japa (52)

Dear Mind by Bhaktimarga Swami

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Some days you are a friend

Some days you are foe

You swing moods up

You swing them low

I can’t always trust

You’re not in one place

You respond well to lust

Big dose or a trace

You lead me to greed

It’s not what I want

You convinced it’s a need

In truth it’s a taunt

When there is anger

Pent up inside

You then do hanker

To push it outside

I don’t know why

You are so cruel

Cunning and sly

And wanting to rule

You’re some kind of clown

Silly and joking

A laugh or a frown

Nabbing and poking

Yet you

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The more we hear about Krishna, the more we become purified. We cannot understand Krishna because we are not purified. But if you hear the Krishna name, Hare Krishna—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare—if you chant and hear, you become purified. So why should we not take this simple method, as it is recommended in the shastra, harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam [“In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than cha

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When we feel that we have no taste for chanting and when we think to ourselves, “Oh I have no desire to chant sixteen rounds… it is taking such a long time and it is appearing to me as boring“, this is because we have no remembrance of Krsna. However, it is so easy to remember Krsna through His pastimes, because they are filled with rasa, with taste. They are not boring at all; they are actually full of excitement.

Are we religious? No, we are not religious. We are attracted to the pastimes of

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By Kadamba Kanana Swami 

The essence of the process that we are following in this movement is the chanting of the holy name. This process is the yuga dharma – the dharma (religion) for this age of Kali. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has made this chanting of the holy name widely available to us and also added his extra mercy. The holy name has been chanted widely throughout the millennia but in this particular millennia, there is the added mercy of the Lord himself. Therefore, now it is very easy and

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Japa Affirmations – World Holy Name Week

7959337666?profile=RESIZE_400xAffirmations for Chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra

by Payal Shah

(Adapted from ‘Japa Affirmations’ by His Grace Mahatma Dasa)

Ancient Vedic texts address the notion that no amount of material accomplishments can deeply satisfy us. Our consciousness has been polluted by the material atmosphere, and as we try to exploit resources, we are in fact getting more and more entangled in complexities. Vedic wisdom attributes this condition to a lack of spiritual awareness. These Vedic wisdom texts sha

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Chanting of the Holy Name by Giriraj dasa

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Let us try to learn the fundamentals of chanting of the Holy Name from Srila Prabhupada as our founder acharya explains its importance, the dos and don’ts and also the remedy if we commit offenses while chanting.

How should we do chant the Holy Name?

It is recommended that such chanting be performed very loudly. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Nārada Muni says that without shame he began traveling all over the world, chanting the holy name of the Lord. Similarly, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised:

tṛṇā

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6521862085?profile=RESIZE_584xAt the time of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, he would say that anyone who does not chant 64 rounds, is fallen. He said to chant a minimum of 4 rounds. Now, 4 rounds did not necessarily mean going back to Godhead in this lifetime, but it meant that at least some connection is there. 64 rounds, however, was the program. That was the straight path back to Godhead. But Prabhupada brought it down to 16 rounds, accompanied by his prayer, so therefore 16 is the blessed number for going back to God

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Human society is brought before the big question mark, “Does this all make sense?” the moment it is confronted with death – the existential dilemma. Vaisnava scholars hold that the teachings of Srila Sukadeva Gosvami begin in all earnestness after king Pariksit asked his urgent question: “What should I do now that I am at the brink of death? What should anyone do in this situation?”

We all live differently, but one thing is certain: each and every one of us will land before the threshold of dea

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6076004886?profile=RESIZE_400x“In order to encourage the King, who had only seven remaining days of life, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami asserted that there is no use in living hundreds of years without any knowledge of the problems of life—better to live for a moment with full consciousness of the supreme interest to be fulfilled. The supreme interest of life is eternal, with full knowledge and bliss. Those who are bewildered by the external features of the material world and are engaged in the animal propensities of the eat-drink-

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6042960864?profile=RESIZE_400xThis Krishna consciousness movement is spreading quickly all over the world—within four, five years. Is it my credit? No. It is Krishna’s credit. But because I have tried to do this business, people are automatically giving me the credit. They say, “Swamiji, you have done wonderful.” I have done nothing wonderful. It is Krishna’s business. Krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana. (Cc Antya-lila 7.11) Without Krishna’s strength, nobody can spread. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta.

