Caitanya Mahaprabhu wrote:"namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-shaktistatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalahetadrishi tava kripa bhagavan mamapidurdaivam idrisham ihajani nanuragahaO my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names like Krishna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them."Why do we have no attraction to the holy names?
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Hare Krsna, My obeisances to all devotees, guru and Gauranga.
Lack of faith is one factor that doesn’t allow us to get attracted to Krsna’s names and pastimes. Like you brought up the question of “How can we know if Krishna accepts our offering and converts it to prasadam?”, this is because of lack of faith. Why? Because, we don’t believe in His words where he says:
Bg 9.26
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
Translation: If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.
When Krsna says “I accept it”, “I will deliver you”, “My devotees will never perish”, we read all these lines and feel happy that we are protected but deep down, we still carry doubts due to lack of faith. And when we don’t give him 100%, then we wont get the attraction to chant His names. As krsna says “As one surrenders, I reveal myself accordingly”. As Karunanidhi Das prabhu mentioned, we are conditioned soul, it will take a while for us to come out of our material attractions to Krsna’s name. Determination and practice will purify us slowly. Be engaged and Be connected.
Build up faith and you will eventually get attracted to His names and Krsna will get attracted to you.
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that he has no attraction to the holy names. Do you think that this is because of lack of "faith?" Do you think it is because Krishna was not "attracted" to Caitanya, whose bodily complexion was of molten gold like Radharani, and who is none other than an avatar of Himself? Do you think it's because Caitanya wasn't "giving 100%?" Or because he wasn't "pure?" No, I don't think so.
Why did Caitanya say that he has no attraction to the holy names?
And how can we have attraction if even he did not?
Hare Krishna
Thank you for your association
Peace and love
Hare Krsna, My obeisances to all devotees, guru and Gauranga.
Jake prabhu, beautiful question. This is why I love a discussion. My knowledge is limited but I will attempt to answer your query. I request other devotees to express their views on the topic too.
Lord Sri Chaitanya is an avatar of divine love. All avatars already have love for Godhead infinitely, they don’t need to rebuild love or attachment or attraction. Yet, Lord Chaitanya played the role of a saint. During role play, it is quite natural that you also take up the mood and character of the role you are playing. Lord Chaitanya took avatar for three purposes: one, to experience and long for the love that Radha Rani has for Krsna which is to love krsna through himself. Two, to demonstrate and live by example to show how a devotee should medidate on krsna all the time. Three, to start the sankirtan movement.
Lord Chaitanya taught us that divine love is accessible to those who are “more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, and ready to offer all respect to others while expecting none in return.” By cultivating these qualities, the heart becomes a fertile field where the flower of divine love can blossom. So, it is not that Lord Chaitanya did not have love for krsna, nor that he wasn’t giving 100% or any of the thing you mentioned, but he did act in such a way like he has no attraction to the holy name to show that devotees should be in that mood constantly. Even if one has attraction to the holy, he/she should act that they are not attracted because that is humility. When one feels that he has attraction to the holy name, then the feeling of separation becomes less. This is why Lord Chaitanya glorified gopis. Krsna moved away from gopis just to increase that attraction through separation. So Lord Chaitanya is attracted to krsna through separation too but LC feels that he is not attracted, that is the humility of a devotee.
When Prabhupada was asked “Are you God?”, he responded “I am your servant”. That response has nothing to do with attraction or love or separation, that is just humility and we all know that Prabhupada had unflinching devotion and attraction to Krsna and His names.
Hope my response was helpful prabhu. I apologize if my response offended anyone.
Lord Caitanya was just teaching us for the conditioned soul. That does not mean the Lord was so much conditioned like us. For example, when your father teaches you as A,B,C,D... alphabets, that does not mean your father is at your level or does not know any higher education.
Again, when a jaundice patient eats sweet, he tastes it as bitter. That does not mean, the sweet tastes bitter for everyone. This is due to diseased condition of the patient. So, you are in diseased condition. How can you taste the attraction for the Holy name?
Also, if a person wears a black glass, every things look black. If he wears red glass, everything look red. So, it is your perspective and your way of thoughts according to your "abisuddha budhi" (misconceptions).
Thank you Krishna Das Prabhu for your right answer. Yes, according to Bhagavad Gita, "Faith comes from knowledge". So, one has to get true knowledge from one's spiritual master about Krishna.
Please accept my humble obeisance's, all glories to Srila Prapbhupada!
From my personal experience, once a person has had a taste from associating with a Devotee he will have great hunger and attraction for the Holy names of God. This is what happened to me, I am always chanting the Holy names whether at work or sleeping.
Hari Bol!
Russell
Jake Jah Rose > Rāma Kiśora DāsaJuly 12, 2016 at 12:07am
PAMHO prabhuji
"Great hunger and attraction," perhaps, but this is relative; I can't speak for anyone but myself, however a pure soul's attraction to Krishna is so intense that any that I feel is very much only a miniscule portion of such intensity. Thus, relatively speaking, I have no attraction to the holy names. Humble-mindedness leads me to this conclusion. Still I praise Krishna and thank Him for giving me even the slightest inclination to chanting His glories.
Replies
Hare Krsna,
My obeisances to all devotees, guru and Gauranga.
