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KC Nectar - October 15

Why is there any need to chant Hare Krishna ?
A mail from the Radha Gopinath Temple, Bombay, India.
Submitted by Manish Borkar


1. The Maha-Mantra

We live in the material world. We are born here and we will die here. This world of matter surrounds us in all directions. Eventhough our bodies are made of various material objects, yet we ourselves are a different type than our bodies. I and you are living beings. Beings made of "spirit" of that of the Spiritual world. Quality of "spirit" is diametrically opposite to the quality of "matter". Also spirit is superior to matter. Matter is inanimate, while spirit is animate. It is the presence of spirit-soul in a material body than makes the body animate. The moment the sprit-soul leaves the body, we say, "so and so has passed away". The body is there, right in front of us, yet we say "has gone". Who has gone? The Spirit-Soul -- The AATMAA has gone.

Thru Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna explains us that just like we change our bodies from fetus body, to infant body, to child body, to youth body, to oldage body similarly at death we leave this mortal body and enter another mortal body. That is in case of materialistic people. Because all our life we are busy fooling ourselves by acting in ways to prove to the world that we are convinced that we are not SPIRIT-SOUL but the inferior changing dull material body, our attachment to matter reigns supreme. As a result at death, we go for that which we lived all our life for -- yet another miserable dull and mundane material body!

No materialistic education or materialistic society is aware of anything else than the products of matter. (why else they would be materialistic!) But yet the fact of life is that life is beyond matter!! Life is spiritual and not material. Life remains while the body changes. I and you can easily remember incidences that happened to us over 13 years ago, yet material science assures us that ALL CELLS of our body are completely replaced 100% every 13 years. Don't even have the same brain cells, what to speak of heart cells or the blood cells! 

Duh-huh.... am I missing something here? If I am changing then how come my experience of hunger, pain, joy remains the same? How come I know that I am I. Its the same me. Isn't it? 20 years ago, 30 years ago... it was the same me who was being nursed by my loving mother. But ouch... that body of mine is gone. Now I have a different body!

Thus Lord Krishna explains that we should understand that "I am not the body", instead that, "I am a spirit soul, an eternally existing person, unfortunately because of mis-identification with matter, going thru repeated cycle of birth, disease, oldage and death."

After pointing this out, the good Lord also gives us the way to relieve us from our repeated misery. Which is to start identifying ourselves with what we actually are! (Surprise!!) ....SPIRIT SOUL!

That's why this process is called "The Science of Self-Realization".

Now there are so many institutions and so many folks who make themselves available to make us "self-realized". But again what has to be seen is "are they really authorized people? are they approved of by Lord Krishna? Does Lord Krishna recognize them as His representative?"

One may say, "aww come-on what diff. it makes, Lord Krishna recognizes them or not, as long as they can make me self-realized"??

Aw...ow.

Just happens that Lord Krishna is "Sri Bhagavan" Himself. Can't help it. He happens to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead. SAYZ WHO? Well... to start with, sayz over 18,000,000,000 verses present in 18 Puranas, with each having 18 upa-puranas, various samhitas, itihaasas, upanishads and thousand other sruti and smriti texts. And by the way ALL VAISHNAVA ACHARYAS and Sri Sankaracharya as well. Heard about Lord Brahma? He is in the party too! All his children, the 33 Crore Demigods headed by Lord Indra, the spiritual master of the demigods, Sri Brihaspati and come to think of it, even all the asuras accept Lord Krishna to be the Supreme Personality of Godhead - the origin, the cause and the all in all of all that there is!

So I guess, this person does deserve some hearing and some importance. Afterall He is the Supreme God....in front of whom, Brahma is bewildered and Indra and Brihaspati tremble in there knees.

Just happens that we are so eager to run to a crowd to hear what the fight is about. We are so eager to hear what the latest sports news is, we are so eager to hear what is CNN saying about the war, we are so eager to hear the voice of our loved ones, so eager to hear all crap and all that is good as well.

BUT WE HAVE NO TIME TO HEAR what GOD has to say!

He is GOD. Baba, give Him *some* importance.

Out of the 24 hours He has given us, give Him atleast 24 minutes to daily hear Him out?? Fair???

