Hare Krishna,
What are the advantages of Hare Krishna Mahamantra ?
Also what is better to do my work faithfully and sacrifice fruits of it or
Do my work faithfully and sacrifice fruits plus do Mahamantra or
Just do Mahamantra ?
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Replies
Hare Krsna.
This is a very beautiful question that has been asked by you. Lord Sri Krsna clearly answers this in 12th Chapter of BG.
There are various levels of performing devotional service
"Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt."(Translation BG 12.8)
"One who is engaged in Lord Krsna's devotional service lives in a direct relationship with the Supreme Lord. The holy name of the Lord and the Lord are non-different; therefore when a devotee chants Hare Krsna, Krsna and His internal potency are dancing on the tongue of the devotee."(Purport BG 12.8)
This level of devotional service can be performed by pure devotees. Pure devotees are practically immersed in the ocean of transcendental nectar of devotional service by chanting & other processes. But very few personalities in this material world may be at this level. So what about those who are not at this level, for them Krsna says
"My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way develop a desire to attain Me."(Translation BG 12.9)
"For one who has not developed an attachment for the Supreme Person by transcendental love there are different prescribed rules and regulations one can follow to be ultimately elevated to the stage of attachment to Krsna." (Purport BG 12.9)
What are these rules and regulations and how to perform them ?
What are these rules and regulations and how to perform them ?
"To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles: one should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Krsna, then collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasadam, and so on. There are various rules and regulations which one should follow. And one should constantly hear Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam from pure devotees. This practice can help anyone rise to the level of love of God, and then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual kingdom of God." (Purport BG 12.9)
What if one cannot practice all the rules and regulations of Bhakti yoga ?
"If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage."(Translation BG 12.10)
"One who is not able even to practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, under the guidance of a spiritual master, can still be drawn to this perfectional stage by working for the Supreme Lord."(Purport BG 12.10)
How to do this work ?
How to do this work ?
"As far as work is concerned, one should transfer his energy entirely to Krsna conscious activities. No work should be done by any man except in relationship to Krsna. This is called krsna-karma. One may be engaged in various activities, but one should not be attached to the result of his work; the result should be done only for Krsna."
"For example, one may be engaged in business, but to transform that activity into Krsna consciousness, one has to do business for Krsna. If Krsna is the proprietor of the business, then Krsna should enjoy the profit of the business. If a businessman is in possession of thousands and thousands of dollars, and if he has to offer all this to Krsna, he can do it. This is work for Krsna. Instead of constructing a big building for his sense gratification, he can construct a nice temple for Krsna, and he can install the Deity of Krsna and arrange for the Deity's service" (Purport BG 11.55)
What if one is not able to construct a temple for Krsna ?
"One can engage himself in cleansing the temple of Krsna; that is also krsna-karma. One can cultivate a garden. Anyone who has land—in India, at least, any poor man has a certain amount of land—can utilize that for Krsna by growing flowers to offer Him. One can sow tulasi plants, because tulasi leaves are very important. So one can sow tulasi and pour water on the plant. Thus, even the poorest man can engage in the service of Krsna. These are some of the examples of how one can engage in working for Krsna". (Purport BG 11.55)
This is basically giving up the result of one's activities to Krsna and adding Krsna in one's activities. Even a person at this level one, one who works for Krsna can chant Hare Krsna
What if one cannot sacrifice the results of his activities ?
What if one cannot sacrifice the results of his activities ?
" the same person can still sacrifice some percentage to propagate Krsna consciousness. This voluntary service to the cause of Krsna consciousness will help one to rise to a higher state of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect." (Purport BG 12.10)
Even at this level when one partially sacrifices the result of one's activities one can chant Hare Krsna
What if one cannot even sacrifice partially ?
"if there are impediments to accepting Krsna consciousness, one may try to give up the results of his actions for some selfless cause. if one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Krsna, he will come gradually to understand that Krsna is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method."(Purport BG 12.11)
This is for those who do not have the knowledge of Krsna being supreme personality of godhead. But even they can be elevated to level of Krsna consciousness. How is it possible ?
"If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.(Translation BG 12.12)
To directly answer the question
Also what is better to do my work faithfully and sacrifice fruits of it or
Do my work faithfully and sacrifice fruits plus do Mahamantra or
Just do Mahamantra ?
Highest is just mahamantra. But to do this one must be completely and naturally attached to Krsna and not to anything else, even one's body, mind, food etc.
Next highest is to follow regulative principles of devotional service which includes chanting of Hare Krsna.
Lower to this is perform work and sacrifice result to Krsna plus chant hare Krsna
Next to this is perform work and partially sacrifice result to Krsna plus chant hare Krsna
Next to this is perform work and sacrifice result, cultivate knowledge and eventually come to level of chanting Hare Krsna.
What are the advantages of Hare Krishna Mahamantra ?
What are the advantages of Hare Krishna Mahamantra ?
This is answered by the first verse of Sikshastakam. Sikshastakam is practically the only set of verses which Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu directly taught in written form. Rest of the teachings LCM gave only to his confidential associates or simply exemplified by his behaviour and dealings with his associates.
ceto-darpana-maarjanam bhava-mahaa-daavaagni-nirvaapanam
shreyah-kairava-candrikaa-vitaranam vidyaa-vadhu-jivanam
aanandaambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnaamrtaasvaadanam
sarvaatma-snapanam param vijayate shri-krshna-sankirtanam
Translation : “Chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Krsna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step. Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna"
Basically advantages of Chanting hare Krsna mahamantra cannot be fully described by any amount of words because Hare Krsna Mahamantra is Krsna himself. But one can understand that it can purify our existence, vanquish our miseries and can elevate us to unfathomable levels perfection.
YAS Bharat