Why the Rosary ?

WHY THE ROSARY ?
If you had time, you also turned the rosary. Almost in every religion or culture rosary carries an importance of its own. Rosary is turned over by all sorts of edvotees. Some people turn it reverse. Beads are usually carried outwards. Some turn through breathing. Some turn a rosary of jewels, some of pearls, some turn through breathing. Some turn a rosary of jewels, some of pearls, some of yarn, some of tulsi, some of rudraksha (a kind of natural, round bead). But so far, not a single rosary has been actually turned over : माला फेरत जुग गया, गया न मन का फेर । कर का मनका छोड़ कर, मन का मनका फेर ।। Mala ferat jug gaya, gaya na man ka fer. Karka manka Chhodkar manka manka fer. Turning over the rosary, an age has gone away. Ropping the bead of the hand, turn over the bead of the mind (or soul). Why is the rosary turned over ? How many beads are there in a rosary ? There are 108 beads in a rosary. In almost every religion, culture, all the rituals concerning jaaps (repeated chants of a mantra, sloka, prayer etc.) are balanced, sysyematic............... Why are there 108 beads in a rosary ? And up all the digits of 108 together, and you would get 9. The number of 9 is such an unicue number in the world that just go on multiplying it and just go on multiplaying it and the total (of the dihits) would always be i. Whatever karmas we perform in life, they are also in 108 ways. Be they in the form of sin or altruism, good or bad. Mothers and sisters read Alochana Patha (a prayer of self-criticism/speculation). The Jinwani is written therein that whatever deeds, we perform, are in 108 ways : समरंभ समारंभ आरंभ, मन वच तन कीने प्रारम्भ । कृत कारित मोदन करिकैं, क्रोधादि चतुष्टय धरिकैं ।। [Samrambha samarambha arambha, mana vacha tana keene prarambha. Krite karit modana karikain, krodhadi chatushtaya dharikain.] Add these up together. Samrabha, samaarambha, arambha-three. Mana (mind), vachana (word) tana (body)-three. Multiply three with three (3 x 3 = 9) and you get nine. Further, muliply krita, karit, karit, anumodana - 9 x 3 = 27 Again, krodha, maana, maya, lobha - 27 x 4 = 108. Under the influence of all these, man performs his each acy, be it good or bad. If the manages to suppress all the four passions, he would perform good deeds. If he goes together with the four passions, he would commit bed acts or sins. What is samarambha ? To increase into one's mind, the power of determination for any action, good or bad, in the mind is called `samarambha'. Now, how to have that deed materialize ? How to execute that act ? Mobilising the things required for it-that samaarambha is. And once the materials are collected, the deed should be given a complete form. If it is given the practical or actual form, It is `aarambha' (beginning). Doing by oneself is `Krit' (done). Geeting it done by someone else is `Karit' (got done), and praising a thing done by someone else is `anumodana' (approval). The thing about anger, pride, wickedness and greed is known to all. Getting angry is `Krod ha' Being proud is `maana' concealment, wickedness is `maya' Greed is `lobha'. Out of somany processes do our deeds brew that make our soul happy or sad. If we take to the right path, balancing the states of samrambha, samaarambha, arambha, krit, kaarit, anumodana, maana, vachana, kaya, lobha etc., these bear healthy fruit. But if we adopt any other form of all these, the result would be the opposite. So that the substance of those 108 deeds might get purged from our life, rosary is turned over. God is remembered in 108 ways. In order that the inauspicious deeds getting distilled through our 108 means. might be stopped by chanting the god's name. At every door, one god or lord is placed, addressing everyone. ``O God, just stand here. This karma (deed) is coming through here. Do not let it in. These deeds shatter my inner peace. When god's name is installed there, with sentiments, through emotional means, sinful deeds dare not get in. Prabhu or god guards our soul in 108 ways. But till this day, we have not at all, never ever, addressed the god in such a manner that he might come to guard us. We have got so completelymerged with our passions and desires that the god does not come here. Even if he ever comes he turns away from the door himself, that his (the devotee's) fruit is not altruistic (punya), with him, I too would get thranshed the god thinks, ``When you have no