R U worried whether U R leading a meaningful life? Chant Hare Krishna
Maha Manthra with dedication & Love to Krishna & Read Srila
Prabhupada’s Books! Come out from dark! See the difference! It is my own
experience & the experience of crores of fortunate people
worldwide!
The Manthra proved to be able to purify any person of any stage: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Simple to chant but very effective in results!
A day has 24 hours. Let us spend 7 hrs to sleep; 1 Hr to eat; 9 hrs for work; 5 hrs for any other important work you have! Can’t we spend 2 hrs for Chanting Krishna’s Name & Reading? Should we be that much busy? Can we live without His Mercy? Can’t we spend atleast 2 hrs daily for the creator & protector of us? No excuses, please! We are helpless without Krishna! Don’t miss Him! Catch Him Strongly!
Chant atleast one round of Hare Krishna Maha Manthra before going to bed. I challenge, you will get a deep & sound sleep without bad dreams! Try!
UNABLE TO DO CHANTING?
One of the devotee says that he finds it difficult to concentrate in Chanting & other saadhanas due to his situations.
Place a bucket of soiled dirty water under a running water pump for minutes. See all the dirty water disappears & the water in bucket becomes clear after some time. Thus, Every one of us have anarthaas. Nobody is 100% perfect! Don’t fight with situations/ anarthaas (Soiled water). Just practice Krishna Consciousness (Pure water) sincerely. All the anarthas will disappear in soon! Only Krishna bakthi remains!
Srimad Bhagawatham: 12.3.52: "krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih dvapare paricaryayam kalau tad dhari-kirtanat" MEANING: "Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Visnu (Dhyana), in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices (Homa) and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet (At temples) can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra"
OFFENCES AGAINST CHANTING!
We have given you plenty of messages (Learnt through Srila Prabhupad) on why you should chant the Holy name of Krishna! However, we should not be casual in chanting! Chanting means connecting to Krishna! So, We should be very careful in TEN OFFENCES while chanting Hare Krishna regularly:
1.Don’t blaspheme (speaking evil of) those devotees who have dedicated their life for propagating Holy Name Of Krishna!
2.Don’t consider the Names of Demigods to be equal to or independent of the Holy name of Krishna! We have seen many people treating all the Names demigods like celestials & Krishna equally but it is an offence. (We can not equalise them with that of Krishna!)
3.Don’t disobey the orders of your Spritual master!
4.Don’t speaking evil of the Vedic Literature or literature in pursuance of Vedic version!
5.Don’t think that the Glories of Chanting Hare Krishna to be an imagination!
6.VERY IMPORTANT: Don’t commit sinful activities on the strength of the Holy Name of Krishna! (ie, We should not take it granted that just because we chant the Holy name of Krishna regularly, we can continue to do sinful activities & then chant Hare Krishna to neutralise those new sins! Such dangerous mentality is very offensive)
7.To give some own interpretation to the holy name of the Lord!
8.Don’t instruct a faithless person about Glories of Holy Name of Krishna! (ie, you can tell any one to chant Hare Krishna! But, U should not tell them the transcedental potency of the Lord! As most sinful persons won’t appreciate transcendental glories of Krishna initially. In due course of time, they will come in favour of knowing more about Krishna!)
9.Don’t consider Chanting Hare Krishna as one of the auspicious rituals offered in the Vedas to get gains)!
10. Don’t Maintain incomplete faith in the chanting Hare Krishna & Material attachments even after so many instructions!
There are some local offenses also at the time of chanting! If you chant Hare Krishna without these major offences, it will be more effective & will reach Krishna without fail!
Do you know the meaning of "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama hare Hare"?.
‘Hare’ means the energy of Lord’. ‘Krishna’ means ‘All attractive Lord’. ‘Rama’ means ‘Supreme Enjoyer’.
Thus the Manthra means: "Oh, Energy of Lord! Oh, All Attractive Lord! Oh Supreme Enjoyer! Please Engage me in your service!"
Hereafter, chant after knowing the meaning! Effective! Isn’t it?
See/think the picture of Krishna or any of His forms in paper/mind while chanting, so that U can avoid thoughts on opposite sex, material things, worries, dreams, etc!
