orlando
05 June 2006, 12:50 PM
Namaste all.
In the thread Does Ramanama destroys bad karma? Shri TruthSeeker wrote:Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says that chanting of the Lord's name is like filling a reservoir of spiritual merit. There are no indications that the reservoir is getting full, unlike the path of Jnana Yoga( where each stage results in an increased level of perception), but when it gets full it will burst forth...yes, it burns all Karma that are accrued unintentionally. Whatever Karma is earned deliberately has to be worked out, and God is not going to provide a short cut....sorry that is very unfair.
Well,who did read Shri TruthSeeker's post should already know that he (TruthSeeker) doesn't believe in the literal (I would say direct) meaning of the sacred scriptures.
So I think that he will find useless this post.
Recite Lord's name and,in general,devotial activities destroy bad karma.
Please read Srimad Bhagavata Purana,Canto 6,chapter 11.By http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto6/chapter1.html
Dharma and Adharma: the Life of Ajāmila
(1) S'rī Parīkchit said: 'By following the path of liberation described in the beginning by your Holiness is duly to order, by means of the process of yoga and by Lord Brahmā, learnt how not to start for another life. (2) Marked by fate and indeed directed at the three modes, is one time and again caught in the material world, where there is a constant renewal of forms, o sage. (3) The hells typical for the different sorts of impiety you described as also the period of Manu, the manvantara wherein we find the original Svāyambhuva son of Brahmā. (4-5) Of Priyavrata and of Uttānapāda you described the character and the dynasties and also did you describe the different realms, regions, oceans, mountains, rivers, gardens and trees of the earthly sphere and its situation in the sense of the divisions, characteristics and measurements of all the higher and lower worlds that the Almighty created. (6) Please explain to me right now what human beings must do out here so that they may not have to undergo all the sorts of terrible conditions of veritable suffering in hell.'
(7) S'rī S'uka said: 'If within this life not the necessary counteraction, the proper atonement, after doing the wrong things in the mind, in One's words and in One's sensuality have been performed, will undoubtedly that person indeed after death end in the different types of hell of terrible suffering, which I've already described to you. (8) Therefore, before One's death and before one's body is too old and decrepit, should one out here quickly indeed endeavor to nullify One's sins with a proper estimate of its gravity, just like a physician good at diagnosing would do treating a disease.
(9) The king said: 'Since one despite from hearing and seeing about it and from knowing how harmful to the self one acts in committing sins, is not able to control falling in repetition, of what value then is atonement? (10) Sometimes ceasing with the sin, sometimes engaging in it again, I consider the process of atonement quite useless; like with an elephant covering itself with dust after coming out of the water.'
(11) The son of Vyāsa said: 'By undoing karma is indeed, from being without knowledge, not its end realized; for real atonement one really has to be through with all that. (12) Those who eat the right food are truly not overcome by all sorts of disease indeed, similarly is the one acting in orderly observance o King, more and more likely to be well. (13-14) This is done by vow and regulation [yama and niyama]; voluntary penance, celibacy, mindcontrol [in dhyana and japa e.g.] and restraint of the sensual as also by donating to good causes, truthfulness and internal and external cleanliness. By the body, the voice and by the intelligence do the sober ones in full knowledge of the actual duty of dharma with faith destroy all kinds of sin, however great and abominable, like fire does with dry leaves. (15) Some manage, in relying on nothing but unalloyed devotion towards Vāsudeva, to destroy all their badness beyond revival like the sun does with fog. (16) A man full of sin, o King is for certain not as much purified by penance and such as the devotee who surrendered his life to Krishna is in dedicated service unto the original person of God [or the ācārya]. (17) In this world is the path that is really appropriate the one that is followed by the well-behaved, fearless and auspicious, saintly people in surrender of Nārāyana. (18) Most of the atonement well performed by a nondevotee will not purify, o King, like all the rivers can't with the washing of a liquor jar. (19) Once the mind is of full surrender to the two lotusfeet of Lord Krishna, will one hankering after His qualities out here never encounter Yamarāja and his superintendents, or even in One's dreams meet his servants carrying the ropes to bind, as one indeed is then of the right atonement [compare B.G. 18:66]. (20) To this is also the example given of the very old story of the discussion between the order-carriers of Vishnu and Yamarāja. Please take notice of this from me.
(21) In the city of Kānyakubja there was some brahmin with the name of Ajāmila who as the husband of a low class woman was contaminated by the association with her services and had lost all his truthful conduct. (22) By having resorted to reprehensible exploits as arresting without need, cheating in gambling and theft, he maintained his family a most sinful way, causing trouble to others. (23) Living on this way, keeping up his family consisting of many sons, o King, passed the great amount of time of eighty-eight years of his life. (24) He, as an old man, had ten sons and the youngest of them was a small child that by the father and the mother was held very dear and addressed by the name of Nārāyana. (25) He kept the little one close at heart; to see its child-talk and its playing enjoyed the old man very much. (26) As he ate, drank and chewed did he in great affection for the child feed it and give it something to drink too, but being foolish did he not understand that his end had come. (27) Thus, living as an ignoramus, did he, when his time to die had arrived, fix his mind on the child son who carried the name of Nārāyana. (28-29) At a short distance he saw that three characters, with ropes in their hands and fearful features, twisted faces and their hairs erect on their bodies, had arrived, ready to take him away. Terrified and with tears in his eyes he loudly called for his nearby playing child with the name of Nārāyana thus. (30) Hearing the chant of the name of the Lord their master from the mouth of the dying man, o King, arrived His attendants immediately. (31) As the messengers of Yāma were snatching the husband of the maid away from within the heart, did the Vishnudūtas with resounding voices forbade it.
http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/images/bimages/ajamilacaught.jpg
In the thread Does Ramanama destroys bad karma? Shri TruthSeeker wrote:Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says that chanting of the Lord's name is like filling a reservoir of spiritual merit. There are no indications that the reservoir is getting full, unlike the path of Jnana Yoga( where each stage results in an increased level of perception), but when it gets full it will burst forth...yes, it burns all Karma that are accrued unintentionally. Whatever Karma is earned deliberately has to be worked out, and God is not going to provide a short cut....sorry that is very unfair.