faith in me what shall I do getting into you. I would also get crushed alone you. Prabhu is very wise. Do not think that he to naive, He would be pleased with your superficial words. God is closed with simpel things, not the superficial ones. Once there was a shephared. He was grazing his sheep. He was very innocent, and god is found by such people alone. It is very strange. Shri Mahavir Ji appeared in a milkman's dream. One who neither knew the Jain religion, nor following it. That simple fellow got a glimplse of Shri Mahavir Bhagwan. In those days. kings and monarchs were all there. Bhagwan could have become a rich man, but no. These is such a grace in the poor, such a fragrance in the poor, you know what kind of fragrance ? As after intense sunshine, when a spell of rain comes, the earth sends out an earthy clayed smell of wet soil. A similar smell of devotion persists in the soul of the poor. His is not artifical smell meant for show only. What is the quality of his love for the god, the guru ? Tulsidas Ji Maharj has written at one place. ज्यों गरीब की देह को, जड़कारे का धाम । ऐसे कब लग हो प्रभु, तुलसी के मन राम ।। [ Jyon garib ki ko, jadkare ka gham. Aise kab lag ho prabhu, Tulsi ke man Ram. ] As winter sunshine is to a poor's a when will you touch Tulsi's mind (or heart) O Ram ? Tulsidas Ji never gave the example of a big (rich) man. How pleasant, how sweet that winter sunshine feels a poor's scantily, in a adequately covered body. He rushes to get its warmth. When would you (god) be like that to Tulsi's soul, i.e. provide your warmth or affection to it. Such devotion, such enthusiam, when exists in a devotee, that god arrives at the chant of his soul, through the means of rosary. But the problem is : ‘‘मंदिर तीरथ भटकते, वृद्ध हो गया छैल। पग की पनहिय घिस गई, गया न मन का मैल।।’’ [Mandira teeratha bhatakate, vridha ho gaya chhail, Pag ki panahia ghis gaee, gaya na mana ka mail ] Tramping about temples and places of pilgrimage, the youth has turned old. Shoes of the feet have got worn out, but impurities of the mind have not gonw away. पाप करते हैं तो बेशुमार करते हैं । गिन गिन कर नाम लेते हैं परवर दिगार का ।। [Paapa karate hain to beshumar karate hain. gin gin kar naam lete hain parwardigar ka ] When (they) commit sins, they overdo. (But) While chanting the gods name. (they) keep the limited count. People would anumodana, with samarambha and Aarambha, with krodha maya, with lobha greed-in how many ways do we go on committing sins. That is why, for taking the god's name, provision has been made for 108 beeds, and to lend speciality, put three beads are the symbos of our mind, word and body. All th beads are strewn in two separate rounds, keeping in the same thread. Both the threads pass through the same bead. Where distinction between the devotee and the god disappearas : जब मैं था तब हरि नहीं, जब हरि था मैं नाहिं । प्रेम गली अति सांकरी, जामें दो न समाहिं ।। [Jab main tha Hari nahin, jab Hari tha main nahin, Prem gali ati sankari, jamen do na samahin. ] When there was I (self), Hari (god) was not there. When Hari was there. I was not, Love lane is too narrow, two cannot accomodate in it. Where pride is destroyed, god's darshans are available. So, those three, beads are symbolic of the three jewels that can restrain the 108 types of karmas or actions. What exactly the three jewals are ? I had mentioned even yesterday. In our common language, we first of all preach to children about this very thing. `Son, walk cautiously, I mean, lest there be no incident or accident. Why do incidents and accidents take place ? Because, we do not move watchfully. To see is samyaka darshan (Right faith), to understand is samyaka gyana (Right knowledge), and to move is samyaka charitra (Right conduct). Bt worshipping the three jewels, we can thus be free from so many of evil acts. Do not get unduly anxious or worried about turning over the rosary, that. `I turned the rosary over these many rounds.' Chant your deity's name just nine times. One gentleman asked me. ``Maharaj' why is it prescribed to chant the namokar mantra only nine times ?'' So I told him the thing about the number of 9, that 9 is such a number that multiply it and add its digits, and it returns to its own form. The number of nine is that number which reveals its own form. In other words, the rosary as it is, turn it over without anxiety and not with it. Do not keep count of the beads or the rounds. Just