Maha Mantra Doubt

Hare Krishna to all devotees !!!

Please accept my humble obeisances !!!

All glories to Srila Prabhupad !!!

I was Reading the book the NECTAR OF INSTRUCTION in the purport of the first verse Srila Prabhupad has mentioned "Namoh balad yasya hi papa-buddih" which means committing sinful activities on the strength of chanting hare krishna mahamantra.When I went deeper in scriptures about the offenses of holy names I found the following :-

The scriptures enumerate ten offenses against the holy name :-

1) Blasphemy of the devotees of the Lord.

2) To consider demigods to be independent of the Supreme

Lord, and to similarly think Lord Krsna's name, form,

qualities and pastimes are separate from Him.

3) To disobey the spiritual master who reveals the truth

about the holy name.

4) To criticize the scriptures that describe the

glories of the holy name.

5) To think the excellences and divine qualities of the holy

name are imaginary, and to so interpret the scriptural

glorification of the holy name.

6) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name.

7) To instruct the faithless on the glories of the holy

name.

8) To equate chanting of the holy name with auspicious

ritualistic activities recommended in the karmakanda

sections of the Vedas.

9) To be inattentive while chanting the holy name.

10) To not develop love for the holy name after learning the

the name's glories because of maintaining attachments to

the body and things related to the body.

In this list if you look at point no.6 and 9 it is something which is confusing me.Because I got the teaching that Maha Mantra is a cleansing agent by application of which you will slowly clean up your sub conscious mind purify yourself and will let go of all the sins which violate the 4 basic principles. But it is Impossible to follow both point no 6 and point no 9 if you are neophyte and have begun with chanting.

I would request all the devotees to clarify my doubt on this.

--
Your humble servant ,

Shivang.T

Replies

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rakesh roshan February 29, 2012 at 3:49pm

The offence " To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name. " is very very dangerous. If one intentionally does sinful activities and later chants just to make up for them , it is going to be very very dangerous for him.One of my seniors told me such a person goes to worst of hells.

It is difficult but there is difference between accidental sinful activities and sinful activities done with purpose with knowledge that I can make up for it by chanting and later chanting for it to make up for that.

Please forgive me if it hurts u but I have written what I heard from seniors.
Sevak

S February 25, 2012 at 10:33pm

Hare Krishna. PAMHO. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Every devotee who claims to be a Vaisnava must guard against these offenses in order to quickly achieve the desired success.

Remember that even if one feels they are being offensive, there is no need to stop chanting. By trying to chant sincerely and serving the spiritual master, we may be purified of our offenses and may be able to chant purely. Chant Hare Krsna and Be Happy!

HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
- Shivang > S February 26, 2012 at 7:12pm
  
  Thanks Ashish Prabhu and Srijon Prabhu !!!
  
  Hare Krishna !!!
  - Pandora Hinson > Shivang February 27, 2012 at 5:27am
    
    I was too offensive. I chanted but instead of chanting with love and devotion, I chanted with anger and resentment. I do not see how chanting with anger and resentment is going to help me in my spiritual life.
    
    So I still do a little chanting if I am doing it with a little love and devotion it's great. However, If I start feeling myself becoming angry and resentful about the chanting then I stop.
    - Shivang > Pandora Hinson February 27, 2012 at 6:06pm
      
      Hare Krishna Pandora mataji !!!
      
      PAMHO !!!
      
      AGTSP !!!
      
      What I believe is that if you do any work with anger and resentment its not going to be productive at all. One more thing which I learnt from my spiritual master after raising the above mentioned doubt,he said that come what may dont leave chanting " Hare Krishna Hare Krishna ,Krishna Krishna hare hare ,Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama hare Hare".This are the rungs of your ladder for becoming Krishna Consciousness.Try to be attentive as much as possible and by practice you will gradually attend that level.Whenever you will turn towards Krishna Consciousness Maya is going to reciprocate and as Mahamantra being the cleansing agent of your sub conscious mind all the dirt situated from millions of births is going to come out.So don't worry about anything .Just chant and be happy !!!
      
      Your humble servant ,
      
      Shivang.
      - Pandora Hinson > Shivang February 28, 2012 at 6:13am
        
        Hare Krishna. Thank you Shivang for your words of encouragement. I appreciate it very much.
Ashish Sharma February 25, 2012 at 9:45pm

Hare Krishna Shivang prabhuji,

Srila Prabhupada ki jai...

6) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name.

This nama-aparadha means having a thinking that "since Holy name is a purifying agent so whatever I do,whatever sin I commit,Holy name will nullify its evil-effects".

9) To be inattentive while chanting the holy name.

It is very clear to understand it.

All 10 Nama-aparadhas(Offenses of Holy name) are meant for all devotees i.e. devotees of all age,class and categories. These offenses must be avoided if a devotee want to progress in devotional service(Bhakti). And especially for neophyte devotees to avoid these offenses is highly required. I agree that for neophytes it is very difficult to follow but we must be always trying.

The 9th offense is very difficult to avoid but we must always be trying. Our mind is very flickering and many material things distracts it but still following 4 principles and instructions of Acharyas we can meditate on Holy name. Srila Prabhupada says that mind will deviate to many things but again bring it back and listen the mahamantra we chant. Even we should not think artificially any image of Krishna while chanting, instead we must only chant and simultaneously listen to the mahamantra we chant.

If we don't avoid these offenses and keep on committing them ,then we may end up to lose our interest in Bhakti. Many neophyte devotees after sometime lose their interest in Bhakti because they neglect these 10 nama-aparadhas.

So Chant Hare Krishna and be happy.

your servant

Ashish Sharma
- rami reddy k > Ashish Sharma February 27, 2012 at 11:09am
  
  Hare krishna Ashish Prabhu,
  
  All glories to Prabhupada.
  
  You have mentioned " Even we should not think artificially any image of Krishna while chanting" .
  
  Can we have a krishna altar in home and chant by watching it?
  - Ashish Sharma > rami reddy k February 27, 2012 at 9:07pm
    
    Hare Krishna rami reddy k prabhuji,
    
    we can definitely have Krishna altar in our Home and we must watch His deities as many times as possible, but this is the service by watching, in which eyes are engaged. But Chanting on mala(beads) comes under Kirtanam,so we must meditate on chanting and listening(shravanam) the mahamantra. We cannot simultaneously meditate on Krishna's deity and Harinam both.
    
    Deities are watched thoroughly from head to toe,while performing Arati and deity service.But Chanting is another kind of service. It is Service of Krishna's form of Holy name. Holy name is His another equivalent form. While chanting we must think again and again that Krishna Himself is dancing on our tongue.So we must pay our complete attention to Him only. That's why we must avoid 10 offenses to please Krishna on our tongue.
    
    As Srila Prabhupada says that we must listen what we chant-this is how we should chant.
    
    your servant
    
    Ashish Sharma
David February 25, 2012 at 9:09pm

Hare Krsna

Number 7 is also very difficult. People are so speculative & I don't want to be selfish with Lord Krishna.