Bank Your Salvation On Ram Nam
Shekher Phadnis There is only one mantras, in the whole of Hindu religious tradition, which gets the epithet 'taaraka' (that which can ferry you across); and this is the name Rama.
The syllable 'ra' comes from the eight-lettered mantra of Narayana and the syllable 'ma' comes from the five lettered mantra of Siva.
Both are the life-giving letters (jiiva-aksharas) of the respective mantras; because without them the two mantras become a curse.
Without these letters, the mantra naraayanaaya becomes na ayanaaya - meaning, not for good; and namas-sivaaya becomes na sivaaya - meaning, again, not for good.
The simple repetititon of Lord Rama's name is enough to cross the ocean of cycle of re incarnation known as samsara,.particularly in Kali Yuga.
Saint Ramdas Ramadas did penance and recited Lord Rama's name about 3 crore times.
Saint Thyagaraja repeated the Rama mantra 96 crore times.
Shri Shirdi Sai Baba had recommended to one of his devotees the repetition of "Rama" mantra and assured that this repetition would lead to spiritual progress and ultimately to moksha.
Lord Rama himself has mentioned to Lord Shiva in Varanasi, that if people repeat his (Lord Rama's) name in the ears of a person in deathbed the person dies will get salvation.
According to philosopher V.
Krishnamurthy "During Rama nama-sankirtanams a charmed circle of sound is produced and a strange sense of the greatness of God and the essential unity of man creeps into the soul.
With the successive awakening of each of the six yogic chakras in the human body, there are corresponding changes in one's body, emotions, mind and degree of consciousness.
The progressive expansion of consciousness yields an increase of knowledge about oneself and a deepening awareness of the self-luminant Resident of the body, namely, the Atman".
But it is not always possible in the modern world to devote one's self solely to the repetition of Rama nama and in the last few decades quite a number of Ram Nam banks have been created by worshippers of Lord Rama, to ensure that the devotees write his name a minimum number of times every day, as returning their life time loans to Rama for his blessings..
These bank loans serves a dual purpose; it fulfils the spiritual need of the applicant and promotes Ram bhakti [devotion].
Besides, one remains thankful to Lord Ram and this helps the bank achieve its objective of awakening a religious conscience in more and more people." Ram Ramapati Bank was established in 1926 in Varanasi.
At the 83-year-old "bank" in this holy town, everything runs on faith.
There is no money transacted, yet people from all walks of life rush to seek "loans," All one really needs to do to get a "loan" from the bank is to fill a simple application form and make a wish.
An applicant needs to state his or her life's wish and fulfil the only conditions: Write Lord Rama's name 125,000 times and practice vegetarianism.
"That is the mode of repayment - by writing Ram 500 times every day," said a bank spokesman.
Since this has to be done with unfailing consistency, the "repayment" is completed in exactly eight months and 10 days.
The loan can be returned in any script, such as those used by Hindi and English, but not in Urdu as that is written from right to left.
While the bank pays all other expenses, a creditor is required to feed 11 holy men on the day he returns the loan and attends prayers with his "Ramnaam" papers.
The Ram Ramapati Bank offers three kinds of loansÿ- the Jaap loan, Mantra loan, and Ram Naam loan.
The bank, which boasts of more than 70,000 registered members, gets the highest number of applications for the Ram Naam loan.
It is gathered that in several other small towns people have opened such banks and claim to be a branch of Ram Ramapati Bank.
However this bank declares that it has no branch and operates only from Varanasi Another similar religious bank, The Ram Ram Bank in Lucknow does not offer so called loans of Ramnam, but is just as popular with its depositors with its deposit vaults full with the bundles of Ram nam written papers..
The Ram Ram Bank keeps its ledgers in neatly tied cloth bundles that are stacked on specially created shelves.
Once they begin to overflow, the older ledgers and 'deposits' are sent to Ayodhya's Valmiki Bhawan.
Aniruddha's Bank of RamNam is a project started by "Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Bapu" at Mumbai.
