Questions:Can one attain self-realization in this birth itself just by chanting the mahamantra?

Human mind is never still.  Like the flowing water it moves steadily and endlessly from one thought to another. 

The mouth likes to talk, the tongue craves to taste, the eyes long to see, the legs desire to move.  Every sense organ looks outward to seek pleasure.



--- SRI SRI MURALIDHARA SWAMIJI
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Can one attain self-realization in this birth itself just by chanting the mahamantra? How should the Mahamantra be chanted so that realization happens?

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

Chanting the Maha Mantra for attaining liberation is not a process.

We believe in the soul, life after death, sins, karma, punya, other lokas (worlds), re-birth, liberation and similar concepts. Why? Because it has been prescribed in the Shastras. Why do we believe in the Shastras (Scriptures)? Because that is verily God's mouthpiece Hence anything prescribed in the Shastras, should be taken as the eternal law and the final verdict, without questioning it any further.

One should not apply his intellect here.

Let me give you this illustration. A beggar comes to our door and begs for alms. What do we do? Do we care about his pitch and intonation or the number of times he calls out? No. If we are merciful enough and are in a position to help, we provide alms. That is all. Is it not?

In exactly the same way, by chanting the Mahamantra, we declare our incapacity to overcome this ignorance called 'Maya' by our own efforts and condescendingly beseech Him for His divine grace and help.

The Lord Almighty is an infinite ocean of love and mercy. After you are done with enjoying the fruits of your karma according to your 'prarabdha', in your deathbed, He will give you Jnana (Wisdom) and Vairagya (dispassion) in a fraction of a second and liberate you, just as Bhagavan Ramana liberated his own mother and the cow Lakshmi.
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How do I protect myself from the "Aimpula kallvar" ?( meaning the five senses)

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

It is very easy to protect the house from the "five senses". All you need to do is keep a vigilant watchman or a ferocious dog and that is nothing but the divine names of the Lord.
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Can you kindly tell me what characteristics should a Sadguru's sincere disciple possess?

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

A sincere disciple will have an unshakable love for his Master. Apart from this unique quality, he should possess all the other virtues of any disciple.
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When one hears many disheartening stories and sees such things, one's faith in the Divine naturally breaks and disappears. How come in India and in the world despite so many horrors there are people who have firm faith in God and in the spiritual path ? How can I also get that type of faith and love in my heart ?

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

This is verily a standing example for the fact that faith in God also comes by only by His grace. In Thiruvachagam, Sri Manickavachagar beautifully puts it as 'avan arulAlE avan thAL vaNangi' which means, 'we bow down to Him by His grace'.
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Of late we hear a lot of predictions for year 2012. A few predict a great catastrophe and UN has also predicted problems owing to rise in sea water levels in cities like Chennai, Calcutta etc. Are all these true?

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

Certainly not! Starting 2012, the world will see quite a few changes towards the positive:

1. India will soon become a super power
2. Uranium supplies in India will continue to grow and India shall supply it to the world
3. As it used to be earlier, India will again become the spiritual playground of Mahans.
4. India will lead the world because of its spiritual majesty
5. Mahatmas like Rama Theertha, Aurobindo and Yogiramsuratkumar have asserted that Ramarajya [a peaceful world with order] is not far off. That will truly happen
6. Violence will be wiped out from the face of the earth.
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What is meant by Raja yoga and how it is practiced?

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

Raja Yoga is an elaborate subject in itself and it would not be possible to describe all about it now. To give you a short overview, it is a practice involving eight stages, known as 'ashtanga yoga': Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

The first four of these are related to your body and the last four of the above are related to the mind. Controlling your breath by controlling your mind – that is the basic premise of this spiritual practice. There are a multitude of books available on this subject which can provide you with a more detailed explanation.
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What can we need do to purify our mind?

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

Though there are many methods / paths to purify our minds, the simplest and most practical path in today's context is chanting the divine names of God (Nama Kirtan) especially, the "Hare Rama…" Mahamantra Nama which is specially recommended for this age by our scriptures. This alone will suffice to cleanse our Mind.
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When there are numerous Mantras in the world, why is such special significance attached to the Hare Rama… Mahamantra?

Sri Sri Muralidhara Swamiji:

Our scriptures constitute the basis of everything we follow and practice. Upanishads are 108 in number. These are the scriptures that specifically show the path of liberation. Of the 108 Upanishads, there is only one Upanishad which is named as "Kali Santrana Upanishad". It bears the name of this age, the kali-yuga and shows us the path to follow in today's context. "Kalisantharana Upanishad" describes the "Hare Rama…" Maha Mantra as the most specific remedy for all in this kali-Yuga.

This is the reason why we attach utmost significance to this Mahamantra.