God's Name.
Love and power of God's name.

Then Moses said to God, "I am to go, then, to the sons of Israel and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you." But if they ask me what his name is, what am I to tell them?" And God said to Moses, "I am who I am." Exodus 3:14

The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name. The unnameable is the eternal real. Naming is the origin of all particular things. Tao Te Ching 1, quoted after: Novak Philip, The World's Wisdom, P.146-7.

Were there ton upon ton of paper, saith Nanak, and had I absorbed the wisdom of volumes without count; had I a supply of ink inexhaustible and could write with the speed of the wind, I would still not be able to measure Thy greatness, nor signify the glory of Thy Name! Attributed to Guru Nanak. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.73.

Father ours, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name... Lord's Prayer. Matthew 6:10

In the name of God, most gracious, most merciful. (Bism Allah Arrahman Arraheem) Quran 27:30

Blessed be the name of your Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty, and Honor. Quran 55:78

They will see His face, and His name will be written on their foreheads. Rev. 22:4

To God belong the most beautiful names,(...) Quran 7:180

This world is transitory, The Name of God is the true reality. Everything in this world is destructible, transient, ephemeral. So you must all repeat God's Name (...) Teachings of Babaji, P.108.

The one God; there is no god except He; to Him belong the most beautiful names. Quran 20:8

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Exodus 20:

Whatever you ask for in my name I will do, so that the father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

O master of the senses, the world becomes joyful hearing Your name, and thus do all become attached to You. The demons are afraid and flee here and there, while the perfect beings offer You their respectful homage. All this is rightly done. Gita 11:36

My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. Psalm 145:21

Bless the Lord, o my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Psalm 103:1.

Sing to God, sing praises to his name; prepare a way for him who rides on the clouds. His name is the Lord - be glad in his presence. Psalm 68:4

Thy Name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succour in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Baha'u'llah (the New Era)

The sorrows of death compassed me, the horrors of the grave closed in on me; I was filled with trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord (...) Psalm 116:3-4

What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. Psalm 116.

O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is Thy name in all the earth! Psalm 8:22

Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148:13

Our soul hath waited for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For in Him doth our heart rejoice, because we have trusted in His holy name. Psalm 33:20-21.

May the Lord's Name be praised from now and to all eternity. From the rising of the sun to the going down thereof the Lord's Name is to be praised. Jewish prayer. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.94.

Peace has come, the Lord has caused it, high fever and sins have gone, my brother. Repeat the Lord's name daily with your tongue, reflect on the qualities of the unfathomable Lord. In the company of the righteous salvation is obtained, sing the praises of the pure regularly everyday. Your suffering cease and (to) be saved, my friend, concentrate your mind. Remember God with word and dead. Adi Granth.

Of greatest importance is that the repetition of God's name increases daily. In this way, your heart and mind will be purified. Only then you will find God in yourself. The mind can only be purified by japa. This is the only medicine for the disease of the mind. While your mind and heart are impure, how can God live in your heart? The water to clean your heart is the Name of God. So teach everyone to repeat the name of God - everywhere. Teachings of Babaji, P.40.

(...) I do not want God's name to be like stagnant, muddy water, but like sparkling, running water. Work and be Light; repeat God's name. With a concentrated mind always repeat God's name. Teachings of Babaji, P.40.

Let no one think, my fellow Christians, that only priests and monks need to pray without ceasing and not lay people. No, no: every Christian without exception ought to dwell always in prayer (...). The Name of God must be remembered in prayer as often as one draws breath. Attributed to Gregory Palamas, 14th Century.

May all peoples, tribes and tongues give praise to you; may they extoll that holy, that honey-sweet name of yours with cries of joyful praise and burning devotion (...) Thomas A Kempis, Imitation of Christ, IV.17.5

Give me the sweet balm of your Spirit instead of all the delights of the world; empty my fleshly love and fill it instead with the love of your name. Thomas A Kempis, III.26.3

Daniel answered and said: Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his. Dan 2:20

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered... Joel 2:32

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Rom 10:13

Everyone who shall call upon the name of the Lord on that day be saved. Acts 2:21

When the servant heard the beloved name Jesus sounding so sweetly, his heart and his mind became so blithesome that all the suffering he had ever had vanished away. Heinrich Seuse. In: Buber, Ecstatic Confessions, P.69.