You are given a book of 220 pages, completely meant for writing the name of Lord Rama.
Once completed, the notebook can be submitted in any of the branches of The Aniruddha's Bank Of RamNam..
This Bank is also involved in the making of Lord Ganesh idols, made from shredded paper of 'Ramnaam' notebooks used by the devotees,.
These eco friendly idols disintegrate easily upon submersion in water.
A further notable aspect is that, paints used for the idlols are non-toxic, thus contributing significantly to the control over pollution of the environment.
But the members of the Ramnami sect in Chattisgarh have one step beyond writing Ram nam on paper.
They have tattooed Ram nam all over their body.
Parasuram, the founder of the Ramnami Samaj, had an encounter with a mysterious sadhu- a wandering ascetic who told him that Lord Ram was pleased with his devotion, and that, if his faith was deep enough, the name of Ram would appear written on his chest during the night.
It did, and Parasuram's family and villagers celebrated the miracle.
by tattooing "Ram" on their bodies to demonstrate devotion and continue this practices to date, -(Maharaja Features) Hazrat Peeran-E-Peer Ghaus-E-Azam Shah Abdul Qadir Jilani R.L.
Kaith On 1st Ramadan, 471 Hijri a celestial child was born in a a pious syed family of Jilan (in Iran) who was named as Abdul Qadir Jilani.
A miracle is in the fact that when he was born, he did not drink the' milk of his mother Fatima during the day time due to being the Holy Month of Ramadan (the Month of Fasting).
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani lost his father at an early age.
When he reached the age of 8 or 9, his mother decided to send him away to Baghdad so that he could be properly educated.
Before he left, she told him, to never tell a lie and gave him 40 dinaars.
For safety, she had sewn the coins on the inside of his gown.
After bidding farewell to his mother, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani joined a caravan destined for Baghdad.
Hardly had they reached Hamdan, when suddenly they were attacked by a group of bandits.
A few of the bandits at last approached a poor simple-looking boy sitting quietly at one side.
They asked him "Have you got anything with you?" "Yes.", he replied, "I have 40 dinaars with me".
The robbers did not believe it and thought that the boy was telling a lie so they took him to their Chief.
Their Chief again asked him "You say, you have 40 dinars with you.
Where are they?" The boy tore open a portion of his jacket and took out forty dinaars to the utter surprise of the robbers.
The Chief enquired "Why do you disclose your precious property?" The boy replied that "I was instructed by my mother, who had stitched these dinaars in my jacket, never to tell a lie".
The Chief was moved to the inner-most depth of his heart and tears rolled down his face.
He exclaimed by saying "While I am disobedient to even my Creator, this boy is obedient to his mother." The Chief ordered to return all the looted property to the members of the caravan and renounced his evil ways, thus becoming a devoted Muslim.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani never told a lie during his life time.
There even exist records to prove that a caravan bound for Baghdad from Jilan (Iran) was encountered by a band of robbers.
Along with the caravan, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani was also travelling.
Baghdad was then a great centre of Islamic learning and Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani became the favourite pupil of Allama Abu Zakariya Tabrezi, Principal of the Jamia Nizamiah.
He studied there for 8 years and acquired mastery in all branches of learning.
During this period young Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani had to pass a life of trials and tribulations, including that he passed some of his days under starvation, but he loathed begging of food from anyone.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) often left the city life and wandered the lonely deserts and jungles of Iraq.
He endured hardships and self denial to discipline his self (ego) and purify his soul, heart and mind.
He urged his entire self towards Allah as done by Rasulallah (s.a.w).
He would recite the Qur'an Sharif and often perform prolonged prayers during the whole night.
Often there would be no need for fresh ablution for the morning prayers due to the extent of his worship during the night.
He wore a long woollen robe and lived on dates and water.
Once Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) had nothing to eat for several days and he wandered near the ruins of the palace Kasra in search of Mubah (something which is permissible to eat).
