama. Both saints Tyagaraja in Southern India and Tulsidas also used Ramanama. One of them (not sure which one) explained that RA is the kernel of the mantra Om Namo NaRAyanana, and MA is the kernel of Om NaMA Sivaya, so Rama combines both mantras in one. In addition, in the Vishnu Sahasranama (the thousand names of Vishnu), it is mentioned that Sahasranama Tatulyam Rama Nama Varanane (Chanting the name of Rama is equivalent to chanting the thousand names of Vishnu). The Mahamantra, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare of course invokes both Rama and Krishna (although the Hare Krishna people claim that the Rama here refers to Balarama, the brother of Krishna, not Lord Rama). Eknath Easwaran in his book The Mantram Handbook mentions that Rama is the kernel of the Hare Rama mahamantra: http://www.amazon.com/Mantram-Handbook-4-Ed/dp/0915132982/sr=8-2/qid=1163253597/ref=sr_1_2/102-7187509-8819319?ie=UTF8&s=books Also, Gandhi in his autobiography made it very clear that for him the word Rama referred not to Lord Rama, the personality, but rather to the Self (Brahman, Consciousness, God, whatever we want to call it) itself. Rama in Sanskrit means Joy, so the mantra can bring joy to the chanter. Easwaran in his book mentions that chanting it can also bring Rama Rajya (meaning the rule of Rama - considered to be a Golden Time in Indian history) to the world, freeing it of strife and conflict. Like most mantras, this one is like a bottomless pit. The more you chant it, the more you see its power in your life, and the more you realize how little you know about it and how infinite it is. Kind of like Ammachi herself. Labd Ammachi, "labd2929" <labd2929 wrote: > > Also just Rama Nama (chanting Raama, Raama, Raama) is very powerful. > Gandhi used it effectively. In his book called Prayers, there is an > entire section on Rama Nama, where he describes how chanting the name > cured him of many illnesses. > > http://www.amazon.com/Prayer-Mahatma-Gandhi/dp/1893163091/sr=8-6/qid=1163251328/ref=sr_1_6/102-7187509-8819319?ie=UTF8&s=books > > Swami Sivanada said it consists of three bija mantras - Ra for Agni > (Fire), Aa for Surya (Sun), and Ma for Chandra (Moon). In ancient > Egypt Ra was considerd the Sun God and Ma of course is feminine > energy, so this one combines both energies. Plus you get to say > Amma's name with every chant. How much better can it get? > > While Rama is considered a historical personality in Indian > mythology, the word is also used as a general word for God in Sikhism > (you find the word Raam in many of their writings). Probably Rahim > (used by Muslims) is some variation of Ram. > > For anyone interested in Advaita, it might help to read the Yoga > Vasistha (translation by Swami Venkatesananda), which is a discourse > between the Sage Vasistha and Rama. It is very sublime. > > An interesting story on how Kabir (the ancient poet philospher of > India) got initiated into Rama Nama. He wanted to be initiated from a > Guru, but wasn't sure how to get it. So he lay on the steps to the > river when he knew the Guru would be going down. When the Guru > stepped on him by mistake, he said Raama, Raama, and Kabir took this > as his initiation. > > Rama Nama is simple, yet powerful and effective. Of course the usual > disclaimer holds - it may not work for everybody. What makes a mantra > effective is not the mantra in itself but the belief in it that the > chanter bring to the chanting. Then any mantra can work equally > effectively. That is why ultimately it might be best to use the > mantra given by Amma, because we have the most belief in that. It's > really all about belief. > > Labd > > > > Ammachi, nierika@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Dear wakkamann ~ thank you so much for sharing this. The other healing > > mantra I have used is the gayatri mantra, but, ever since seeing > parts of the > > made-for-Indian-tv series videos about the Ramayana, I have loved > Ram, and so > > this mantra is a great gift. I am going to try it out, and pray that > it eases > > even a bit of my pain, if not all, whatever (S)He Wills. In my case, > my pain > > seems to keep ratcheting up another notch or two about every 3 or 4 > months. So > > where I was going from (on a scale of 1 to 10) between a 4 and a 7, > now it is > > between 4/5 and 8/9 with the periods of relief, when the pain meds > work, > > getting shorter. Do you recommend saying this mantra as a mala? I > might have to > > do that at first because it is a bit long. After I have learned it, > I could > > use it for meditation. Is this mantra used in this way? Also, do > you know of > > any CDs that have this mantra sung? Blessings ~ Linda > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.