Try to wake up before 5 am (don’t scold us), take bath & Chant preferebly before Sunrise or atleast before 8AM! Start daily duties after chanting in the early morning & find the difference! Try & Tell me!
We request you all, to take sincere efforts to avoid offences while chanting! We repeat! Krishna Sees only our CONSCIOUSNESS! Not the status! We suggest our friends to memorise all points & try gradually to adopt them so as to achieve the Mercy of Krishna! If U Like the tips or not, tell yr realisations here!
ALL YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHANTING
The chanting rounds that should be included for the calculation of committed number of rounds of Chanting:
1.that were done after doing the morning body cleaning processes! Though U can chant even before bathing/cleaning, don’t count them in calculation; 2.Don’t include those chantings that were done while watching T.V, Computer, Mobile, eating, lying on bed or chatting with others!
In short, you can chant Hare Krishna at any time without hesitation; However, If you had committed 8 rounds a day (108 times x 8), try to include only those rounds that were done as an exclusive assignment! Chanting can be done even in a house where a death has happenned recently! Ladies can chant even during monthly periods! (without involving in pujas & offering food to Krishna)! Only Consciousness matters here!
If you feel itching in nose, ears, hairs or other body parts, don’t rub or impurify your fingers while chanting! Stop chanting, make body comfortable & start chanting again! Don’t include stopped round in counting! Don’t chant while taking bath! Don’t talk to others or put yr eyes on any other media while chanting! Chant in a peaceful atmosphere without TV, Radio, disturbing persons, disturbing thoughts, etc.
If any one calls U while chanting, stop chanting, go, attend, come back & continue chanting (Don’t include stopped round in counting)! Don’t overload your stomach as U will feel sleepy & be affected by gastric trouble! ‘JAPA’ means ‘Speak softly’. So, chant in low voice! U can sing loudly but don’t chant very loudly to disturb others! More the sincerity, faster the spritual advancement & going back to Krishna!
PRONOUNCE THE MANTHRA CLEARLY & DISTINCTLY WITH A SINGLE MIND THAT IS NOT WANDERING WORLD-OVER! REMEMBER! VEDAS SAY: "WHEN YOU CHANT HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTHRA, KRISHNA STARTS PERSONALLY DANCING ON YOUR TONGUE! SO, DON’T TAKE CHANTING AS JUST ANOTHER DUTY! ‘MAHA MANTHRA’ MEANS "GREAT SOUND THAT LIBERATES OUR MIND FROM IGNORANCE!"
H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj on Chanting: "A round (108 times) of chanting will take 5.5 to 8 mts depending on the experience. Thus, if a person completes a round within 5 minutes, that means, he has (i)not concentrated on manthra or (ii)omitted some words of manthra, or (iii)skips some beeds (less than 108 times). Quality of Chanting is important. We should avoid taking Chanting Beeds to Bathroom or toilet."
Now, it is time for us to know the proper way of chanting. There are different methods to count the 108 times of chanting of Maha Manthra. One method is using the fingers. The difficulty in this method is we have to spare part of our attention to the counting of fingers! It reduces our concentration in chanting. Chanting can also be done using beads placed inside a bag. See this in the following posts today.
Now, H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj says: "Each strand of JAPA BEADS contains 108 beads & one large bead (the head bead to know the starting/ closing point). Start chanting on a bead next to the head bead and gently roll it between the thumb & middle finger of yr right hand as U chant the full Hare Krishna Manthra. Then move to the next bead & repeat the process".
H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj continues: "In this way, chant on each of the 108 beads until U reach the head bead again. This is one round of Japa. Then, without chanting on the head bead, reverse the beads & start second round on the last bead U chanted on. This method not only helps to U fix yr attention on the holy name, but it also helps U to count the no. of times U chant the manthra daily!"
H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj continues: "Once U have fixed certain no. Of rounds of chanting daily, try to complete it every day without fail. When U feel U can chant more, increase the minimum no. of rounds U chant every day. But, don’t fall below that number. U can chant more than yr fixed number, but U should maintain a set minimum each day".
