Nama Japa Yajnam - A Spiritual Sadhana
A special event named Nama Japa Yajnam was held at Ramakrishna Math Madurai on July 23, 2023. The pursuit of the gathering was to encourage the practice of Nama Japa, which involves repeating the name of God with devotion and focus. The event started at 9 am and lasted till 1 pm. It consisted of the following activities:
- Bhajan: Devotional song sessions were conducted at the beginning, in between and at the end to invoke the presence of God and create a spiritual atmosphere.- Introduction to Nama Japa: A brief talk was given by a monk on the significance and benefits of Nama Japa, as well as the guidelines and tips for doing it effectively.- Japa sessions: Three sessions of Nama Japa were held, each lasting for minimum 30 minutes. The participants were instructed to chant the name of their chosen deity silently in their minds while keeping their attention on the sound and meaning of God's Name.- Reading from Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: Some selections from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, which is a record of the teachings and conversations of Sri Ramakrishna, were read out by a monk. The passage highlighted the importance and power of Nama Japa as a means of attaining God-realization.- Reading from Gospel of Holy Mother Sri Saradadevi: Some selections from the Gospel of Holy Mother Sri Saradadevi, which is a record of the teachings and conversations of Sri Saradadevi, the divine consort and spiritual counterpart of Sri Ramakrishna, were also read out by a monk. The passage emphasized the role of Nama Japa in purifying the mind and developing devotion and surrender to God.- Prayer: A guided prayer in which the participants were shown, how to pray for higher things to God.
Many devotees attended the event and utilized the time sincerely on Japa and prayer. They expressed their joy and satisfaction at being able to participate in such a spiritually uplifting program. Around 250 devotees took cooked food at the end.
The Nama Japa Yajnam event was a successful and inspiring experience for the devotees. It offered them a chance to participate in meaningful spiritual practice. It was also a way of honouring the legacy and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, who emphasized the importance of Nama Japa as a simple and effective means of attaining God-realization.
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