For then I will turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. Zeph 3:9

Then I shall restore pure lips to all peoples, that they may invoke the Lord by name and serve him with one accord. Zeph 3:9

... unless you listen to me and pay heed to the honouring of my name, says the Lord of Hosts, I shall lay a curse on you. I shall turn your blessings into a curse; yes, into curse, because you pay no heed. Mal 2:2

The Lord's name is like a strong tower, where the righteous can go and be safe. Proverbs 18:10

(...) Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Iz 12:4

Lord, you are my God; I will honor you and praise your name. You have done amazing things; (...) Iz 25:1

There is no one who invokes you by name or rouses himself to hold fast to you; for you have hidden your face from us and left us in the grip of our iniquities. Iz 64:7

But I called, Lord, on your name from the depths of the pit; (...) You came near when I called to you, you said, "Have no fear." Lamentations 3:55,57

Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord! Matthew 21:9

One, who is absorbed in the Lord's Divine Name throughout his life, merges in the Lord as a drop merges in the ocean. Shanti Vachan Bhandar, 1123.

You meditate on the Lord's Divine Name. Whatever task you accomplish is by its glory. Shanti Vachan Bhandar, 1485.

All worldly objects, wealth and pleasures shall be left behind in this world. Only the wealth of Divine Name shall accompany one beyond this world. Increase your treasure as much as you can. Shanti Vachan Bhandar, 1520.

Do not forget your death. Make your life efficacious by utilizing your breaths in the practice of Lord's Name. Shanti Vachan Bhandar, 1537.

A hut where the Lord's Name abides, is better than a palace. Shanti Vachan Bhandar, 1730.

The illusory objects increase one's cravings whereas the Divine Name bestows contentment. Shanti Vachan Bhandar, 1931.

He is contented one who has eradicated all desires except that of the Lord's Divine Name. Liberated is he who has broken all other bonds except that of the Master. A liberated person alone can lead others to liberation, a contented person alone can bestow contentment to others. Shanti Vachan Bhandar, 1969.

If thirst can be quenched by drinking water, the fire of sorrow, misery and burden can be extinguished by recital of Lord's Divine Name. Shanti Vachan Bhandar, 2059.

Babaji has come to change the world - not by fighting or with weapons and armaments. He transforms by changing the hearts of people thought a simple method - repetition of God's Holy Name. The vibrations of the name will change the world. There will be universal understanding - one nation, one family. (...) Teachings of Babaji, P.29.

Every moment, in each breath, while eating, sleeping, and working, remember the Lord's name. Teachings of Babaji, P.35.

God's name is more powerful than a thousand atomic and hydrogen bombs. Help yourself by repeating the Lord's name. All you know that God's name is the highest thing. Why do you attach your minds to the transitory things in this world? Why do you not spend your time in meditation and repeating the Lord's name? Attach yourself to God. Teachings of Babaji, P.43.

Along with your Karma Yoga, you must repeat the Name of God within your heart. Teachings of Babaji, P.120.

Many are the names of God, and infinite the forms that lead us to know him. In whatsoever name or form you desire to call him, in that very form and name you will see him. Ramakrishna. In: Buber, Ecstatic Confessions, P.16.

An immeasurable sweetness was given to me then, so that I felt as if my soul was separated from my body. And the sweetness of all names, the name of Jesus Christ, was given to me then with such a great fervor of his love, that I could pray nothing but a continuous saying that was instilled in me by the divine power of God and that I could not resist and of which I can write nothing, except that the name Jesus Christ was in it continually. Buber, Ecstatic Confessions, P.73.

The Name of Jesus. Oh, how great is Your Name, O Lord! It is the strength of my soul. When my strength fails, and darkness invades my soul, Your Name is the sun whose rays give light and also warmth, and under their influence the soul becomes more beautiful and radiant, taking its splendor from Your Name. When I hear the sweetest name of Jesus, my heartbeat grows stronger, and there are times when, hearing the Name of Jesus, I fall into a swoon. My spirit eagerly strains toward Him. Faustina Kowalska, The Diary, 862.

Jesus, Your Name is my deligth, I have a presentiment of my Beloved from afar, and my lanquishing soul rests in His embrace; I don't know how to live without Him. I would rather be with Him in afflictions and suffering than without Him in the greatest heavenly delights. Faustina Kowalska, The Diary, 912.

(…) Pray now for people who curse against the Name of God. Our Lady of Medjugorie, April 11, 1988. Words from Heaven, P.287.

(…) Today I invite you to glorify God, for the Name of God to be holy in your hearts and in your life. (…) renew prayer in your families and your heart will glorify the holy Name of God and Heaven will reign in your heart. (…). Our Lady of Medjugorie, May 25, 1997. Words from Heaven, supplement.

I am delighted to know that you are invoking the sacred name. Indeed the practice of the Nembutsu (invoking the name of Amida or Amithaba Buddha) is the best of all for bringing us to ojo (rebirth in the Pure Land) (...) And so you should now cease from all other religious practices, apply yourself to Nembutsu alone, and it this it is all-important to do it with undivided attention (...). Honen (1133-1212), a Japanese Buddhist, quoted after: Novak Philip, The World Wisdom, P.85.

