Hare Krishna!
PAMHO
there is no doubt that we should chant all the time but what if we are in a car or a train or at home but with other members who don't want to hear that? I share a room with my sister and she's not exactly interested so it get's a little hard to chant at all times. so can I chant in my mind? i know devotees say not to and I don't chant my rounds in silence (unless it's necessary to, like a train as I said) but if I want to chant all the time then many times I can only chant in my mind. say I'm running, it would get really hard for me to chant (maybe it's just my stamina) so can I chant in my mind in these situations?
Hare Krishna
Replies
Hare Krishna Mata ji!
ok... thank you so much... i'll definitely find those kirtans. right now i usually like to sing the venu gita and radhikashtakam... i'll also listen to these
(by the way, i'm a female... i guess you mistook my name to Pranav, instead of pranavi😅)
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji
that is a great Idea! thank you so much!
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji
thankyou for such a chill reply😂 I was thinking today only that I am not a good devotee because I slept a little late (I have caught fever) so thankyou for letting me relax
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna,
Mindless chanting is to be avoided.
Body, mind soul should be at one point focus then only it is called chanting. Otherwise it is called multi tasking.
Mind is chanting, body is jogging, soul is lost neither in jogging thorughly nor in chanting thoroughly.
can't you spare 2 hours exclusively for chanting ??
To remember lord names thru out the day is not counted as chanting. But it is nice to remember. Chanting means exclusive meeting with Lord.
Like you got an appointment with Lord and you are talking to HIM at that time will you do other activities also while talking to Lord? That means Lord is not ur priority.
To remember Lord at all times is not counted as chanting you can remember 2000 times lord's names not an issue. But if you sit and chant 1 round that is only counted as chanting. If you say " Hey but i did remember whole day more then 1 round, but still it is not counted. It is just out of your love or to make it a practice you are remembering Lord. don't do japa because you are finding free time. Do make time for Lord especially for Lord.
If you in a car, or train chanting or sharing room with non devotees chanting in upanshu ( low tones) is okay. Until you have your own privacy meeting with Lord alone time you can do this type of upanshu ( low tones) chanting.
Chanting in mind doesn't involve other activities included. Mind is most toughest thing to be controlled.
Initially tongue should be kept in activity by chanting Lord's names.
Secondly the other senses slowly should be kept in Lord's names.
Thirdly mind which is last and to keep it also in Lord's names means automatically ur working senses and knowledge aquiring senses also become totally into Lord's names.
What you are doing running japa, car japa, train japa is you are calling it as chanting in mind but actually it is multi tasking:-)
which is okay but needn't be counted as chanting. like this many rounds etc. rounds means exclusively mind, body and soul present at one place.
https://iskcondesiretree.com/page/how-to-properly-chant-the-hare-kr...
Hare Krishna.
Hare Krishna Mata ji!
yes mata ji... I chant my rounds previously and then since I heard that chaitanya mahaprabhu gets relief if he hears hari naam I thought that I should chant more. I have started waking up at 5 am now (really hard at the moment) and I am gradually trying to add to my rounds but I can't sit the whole day chanting in seclusion so for the rest of the time while I am trying to remember the lord's names; can I chant in my mind? my rounds are chanted loudly. the rest of the day, when my rounds are completed, can I chant in my mind?
Hare Krishna
yes, you can chant in mind when your regular rounds are done. whenever and whereever you find time you can chant in mind. while chanting you just keep ur mind, body and soul at one place and chant loudly and clearly to be heard by you and also by all the organisms ( trees, birds, ants , insects). Vaishnavas are selfless and want to do charity of Lord's name as much as possible so the every oraganism which hears Lord's name in kaliyuga get a higher birth or even atleast get mukti. You want all to get back to Godhead that is the attitude of Pure devotee.
hare krishna.
Hare Krishna Mata ji
okay mata ji thankyou so much!
I've an answer based on real life stories of an avatar of Hanuman. I can share it if you want or we can wait for if anyone answers from Prabhupada's teachings.
Hare Krishna prabhu ji
of course please share it
Hare Krishna
Neem Karoli Baba were an avatar of Hanuman. He indicated that in multiple ways, e.g. transforming himself to Hanuman while he was standing with someone; telling someone to read from Ramayana where "I'm talking to Vibhishana" where he meant Hanuman is talking to Vibhishana; appearing in place of Hanuman mutri. He's also known as Maharajji.
Maharajji was travelling in car with some persons. One passenger started chanting Ram naam and others were able to hear him, Maharajji told him to shut up and chant in his mind. The person replied "What can I do; You made me chant so that you can give this teaching to the driver.". Seemingly the person who started chanting didn't used to normally chant vocally when others were around, but Maharajji used his magical power to make him do it so that Maharajji can give a teaching to the driver who used to disturb others with his vocal chanting.
At another instance, a lady from ISKCON sang the Hare Krishna mantra so beautifully in front of Maharajji that it brought tears in his eyes.
So vocal chanting is good but don't disturb others with it, in that case you can do mental chanting which is also good.