fix up a certain time or duration, say for instance. `I have to remember the god just for five minutes, `In those five minutes, if you are able to turn it over just once, do it properly. So, I was talking of the shephard. Sitting lonely, he would say to the god, ``Prabhu, you come to me. I am always unoccupied, free. I'll give you milk to drink. I'll give you a bath. ``So, a scholar was passing that way. He was hearing the shephard's prayer. He got pretty irritated, ``How foolish you are, he said, ``to be calling the god like this.'' He grabbed the pandit and punised him. There was fragrance in that shephard's devotion. His devotion had an inner appeal. We look for hypocracy of woeds. A devotee never looks for the hypocracy of words to please the god. He never pretends. `God is there, but the god or guru who gets pleased by hyporacy is not at all god or guru. A guru attaches importance to sentiments, not words. Till this very day, god has held sentiments, not words. Till this very day, god has held sentiments important. He has never put any value on words. Go over unto Shri Mahavir Ji, of whom I was just talking. Now a very large temple has come up at that spot. At festivals, Minas, Goojars (Hindu castes) etc. visit there. They bring bread, pulse, rice, kheer etc. and throw them on the floor saying, ``Baba ! eat up.'' They even call him names (abuse). The god is delighted at their words of abuse. Nanak Maharj says that when compared with the puris (a kind of bread, deep fried) of that bloody (sinful) rarning (of the rich), the parched roti of the poor has far more taste. Till date, no rich person has had the god's darshan. But poor folks have had a lot of darshans. If in any case, if a rich man has ever suceeded in having a glimpse of god, he too must have had to become poor. One could never have god's darshan keeping rich. He must have had to get poor like u separates us from the god. Once there were two friends. They had great love between them. One of them had sown cucumbers in this field. Sowed the crop of nice fruits. The other friend had gone away somewhere. He returned after many days. He thought of his friend. The friend was at his field keeping a watch on his cucumbers, protecting the crop. Glancing a nice cucumber, he was struck by a throught, to have it, but from the front side, his friend was coming to see him. He saw his friend and got worried. ``What an upset ! If he comes, I'll have to offer the cucumber to him too. And then, it would be divided. Thinking thus, he lay down at the border of his field, feigning sleep. The friend came. He saw that his friend was asleep. But beside him, a nice cucumber was blooming. He felt like awaking his friend, arousing him. But for some reason, he passed on, thinking, ``there is certainly something wrong, inside my friend's. He does not want to welcome me. आवत ही हरषै नहीं, नैनन नहीं सनेह । तुलसी तहां न जाइये, कंचन बरसै मेह ।। [Avat hi harshe nahin, nainan nahin saneh. `Tulsi', tahan na jaiya, kanchan varshahi meh.] No joy right on arrival, no love in the eyes. Tulsi never go there where clouds shower the gold. However deep might the love or affection be, feeling betray everything. THe matter of physical and other things of the world. eating, drinking etc. is different. But love and affection are lined only with feelings. The friend thus has an uneasy feeling, and he passed on. After a while, the feigning one got up. He saw that the cucumber was still there.His friend had come and gone. Very peculiar condition is made in his mind. My friend has minded, felt bad. Just because of a cucumber, our mutual love has split.' He instantly got up and started thrashing that cucumber with a stick, cursing, `Because of you, our years old friendship lies shaltered. How long will you be there ? You would be eaten up by someone or the other. But due to you, the friendship that I possessed had been put into jeopardy.' And he resumed beating it with stick-blows. There was noise. He was beating the cucumber. back came the friend. ``What happened brother ?'' This cucumber has made a split between us. '' the friend told. So, the things of passions and desries of this world drive us away from religion, produce rifts in the practical life and do not allow harmony to ramain. All those things that produce anxiety, agony in life-give up the expectations of those. vision of harmony or unifromity would auto matically arrive in the life.