H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj continues: "Please note: The beads R sacred. Never allow it to touch ground or put it in an unclean place. To keep yr beads clean, it is best to carry them in a special bead bag. (Both beads & bead bags R available in ISKCON temples worldwide). Since Krishna is all powerful & Merciful, he has kindly made it very easy for us to chant. HE HAS ALSO INVESTED HIS POWERS IN THEM"
How many rounds of japa is advisable? H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj says: "Initiated devotees must do a minimum of 16 rounds(16x108) daily! No relaxation! However, new devotees may find this difficult. They can start from 2, 4, 8 & increase the number of rounds stage by stage". However, decide the no. of rounds considering yr background. Even if U do 2 rounds, do it properly.
As I have said to do even if it is 2 rounds, do it properly, don’t stick to it habitually. Develop a wish to increase the no. of rounds & do it! If you are free on a any day (Holiday), don’t hesitate to chant 16 rounds on that day. (Many wake up only after 9 am on holidays, half heartedly. If we R not ready to sacrifice even an hour to Krishna, it shows our ego. We R zero, if Krishna’s Mercy is not there!
I have said earlier about the offences against & while chanting for the past 3 days! Inspite of our care, we may commit 1 or 2 offences, as we R human! So, before starting the chanting, we have to pray our senior gurus to forgive these offences! So, Before starting the chanting, tell the Manthras in the next post holding the Master beat on yr fingers. Our seniors will recommend Krishna to excuse the offences!
(1) Nama Ohm Vishnu Paadaaya Krishna Preshthaya Bhuthale
Srimathe Bakthivedantha Swamin Ithi Namine
Namaste Saraswathe Deve Gauravani pracharine
nirvisesha sunyavadi paschatya desa tarine
(2) Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda
...Sri Advaitha Gathathara Srivashadhi Gaura baktha vrindha.
After reciting these manthras before chanting, U can start chanting NON-STOP!
Before finishing this topic, I write what Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu:
"Harer Nama Harer Nama Harer Namaiva Kevalam;
Kalau Nasty Eva Nasty Eva Nasty Eva Gathir Anyatha"
MEANING: "IN THIS AGE OF KALI (QUARREL & ANXIETY), THERE IS (i) NO ALTERNATIVE, (ii) NO ALTERNATIVE , (iii) NO ALTERNATIVE (Says 3 times) FOR SPRITUAL PROGRESS OTHER THAN CHANTING OF THE HOLY NAMES OF GOD!"
The Manthra proved to be able to purify any person of any stage: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Simple to chant but very effective in results!
A day has 24 hours. Let us spend 7 hrs to sleep; 1 Hr to eat; 9 hrs for work; 5 hrs for any other important work you have! Can’t we spend 2 hrs for Chanting Krishna’s Name & Reading? Should we be that much busy? Can we live without His Mercy? Can’t we spend atleast 2 hrs daily for the creator & protector of us? No excuses, please! We are helpless without Krishna! Don’t miss Him! Catch Him Strongly!
Chant atleast one round of Hare Krishna Maha Manthra before going to bed. I challenge, you will get a deep & sound sleep without bad dreams! Try!
UNABLE TO DO CHANTING?
One of the devotee says that he finds it difficult to concentrate in Chanting & other saadhanas due to his situations.
Place a bucket of soiled dirty water under a running water pump for minutes. See all the dirty water disappears & the water in bucket becomes clear after some time. Thus, Every one of us have anarthaas. Nobody is 100% perfect! Don’t fight with situations/ anarthaas (Soiled water). Just practice Krishna Consciousness (Pure water) sincerely. All the anarthas will disappear in soon! Only Krishna bakthi remains!
Srimad Bhagawatham: 12.3.52: "krte yad dhyayato visnum tretayam yajato makhaih dvapare paricaryayam kalau tad dhari-kirtanat" MEANING: "Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Visnu (Dhyana), in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices (Homa) and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet (At temples) can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra"
OFFENCES AGAINST CHANTING!
We have given you plenty of messages (Learnt through Srila Prabhupad) on why you should chant the Holy name of Krishna! However, we should not be casual in chanting! Chanting means connecting to Krishna! So, We should be very careful in TEN OFFENCES while chanting Hare Krishna regularly:
1.Don’t blaspheme (speaking evil of) those devotees who have dedicated their life for propagating Holy Name Of Krishna!
2.Don’t consider the Names of Demigods to be equal to or independent of the Holy name of Krishna! We have seen many people treating all the Names demigods like celestials & Krishna equally but it is an offence. (We can not equalise them with that of Krishna!)