Maybe we can ignore it. Hear His words from one ear and take it out from the other. Yet trust yourself, God is so potent (unlike us mortals), that when He passes through our brains, we WILL UNDERSTAND. What is the proof we will understand. We will be helpless.

Helpless in not being able to do anything in life. Not being able to do anything in life but to constantly shed tears of love and joy remembering Him.

Why am I blabbering this to you? Because friend, the feeling to be in love is too good.

Everyone falls in love.

Try falling in love with God.

God is so blissful that to be in love with Him will break all your imagination of what 'love' actually is. Trust me, I know it, I have been in love in my days, thought it was great. But nah... no competition here. Who is that who can compete GOD in reciprocation and that too in the field of love? 

God is Supreme and so is His Love. You have got nothing to loose... except yourself! :-)

He is beyond bliss. Try it. Taste it once. Just once. Trust that once you have tasted, you will not taste poison then on..... never ever.

Who is authorized by God to teach us the right path?

He Himself.

You don't believe Lord Krishna is God. That's fine. And its perfectly Ok. Fair enough. Nobody should have blind faith. So because blind faith is just easily destroyed as well.

Even a fool can understand that there is a Supreme Controller, under whose direction everything is going on. Right? So we are intelligent people. Go to the toilet, go to the corner of your room, go to the roof or go to a jungle, go anywhere, go to a movie theater. Just take 5 seconds out. All I ask is 5 seconds. There is no loss. What is there to loose? Just 5 seconds and you can forget Him all your life, if you wish. But please give that 5 seconds in sincerity.

Close your eyes and just say in your mind with sincerity: "O Supreme Lord, I don't know who You are, where You are, but I know You are there somewhere. O Lord, please reveal Yourself to me. I wish to know You. This I sincerely say."

That's it.

Money back guarantee. In one month's time you will be chanting the "hare krishna mahamantra".

How will it happen, don't ask me, I am not God. Lord Krishna is. He will arrange it. Never mind you live in Timbaktu or in Kabul. He will arrange for you to come in contact with a devotee who will tell you, "please chant the hare krishna mahamantra".

So what is this "Hare Krishna Maha-mantra"? And what's the big deal about it?

Simple dude. Its been the most happening thing around.... since beginning of time (literally!)

See, the big deal about the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra is that, the Vedic scriptures says that, "kali kaale naam rupe Krishna avataar". "In Kali-Yuga, the Lord incarnates in the form of His own Holy Name"!

In Kali-Santaran Upanishad (The Upanishad which explains "how to cross over the troublesome period of kali-yuga), Lord Brahma explains to Sriman Narad Muni that by chanting

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

one can easily cross over the material nescience.

"harer naam harer naam harer naam eva hi kevalam
kalau naasteva naasteva naasteva gatir anyathaa"

"Hari's name, Hari's name, Hari's name definitely is only in the age of Kali, no other way, no other way, no other way of perfection."

Proper translation:

"In the age of kali, there is no way (repeated 3 times for emphasis) other than to chant the name of Hari (again repeated 3 times to emphasize) to attain perfection."

Why this is to be repeated 3 times in one verse? So that, it may be clear to us beyond a shred of doubt, that chanting any other mantra is almost mundane compared to chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra.

In part 1 of this series, we have already provided a detailed list of shastric injunctions that lead to the conclusion that the hare krishna mahamantra is the one that is advised by scriptures as a prescription for us, to attain Love of God and ultimately Personal service to Him.

What does the Hare Krishna Mahamantra mean?

In simple form it simply means, "O Lord Krishna and O the internal energy of Lord Krishna, kindly engage me in Your loving devotional service"

The Hare Krishna Mahamantra is both the means and the destination in Spiritual Life.

Once a western reporter asked Srila Prabhupada, "Swamiji what do you get by chanting hare krishna?" Pat came Srila Prabhupada's reply, "We get to chant more hare krishna!"

Chanting hare krishna is a passion. Few minutes of chanting is not enough. You just feel like going on chanting!! And the best part is, once you are chanting the hare krishna mahamantra, you don't like to hear no mundane sounds..... trust me... including your own name! Money back challenge.

Chanting of hare krishna is bliss. Chanting of hare krishna is perfection. Chanting of hare krishna IS LIFE.

