The usefulness, method and action of Nama-Japa. The Role of Nama-Japa in the Yoga of Transformation. Translated from the original Oriya book.
It has been said before that at the beginning of sadhana of Sri Aurobindo’s integral yoga, one can always repeat The Mother’s name, Ma, with the help of the tongue. By this, it becomes very easy for the sadhak to aspire and surrender his whole being at the feet of The Mother. The sadhak can recognize the inner resistances of his own being and the obstacles and disguised forms of attacks of the adverse forces, and he surrenders them at the feet of The Mother. So the sadhak should repeat The Mother’s name consciously, constantly, carefully and sincerely. He should not stop Nama-Japa for a moment.
One should do Nama-Japa until one goes to sleep and also immediately after getting up in the morning. One has to do Nama-Japa constantly at all times, when you wash your face, clean your teeth, go to the bathroom, take bath, wash you clothes, when you eat, drink or talk with others. For this, one has to remain always careful, conscious and firmly determined. One has to remain alert before washing one’s mouth, at that time the tongue cannot do Japa, so one has to do it silently in the mind. One has to be conscious not to stop Nama-Japa until the moment when one drinks some water or takes some food. At the time of drinking water or taking food, one will not be able to repeat The Mother’s name with the help of the lips and tongue,
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but Nama-Japa will still continue. One will also have to remain conscious before talking to anybody. When one listens to others, one has to continue Nama-Japa. If one has to say anything, speak only what is necessary. As soon as one stops talking one has to start again doing Nama-Japa. Only through Nama-Japa can the sadhaks of all levels be conscious right from the beginning of sadhana. A sadhak doing Nama-Japa constantly with the help of the tongue, with aspiration, can save himself from the clutch of the most powerful and invincible enemy – mechanical thoughts. Nama-Japa should be done constantly. Japa is very essential in all types of yogas and has been given a very high place in all types of sadhana. But in the integral yoga of Sri Aurobindo, no other process of sadhana can help you except Nama-Japa of Ma, aspiration and surrender; because in this yoga The Mother is the sadhak and the sadhana. The transformation of the sadhak’s mind, vital and body into Light and Truth is entirely impossible without The Mother’s Power. The clear proof for this is that up till now, the mind, vital and body of a sadhak have not been transformed into Divine Truth and Light by any yoga or any sadhana, nor has a sadhak become completely free from death, disease and old age. The ignorance, falsehood and wrong doings which exist in the world are still gradually increasing, but when the mind, vital and body of the sadhaks will be transformed, then falsehood, injustice and wrong doings will disappear from the world. This death-bound world will turn into celestial Heaven.
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Sri Aurobindo has said: “As a rule the only mantra used in this sadhana is that of the Mother or of my name and the Mother’s.”
The Mother has said: “Only Japa has a direct action on the body.” Mother has also said that by Japa only, She has done ten years of sadhana in a few months.
The meaning of mantra is: The key of sadhana, the realization in sadhana, or the realization of the Istha (form of ones chosen Deity) in its outer form through sadhana.
Through the repetition of a particular name, the sadhak can realize the living form of the God whom he worships. For this reason the Ishta (form) and the name are inseparable. One can certainly realize the Istha by Nama-Japa. In the outside world also, the name and form are inseparable. For example, if a warrant is issued in the name of a particular person, even without having seen him or without recognizing him, the person is compelled to appear. If one calls a person by his name even if one does not know him, the person is bound to respond. So also, in certain mantra-rituals, the God whose name is repeated, appears there.
In this yoga, transformation will be done by the Supramental - Mother’s Force. The Supreme Shakti is one and the same Truth. From the point of view of sadhana, the presence of The Mother is absolutely necessary from the beginning of sadhana. By doing Ma-Nama-Japa, The Mother’s Power will descend into the sadhak and start the
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work of transformation. The action of transformation itself is the presence of The Mother. When the work of transformation starts, the Psychic Being will awaken more and more, surrender will increase and aspiration will become intense. From this point of view, The Mother’s Nama-Japa is very essential and useful in sadhana.
