The Stones That Do Not Sink: Effort, Japa and the Bridge Over the Ocean
In the morning satsanga of October 24, 2026, Swami Jyotirmayananda read the stones of Nala and Neela as the seeker's own efforts, none of which is ever lost, and taught the three ways of japa of the Rama mantra.
The satsanga opened with the invocation to Lord Rama of the Raghu dynasty, whose complexion is like a blue lotus, tender and delightful in appearance, with Sita Devi seated on His left and a powerful bow and arrow in His hands. The Hare Rama mantra followed.
Swamiji then read a prayer to Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of supreme wisdom and the essence of the soul, whose light illumines the sun. The prayer pictures her on a divine swan; the melody of her vina blends with the morning breeze and the songs of birds in the branches of forest trees. She is the secret fount of love dwelling in the cave of the heart, the abode of peace and bliss, and to her the devotee commends his soul. The prayer asks for supreme victory: the victory of truth over falsehood, light over darkness, immortality over mortality. After prayers to Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Durga and Lord Shiva, the reading continued.
Two Kinds of Indignation
Picking up the thread of recent days, Swamiji drew out a subtle insight from Rama's example: the difference between mundane indignation and righteous indignation. Mundane indignation, the anger that expresses through a person, simply creates more trouble in the world. Righteous indignation is an expression of divine strength. It makes the face shine like the sun, proclaiming the very victory named in the morning's prayer: truth over falsehood, light over darkness, immortality over mortality.
Prayer That Asks for Insight
Swamiji then spoke about what prayer is for. Every atom and every element follows a law. The water we drink is a blend of hydrogen and oxygen; if that blend breaks, we cannot live. So our prayers, he said, should be to gain caution and a special insight. Every person has that potentiality. By self-effort, and by giving respect to the laws, one begins to discover one's inner potential and can gain amazing success and victory.
He recalled the teaching uddhared atmanatmanam: "You can rescue yourself by yourself." And alongside that self-effort there is divine grace.
The Bridge of Nala and Neela
That grace, Swamiji explained, expresses through two great artists, Nala and Neela, the builders of the bridge across the ocean. As viveka and vairagya, discrimination and dispassion, begin to develop, the seeker begins to receive the revelation of Sri Rama. There is Hanuman's strength, and the name of Rama is on every rock.
Nala and Neela throw the rocks into the sea. They had been cursed that whatever they threw would never sink, and now that very curse becomes a great blessing. So it is with the seeker. Every effort made on the spiritual path is such a stone. "It will never sink." Each one, he said, is building the bridge that enables one to cross bhava sagara, the ocean of the world process.
Rameshwaram in the Heart
These are allegorical pictures, Swamiji cautioned, not to be taken literally. "All this happens in your own personality." The divine presence in the heart is presented as the Shiva linga, and in that heart there is a blend of Shiva bhakti and Rama bhakti, the two together. Rameshwara, he said, becomes your very heart. You do not have to go anywhere else.
Japa in Three Ways
Swamiji then turned to japa, the repetition of the divine name. Whatever challenge one may be facing, the inner japa goes on. "As a result, miracle goes on happening." Japa becomes so deeply embedded in the personality that it continues through every movement, no matter how troublesome the state.
The Rama mantra, he taught, can be repeated in three ways. In vaikhari japa it is spoken aloud, so that others hear it. In upamshu japa it is whispered: there are people around, and you whisper so that only your own ear hears. And there are times when everything stops, and the repetition goes on without any thought.
As this experience develops, one handles every situation with the greatest skill. When a person comes for help, one has the skill to understand that person's disease and how to help that person rise. This, Swamiji said, is the power of mantra chaitanya, the awakened consciousness of the mantra.
One Integral Movement
As japa deepens, one discovers that every effort has four aspects: the movement of karma, the movement of sentiment, the movement of the will in meditation, and the movement of the intellect. All these movements are united, and each becomes perfectly dynamic. "Your karma becomes karma yoga." The sentiments become bhakti yoga. The willing movements of the mind become raja yoga. And the intellect becomes clear as crystal.
Success in this integral movement, Swamiji explained, is the mystical meaning of bridging the ocean of the world process. Once that movement is present, not a single effort of yours will be drowned. Every effort is bringing out success, even when you yourself do not know it. Suddenly a big challenge comes, and you know how to face it.
Even from an ordinary point of view, he said, one who has developed trust in japa may not feel prepared for an examination, yet the moment the examination begins, there is peace. One who was struggling to walk finds new strength. "Now you can climb mountains."
The satsanga closed with a prayer that divine grace shower on all, with the grace of Maha Saraswati and the blessings of shakti, bhakti and mukti, followed by the Mahamrityunjaya mantra and the prayer sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramayah, may all be happy, may all be free from disease. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
Terms in This Satsanga
- Nala and Neela — the two builders of the bridge across the ocean; the stones they throw do not sink.
- viveka and vairagya — discrimination and dispassion; as they develop, the revelation of Rama begins.
- bhava sagara — the ocean of the world process, which the bridge of effort crosses.
- vaikhari and upamshu — japa spoken aloud, and japa whispered so that only one's own ear hears.
- mantra chaitanya — the awakened consciousness, the living power, of the mantra.
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