I can so much only show you the bottle of honey and explain its qualities and glorify the sweetness of its taste. But it is you who will have to taste it to experience what I am saying.

Please take time out to chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. It will really really change your life to a more peaceful, satisfied, blissful and fearless life.

Nobody can give you fearlessness. Your husband, wife, bodyguard, teacher, friend, neighbor, police or even the local protector thug. Only the Hare Krishna Mahamantra can. 24 hours protection. Any place in Earth or beyond. Any time for eternal time. Again... my favorite... "Money back guarantee" and "its a Challenge". :-)

In the Hare Krishna mahamantra, Lord Krishna is personally present. When we chant and hear this mahamantra, the good Lord dances on the tip of our tongue. This purifies not just us but the whole environment around. Just imagine if all people on the face of earth would be chanting "Hare Krishna Mahamantra" how blissful the air would be!

Any other persuasions? 

Yup!

Being surrounded by matter makes us contaminated all the time. Just like everyday we have to take bath to cleanse ourselves (eventhough we might not have consciously done anything to become dirty), similarly just to keep the soul clean and healthy we need to chant the hare krishna mahamantra regularly!

Brillianto!

How to remember?

Oh simple.
Twice say "Hare Krishna". like this: "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna" no big deal. right? left? center?

then twice say "Krishna". like this: "Krishna Krishna"

and finally say "Hare" twice. like this: "Hare Hare".

Only two words, "Hare" and "Krishna". First "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna" and then "Krishna Krishna Hare Hare"

So simple!

Once that's done, then replace "Krishna" with another name of Lord Krishna, which is "Rama" so the second line is: "Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare"

Thus the full mahamantra is:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

2. What is Mantra Meditation?

No big deal. Sounds fancy (mantra-meditation) but is pretty simple. Srila Prabhupada says, "even a child, even a dog can chant"!!!

(So why can't you and me????)

Simply hear. Hear each syllable clearly. the "meditation" is all about hearing. Meditate on hearing each sound vibration as clearly as possible. That's all.

While chanting, don't try to meditate on some picture of Sri Radha-Krishna, or Lord Krishna's lotus face or even His lotus feet. During mantra-meditation all this is bogus. You are blocking the way by putting your own imagery. Don't spoil it. Just meditate on the sound. Only on the sound and nothing else. Hear its purity and clarity, its depth and its sweetness. Focus more and more. Again and again get back to hearing the sound.

Soon you will realize that your mind is running somewhere else. The moment you realize this, get it back on hearing. Never mind the parts which you lost out because of uncontrolled mind. Just start focusing on hearing the sound as you chant.

Keep the right speed of chanting and clarity of pronunciation. Keep on hearing and just focus your meditation in hearing deeper and deeper. Immerse your whole being in simply hearing the hare krishna mahamantra. Swim in it. Drown yourself in the pond of the waters of the mahamantra. Sit deep inside the lake of mahamantra and bathe in it while you surround yourself with the mahamantra in all directions.

And yes, don't create this imagery as well. :-) It was just to explain the intensity of focus of "hearing".

This is mantra-meditation. Meditation on the sound of the maha-mantra.

Why on earth should not I meditate on the form of the Lord?

My dear, first, you are not then doing mantra-meditation as prescribed by the Acharyas starting from Lord Brahma down the line till Srila Prabhupada. (no proper procedures, no proper results!)

second: when your meditation is perfect, and your heart cleansed, the Lord will try to present something to you, and here you are my dear, who has already filled up your mind with something else!

Whose loss is that? You want to see something. The Lord wants to show you something. Which is more important? Which is more worthy? Which is more bliss?

So: NO VISUAL MEDITATIONS. Nothing. Put that effort in hearing. Just hear. Just hear. "sravanam" hearing. "tat shrinu" Just hear. Don't speculate no nothing. Just mediate on the detailed sound of the holy name. Trust fully well that the Lord does incarnate in the form of His name. Its His promise. Not ours.

So just meditate on hearing and once again, no visual imaginations please.

3. How to chant?

3.1 Sing / murmur / shout?
Kirtans are sung loudly. But japa is done softly, on an individual basis so that you yourself can hear the message distinctly.

