Difficulty: I Cannot Find KrishnaI have been chanting 16 rounds as advised by you. Here are my observations and deductions. Please shed some light on this.Before I began chanting 16 rounds, I had a strong emotive connection with Krishna, in silence I felt his presence through body and mind. Chanting has mechanized this connection and I can't find Him anymore. It is now about obeying you and getting in 16 rounds - a goal, a target another 'clockwork' and rat-race in the AM.Maybe this is why one of the 10 commandments say "Thou shall not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vain", - it commoditizes my beloved and sacred Lord. I would rather have my own conversations with Him and be in that state of ecstasy.Though I must say chanting is a form on mental drill and has some type of psychological benefit - a centering, an internal weapon and inner strength....Please shed some light on my understanding and correct my thinkingWith humility and deep respectsYour studentHare KrishnaAnswer: Go Deeper into the ChantingThere is a higher presence of Krishna that you have not yet experienced. Even though in the beginning chanting 16 rounds of japa seems mechanical and forced, if you will continue chanting on the order of the spiritual master, you will gradually be amazed to experience Krishna on a much higher level of connection far beyond what you have ever tasted in the past or could even conceive to be possible in your wildest imagination.Hari Hari Bolhttp://harekrishnaharekrishna.ning.com/forum/
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Mmm. Same size shoes dont always fit all. But i wonder what you are expecting to see. An image or aparition? Adjust the shoe. Choose s new color maybe or an entirely.different.one. maybe take your practice to new heights. you are not seperate. Thats a perspective illusion. Sometimes i agree we are not noticing the change in us. Or it may be that its become a drill and whoever you ask keeps telling you about the same drill. Dont be afraid to do some actual seeking. It is that seeking itself that brings reward.
This is a very sad situation. I worry that we sometimes unintentionally chase off "new people" by telling them that they must chant 16 rounds a day.
krishna dasi > Pandora HinsonJuly 19, 2014 at 5:19pm
just an idea, for the new people who are living domestic lives, chant 2 rounds a day and after every three months, they are promoted by one extra round. this will stop when the rounds reach 16.
I dont think you guys chase anyone off. I do something completely different myself. But one must remember if you have a painting on the wall of a museum, and everyone feels their view of it must be correct. You will have an all out war break out about this one painting, not evening knowing the painter or his ideas. We all see through a shade of glasses. And i will never talk badly about anyone, or any method. But sometimes someone has to go outside of their usual means to find what they are looking for. As if everyone in KC went for a marathon run and a guru handed everyone the same pair of shoes. You know some people would be falling, some hurting, some may walk away unable to fit them on their feet. Its just important to be open minded. I don't think it chases anyone off. Everyone has their own path. And sometimes doubt will lead them further as well. The only problem with religion, any religion, or cult or what have you is intolerance and narrow mindedness. That's my opinion anyway.
When I was a "new person" many years ago I was "being pressured by devotees" to do something I would never do. So I left Krishna Consciousness. Vipramukhya from the Temple came to my apt and asked me why I left. I explained why and then I was told that I had been given "untrue information" so I then returned. Anyway, I understand that we must chant 16 rounds a day. However, it is a huge commitment to make and I think that perhaps "new people" are not yet ready to make that kind of commitment right away. Perhaps they feel discouraged and so they just leave. It's very sad when people leave. What to do? I don't know.
Chanting time is chatting time prabhuji. That is the time when you can have your own private conversation with the lord, telling Him all whatever you want to say and realising the answers.
Chanting is 2 hours of your time. What you do in the balance 22 hours of your day affect the chanting.
Once you realise how chanting has changed you as a person, you will not leave chanting come what may. You have not mentioned since how long you are chanting 16 rounds. Maybe you could see the following as a checklist and tell where you stand:
1) Are you associating with devotees apart from chanting. How often, how long and what kind of association is it?
2) What do you do - as in student, working, retired, family man, brahmachari, vanaprasta - all this has a bearing. Of course, anyone and everyone can chant.
3) Are you reading Srila Prabhupada's books ? Which ones, how regularly, how often?
4) Are you vegeterian, eating only prasadam or smoking, drinking, non-veg?
