Naam

Ocean of priceless jewels

Naam (God’s Holy Name) is like an ocean; service and charity are its streams. We are seeking something small, but with the help of Naam, oceans of priceless jewels await us.

Reciting Naam is a way of thanking and praising the Naami—the omnipresent, timeless Creator. It is a path to God for everybody. When you recite Naam and love God without any motives, He will cleanse your mind, there will be great light in your heart, and your whole family will be blessed. Naam will heal your mind, eliminating all negative thoughts; only positive thoughts will remain. The hidden joy and love and fearlessness within you will become manifest.

Our Body is House

Actually, it is not that God wants our praises. The effect of Nam works on us. Our body is just a house where we live. Our life is governed by our karmas—the effects on our life of our sanskars, our habitual thoughts and actions from this life and from previous births. Our karmas are like great waves that are not under our control. Naam breaks those waves.

As we recite Naam—with our tongue, with our mind, with every breath—those waves start to break up here and there. You may be worrying as usual—"What will happen?"—but as you recite Naam there is a small break in that train of thought. You feel, "It will be okay." But at this stage you are still reciting Naam only with your tongue. Your thoughts and awareness are not on Naam, and soon your mind returns to its old patterns.

As you go on reciting Naam, you will experience a little light inside, a brief moment of Samadhi (spiritual absorption). But then the mind starts running away again at great speed, and the little bit of light disappears. Then longing for God may begin to grow in you, although it is very faint at first. As you are singing or reciting Naam, you may experience a brief communion with the Naami.

Become Closer to GOD

To become closer to God, you should focus your mind on your Isht, that form of God in whom you have faith. At first, your Isht may seem just a faint image in your mind, but gradually its presence becomes a reality. Slowly that Power gives your mind confidence and you begin loving that Isht you are trying to focus your attention on. It takes a long time, but gradually you will feel the presence of your Isht within you.

Once you feel your Isht inside you, through the power of Naam, you will begin to see that your Isht is actually controlling everything outside you as well. You will see your Isht pervading everywhere and everything.

As you keep reciting Naam, whenever you begin to feel anger or greed, or ego the feeling does not last long. It moves aside. Why? Naam is washing away the dirt of your past tendencies; the Light of divine wisdom is burning up your past actions. Gradually, you cease to feel anger or greed, and you feel that you are nothing great. You become very humble.

All ignorance ceases as the light of Naam manifests fully. If you reach this stage of enlightenment through continual recitation of Naam and concentration on the Naami, you will see only God everywhere. Like God, you will feel neither enmity nor fear. You will recognize that the Naami is sustaining and controlling all life. 

Naam will make your actions bright and will give you clear inner vision, truthfulness, renunciation, the desire to help those in need, and the power to do anything, for the Power of the Naami has manifested in you.