3.2 With beads or empty hand?
Best is to chant on Tulasi Beads. Get a "mala" of 108 Tulasi beads. chant on them. Touch of Tulasi maharani to our skin will help us purify ourselves and increase the focus of our mantra-meditation.

In emergency however, once in a long while (once in a month maybe!) if really in a position, then ok, chant without beads. But why miss out on the maha-catalyst? Lord Krishna anyway doesn't accept anything that is offered to Him without Tulasi.

3.3 What beads?
Tulasi beads. Not Rudraksha, not plastic. Neem will do. But best is Tulasi beads. If you get an opportunity then bathe the Tulasi beads in the waters of "Sri Radha Kund". But do continue to chant anyway. With the beads bathed in Sri Radha Kund, the focus and bliss is even more extra... so some believe.

3.4 Posture: Sitting / Standing?
Jumping. :-)

The whole point is "Just do it". In anyway you want, you may do. Sitting, standing or trotting up and down. Just ensure you are meditating on the sound and nothing else and that your mind is not running anywhere else.

4. How long to chant?
As long as you feel the bliss! (24 hours)

Ok. In the beginning there may not be that much attraction or taste. Just like eventhough taking a cold water shower in the morning is the best thing to do. But if you are not used to it. You will hate it. You will protest. But once you get the taste, you won't settle for anything else. So just keep pushing for the first few days to chant atleast an hour non-stop. "Aage gaadi apne aap chalegi" Once the initial push is given, further the vehicle will move on its own. :-)

5. Purificatory processes?
Chanting the maha-mantra is -T-H-E- "purificatory process". By chanting the Lord's name one gets purified. So don't worry. Just chant and be happy!

6. Pre-Qualifications for chanting?
One has to be a demon. :-)

(like me)

No pre-qualifications needed. Any one can chant. Srila Prabhupada said, "even a dog can chant". So that says it all.

7. During Periods?
Yup. Go ahead. Full steam. Chant and be happy purified and blissful. Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord. Trust me, you just don't have it in you to contaminate Him! Or are you proud that you... I mean YOU can contaminate GOD? Forget it. He is all pure. You touch Him dipped with all contamination of the world, and you will get purified. That's the power of GOD. He purifies on contact! Be happy. Just chant in blissful abandon. There is no one in between you the soul and Lord Krishna the Super Soul. (aatmaa and paramaatmaa) The relationship of child and father is DIRECT. bhakt, bhagavan and bhakti. devotee, the Lord and devotion. This is Absolute Truth.

8. Conversion to Hinduism?
Hinduism is a myth anyway.

We are talking reality here.

"Hindu" is a word coined by Muslims who were invading India. They got a tough fight from Rajputs across the Sindhu river and their ammunitions and food supply was fast getting over. These dudes couldn't pronounce "sindhu", so they would call the land that is beyond the Sindhu river as "Hindustan" meaning "sindhu-sthan" (sthan = place). And the people who live in Hindustan are but obviously "Hindus"! and their religion is "Hindu". Duhhh.

Thus started the foolish propaganda of this nonsense "Hinduism".

You ask a Christian, "Is your religion supported by any scripture?" Even a child will immediately present the Bible. A Muslim will immediately produce a Koran. But a so called Hindu?

Aww.... aw.... There happens to be no Vedic text, not even 1 single text out of zillions that utter the sound called "Hindu".

Haaa!

Have you heard the word "Hindu" being spoken by Lord Krishna in Bhagavad-gita or in Srimad Bhagavatam? NO! But yet every tom, dick and harry on the street thinks he is a Hindu! (a Muslim product) !!! and he is proud of it. Ask him who is God and he will tell you "there are soooooooo many gods". Yes... you got it. That fool must be a Hindu!!

Arre baba, how can "God" be more than 1 person? 

"God" by definition means one who has no equal and no superior. So now you figure out how can there be 'many' gods?

That's their level of understanding. None of them have personally read the scriptures. But they would be expert in rattling out the shlokas of Bhagavad-gita. Not understanding none of it. Proof? They continue to act out their life which proves that they have not heard Lord Krishna saying in Bhagavad-gita that we are not the body but are spirit souls!

If I am not the body, why should I act like a body? Come-on give me a break. I am a soul. So I will act like a soul and not like a body. Simple.

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