5) What time are you chanting - is it in the morning - mangal muhurta or later ? Any fixed time?
Actually, I dont want to make you uncomfortable by asking more questions and these are not preconditions. It is just that these activities I have mentioned above have a bearing on the chanting quality. Normally, one thing leads to another and it is a very natural process, not at all forced.
Have you visited Sridham Mayapur or Sri Vrindavan Dham prabhuji? Pls do so, spending atleast 3 nights in either of the places. When you are there, please attend mangalarti, then chant with everyone in the temple, then attend darshan arti, listen to lecture and then take breakfast prasadam. Normally, this much is enough to put the spark back in your relationship with the Lord.
Whatever you do , please dont give up chanting prabhuji, my earnest request.
It is so strange, you could think of the lord and enjoy ecstacy internally earlier, but not when you are chanting. Be taht as it may, chanting will definitely help you and you will yourself realise it one day. I could tell you so many stories, but better to refrain now.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
krishna dasi > Radha Rasamayi DDJuly 15, 2014 at 5:26pm
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Dear Rashmi mataji,
Please help me. I registered in this site just 3-4 days ago and I donot know much about the operations of the site. I have created an account in this site. but now I want to discontinue the account . I am not finding any link to delete my account in this site. please help me.
What happened mataji? YOu dont like this site? Why mataji? We are too ISKCON centric? Yes, we are - this is an ISKCON discussion forum, so naturally we will discuss the philosophy of ISKCON.
Pls open up mataji - why you dont like this forum? I sent you a mail also - if you check your inbox, you will get my mail. You could reply on that itself.
Take care,
Waiting to hear from you,
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
krishna dasi > Radha Rasamayi DDJuly 16, 2014 at 11:53am
hare krishna,
I am grateful to the lord, mata ji for your efforts to talk to me....I thank lord that you felt for me.
please forgive me... if I have hurt you...I ask for forgivness...
its just that i came here with some pre-conceived ideas (which is my fault). its not matching. here its different, my ideas are different.
I believe in prem bhakti of the lord... I believe in chanting lords name and remembering him. I believe in chanting but not in counting. how much i can chant also depend on the lords wish i am no one to chant.....i can only request him that I should never forget him.
I believe in the prem marg, but here discussion is more of the gyan marg -
I find the path of surrendering very very easy to try to connect with him. I had to give some examples from some scriptures to elaborate some very basic and simple things, I was kind of unhappy on this. I believe in looking at the lord for a long long time and slowly all the questions vanish.
I do not want to get my ideas based on philosophy of particular body....i want and pray to lord to make my ideas krishna centric....i might do mistakes...i have surrendered to him... he will take care of my mistake....i believe he will show me the path to reach him. surrendering is also not in my hand... when the lord wants he will make me surrender...
here i was arguing on petty issues which shifted my focus from the lord. I am a small servant of his...i am better of before my temple.
Serious apologies if i have hurt anyones feelings...
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Replies
This is a very sad situation. I worry that we sometimes unintentionally chase off "new people" by telling them that they must chant 16 rounds a day.
just an idea, for the new people who are living domestic lives, chant 2 rounds a day and after every three months, they are promoted by one extra round. this will stop when the rounds reach 16.
Hare Krishna Krishna dasi
That sounds like a great idea. Start off doing 2 rounds a day and then gradually increase it.
I like that idea very much. Thanks
I dont think you guys chase anyone off. I do something completely different myself. But one must remember if you have a painting on the wall of a museum, and everyone feels their view of it must be correct. You will have an all out war break out about this one painting, not evening knowing the painter or his ideas. We all see through a shade of glasses. And i will never talk badly about anyone, or any method. But sometimes someone has to go outside of their usual means to find what they are looking for. As if everyone in KC went for a marathon run and a guru handed everyone the same pair of shoes. You know some people would be falling, some hurting, some may walk away unable to fit them on their feet. Its just important to be open minded. I don't think it chases anyone off. Everyone has their own path. And sometimes doubt will lead them further as well. The only problem with religion, any religion, or cult or what have you is intolerance and narrow mindedness. That's my opinion anyway.
