RESPONSES FROM DEVOTEES ON RAM NAUMI DAY AFTER THE ONLINE AUDIO-STREAM

Om Namo Bhagavade Sivanandaya

Hari Om

Warm greetings to all.

Thank you to DLS for the soul stirring Satsang. How lovely to hear many familiar voices singing so beautifully together. It was so spiritually comforting and uplifting.

It filled me with fortitude and strength. The most precious advantage of this broadcast was that it was possible for the Master's Divine Name to be heard in various parts of the world, filling the environment with pure and much-needed healing energy.

Congratulations to the Satsang team for this brilliant initiative. You cannot possibly imagine how blessed and protected I feel as a devotee of Gurudev, at this time when I am far away from South Africa.

With much gratitude and humility

‒M. P. Middle East

Thank you. We enjoyed participating in the Satsang. What a great idea! I am sure this Satsang was the biggest ever. Thank you to Sri Gurudev and Pujya Swamiji for always making a plan for us and sincere thanks to all the devotees who organised this.

‒A. S. Clare Estate, Durban

I really enjoyed the Satsang. The items on the programme were well selected. One could feel the presence of Sri Gurudev and Pujya Swamiji during this session. Nowhere else in the whole world will the power be felt with such intensity. It was indeed a high-class Satsang and would have impacted well throughout the country as well as internationally.

‒M.N. Reservoir Hills, Durban

Hari Om. What a wonderful thought. Thank you for giving us the privilege to share in the online Satsang. We were "transported" to both the Prayer Halls in Durban and Pietermaritzburg and enjoyed the Satsang thoroughly. The beautiful music, the melodious singing of the Kirtans, Mantras and the reading, all contributed to this inspiring Satsang. May Gurudev bless you for so graciously helping to lessen the stress we are all experiencing during this time of isolation and fear. Our best wishes and respects to all. May Gurudev give all at Divine Life Society the strength to continue to help others at this time. Thank you for the opportunity.

‒P & S: Toronto, Canada

Hari Om. I would just like to say: Our Satsang reached out to at least 150 people in Australia. The programme went very well. It was very clear and exactly on time. All our devotees thanked us sincerely for organising this. All we needed to do was pick up the phone and whatever we wanted was done to suit us here in Australia. The organisers were also very, very helpful. They kept to the times in sending us the link. We cannot thank you all enough. We hope to be able to use the system again for Sri Hanuman Jayanti. Keep up the great work DLS OF SA.

‒SM, Melbourne, Australia

I had to commend you on an excellently presented audio-stream Satsang. The entire family sat together and joined in the Satsang. It really felt as if we were at the Ashram.

‒Anonymous

A most divine and spiritually elevating Satsang. Thank you to all who planned and put this together. May Gurudev, Ganga Mata and Pujya Swamiji continue to bless all.

‒Anonymous

FORTHCOMING ONLINE AUDIO-STREAM SATSANGS

Sivananda Day Satsang on Sunday, 5 April 2020 at 10am.
Sri Hanuman Jayanti on Tuesday, 7 April 2020 at 5.40pm.
Pujya Swami Sahajananda's 64th Sannyas Anniversary Satsang on Friday, 10 April 2020 at 5.40pm.

POWER OF THE MANTRA TO CURE DISEASES PUJYA SWAMI SAHAJANANDA'S MESSAGE ONLINE AUDIO-STREAM SIVANANDA DAY SATSANG: SUNDAY 5 APRIL 2020

After a successful online audio-stream of the Sivananda Day Satsang by Divine Life Society of S.A. on Sunday 5 April at 10am, one reflects on the lessons to be learnt from this inspiring programme. Whilst the Ganga Arati and the melodious Bhajans and Kirtans were fulfilling, and the readings from Divine Life Society of S.A. Prayer Book on Glory of the Divine Name and Divine Namapathy were most appropriate and beautifully presented, the pre-recorded audio message from Pujya Swami Sahajananda caught the attention of many devotees because of the power inherent in it. They will surely begin to chant the Mantra with renewed vigour.

Excerpts from Pujya Swamiji's talk are given below.

Pujya Swamiji reads from the book Om Namah Shivaya‒A Mantra Experience by Sharon Brown,"What can't one achieve through the remembrances of God's Name", says the great saint Thukaram Maharaj and his words are true. The repetition of the Mantra turns poison into nectar, it turns suffering into happiness. The philosophers say in the beginning God manifested Himself as words. God lives in the Mantra. Only because we forget Him do we become miserable. Only because man is far away from Mantra is he in his present hopeless condition.

We are about to read an article about a woman's experience with the Mantra, Om Namah Sivaya and as you read it you will easily understand about what Mantra can do. Not only sages but also modern scientists know the power of the Mantra. Today they're experimenting with all sorts of vibrations. All sorts of experiments are going on with vibrations. A single sound can break a mountain to pieces or destroy a city. Gurudev has said so in his book, Japa Yoga. He says the OM Mantra can bring a whole mountain down.

Our ancient sages were able to bring a dead person back to life by the power of only one Word and I also told you some time ago that they fed into the computer all sorts of different sounds and asked the computer to give the best, most powerful, soothing and effective sound and the computer came back with the Word RAM. It's nothing unusual because RAM's Name has that tremendous power. If an inert computer can sense that, then we who have got knowledge and intelligence, surely, we should be able to have faith. At least the computer will get a better birth next time. It will do Ram Nam Japa and it will get a better birth next time (LAUGHTER...). How much do you need to learn to realise the power of a word? A single term of abuse can make a man's teeth chatter, stop his heart and render him unconscious with anger. When this is the effect of an abusive word, think what must the power of a great sacred Mantra be? Saints have defined the Mantra as that which saves the one who contemplates it. If you remember a Mantra with love and understanding of its truth even for a short time, that Mantra will redeem and protect you. This is the power of Mantra. I can tell you that Mantra is a living form of God. It is God manifested in the form of word. The Bible also says so. In the beginning was a word and the word was made flesh. Therefore, without wasting a moment, everyone should spend some time repeating the Mantra.