People try to use God.  But God will not be used.  God will not be had.  God will not be possessed. That is why it is
important to remember that every time you or I enter into prayer, we enter into the cave of a lion, and who knows if we are going to come out alive? God is not a tame God, and that is why we must  never speak about him glibly or casually.  Anytime we refer to him without awe and astonishment, without holy fear - not psychological fear, but holy fear - we take his name in
vain, which is one of the greatest sins of humankind. McNamara William. Speaking of Silence. P.151. Submitted to L-Center Discussion Group by Gary Horn ghorn@qwest.com

When I utter the name "God" my whole being melts away in His Joy. Paramahansa Yogananda, Man's Eternal Quest, P.52.

Those who remember the Lord as Wah-i-Guru begin to call themselves Sikhs, while those who remember Him as Allah call themselves Muslims; and those who remember Him as Ram call themselves Hindus. We become so intolerant that it becomes difficult for us even to meet each other. (...) Conflicts last only while we are deaf to the music of the true Name and are in love with the names expressed in words. Maharaj Charan Singh. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.95.

I begin with the Name of Him who is nameless, but who answers to whatever name one may use. Maulana Rum, the XIII-th century Sufi mystic. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.98.

One may bring wood from far and near and stack it in a heap, but a little fire reduces it to ashes. Even so, one's great store of sins is soon consumed when saints apply to the sinner a spark of the Name of the Lord. Attributed to Guru Nanak. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.121.

One can attain to the spiritual world through the practice of outward and inward holiness, excessive love of God and the delight in His recollection (dikr) and Holy names. Abraham he-Hasid, the Jewish Sufi mystic of the XIII-th century. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.133.

Through this Name, His handiwork can speak of Him and call Him. By uttering this Name, individuals can also bring themselves close to Him. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, the Jewish Italian mystic of the XVIII-th century. Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.134.

God also decreed and ordained that when an individual utters His Name, divine Illumination and Influence are bestowed upon him. This is what God meant when He said, "In every place where I allow My Name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you" (Exodus 20:21). Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav (1772-1811). Quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.134.

The perfect Master teaches us how to unite our consciousness with the Shabd, the essence of the Lord. He teaches us how to hear the holy Name of God, see its inner light, and ultimately merges our soul into it. Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.199.

When you have found the jewel of Name, keep it tied up most safely in your bundle. No one, alas, appreciates its worth, and there is no one who desires to buy it; the world, O Kabir, is ignorant of its great value. Kabir, Adi Granth, quoted after: Miriam Bokser Caravella, The Holy Name. P.250.

To realize the Universal Soul - the Soul of men and of Nature - only the Name of the Lord can help. There is no difference between Name and Form. By practicing the repetition of the Lord's Name, the devotee becomes the Name Itself - the Name of the Lord. His Form and the one reciting the Name unite: the Name is the Lord. To reach the Ultimate, the practice of the repetition of the Lord's Name is the best practice. Vishnu Dutt Shastriji, Shrisadashiv Charitamrit, quoted in: Radhe Shyam, I Am Harmony, P.90.

When lions enter the forest, the other animals run away. Likewise, all evil thoughts will vanish with the recitation of the Lord's Name. Reciting the Name of the Lord will bring you the company of good people and you will be near saints. Vishnu Dutt Shastriji, Shrisadashiv Charitamrit, quoted in: Radhe Shyam, I Am Harmony, P.92.

Three things meet in my eyes
    and keep the thought of you always before me:
the skies which make me think of your Name,
    as they bear faithful witness for me;
the place where I stand, which brings my mind
    back to the hand that set it beneath me;
and bless, my soul, my Lord at all times
    for heart's reflection within me.

Three Things by Gabirol (11th Century). Quoted after: Cole, Peter (Trans.) (2001). Selected Poems of Solomon Ibn Gabirol. Princeton, Oxford: Princeton University Press. P.112

You are the God of gods - by Solomon Ibn Gabirol, 11th Century.
He Dwells Forever - by Gabirol.

With us, the name of everything
is its outward appearance;
with the Creator,
the name of each thing is its inward reality.
(...)
In brief, that which we are in the end
is our real name with God.

Rumi, Mathnawi I, 1239-1244, quoted in: Helminski, Kabir (2000). The Rumi Collection. P.79.

To praise God is to be purified: when purity arrives, corruption quickly leaves. Opposites flee from each other: night flees when the light dawns. When the pure Name enters the mouth, neither impurity nor sorrow remain. Your awe and love are the rope to catch My gift: beneath every "O Lord" of yours is many a "Here am I" from Me. Rumi, Mathnawi III, 186-188, quoted in: Helminski, Kabir (2000). The Rumi Collection. P.97.

