Indian guest (5): That chanting is not the stage you have to preserve all the time or practice all the time?

Śyāmasundara: That you become as more advanced in spiritual life, your chanting drops away.

Prabhupāda: No. no, chanting is eternal. After you become perfect, you will also chant more loudly.

(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita-------Auckland).

Guest (4): The most obvious sign that we see of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is your chanting and reciting of the mantra. Are there other valid forms of reaching God consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are lacking in God consciousness on account of being impure. So by chanting, glorifying the Lord's name, you will be purified. The example is, just like you put one iron rod in the fire. It become warm, warmer, at last red-hot. When it is red-hot, it is no longer iron rod; it is fire by association with the fire. Similarly, if you remain always, constantly, in association with God, then you become godly, and you become purified. Then your vision will be clear. So God and God's name, the same, because God is Absolute. If you chant, glorify, God's name, that means you associate with God directly. And if we... Associate with God means you gradually become godly. This is the meaning of chanting the holy name of God.

(Lecture-------Melbourne).

Student: What is the function of the chanting? Because the chanting seems to serve a function, at least to me, of—which may be my own individual weakness, but nevertheless—is an experience I have been shown...

Prabhupāda: Chanting, the chanting process is just to cleanse your mind. You have got so many misunderstandings about yourself, about this world, about God, and about our interrelationship between these things. We have got so many misgivings. We are in the position of complete ignorance. This chanting will help you to cleanse your mind. Then you'll understand that this chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is not different from Kṛṣṇa.

(Lecture on Bhagavad-Gita------New York).

Regarding your question, "What does Rama mean in Hare Rama? Is this Balarama or Lord Ramacandra?", you can take it both ways, because there is no difference between Ramacandra and Balarama. Generally it means Krishna, because Rama means enjoyer. So either Ramacandra, Balarama or Krishna are all Visnu Tattvas and are always enjoying. The sakti tattva, or jiva tattva is always enjoyed. Our position is always predominated. If we remain in that position and properly use our small independence, then we remain happily eternally. But artificially, if we want to be independent and imitate the Supreme Enjoyer, then it is delusion. Material life means trying to imitate the Enjoyer, and spiritual life means to remain in one's eternal position as enjoyed. This Hare Krishna Mantra is addressed to the energy of the Lord and the Lord Himself to keep the chanter in his eternal position of being enjoyed. The prayer is "My Lord, Oh the Spiritual Energy of the Lord, kindly keep me engaged in Your service." Regarding your other question, Krishna in His four-handed Visnu Form is within our hearts, but He is not different from two-handed Krishna.

(Letter to Arundhati------Hamburg).