3.Don’t disobey the orders of your Spritual master!
4.Don’t speaking evil of the Vedic Literature or literature in pursuance of Vedic version!
5.Don’t think that the Glories of Chanting Hare Krishna to be an imagination!
6.VERY IMPORTANT: Don’t commit sinful activities on the strength of the Holy Name of Krishna! (ie, We should not take it granted that just because we chant the Holy name of Krishna regularly, we can continue to do sinful activities & then chant Hare Krishna to neutralise those new sins! Such dangerous mentality is very offensive)
7.To give some own interpretation to the holy name of the Lord!
8.Don’t instruct a faithless person about Glories of Holy Name of Krishna! (ie, you can tell any one to chant Hare Krishna! But, U should not tell them the transcedental potency of the Lord! As most sinful persons won’t appreciate transcendental glories of Krishna initially. In due course of time, they will come in favour of knowing more about Krishna!)
9.Don’t consider Chanting Hare Krishna as one of the auspicious rituals offered in the Vedas to get gains)!
10. Don’t Maintain incomplete faith in the chanting Hare Krishna & Material attachments even after so many instructions!
There are some local offenses also at the time of chanting! If you chant Hare Krishna without these major offences, it will be more effective & will reach Krishna without fail!
Do you know the meaning of "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama hare Hare"?.
‘Hare’ means the energy of Lord’. ‘Krishna’ means ‘All attractive Lord’. ‘Rama’ means ‘Supreme Enjoyer’.
Thus the Manthra means: "Oh, Energy of Lord! Oh, All Attractive Lord! Oh Supreme Enjoyer! Please Engage me in your service!"
Hereafter, chant after knowing the meaning! Effective! Isn’t it?
See/think the picture of Krishna or any of His forms in paper/mind while chanting, so that U can avoid thoughts on opposite sex, material things, worries, dreams, etc!
Try to wake up before 5 am (don’t scold us), take bath & Chant preferebly before Sunrise or atleast before 8AM! Start daily duties after chanting in the early morning & find the difference! Try & Tell me!
We request you all, to take sincere efforts to avoid offences while chanting! We repeat! Krishna Sees only our CONSCIOUSNESS! Not the status! We suggest our friends to memorise all points & try gradually to adopt them so as to achieve the Mercy of Krishna! If U Like the tips or not, tell yr realisations here!
ALL YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHANTING
The chanting rounds that should be included for the calculation of committed number of rounds of Chanting:
1.that were done after doing the morning body cleaning processes! Though U can chant even before bathing/cleaning, don’t count them in calculation; 2.Don’t include those chantings that were done while watching T.V, Computer, Mobile, eating, lying on bed or chatting with others!
In short, you can chant Hare Krishna at any time without hesitation; However, If you had committed 8 rounds a day (108 times x 8), try to include only those rounds that were done as an exclusive assignment! Chanting can be done even in a house where a death has happenned recently! Ladies can chant even during monthly periods! (without involving in pujas & offering food to Krishna)! Only Consciousness matters here!
If you feel itching in nose, ears, hairs or other body parts, don’t rub or impurify your fingers while chanting! Stop chanting, make body comfortable & start chanting again! Don’t include stopped round in counting! Don’t chant while taking bath! Don’t talk to others or put yr eyes on any other media while chanting! Chant in a peaceful atmosphere without TV, Radio, disturbing persons, disturbing thoughts, etc.
If any one calls U while chanting, stop chanting, go, attend, come back & continue chanting (Don’t include stopped round in counting)! Don’t overload your stomach as U will feel sleepy & be affected by gastric trouble! ‘JAPA’ means ‘Speak softly’. So, chant in low voice! U can sing loudly but don’t chant very loudly to disturb others! More the sincerity, faster the spritual advancement & going back to Krishna!
PRONOUNCE THE MANTHRA CLEARLY & DISTINCTLY WITH A SINGLE MIND THAT IS NOT WANDERING WORLD-OVER! REMEMBER! VEDAS SAY: "WHEN YOU CHANT HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTHRA, KRISHNA STARTS PERSONALLY DANCING ON YOUR TONGUE! SO, DON’T TAKE CHANTING AS JUST ANOTHER DUTY! ‘MAHA MANTHRA’ MEANS "GREAT SOUND THAT LIBERATES OUR MIND FROM IGNORANCE!"