But when he reached there he saw 70 other pious men searching for food.
Seeing them, he returned to Baghdad, tired andqa sad.
On the way back he met a foreigner who had a message from his mother; she had sent him some money.
It was a gift from Allah.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) went back and distributed the money amonast the 70 pious men and kept a little for himself.
After many trials and tribulations, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) developed tolerance, willpower, great determination and complete faith in Allah.
He avoided situations and conditions that would disturb his prayers as he longed for closeness towards Allah.
He uplifted those standards of quality and steadfastness according to which Allah measures His aspirant Loved Ones.
Once Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) resolved neither to eat or drink or change dress until he was given all those by a pious person favoured by Allah.
Thirty nine (39) days passed in this manner by meditation and prayer.
On the 40th days someone left a plate of food by his side and went away.
Although he was attracted towards the food due to hunger, he did not break his pledge.
Also he was a Syed, and if the food was Zakat or charity then it was forbidden to him.
Hence, he decided not to partake the food.
After sometime his teacher, Abu Saeed Mukharruni (R.A) arrived and inquired about his welfare and invited Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) to his house.
He accepted his master's invitation and informed that his nafs (self) was restless but his spirit was blessed by Allah and His secret was now revealed to him.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A)'s successful struggle made the master so happy that he served Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A)'s food with his own hands.
He also awarded Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) the khiqa (robe) and made him his Khalifa.
The teacher also informed him that the robe was that of Rasulallah (s.a.w) who had bestowed it to Hazrat Ali (R.A) and thereafter it passed on through generations, from saint to saint, until it had reached him.
On completion of his education, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani set out to acquire spiritual training.
He spent several long years undergoing the rigorous and spiritual life, and passing his time in meditation and in search of truth & Allah.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) had come to Baghdad to serve humanity, but moral degeneration and Islamic values exploited by men in power disgusted him.
He decided to leave Baghdad and help people in the rural areas.
With the Holy Quran in his hands, he left the city but he had hardly reached Bab-e-Halbah on the outskirts of Baghdad when he heard a voice restraining him from leaving Baghdad.
It was the will of Allah and so Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) returned to Baghdad.
The next day while he was passing through a street, an elderly man opened a door and greeted Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A).
He enquired about his earlier intentions on leaving the city and then closed the door.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) was shocked as his intentions were not disclosed to anyone and wondered how this stranger could have known about it.
After many days Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) saw the same elderly man passing through the street and he was invited to his house.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) went to the house of Sheikh Hammad AI Dabbas who was a Syrain and a syrup vendor.
This dervish was a reputed saint of Baghdad and emphasized spiritual training, Tasawwuf and Tareeqat.
He taught the student to act in consonance with the will of Allah while maintaining their individuality.
Hazrat Hammad al Dabbas adored Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) and gave special attention and trained him in Tasawwuf.
In the year 511 AH, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) saw in a vision that he was walking along a street in Baghdad.
There he met on the roadside an old and sick man who greeted him with Salaam and asked him to help him get up.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) answered his salutation and helped him get up.
No sooner did Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) help him, the man's health improved dramatically and his stature healed.
Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A) was wonderstruck and a little afraid, but the man allayed his fear and said, "I am Islam, the religion of your grandfather.
I had become diseased and poorly but Allah has revived me through your help.
After a sujourn of 91 years this mystic saint of Islam breathed his last on the 11th Rabi-us-Sani, 561 A.H.
His demise cast a gloom over the world of Islam.
About us | Advertise | Other Publications | Subscriptions | Weather | Letters | Send Mail Disclaimer: Information is being made available at this site purely as a measure of public facilitation.
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information hosted on this website is accurate CHAIRMAN: VED BHASIN Kashmir Times Group of Publications Edited, printed and published by Prabodh Jamwal Editor-in-Chief, The Kashmir Times, Residency Road, Jammu, J&K, INDIA.
Executive Editor: Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal E-Mail: vbhasin@sancharnet.in, jmt_prabodh@sancharnet.in