When I was a "new person" many years ago I was "being pressured by devotees" to do something I would never do. So I left Krishna Consciousness. Vipramukhya from the Temple came to my apt and asked me why I left. I explained why and then I was told that I had been given "untrue information" so I then returned. Anyway, I understand that we must chant 16 rounds a day. However, it is a huge commitment to make and I think that perhaps "new people" are not yet ready to make that kind of commitment right away. Perhaps they feel discouraged and so they just leave. It's very sad when people leave. What to do? I don't know.
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Chanting time is chatting time prabhuji. That is the time when you can have your own private conversation with the lord, telling Him all whatever you want to say and realising the answers.
Chanting is 2 hours of your time. What you do in the balance 22 hours of your day affect the chanting.
Once you realise how chanting has changed you as a person, you will not leave chanting come what may. You have not mentioned since how long you are chanting 16 rounds. Maybe you could see the following as a checklist and tell where you stand:
1) Are you associating with devotees apart from chanting. How often, how long and what kind of association is it?
2) What do you do - as in student, working, retired, family man, brahmachari, vanaprasta - all this has a bearing. Of course, anyone and everyone can chant.
3) Are you reading Srila Prabhupada's books ? Which ones, how regularly, how often?
4) Are you vegeterian, eating only prasadam or smoking, drinking, non-veg?
5) What time are you chanting - is it in the morning - mangal muhurta or later ? Any fixed time?
Actually, I dont want to make you uncomfortable by asking more questions and these are not preconditions. It is just that these activities I have mentioned above have a bearing on the chanting quality. Normally, one thing leads to another and it is a very natural process, not at all forced.
Have you visited Sridham Mayapur or Sri Vrindavan Dham prabhuji? Pls do so, spending atleast 3 nights in either of the places. When you are there, please attend mangalarti, then chant with everyone in the temple, then attend darshan arti, listen to lecture and then take breakfast prasadam. Normally, this much is enough to put the spark back in your relationship with the Lord.
Whatever you do , please dont give up chanting prabhuji, my earnest request.
It is so strange, you could think of the lord and enjoy ecstacy internally earlier, but not when you are chanting. Be taht as it may, chanting will definitely help you and you will yourself realise it one day. I could tell you so many stories, but better to refrain now.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Dear Rashmi mataji,
Please help me. I registered in this site just 3-4 days ago and I donot know much about the operations of the site. I have created an account in this site. but now I want to discontinue the account . I am not finding any link to delete my account in this site. please help me.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
What happened mataji? YOu dont like this site? Why mataji? We are too ISKCON centric? Yes, we are - this is an ISKCON discussion forum, so naturally we will discuss the philosophy of ISKCON.
Pls open up mataji - why you dont like this forum? I sent you a mail also - if you check your inbox, you will get my mail. You could reply on that itself.
Take care,
Waiting to hear from you,
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi
hare krishna,
I am grateful to the lord, mata ji for your efforts to talk to me....I thank lord that you felt for me.
please forgive me... if I have hurt you...I ask for forgivness...
its just that i came here with some pre-conceived ideas (which is my fault). its not matching. here its different, my ideas are different.
I believe in prem bhakti of the lord... I believe in chanting lords name and remembering him. I believe in chanting but not in counting. how much i can chant also depend on the lords wish i am no one to chant.....i can only request him that I should never forget him.
I believe in the prem marg, but here discussion is more of the gyan marg -
I find the path of surrendering very very easy to try to connect with him. I had to give some examples from some scriptures to elaborate some very basic and simple things, I was kind of unhappy on this. I believe in looking at the lord for a long long time and slowly all the questions vanish.
I do not want to get my ideas based on philosophy of particular body....i want and pray to lord to make my ideas krishna centric....i might do mistakes...i have surrendered to him... he will take care of my mistake....i believe he will show me the path to reach him. surrendering is also not in my hand... when the lord wants he will make me surrender...
here i was arguing on petty issues which shifted my focus from the lord. I am a small servant of his...i am better of before my temple.
Serious apologies if i have hurt anyones feelings...
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare
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