H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj on Chanting: "A round (108 times) of chanting will take 5.5 to 8 mts depending on the experience. Thus, if a person completes a round within 5 minutes, that means, he has (i)not concentrated on manthra or (ii)omitted some words of manthra, or (iii)skips some beeds (less than 108 times). Quality of Chanting is important. We should avoid taking Chanting Beeds to Bathroom or toilet."
Now, it is time for us to know the proper way of chanting. There are different methods to count the 108 times of chanting of Maha Manthra. One method is using the fingers. The difficulty in this method is we have to spare part of our attention to the counting of fingers! It reduces our concentration in chanting. Chanting can also be done using beads placed inside a bag. See this in the following posts today.
Now, H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj says: "Each strand of JAPA BEADS contains 108 beads & one large bead (the head bead to know the starting/ closing point). Start chanting on a bead next to the head bead and gently roll it between the thumb & middle finger of yr right hand as U chant the full Hare Krishna Manthra. Then move to the next bead & repeat the process".
H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj continues: "In this way, chant on each of the 108 beads until U reach the head bead again. This is one round of Japa. Then, without chanting on the head bead, reverse the beads & start second round on the last bead U chanted on. This method not only helps to U fix yr attention on the holy name, but it also helps U to count the no. of times U chant the manthra daily!"
H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj continues: "Once U have fixed certain no. Of rounds of chanting daily, try to complete it every day without fail. When U feel U can chant more, increase the minimum no. of rounds U chant every day. But, don’t fall below that number. U can chant more than yr fixed number, but U should maintain a set minimum each day".
H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj continues: "Please note: The beads R sacred. Never allow it to touch ground or put it in an unclean place. To keep yr beads clean, it is best to carry them in a special bead bag. (Both beads & bead bags R available in ISKCON temples worldwide). Since Krishna is all powerful & Merciful, he has kindly made it very easy for us to chant. HE HAS ALSO INVESTED HIS POWERS IN THEM"
How many rounds of japa is advisable? H.H.Bakthi Vikas Swami Maharaj says: "Initiated devotees must do a minimum of 16 rounds(16x108) daily! No relaxation! However, new devotees may find this difficult. They can start from 2, 4, 8 & increase the number of rounds stage by stage". However, decide the no. of rounds considering yr background. Even if U do 2 rounds, do it properly.
As I have said to do even if it is 2 rounds, do it properly, don’t stick to it habitually. Develop a wish to increase the no. of rounds & do it! If you are free on a any day (Holiday), don’t hesitate to chant 16 rounds on that day. (Many wake up only after 9 am on holidays, half heartedly. If we R not ready to sacrifice even an hour to Krishna, it shows our ego. We R zero, if Krishna’s Mercy is not there!
I have said earlier about the offences against & while chanting for the past 3 days! Inspite of our care, we may commit 1 or 2 offences, as we R human! So, before starting the chanting, we have to pray our senior gurus to forgive these offences! So, Before starting the chanting, tell the Manthras in the next post holding the Master beat on yr fingers. Our seniors will recommend Krishna to excuse the offences!
(1) Nama Ohm Vishnu Paadaaya Krishna Preshthaya Bhuthale
Srimathe Bakthivedantha Swamin Ithi Namine
Namaste Saraswathe Deve Gauravani pracharine
nirvisesha sunyavadi paschatya desa tarine
(2) Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda
...Sri Advaitha Gathathara Srivashadhi Gaura baktha vrindha.
After reciting these manthras before chanting, U can start chanting NON-STOP!
Before finishing this topic, I write what Sri Chaitanya Maha Prabhu:
"Harer Nama Harer Nama Harer Namaiva Kevalam;
Kalau Nasty Eva Nasty Eva Nasty Eva Gathir Anyatha"
MEANING: "IN THIS AGE OF KALI (QUARREL & ANXIETY), THERE IS (i) NO ALTERNATIVE, (ii) NO ALTERNATIVE , (iii) NO ALTERNATIVE (Says 3 times) FOR SPRITUAL PROGRESS OTHER THAN CHANTING OF THE HOLY NAMES OF GOD!"
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