Krishna

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6042782893?profile=RESIZE_400xThere are sixteen words that encompass the maha-mantra, which is taken seriously by those of the bhakti persuasion, and preferably uttered in the morning for setting a good spiritual note; though the sound is welcome anytime of the day. There is no hard and fast rule for chanting, however, it should be noted that one makes the effort to communicate with the Divine through this medium of chanting at some time. I spend a portion of my night chanting on my beads but I also fix myself (usually on a

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Chant and be Still by Ananda

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There is a great connection between stillness and listening. “Don’t move” we say when we hear some noise around the house in the middle of the night. In yoga we hold the body still in order to hear the breath. We will hold the shoulders of our child while we tell her something important.

In the tradition of mantra meditation, the repetition of a sacred sound, how we listen, how we hear the mantra is the difference between a successful practice or not. Although in the Krishna Bhakti practice the

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Good chanting does not depend on our adherence to mechanical rules. It is not a matter of just doing the dos and avoiding the don’ts and then our job is done. No, not at all! Chanting is an offering of the heart – a heart filled with feelings of humility, a desire to surrender and a sincere service attitude. It is ultimately a loving call to Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. This means we need to chant with a firm understanding of our relationship with Them (sambhandha). “My Lord, I have a relationship

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Krsna is everywhere because He is all-pervading. Not only is the brahmajyoti (effulgence) of Krsna present everywhere, on which everything is resting, but Krsna Himself is present everywhere in different forms. Sometimes He is in the form of Nrsimhadeva, sometimes He is in the form of Varaha and other times He is in His sweet form playing His flute. So basically, Krsna’s mercy is constantly there.

The dust jacket of the First Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam is very special as Srila Prabhupada de

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HG Padmakshi Vinodini Mataji and HG Govinda Vallabha Mataji (from Left to Right)

For the warriors of COVID-19

Reported by Dr. Chetan Hazaree

We often hear that devotees live a life of mature compassion. They perform multifarious activities out of their compassion for the welfare of all living entities. While performing these compassionate acts, their vision is set on serving the Supreme Lord and begging for mercy, not for themselves, but for others. Each mature devotee performs different acts o

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Srila Prabhupada explains the importance of chanting 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna Mantra every day and how Krishna protects you.

By Nanda Kumar Dasa ACBSP who was Srila Prabhupada’s personal servant in the early years of ISKCON.

From the time I took initiation from Srila Prabhupad in Los Angeles in June of 1969, I was blessed to be able to keep my vow of chanting 16 rounds a day for some time.

Then not long after becoming Srila Prabhupad’s cook and personal servant, I missed doing 16 rounds fo

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By Vijaya Prabhu

One Muslim boy was reluctant to take a book from me because it was from outside his tradition. I saw him another day, and he said, “I had this dream the Bhagavad-gita came to me glowing.” I again encouraged him to get the book, and after repeated attempts, he finally accepted it.

This knowledge can pull people out of the modes of material nature.

We are still tinged, but we have come a long way.

We are not distributing paper and ink but jewels.

I tell the people, “You cannot pu

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In Vrindavan, on September 13, 1975, Srila Prabhupada spoke on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.11:

na niskrtair uditair brahma-vadibhis
tatha visuddhyaty aghavan vratadibhih
yatha harer nama-padair udahrtais
tad uttamasloka-gunopalambhakam

“By following the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies or undergoing atonement, sinful men do not become as purified as by chanting once the holy name of Lord Hari. Although ritualistic atonement may free one from sinful reactions, it does not awaken devotional service, unlike

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12 April 2020

Aim of our life is not to get free from lockdown, but from Maya.

Welcome to all of you. I’m also pleased to see all of you chanting from various places. We can see all the devotees on one screen after another. I’m also seeing you all, but you also would be seeing others. You will be experiencing that 1500 to 2000 devotees are chanting from 784 locations. This is very pleasing. This is very enlivening and inspirational news. When the Lord sees that all these devotees are chanting f

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From “On the Holy Name” at Kirtan-mela in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Oct 5, 2019:

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explains that if we are humble will seek the help of another. Otherwise, we will not be inclined.

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura said that “trnad api” is the siddha-pranali, the mantra to attain perfection.

Lord Caitanya said to string that verse on the garland of the holy name and wear it around your neck.

Lord Caitanya says that even if a tree is drying up, it does not ask for

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