Lack of faith is one factor that doesn’t allow us to get attracted to Krsna’s names and pastimes.
Like you brought up the question of “How can we know if Krishna accepts our offering and converts it to prasadam?”, this is because of lack of faith. Why? Because, we don’t believe in His words where he says:
Bg 9.26
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
Translation:
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.
When Krsna says “I accept it”, “I will deliver you”, “My devotees will never perish”, we read all these lines and feel happy that we are protected but deep down, we still carry doubts due to lack of faith. And when we don’t give him 100%, then we wont get the attraction to chant His names. As krsna says “As one surrenders, I reveal myself accordingly”. As Karunanidhi Das prabhu mentioned, we are conditioned soul, it will take a while for us to come out of our material attractions to Krsna’s name. Determination and practice will purify us slowly. Be engaged and Be connected.
Build up faith and you will eventually get attracted to His names and Krsna will get attracted to you.
Chant and be happy.
Srila Prabhupada ki jai..
Hare krsna
PAMHO
Thank you for your reply.
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that he has no attraction to the holy names. Do you think that this is because of lack of "faith?" Do you think it is because Krishna was not "attracted" to Caitanya, whose bodily complexion was of molten gold like Radharani, and who is none other than an avatar of Himself? Do you think it's because Caitanya wasn't "giving 100%?" Or because he wasn't "pure?" No, I don't think so.
Why did Caitanya say that he has no attraction to the holy names?
And how can we have attraction if even he did not?
Hare Krishna
Thank you for your association
Peace and love
Hare Krsna,
My obeisances to all devotees, guru and Gauranga.
Jake prabhu, beautiful question. This is why I love a discussion. My knowledge is limited but I will attempt to answer your query. I request other devotees to express their views on the topic too.
Lord Sri Chaitanya is an avatar of divine love. All avatars already have love for Godhead infinitely, they don’t need to rebuild love or attachment or attraction. Yet, Lord Chaitanya played the role of a saint. During role play, it is quite natural that you also take up the mood and character of the role you are playing. Lord Chaitanya took avatar for three purposes: one, to experience and long for the love that Radha Rani has for Krsna which is to love krsna through himself. Two, to demonstrate and live by example to show how a devotee should medidate on krsna all the time. Three, to start the sankirtan movement.
Lord Chaitanya taught us that divine love is accessible to those who are “more humble than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, and ready to offer all respect to others while expecting none in return.” By cultivating these qualities, the heart becomes a fertile field where the flower of divine love can blossom. So, it is not that Lord Chaitanya did not have love for krsna, nor that he wasn’t giving 100% or any of the thing you mentioned, but he did act in such a way like he has no attraction to the holy name to show that devotees should be in that mood constantly. Even if one has attraction to the holy, he/she should act that they are not attracted because that is humility. When one feels that he has attraction to the holy name, then the feeling of separation becomes less. This is why Lord Chaitanya glorified gopis. Krsna moved away from gopis just to increase that attraction through separation. So Lord Chaitanya is attracted to krsna through separation too but LC feels that he is not attracted, that is the humility of a devotee.
When Prabhupada was asked “Are you God?”, he responded “I am your servant”. That response has nothing to do with attraction or love or separation, that is just humility and we all know that Prabhupada had unflinching devotion and attraction to Krsna and His names.
Hope my response was helpful prabhu. I apologize if my response offended anyone.
Chant and be happy.
Srila Prabhupada ki jai..
Hare krsna
"apani acari, jivare siksay...."
Lord Caitanya was just teaching us for the conditioned soul. That does not mean the Lord was so much conditioned like us. For example, when your father teaches you as A,B,C,D... alphabets, that does not mean your father is at your level or does not know any higher education.
Again, when a jaundice patient eats sweet, he tastes it as bitter. That does not mean, the sweet tastes bitter for everyone. This is due to diseased condition of the patient. So, you are in diseased condition. How can you taste the attraction for the Holy name?
Also, if a person wears a black glass, every things look black. If he wears red glass, everything look red. So, it is your perspective and your way of thoughts according to your "abisuddha budhi" (misconceptions).
Haribol!
Thank you Krishna Das Prabhu for your right answer. Yes, according to Bhagavad Gita, "Faith comes from knowledge". So, one has to get true knowledge from one's spiritual master about Krishna.
Thank you
Many are naturally attracted with the holy name of Lord, but only those who can attract Him, can really attain Him.
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisance's, all glories to Srila Prapbhupada!
From my personal experience, once a person has had a taste from associating with a Devotee he will have great hunger and attraction for the Holy names of God. This is what happened to me, I am always chanting the Holy names whether at work or sleeping.
Hari Bol!
Russell
"Great hunger and attraction," perhaps, but this is relative; I can't speak for anyone but myself, however a pure soul's attraction to Krishna is so intense that any that I feel is very much only a miniscule portion of such intensity. Thus, relatively speaking, I have no attraction to the holy names. Humble-mindedness leads me to this conclusion. Still I praise Krishna and thank Him for giving me even the slightest inclination to chanting His glories.
Hare Krishna
peace and love
Committing NamAparadh make you lose attraction to chanting the Holy Names of Krishna
There are 10 or 12 Namaparadh. Read Harinama Cintamani, available for free on the internet
Hare Krishna
God bless