Well,who did read Shri TruthSeeker's post should already know that he (TruthSeeker) doesn't believe in the literal (I would say direct) meaning of the sacred scriptures.
So I think that he will find useless this post.
Recite Lord's name and,in general,devotial activities destroy bad karma.
Please read Srimad Bhagavata Purana,Canto 6,chapter 11.By http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto6/chapter1.html
Dharma and Adharma: the Life of Ajāmila
(1) S'rī Parīkchit said: 'By following the path of liberation described in the beginning by your Holiness is duly to order, by means of the process of yoga and by Lord Brahmā, learnt how not to start for another life. (2) Marked by fate and indeed directed at the three modes, is one time and again caught in the material world, where there is a constant renewal of forms, o sage. (3) The hells typical for the different sorts of impiety you described as also the period of Manu, the manvantara wherein we find the original Svāyambhuva son of Brahmā. (4-5) Of Priyavrata and of Uttānapāda you described the character and the dynasties and also did you describe the different realms, regions, oceans, mountains, rivers, gardens and trees of the earthly sphere and its situation in the sense of the divisions, characteristics and measurements of all the higher and lower worlds that the Almighty created. (6) Please explain to me right now what human beings must do out here so that they may not have to undergo all the sorts of terrible conditions of veritable suffering in hell.'
(7) S'rī S'uka said: 'If within this life not the necessary counteraction, the proper atonement, after doing the wrong things in the mind, in One's words and in One's sensuality have been performed, will undoubtedly that person indeed after death end in the different types of hell of terrible suffering, which I've already described to you. (8) Therefore, before One's death and before one's body is too old and decrepit, should one out here quickly indeed endeavor to nullify One's sins with a proper estimate of its gravity, just like a physician good at diagnosing would do treating a disease.
(9) The king said: 'Since one despite from hearing and seeing about it and from knowing how harmful to the self one acts in committing sins, is not able to control falling in repetition, of what value then is atonement? (10) Sometimes ceasing with the sin, sometimes engaging in it again, I consider the process of atonement quite useless; like with an elephant covering itself with dust after coming out of the water.'
(11) The son of Vyāsa said: 'By undoing karma is indeed, from being without knowledge, not its end realized; for real atonement one really has to be through with all that. (12) Those who eat the right food are truly not overcome by all sorts of disease indeed, similarly is the one acting in orderly observance o King, more and more likely to be well. (13-14) This is done by vow and regulation [yama and niyama]; voluntary penance, celibacy, mindcontrol [in dhyana and japa e.g.] and restraint of the sensual as also by donating to good causes, truthfulness and internal and external cleanliness. By the body, the voice and by the intelligence do the sober ones in full knowledge of the actual duty of dharma with faith destroy all kinds of sin, however great and abominable, like fire does with dry leaves. (15) Some manage, in relying on nothing but unalloyed devotion towards Vāsudeva, to destroy all their badness beyond revival like the sun does with fog. (16) A man full of sin, o King is for certain not as much purified by penance and such as the devotee who surrendered his life to Krishna is in dedicated service unto the original person of God [or the ācārya]. (17) In this world is the path that is really appropriate the one that is followed by the well-behaved, fearless and auspicious, saintly people in surrender of Nārāyana. (18) Most of the atonement well performed by a nondevotee will not purify, o King, like all the rivers can't with the washing of a liquor jar. (19) Once the mind is of full surrender to the two lotusfeet of Lord Krishna, will one hankering after His qualities out here never encounter Yamarāja and his superintendents, or even in One's dreams meet his servants carrying the ropes to bind, as one indeed is then of the right atonement [compare B.G. 18:66]. (20) To this is also the example given of the very old story of the discussion between the order-carriers of Vishnu and Yamarāja. Please take notice of this from me.
(21) In the city of Kānyakubja there was some brahmin with the name of Ajāmila who as the husband of a low class woman was contaminated by the association with her services and had lost all his truthful conduct. (22) By having resorted to reprehensible exploits as arresting without need, cheating in gambling and theft, he maintained his family a most sinful way, causing trouble to others. (23) Living on this way, keeping up his family consisting of many sons, o King, passed the great amount of time of eighty-eight years of his life. (24) He, as an old man, had ten sons and the youngest of them was a small child that by the father and the mother was held very dear and addressed by the name of Nārāyana. (25) He kept the little one close at heart; to see its child-talk and its playing enjoyed the old man very much. (26) As he ate, drank and chewed did he in great affection for the child feed it and give it something to drink too, but being foolish did he not understand that his end had come. (27) Thus, living as an ignoramus, did he, when his time to die had arrived, fix his mind on the child son who carried the name of Nārāyana. (28-29) At a short distance he saw that three characters, with ropes in their hands and fearful features, twisted faces and their hairs erect on their bodies, had arrived, ready to take him away. Terrified and with tears in his eyes he loudly called for his nearby playing child with the name of Nārāyana thus. (30) Hearing the chant of the name of the Lord their master from the mouth of the dying man, o King, arrived His attendants immediately. (31) As the messengers of Yāma were snatching the husband of the maid away from within the heart, did the Vishnudūtas with resounding voices forbade it.
http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/images/bimages/ajamilacaught.jpg