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Chanting out of fear imposed by the programmed brain, good or bad?

Posted by aakash menon on March 4, 2016 at 7:24am in Krishna

Hare Krishna all,

Pamho,

AgtSP!

 I am chanting 16 rounds from last few years. At times I chant out of love and enjoy chanting and other times I chant just to fulfil my vows. Sometimes I eagerly wait for my rounds to finish so that I can sit and read some materialistic books which may help to uplift my material condition. I know I am not a pure devotee to experience that ecstasy. People give any length of speech or references from various books regarding chanting or to prove their point. I want to know from realized souls or devotees who are grhastas (Middle class) and performing all duties towards their family,career and who really enjoy chanting. How did you achieve this perfection and what are your suggestions for a person like me who loves the lord but not completely satisfied with the process or scriptures. Please be humble while answering without taking any offense personally.

Your servant

Aakash

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Replies

  • Walter Cloud ShaktimanahDasa March 19, 2016 at 10:22am
    Ji-Shi-HARE name Bhaktee yoga all glory to the chanting process Krishna never fails. I myself chanted for many years in the company of other aspiring
    Bhaktees. & it did take many years before the resplendent energies began to be accessible quickly. That is because oftentimes those we learn from have represented their way of performing a service as (conclusive truth) edafyed mearly by the fact that, that is how they were educated. In other word's don't be afraid to step out of the box. My premise, turn the tulacy clockwise only (,worth of the equator that is) & secondly make some autibal sound; posture is important if you have a lot of chanting to do or are in some great hurry. But we have 10,000 years to figure it all out so just sit & chant properly. Don't make the (D)sound when you chant that will not deliver a pure taste of the mantra hence no attachment for it will form. Following the advice of the Vedic texts and chanting purely/sincerely will become a good habit that you won't have to unlearn in another lifetime. Personality I would trade (one) Prahbupada for 1000 Jesuses but
    I'm not going to waist a-moment of my time posturing an Indian accent because the forefathers did it one way if that way does not jive with my experience or reasoning. Our Sweet Saviour Chatonya said one should chant every second of every day to become a (HARE Nahma Achariea) but I disagree I feel certain that offensive chanting is a symptom of immaturity of one's service/I/e. A Nieofite's service. I feel it's ok to (sling -around ) the prowess of the mantras early on in one's devotional practice/when one is 1st. Becoming purified but after chanting properly one realises that a position of (incognito) is the best
    Just let Krishna do what is needed & necessary. Spiritual swagger is not a play thing and because certain circumstances such as transcendence makes transcendental all things & especially all things Spiritual transcendental Still theorize is to develop a higher taste which translates to providing our best efforts. So if you have been chanting the Maha Mantras for many years, at 16 rounds a day
    Something is'certainly (ahscue!
    With your method. Think quality over quantity & enunciation over personification GOOD LUCK & know I'm impressed, but we can impress the whole creation & if Krishna isn't His Love for Us nore our Love for Him will grow in any lasting way! & it is His Love alone) that has any value. At the end of the day so be nice & chant properly! Shaktmanah,Dasa, Dahsa,Das Good luck always!
  • 08f8vv3agtg3n March 10, 2016 at 8:05am

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    Radha Rasamayi DD March 9, 2016 at 10:36am

    Hare KRsna Prabhuji,

    PAMHO.

    You are fortunate - atleast some days you chant out of love for Krsna. The trick is - to get up early in the morning and dedicate 2 hours to chanting your rounds and completing them at a stretch. This gives a lot of strength and one starts the day on such a positive note that the whole day is then spent in the right consciousness.

    I can understand that some days you may be stressed out or not able to complete your rounds in the morning or doing distracted chanting. That may be the case, but please complete your rounds for the day. The commitment has to be met under all circumstances.

    The way to be satisfied with the process or to develop faith in the process is to associate prabhu. You need to associate - not sure whether you are part of any congregational preaching. Basically follow the ABCD of the process - Association, Books, Chanting and Diet. Maximum benefit will be from association - when you see other devotees who are more advanced than you and study what makes them tick - you will realise that it is their faith in the process and determination to stick to it under all circumstances that makes them stand apart. I agree not everyone will be able to follow. Thats what will make you special if you can follow.

    Surrender to the lord prabhu. Ask for mercy and direction from the lord how to surrender. If you are sincere in your heart, you will surely get the guidance from paramatma sitting in your heart.

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Radha Rasamayi DD

  • 08f8vv3agtg3n March 5, 2016 at 2:32pm

    Hare Krishna, 

    Those who have been chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare for years have conditioned their brains in split seconds to run the Hare Krishna maha mantra in the screen of their minds. That`s why there are many times in my dreams when I am in danger, I can see myself chanting Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! at witches trying to touch me, etc. Maybe only monsters in the form of demons are afraid to chant Hare Krishna. The Blessed Saint Pope John Paul II defined hell this way, " People residing in hell have completely forgotten to chant the most holy names of God." In short, demons/devils if ever they remember the name of Krishna/Christ, their only motive/action to take is  kill/molest/murder these persons uttering God`s names. But they can not, however, easily approach the devotees of God because the soldiers of Vishnu, the Vishnudutas will smash these demons/Yamadutas to smithereens with their clubs. Example, the Story of Ajamila.

    Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

    krsnaraja melvin

  • 3ruf705dlznca March 4, 2016 at 5:20pm

    As long as person chanting with offenses, the only benefit will be purification:

    SB 6.2.14 — One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.
    SB 6.2.15 — If one chants the holy name of Hari and then dies because of an accidental misfortune, such as falling from the top of a house, slipping and suffering broken bones while traveling on the road, being bitten by a serpent, being afflicted with pain and high fever, or being injured by a weapon, one is immediately absolved from having to enter hellish life, even though he is sinful.
    SB 6.2.16 — Authorities who are learned scholars and sages have carefully ascertained that one should atone for the heaviest sins by undergoing a heavy process of atonement and one should atone for lighter sins by undergoing lighter atonement. Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, however, vanquishes all the effects of sinful activities, regardless of whether heavy or light.
    .
    .
    On another side  chanting holy names without offences means:
    chanting with the soft heart, humble state of mind, with the tears in the eyes, loudly and  helplessly.
    All this not necessarily all together:
    .
    SB 6.2.7 — Ajāmila has already atoned for all his sinful actions. Indeed, he has atoned not only for sins performed in one life but for those performed in millions of lives, for in a helpless condition he chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa. Even though he did not chant purely, he chanted without offense, and therefore he is now pure and eligible for liberation.
    .
    Anyway, soft heart is required :
    .
    SB 6.1.28-29 — Ajāmila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands, they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamarāja. When he saw them he was extremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajāmila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus with tears in his eyes he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa.
    .
    .
    Conlusion is that mechanical chanting is ever good, but for waking bhakti it needs the soft heart which will melt.
    .
    .
    There was a person from Navadvipa-dhama who used to come to Vamsi Das Babaji Maharaja. One day, he thought, "I have the desire to obtain the Supreme Lord. How can I get Bhagavan?" He was only murmuring, speaking to himself, so Babaji Maharaja did not reply. This person came back repeatedly to see Babaji Maharaja. Finally, one day, he approached Maharaja directly.

    "What do you want?" Babaji Maharaja asked him.

    "I want to see Bhagavan," the man said.

    Babaji Maharaja replied with only one word: "Weep!"
    .
    .
    Without weeping for Lord, waking bhakti can become impossible goal, no matter what you do.
    Thats my opinion.
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