Hare Krishna Everyone, PAMHO
Please correct any mistakes done by me through this post!
From a past few days whenever i am chanting,hearing any hari katha weird doubts are being raised in my mind like 'does GOD EXIST', 'BECOME ONE WITH GOD', 'GOD IS FORMLESS' and all such nonsense things appear just out of the blue!! I really get frustrated and bewildered because of all this, please help me by answering is this normal? is this a sign of weak sadhna? is this is a sign of a downfall? or are these just tests of maya and will eventually go away.
Thanks a lot! to consider my question worthy enough to be answered and giving your precious time in answering this post!!
Seeker of your vaisnav blessings and your humble servant,
Yuvraj.
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Replies
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Do not worry about what thoughts are coming at the time of chanting. Continue chanting with more vigour and just chant, regardless of anything.
There is a pastime I vaguely remember - one new disciple of Srila Prabhupada once went to him and said, when I chant I can see a light or some such thing. Srila Prabhupada replied - dont worry - continue to chant, all this will clear.
While hearing Hari katha, concentrate on the lecture and not on your thoughts. If there is a genuine question, ask at the end of the class.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krsna
is this normal?
Thoughts, ideas, proposals, desires etc arising in mind during chanting is normal. They are distractions that prevent us from attentively hearing the holy names of the lord. Just like when we clean an extremely dirty room, lot of dust arises in the air. So such desires thoughts arising during chanting is due to the cleansing action of the holy names.
is this a sign of weak sadhna? is this is a sign of a downfall?
No, arising of any desires/ thoughts is not necessarily sign of weak sadhana, because they could arise even for those who do strong sadhana. It is certainly not a sign of fall down.
or are these just tests of maya and will eventually go away.
They will not go away on their own. We have to actively focus on the sound vibration of the Hare Krsna mahamantra. We have to stop focussing on the desires. Our attention should be on the holy names. The mind will again and again try to distract us into various thoughts ideas etc. But we have to again and again bring the mind back to hearing the holy names of Hare Krsna. This is the austerity. Krsna says
yajñānāṁ japa-yajño ’smi
Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [japa] ( BG 10.25)
Chanting of the holy names is the greatest sacrifice. Even greater than big elaborate yagyas performed by wealthy kings. Why is it considered a great sacrifice ?
Because in other yagyas, mainly material ingredients (ghee, fruits, are offered to demigods or even Lord Vishnu. But in japa yagya we are offering our own mind, consciousness and intending to give up unwanted desires of the mind, which bind us to this material world. When we choose to focus our attention on the spiritual sound vibration of the transcendental names of Hare Krsna , then by that active choice of hearing Krsna's names we are delivered from the anarthas and our mind is purified. It is very difficult to focus the mind on any single thing. Arjuna says
cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa
pramāthi balavad dṛḍham
tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye
vāyor iva su-duṣkaram
The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Kṛṣṇa, and to subdue it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind. ( BG 6.34)
Lord Sri Krsna immediately answers by saying this in the next shloka
asaṁśayaṁ mahā-bāho
mano durnigrahaṁ calam
abhyāsena tu kaunteya
vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: O mighty-armed son of Kuntī, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by suitable practice and by detachment. ( Bg 6.35)
So Sri Krsna admits that it is very difficult to curb the restless mind. But it is not impossible. And the solution is pratice and detachment.
Practice of focussing our attention on hearing the spiritual sound vibration of Hare Krsna and detachment or ignoring our own material thoughts, at least while we are chanting the holy names.
By this our mind will gradually become purified. When the mind will become completely purified, then a devotee just relishes the holy names like Rupa gosvami says
tuṇḍe tāṇḍavinī ratiṁ vitanute tuṇḍāvalī-labdhaye
karṇa-kroḍa-kaḍambinī ghaṭayate karṇārbudebhyaḥ spṛhām
cetaḥ-prāṅgaṇa-saṅginī vijayate sarvendriyāṇāṁ kṛtiṁ
no jāne janitā kiyadbhir amṛtaiḥ kṛṣṇeti varṇa-dvayī
“I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Kṛṣ-ṇa’ have produced. When the holy name of Kṛṣṇa is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.” ( CC Antya 1.99)
But if instead of focusing our attention on the holy names, if we focus our attention on the desires which arise in the mind, then it will lead to problems in devotional practice. Worst case it can lead to fall down over a long period of time. Example Bharata Maharaj was not attentive while doing his sadhana and he had to take birth as deer in next life. This is an extreme example but it shows that inattention has to be avoided while practicing bhakti.
Hare Krsna
Hare Krishna, Prabhuji PAMHO
Thanks a million for such an amazing and detailed answer, thank you for paying such attention to my query:)
Hare Krishna, Prabhuji PAMHO
Thanks a million times for your answer, gives me motivation and knowledge going through, thanks a lot