Since last so many years I am doing Japa. My hands move Beads properly. My lips and vocal cords utter the HK MM properly. My ears hear the HK MM. But still my mind moves here and there. I close my eyes - the mind orders my ears to be attentive to any voice. I do 60 rounds and it takes me about 6 Hrs. What does this imply. Why the mind is not hearing my soul's command. Let us discuss on the topic seriously.
I invite leading Acharyas for discussion and guidance.
Replies
hare krishna. pamho. agtsp.
Though I am not qualified to comment on this subject matter, I am trying to put some of the points that i have heard from seniors.
recently I was hearing from HH Bhakthi Vinod Swami Maharaj at Sri Sri Lakshmi Narashima temple in bangalore where he was explaining about the struggle in chanting and doing devotional service. during the class he asked devotees to raise their left hand, then right hand, then asked to hold left hand with right hand and then right hand with left hand. finally he said hold your right hand with right hand!!! hari bol!!! not possible. this is the same situation we all are in now. we need to control the mind and the big problem is that our mind is monitoring all our activities. Soo it is just not possible to control it. This is experienced by Arjuna also as he says in bg that he can control the wind by his arrows but not this mind. While Krishna also acknowledges this in bg saying that certainly it is difficult to control the mind but by continuous practice one can achieve it.
I was in uduipi recently with HG Radheshayam Pr and several other student devotees in a camp where one of the devotee asked what can we do if we have some extra time - chant more rounds or listen to some lectures. then hg RSP told us to listen more lectures of our spiritual master or his representatives as this would increase our convection towards the movement. With all due respects for your dedication in chanting 60 rounds daily, but we are asked by SP to chant 16 rounds minimum daily without fail. You may consider hearing more lectures of your SM.
Also I have heard from my beloved spiritual master HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj in many of his lectures emphasizing on the aspect of 'trinaadapi sunechane tarorapi ....' in order to chant the Holy names constantly we need to follow this in our life.
Lastly, association of devotees is very very important in kc. I myself was disconnected from the movement for almost 4 years without association. Of course, devotees are very merciful and are always ready to help fallen souls and pulled me back. So try to associate with devotees as much as possible.
Hare Krishna.
You have diagnosed the problem correctly. I am relieved and won't bother now even if my mind recieves other thoughts while chanting My lord Krishna's name. Thank you very much for the guidance.
Hare Krishna....
In the same lecture by HH Bhakthi Vinod Swami Maharaj, for a response to a devotees question that he is always troubled by his mind during chanting and is not able to concentrate, Maharaj responded with humor that 'You are in the right place now. See there are soo many of us who have difficulty like you and that we have formed a club which is ISKCON'.
hare krishna
60 rounds daily amazing
please pray for me also so that atleast I chant 16 rounds With such dedication
hari bol
Me too prabhu. We all need your blessing and blessing of other devotees who chant a lot, so we may also chant His Holy Names a lot.
Hare Krishna
pamho:agtsp;
I want to suggest something.
as i heard one can become expert in many things by practise but it is not case with chanting.for better chanting we should not offend vaishnavas. therefore in general new devotees get taste for chanting because they offer respects to vaishnavas and don't offend them but as we spend more days we start offending vaishnavas thats why we loose taste in chanting or got deviated while chanting.Lord chaitanya said just chant and don't offend vaishnavas u'll go abck home back to godhead.
we can't command mind because we are not doer krishna is doer we only can desire and by association we can develope or purify desire.you are doing great service.
prabhu i would recommend you to take initiation from bonafide spiritual master if you haven't taken yet in case you are initiated do services as authority says.
Everything depends on the mercy of the devotees and Lord.
what else we can do, simply begging for the mercy.