Namasmarana: as extolled by Sri

Nisargadatta Maharaj

Compiled from the Marathi book ‘Sadgurubodh’ part 2 by Sri Dinkar

Kshirsagar.
1. The first thing to be done in order to understand the ultimate truth is to purify
your ‘prana’ which you know as your sense of ‘being’, ‘presence’ or the feeling ‘I
am’.
2. Namasmarana (constantly remembering the name of God/mantra/mahavakya
by reciting it) or meditation is used to purify the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’.
3. Since it is difficult to meditate on the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’, the practice of
Namasmarana has been recommended.
4. The Sadhaka who takes the nama/mantra/mahavakya given to him by the Guru
as a vow and constantly recites it will definitely realize the Self.
5. The Guru with his mantra uses your faith to create the form of Guru in you.
6. Constant Namasmarana is constant meditation which is constantly investigating
the Self.
7. Whatever name you may recite it is made up of the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’. No
‘prana’, no word. The name of itself created by the ‘prana’ is the ‘nama’ or the name
you recite.
8. Continue doing Namasmarana to be one with your Self. Namasmarana will
purify the prana and the mind as well.
9. For Self-knowledge the ‘prana’ or the ‘I am’ has to be worshipped with great
intensity. In this worship Namasmarana has to be done silently without using your
voice and with complete devotion.
10. By doing Namasmarana you are calling out your Self, do it with the same
desperation by which you look for food when you are hungry.
11. Namasmarana is best done by fixing your attention on the in and out going
breath, without moving your tongue and throat.
12. ‘Prana’ or the ‘I am’ is the God, contemplate on it. It is the ‘prana’ that is doing
Namasmarana or meditation. The ‘prana’ is your only capital.
13. It is easy to gain mastery over the ‘prana’, make it do a lot of Namasmarana
and then all your four speeches will get activated.
14. Namasmarana and the Guru’s command must become one. Let the ‘prana’
repeatedly remember ‘I am Brahma’. Namasmarana is used to consume the ‘prana’.
15. The Guru has given or initiated you into a ‘nama’ in order to recognize your
Self and have faith in the Self.
16. Namasmarana is used as a means to worship and please the ‘prana’. Worship it
in order to conquer your mind. This power of the ‘prana’ is quite special in you.
17. Keep doing Namasmarana earnestly. Whatever you remember the most
influences you the most. Use Namasmarana to constantly remember or abide in the
‘prana’ or the ‘I am’.
18. The speed of your success depends on the amount of faith you have in the one
who has given or initiated you into a ‘nama’ to remember your Self.
19. By giving or initiating you into a ‘nama’ the Sadguru tells you who you are.
Use the ‘prana’ to recite it, which means continuous Namasmarana.
20. The design of Namasmarana is such that the one who does it faces no
obstacles. Namasmarana or meditation is used as means to purify the mind. Only a
purified mind directly perceives theLIGHT of Brahma.
21. Constant Namasmarana purifies the word. Once the word is purified the mind
also gets purified.
22. The ‘nama’ or name given by the Guru is the name of Parabrahman.
Repeatedly calling by this name exposes the Self of the caller.
23. Say the ‘nama’ or name given to you in the mind without speaking but keep
meditating on the Self. By and by the knowledge beyond the body would get exposed
and you will realize who you are.
24. Keep doing Namasmarana with the insistence that I am the form of the ‘nama’
I am reciting.
25. It must be clear as to what are you for yourself, this is possible only when you
do Namasmarana as recommended by the saints.
26. Never stop the RINGING of the alarm of ‘nama’, make the mind or ‘prana’ say
‘I am indestructible, I am eternal’.
27. Namasmarana, meditation, concentration, bhajan all have been told for us to
develop the ability to know our Self.
28. Do not waste a moment without investigating the Self, Namasmarana purifies
the mind and brings about a change in one’s NATURE.
29. For all those who continuously meditate or do Namasmarana all difficulties and
obstacles diminish day by day.
30. The seed of ‘Chaitanya Brahma’ is sown by the Sadguru, holding on to that
‘nama’ in the mind is meditation.
31. The one who makes ‘nama’ his abode and takes up his seat there becomes free
from ‘knowingness’.
32. The mantra is given by the Guru to give a name to the Self, it is not the name of
a person. The mantra given by the Guru should be recited throughout the day.
33. The merits of the ‘nama’ you recite will get formed in your memory, only
recite the ‘nama’ given by the Guru.
34. The more you do Namasmarana, the more it will purify the body and mind and
it shall manifest in your speech, your word will be God’s word.
35. Memory and ‘prana’ must get combined, and then there is knowledge.
Namasmarana brings about this combination, but it has to be done with a great need
and love. Namasmarana is done by the ‘prana’.
36. Namasmarana should be done lesser with voice and more silently in the mind,
only then it gets transformed into ‘dhyanyoga’ or meditation.
37. In order to develop the ability to discriminate as to how and like what I am,
Namasmarana has to be done throughout the day.
38. Keep doing Namasmarana and then you will come to know how ‘nama’ goes
on automatically and effortlessly.
39. In order to destroy negative or evil thoughts continuous Namasmaran must be
done, such thoughts pollute the ‘sattwa’ quality.
40. According to my experience if Namasmarana is done in consonance with
breathing, the mind automatically calms down and the state of ‘samadhi’ ensues.
41. The Sadguru has given or initiated you into a ‘nama’ and meditation which
enable you to meet God.
42. The day the Guru gave you a ‘nama’ and told you that ‘you are not the body’
you are free from all humanness and there is no more birth for you.