By the Japa of Ma, the arduous path of transformation becomes easy. But there is another reason why this difficult sadhana becomes easy by Nama-Japa:
It has been stated in the sciptures, that the Sanskrit letter म (Ma) itself is chandra-bija. Chandram (the moon) contains amrita (nectar). It is the symbol of coolness, peace and ananda (bliss). If one repeats this letter, peace, ananda and devotion get established in the adhara (mind, vital, body) of the sadhak. All these enemies which are obstacles in the sadhak's life, such as depression, greed, attachment, lust and anger, cannot easily become active. The sadhak gets encouragement, happiness and interest in sadhana. Obstacles become comparatively less; and as the sadhak's adhara becomes purified, the Divine Power descends into his mind, vital and body and starts the work of transformation.
If one adds the Sanskrit letter अ(a) to the letter म (Ma) then it becomes मा (Ma); अ (a) itself is agni-bija (like fire). Since the letter अ of the word मा (Ma) has come from the agni-bija, by the Nama-Japa of Ma, the sadhak's Sanchita (the results of actions from previous lives), Kriymana (the results of actions from this life), Prarabdha (the present destiny), all these results of our unfavorable
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actions will be burnt away. When results of wrong actions done by the sadhak in life after life from the beginning of the world get destroyed and the Psychic Being awakens, then the veil of ignorance, attachment and illusion is lifted from the mind, vital and body. The intellect becomes clear and pure by the influence of the Psychic Being. The sadhak can then recognize the disguised forms of the adverse forces which attract him and try to lure him away from the path of sadhana.
Along with the constant repetition of Ma-Nama-Japa, one should keep some regular fixed time for meditation. If at the time of meditation one’s consciousness enters deep inside the heart, then the Divine Shakti starts working; at that time if the sadhak does not feel The Mother’s working along with the Ma-Nama-Japa at the place where the Divine Shakti is working or at the place where the sadhak is concentrating, then one can stop Japa for some time. If The Mother’s name is repeated at the place where the Divine Shakti is working, then the Divine Power can work quickly and no thoughts will be able to come.
Mother and Sri Aurobindo have written in various books about meditation in Sri Aurobindo’s integral yoga which is either above the head, or between the two eyebrows (Ajna-Chakra), or in the heart center. But it has been said that meditation above the head or in the heart center is more beneficial. If one meditates above the head,
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the sadhak’s consciousness opens and rises higher and higher. Then Peace, Power, Light, Knowledge and Ananda, all these Powers of The Mother, descend into the adhara (mind, vital, body of the sadhak) and the Divine Shakti starts the work of transformation in the adhara.
If one meditates in the heart center the Psychic Being awakens and prepares mind, vital and body and the whole being for the descent of the Divine Power, and it aspires for the surrender of the whole being at the feet of The Mother. The Psychic Being guides the sadhak to take the straight path towards the goal. For this reason it is essential to meditate in the heart.
In the book Questions and Answers, The Mother has stated about meditation:
“Concentrate in the heart. Enter into it; go within and deep and far, as far as you can. Gather all the strings of your consciousness that are spread abroad, roll them up and take a plunge and sink down.”
“A fire is burning there, in the deep quietude of the heart. It is the divinity in you – your true being. Hear its voice, follow its dictates.”32
There are other centers of concentration; for example, one above the crown of the head and another between the eye-brows. Each has its own utility and will give you a particular result. But the Central Being lies in the heart which is the source of all central movements, all the impulses and actions of transformation.
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If one cannot meditate according to the above method,
then in the initial stage of meditation one can look with open eyes at a photograph of The Mother or a combined photo of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo; after some time close your eyes and try to see the photo with closed eyes. If you can see it clearly after closing your eyes, then imagine this picture in the heart, and imagine yourself sitting in front of it. Try to concentrate on it, and also be determined to go deeper. If you cannot go deeper, then remain there. If many thoughts come, do not allow them to enter inside, but keep them out. Do so for 5 minutes. If you can concentrate in this way easily, then you can try to meditate for a longer time. If thoughts come, along with the meditation on The Mother’s photo, repeat Nama-Japa very quickly with the tongue. If you do this no thoughts will come. If you practice sincerely, then concentration will automatically come. At that time The Mother’s photo will not remain, then the Divine Power such as Peace, Ananda and Knowledge will descend from above and the consciousness will come out of the heart and go to any limb or any other place in the body or act in any particular way as it likes. The sadhak should not obstruct it in the least in its action, but should allow it to work there with full consent and determination. Try not to create any obstacles in its movements. This is the work of transformation of the Divine Power. In this yoga, the descent of the Divine Power and the work of transformation cannot be done by meditation only. It has been said previously that the key and foundation of this yoga are surrender and aspiration. By repeating The Mother’s name Ma, aspiration and surrender become easy, and the mind, vital and body slowly become pure. Then the Psychic Being awakens. When it awakens, it aspires. By its aspiration, the Divine
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Shakti descends from above and begins the work of transformation in the being of the sadhak. In the initial stage, the work of transformation of the Divine Shakti is slow. At that time, thoughts from without enter the mind and obstruct the work of transformation of the Divine Power. Without being identified with the thoughts, if the sadhak at that time repeats The Mother’s name, Ma, silently without moving the lips or tongue along with the action of the Divine Shakti wherever it is working, then the thoughts will not disturb the sadhak and the work of the Divine Shakti will be more intense.
