80. Ramanama as a Charm

"My nephew was ill. His relations did not resort to medicine but to spells and charms for his cure. It cannot be said that these did any good. Your mother too must have indulged in these things. Now, you talk of Ramanama. Is it not the same as spells and charms?" queried a correspondent of the Mahatma and the latter's answer was:

"I have, in one form or another, answered this question before now. But it is well to do so again. My mother gave me medicines so far as I remember, but she did believe in spells and charms. Learned friends have faith in them. I have not. And because I have no belief in such things I can say fearlessly that there is no connection between Ramanama of my conception and Jantar Mantar. I have said that to take Ramanama from the heart means deriving help from an incomparable power. The power is capable of removing all pain. It must, however, be admitted that it is easy to say that Ramanama must come from the heart, but to attain the reality is very difficult. Nevertheless, it is the biggest thing man can possess."