Last year a report appeared in the press that described how a Mantra has been used to cure people of blood pressure, defects and mental disorders. Researchers demonstrated through their findings and experiences how much power there is in a Mantra. Mantra gets rid of many diseases, in fact all the germs inside you can be destroyed with Mantra. The goal of Mantra is God. Some intellectual people say that God cannot be realised through Mantra, but still the sacred Mantra is the abode of God. Therefore, one should practise it continually. If your attention is fixed on the Mantra while coming, going, sitting, standing, walking and eating, what other medicine do you need? What other happiness should we look for? Mantra is the Supreme Truth. One should become absorbed in the meaning of the Mantra. Thukaram's words are really true. Who has ever heard that repeating God's Name has gone to waste? I can tell you that there is nothing that Mantra cannot achieve. There is no disease that cannot be cured by the Mantra. There is no heart that Mantra cannot fill with happiness.

Continuing from Sharon Brown's book, Pujya Swamiji read: "Recently I had a massive heart attack. Several famous doctors said that it was impossible to survive such a severe heart attack, but I am still alive today. Moreover, whatever damage the heart suffered as a result has completely gone and I never experienced pain in the heart. I have great faith in the Mantra. During my illness I considered it to be my medicine and my doctor and I repeated it day and night. Mantra is life, Mantra is a joyful state of the heart."

Pujya Swamiji comments, "Well, you'll read in The Divine Name what Gurudev has to say.

COMMENTS FROM A FEW DEVOTEES ON THE ONLINE SIVANANDA DAY SATSANG

Please express our sincere gratitude to the Board for the online Satsang idea. I haven't attended a Sivananda Day Satsang in ages. Still I experienced the vibrations one experiences when one is at SICC. Sri Gurudev's and Pujya Swamiji's Grace is definitely flowing in abundance.

‒DR, White River

Om Namo Bhagavade Sivanandaya! Thank you for another wonderful Satsang.

‒SN, Cambridge, Canada

Thank you for the beautiful Satsang. It was so personalised with the welcome and announcements.

‒Anonymous

CONCLUSION

In this moment of the earth's history, when fear has gripped the hearts of the vast majority of people due to the COVID‒19 virus, let us bring our minds back to the significant import of Pujya Swamiji's speech today, namely, to focus all our attention on the repetition of the Divine Name. It is the one unfailing panacea that no virus can withstand. Pujya Swamiji emphasised the power of the Divine Name again and again in the short extract of the speech that we heard. Let us now take this to heart, let us have unshakeable faith in his exhortation, and take to the ceaseless repetition of the Divine Name with earnestness and intense aspiration. Let us pray for ourselves, our families and friends and most importantly, for every single person on this planet. Perhaps some of us may have not yet seen it, but the with the Coronavirus scourge, comes a tremendous Grace that the Lord has showered upon the earth. We are all calling for God's mercy and protection upon this world. It has made us one. It is changing the hearts of all nations on the earth, taking us beyond all institutional, community and national boundaries. We are one humanity. It has taken this terrible disaster to open the hearts of all human beings to our essential oneness.

SRI HANUMAN CHALISA RECITAL: SRI HANUMAN JAYANTI: TUESDAY 7 APRIL 2020

We will be reciting the Sri Hanuman Chalisa on Sri Hanuman Jayanti from 5am to 5pm. Devotees may participate in one or more hourly slots, from their homes. The Society makes a sincere and earnest appeal to all devotees to participate in this Sadhana.

Beloved Pujya Swami Sahajananda encouraged all to recite the Sri Hanuman Chalisa for protection, safety, peace and the welfare of the world. In this critical period, collective recital of the Sri Hanuman Chalisa will assist in counteracting the scourges of our times. A verse in the Sri Hanuman Chalisa tells us of the power of the Sri Hanuman Chalisa in assisting the world,

"Naashai Roga Harai Saba Peera Japata Nirantara Hanumata Beera", which translated means, "All diseases are destroyed and pain and sorrow vanish when your great and powerful Name is repeated incessantly".

Click only on one of the links below to join the WhatsApp group. A programme and a link to the pre-recorded audio stream will be sent out on the WhatsApp group just before the Satsang time.

Please note that Groups 1 to 3 are now full. Website: www.sivananda.co.za  www.sivananda.dls.org.za 

Group 4
https://chat.whatsapp.com/KsDMV3Ex2vm9DpJ5faMVXS 

Group 5
https://chat.whatsapp.com/IMSMett3ErQ19IvmOjPoGs 

Group 6
https://chat.whatsapp.com/EPcqHRIwHz5JDv5VJlIda7 

Group 7
https://chat.whatsapp.com/CJcU8Vo1Wsp0enO1IlR1jy 

Group 8
https://chat.whatsapp.com/COHog5HLTdu0fhbOlfYCs3 

Group 9
https://chat.whatsapp.com/LhhH4wOL4Vz9zK9N3UskPM 

Group 10
https://chat.whatsapp.com/LVZKWobXpEwElZTVKdBjRL 

"When allopathy, homeopathy, chromopathy, naturopathy, ayurvedapathy and all other 'pathies' fail to cure a disease, the divine namapathy alone can save you. The Name of the Lord is a sovereign specific, a sheet anchor, an infallible panacea and a cure all for all diseases. It is an ideal or supreme 'pick me up' in gloom and despair." ‒Sri Swami Sivananda