O Love, You who have been called by a thousand names,
You who know how to pour the wine
into the chalice of the body,
You who give culture to a thousand cultures,
You who are faceless but have a thousand faces,
(...)
give me a glass from Your bottle,
or a handful of bhang from Your branch.
Remove the cork once more. (...)

Rumi, Because I Cannot Sleep, quoted in: Helminski, Kabir (2000). The Rumi Collection. P.161.

The more the rain falls on the earth, the softer it makes it; similarly, Christ's holy name gladdens the earth of our heart the more we call upon it. St. Hesyhios the Priest (8th or 9th Century), quoted in: The Philokalia, Vol. I., P.169.

We have learned from experience that for one who wishes to purify his heart it is a truly great blessing constantly invoke the name of the Lord Jesus against his intelligible enemies. Notice how what I speak of from experience concurs with the testimony of Scripture. It is written: 'Prepare yourself, O Israel, to call upon the name of the Lord your God' (cf. Amos 4:12. LXX); and the Apostle says: 'Pray without ceasing' (1Thess. 5:17). (...) St. Hesyhios the Priest (8th or 9th Century), quoted in: The Philokalia, Vol. I., P.173.

A certain God-given equilibrium is produced in our intellect through the constant remembrance and invocation of our Lord Jesus Christ, provided that we do not neglect this constant spiritual entreaty or our close watchfulness and diligence. Indeed, our true task is always the same and is always accomplished in the same way: to call upon our Lord Jesus Christ with a burning heart so that His holy name intercedes for us. (...) St. Hesyhios the Priest (8th or 9th Century), quoted in: The Philokalia, Vol. I., P.178.

Therefore, monk, do not 'sleep unto death' (Ps. 13:3. LXX) because of your negligence; but lash the enemy with the name of Jesus and, as a certain wise man has said, let the name of Jesus adhere to your breath, then you will know the blessings of stillness. St. Hesyhios the Priest (8th or 9th Century), quoted in: The Philokalia, Vol. I., P.179.

The soul's true peace lies in the gentle name of Jesus and its emptying itself of impassioned thoughts. St. Hesyhios the Priest (8th or 9th Century), quoted in: The Philokalia, Vol. I., P.162St. Hesyhios the Priest (8th or 9th Century), quoted in: The Philokalia, Vol. I., P.183.

In order to walk, one must take the first step; in order to swim, one must throw oneself in water. It is the same with the Incarnation of the Name. Begin to pronounce it with adoration and love. Cling to it. Repeat it. Do not think that you are invoking the name; think only of Jesus himself. Say His Name slowly, softly and quietly. Pennington, Basil. (1978). O Holy Mountain! Journal of a Retreat on Mount Athos. P.52-3.

Through the remembrance of Jesus Christ, gather together your disintegrated mind that is scattered abroad. Philotheos of Sinai, quoted: Pennington, Basil. (1978). O Holy Mountain! Journal of a Retreat on Mount Athos. P.74.

The remembrance of the Name of God utterly destroys all that is evil. Barsanuphios, quoted in: Pennington, Basil. (1978). O Holy Mountain! Journal of a Retreat on Mount Athos. P.74.

Shining through the heart, the light of the Name of Jesus illuminates all the universe. Pennington, Basil. (1978). O Holy Mountain! Journal of a Retreat on Mount Athos. P.78.

The Name of the Son of God is great and immense. It is this Name which sustains the entire world. Hermas. Quoted in: Pennington, Basil. (1978). O Holy Mountain! Journal of a Retreat on Mount Athos. P.206.

Would you come if someone called you by the wrong name? I wept, because for years He did not enter my arms; then one night I was told a secret: Perhaps the name you call God is not really His, maybe it is just an  alias. I thought about it, and came up with a pet name for my Beloved I never mention to others. All I can say is-it works. Rabia (c.717-801), quoted in: Ladinsky Daniel (2002). Love Poems from God. Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West. P.12.

Q: The repetition of the name of God is very common in India. Is there any virtue in it?

M: When you know the name of a thing, or a person, you can find it easily. By calling God by His name you make Him come to you. (…) The sound of mantra creates the shape which will embody the Self. The Self can embody any shape – and operate through it. After all, the Self is expressing itself in action – and a mantra is primarily energy in action. It acts on you, it acts on your surroundings. (…) Since times immemorial a link was created between certain words and corresponding energies and reinforced by numberless repetitions. It is just like a road to walk on. It is an easy way – only faith is needed. You trust the road to take you to your destination. Sri Maharaj Nisargadatta. (2005). I am That. P.76.


Last modified: 2013/06/03

See the related subjects: Contemplation, God in Human Heart, Inspiration, Meditation, Mind, Mystical Union, Prayer, God's Presence, Reality, Silence.

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