Can Chanting "Hare Rama" or "Hallelujah" lead to Liberation?
Contributed By - Sundaranand Mahadevan
Is it possible to merely chant “E=MC2” and spontaneously give birth to the knowledge of the theory of relativity? If this is true, everyone can chant this equation and become a Quantum Physicist. In the same way, how can a chant “Hare Rama” or “Hallelujah” or “Allahu Akbar” lead to liberation?
Listen to this dialogue between a loving teacher and his favorite student:
Me: “Who is Rama?”?
Guru: “What do you think”? Is Rama, son of King Dasaratha or Avatara of Maha Vishnu?
Me: Avatara of Vishnu seems to be more appropriate.
Me: Who is Maha Vishnu?
Guru: Maha Vishnu is the All-Pervading Reality.
Me: Is this the same person who is resting on the five-headed snake and seated next to his consort Maha Lakshmi?
Guru: For ease of contemplation, our Vedic scripture has given us an image gallery of names and forms. Understand that the Reality is an all-pervading principle, that is neither matter nor energy, but it is the cause of them.
Me: So, God is not a person, is it?
Guru: If the all Pervading principle is the cause of all entities, what does it matter to you - form or formless; personal or impersonal, All-Pervading principle includes both.
Me: Was the Universe created from the All-Pervading principle?
Guru: You may say, it appears, not created.
Me: What is the difference?
Guru: Appearance is as-though creation, but nothing got created.
Me: You mean “Non-existent?”
Guru: No, it is neither existence nor non-existence.
Me: How can something be neither existence nor non-existence?
Guru: Pointing to a wooden table,
Is the table and the wood separate or the same?
If they are different, why don’t you take the table and I take the wood?
If they are the same, why are we creating another name called “table?”
In this case, wood appears as a table; But since you see the table, you cannot claim as "non-existent." The table also does not stand alone; it borrows existence from wood. Now tell me, is table existent or non-existent?
Apply this method recursively, the thing that appeared as a substance will become the form, and as you keep peeling it layer by layer, the final material will be "All-Pervading Reality."
Me: So a table was never created? I faintly remember the principle "matter/energy is neither created nor destroyed."
Guru: Yes, we have a technical name for it - “MAYA” - an entity that is neither in existence, nor non-existence, but appears to our sense organs as real and tangible.
Me: So, what about the whole Universe, it also “just appears?”
Guru: Yes, indeed. It just appears.
Me: Is the cause of this Universe the All-Pervading Reality?
Guru: Yes, indeed. Think of it this way, God appears as the World and God is immutable. This means God has become the World but in the process, God did not undergo any modification. It is possible only under one condition - the World must be an imagination of our mind. That is why it’s value is ZERO (a.k.a. not valuable).
Me: How am I related to this “All-Pervading Reality?” I stumbled.
Guru: “You are That.”
Guru: Wrote on the board
Universe = All-Pervading Reality + Name/Form
I am = All-Pervading Reality + Name/Form
God = All-Pervading Reality + Name/Form
Value of Name/Form = Insignificant, something like 7 = 7 + 0
Therefore, Universe = I am = God = All-Pervading Reality
Me: So, is my goal in life is to know "I am the All-Pervading Principle?"
Guru: Yes, it is your primary goal; without this goal, all other purposes and achievements are insignificant if you fail to attain this goal.
Me: I will ponder over this. Thanks for your time.
Guru: You cannot understand this with your mind. Use your thinking power to weed out inconsistencies in your own mind, Truth reveals itself without any effort. Just like the breeze of wind removes the cloud, the sun is seen evidently without any effort. So, focus on cleansing your mind first.
Moral of this dialogue: Mere chanting alone will not lead to liberation directly; it is the one that triggers, it supports indirectly. A rote chant looks rather unintelligent. A curious mind will eventually get out of this monotony and will probe into these words, literal and its inner essence.
It will give us the inquisitiveness to probe and ask more questions, engages us to take the guidance of a Guru, focuses in a systematic study, ruminates and meditates on the scripture, and these will lead us to the truth. When we know the Truth, it will set us unconditionally free. Chanting will trigger other events, and these will guide us to the Truth, just like the river runs towards and merges with the ocean.