Mother has said: “I have also come to realize that for this sadhana of the body, the Mantra is essential … because only Japa has a direct action on the body.”
Question: But for us who want an integral realization, are all these mantras and this daily Japa really a help, or do they shut us in?
The Mother’s answer:
“It gives discipline. It’s an almost subconscious discipline of the character more than of thought.”
“Especially at the beginning, Sri Aurobindo used to shatter to pieces all moral ideas (you know, as in the Aphorisms for example). He shattered all those things, he shattered them, really shattered them to pieces. So there’s a whole group of youngsters here who were brought up with this idea that ‘we can do whatever we want, it doesn’t matter in the least!’ – that they need not bother
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about all those concepts of ordinary morality. I’ve had a hard time making them understand that this morality can be abandoned only for a higher one … So, one has to be careful not to give them the Power to soon.
“It’s an almost physical discipline. Moreover, I have seen that the japa has an organizing effect on the subconscient, on the inconscient, on matter, on the body’s cells – it takes time, but by persistently repeating it, in the long run it has an effect. It is the same principle as doing daily exercises on the piano, for example. You keep mechanically repeating them, and in the end your hands are filled with consciousness – it fills the body with consciousness.”33
“The Mother and Sri Aurobindo are my refuge.”34
“To the most stubborn goes the victory. When I started my Japa one year ago, I had to struggle with every possible difficulty, every contradiction, prejudice and opposition that fills the air. And even when this poor body began walking back and forth for Japa, it used to knock against things, it would start breathing all wrong, coughing, it was attacked from all sides until one day I caught the enemy and said, ‘Listen carefully, you can do whatever you want, but I’m going right to the end and nothing will stop me, even if I have to repeat this Mantra ten crore times.’ The result was really miraculous, like a cloud of bats flying up into the light all at once. From that moment on, things started going
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better.”35
(one crore = 10 millions)
The Mother has given foremost place to Nama-Japa in the yoga of transformation. She said that for the transformation of the body surrender and aspiration are not adequate: …”that the purely psychological method is inadequate and that a Japa is necessary, because only Japa has a direct action on the body…I have done ten years of work in a few months.”36
Again The Mother has said:
“In fact you can immediately see the difference between those who have a mantra and those who don’t. With those who have no mantra, even if they have a strong habit of meditation or concentration, something around them remains hazy and vague. Whereas the Japa imparts to those who practice it a kind of precision, a kind of solidity, an armature, they become galvanized as it were.”37
“I have seen that the Japa has an organizing effect on the sub-conscient, on the inconscient, on matter, on the body’s cells – it takes time, but by persistently repeating it, in the long run it has an effect. It is the same
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principle as doing daily exercises on the piano, for example. You keep mechanically repeating them, and in the end your hands are filled with consciousness – it fills the body with consciousness.”38
From the words of The Mother it is understood that She has given the most important and foremost place to Nama-Japa for the transformation of the body because by Nama-Japa a sadhak can easily remain always conscious, and the difficult surrender and aspiration become possible with little effort; concentration comes automatically, and with little effort and will, the sadhak can be free from the difficult, unavoidable mechanical thoughts. By the power of Nama-Japa the sadhak can happily advance with enthusiasm and interest on the path towards the realization of his goal, secure against all obstacles, difficulties, dangers, sorrow and pain, mental depression, etc. and attacks of the adverse forces. Therefore it is absolutely necessary for us to do Nama-Japa constantly.
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