How to chant Hare Krishna?

BhaktiratnaSadhu

Our Hare Krishna Maha Mantra chanting should be clear (spashtha), steady (sthira), and joyful (sukhakar).

● The Three Pillars of Chanting

Harinam Chintamani, by Namacharya Srila Haridasa Thakura and Sacchidananda Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, state that our Hare Krishna Maha Mantra chanting should be practiced in the following three ways. Spashtha (slow clear pronunciation), sthira (steady daily without distractions or interruptions), and sukhakar (joyful due to knowing that Nam is Nami). Only by chanting Harinam in these three ways first, our mind will constantly yearn for more and push us (maha-agraha) to increase its daily quantity, in a way that we can maintain for the long-term.

● Harinam and Krishna’s Form

Secondly, the union of Harinam with the Form of Krishna is the very first step delineated in Harinam Chintamani (nama laite laite rupa aise sange sange, nama rupa bhinna naye nache nana range). Unless, Krishna’s form constantly arises and becomes One with our Harinam, we will not be able to progress to the next step of making the 64 qualities and pastimes of Krishna One with our Harinam.

● Quality Over Quantity

Artificially increasing the quantity, without clear pronunciation and remembering each of the 16 names in the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, will not help to unite Krishna’s Form with Harinam. Nor should hiking the quantity be considered some magical wand or a game of numbers which will force Harinam to reveal Krishna’s Form to us.

In fact, it can lead to an excess of Pramada or inattentive chanting. This will take us even further away from our very first goal of making Krishna’s Form one with our Harinam. One cannot force one’s entry into Shuddha Nam just by hiking up the quantity without the needed quality. If that were the case, Shuddha Harinam would be a matter of ascending choice, not descending mercy.

● From Hare Krishna Nam to Lila

Here on Hare Krishna Rasa, I will be discussing the deeply hidden mysteries of chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra from the scriptures. I will start right from the beginning of how to reveal Krishna’s form in Harinam and focus a lot on that. Because many devotees are not able to to chant this Rupa Nam even after decades of chanting. That pains me and I want to help them. Because without Rupa Nam, there is no possibility of Guna Nam and Lila Nam, even for many lifetimes.

I will also discuss from the shastra about the attainment of the end goals of Mantradhyanmayi, Svarasiki, Siddha Deha, Ekadasha Bhava, and finally the five Dashas of Premabhakti, simply by the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, nothing else (krishna nam mora siddha deha diya, krishna pashe rakhe giya…).

BhaktiratnaSadhu

Nimai das says:
16/01/19 at 1:24 pm

Jaya ho! I am sure this insightful website will fully satisfy any serious Harinam chanter in all important respects. Looking forward to all upcoming posts. ? Jaya Harinam Prabhu!

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:26 pm

Assisting devotees to contact Krishna through Harinam satisfies not only one’s soul, but the souls of all living entities in creation. Please bless me so that I can glorify Harinam properly. Hare Krishna!

Shachimata dasi says:
16/01/19 at 1:30 pm

So nicely said for getting taste in Harinam! If no taste, no meaning to chant a big quantity of rounds! Looking forward to more posts to show the ways of Rasamaya chanting of Harinam daily! Thank you! Hare Krishna!

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:31 pm

Exactly. Quality nurtures quantity. Taste awakens consistency. Will try to post according to your expectations. Hare Krishna!

Vasudha dasi says:
16/01/19 at 1:33 pm

I am looking forward to read more such posts on this website. Thank you for creating a platform for devotees aspiring to improve the chanting of Hare Krishna mahamantra.

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:34 pm

Krishna nam sudha karo paan, juraao bhaktivinoda pran … The soul of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is fully satisfied when even one soul drinks the ambrosial elixir of Krishna Nam in the form of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.

Advaita Acharya das says:
16/01/19 at 1:35 pm

As stated by the Taittriya Upanishad, the Supreme Absolute Truth is Rasa. Only and only by attaining this rasa, one becomes eternally happy. How the supremely relevant mantra in this age, an apparently mundanely sounding combination of syllables, leads to the manifestation of the eternal, divine, and spiritual attributes of the Bhagavan Sri Krishna, who is condensed bliss personified, will be explained here, I suppose.

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:37 pm

Thank you so much for highlighting the meaning of Rasa so nicely and for the high expectations which you have for this site. I will try to live up to it. Hare Krishna!

Yajnesvara das says:
16/01/19 at 1:37 pm

And with the chanting of the Mahamantra there are offenses to be considered that will prevent us from experiencing even the first step you mention – the name of the Lord and the form of the Lord becoming as one.

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:38 pm

The root cause of all offenses is inattentiveness and that basically arises from not slowly and fully pronouncing each of the 16 Names in Harinam, in the fear of not completing one’s quota of rounds in the time one has available for it daily.

So one ends up somehow finishing the quota but utterly loses the quality, and commits the mother of all offenses which is inattentiveness. Due to this simple reason, Krishna’s Form withdraws and does not arise while chanting Harinam, even for decades. Hare Krishna!

Frank Dioso says:
16/01/19 at 1:39 pm

Hare Krishna! Thank you for everything!

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:40 pm

Welcome Frank. You are always quick to find the nectar wherever it is. Hare Krishna!

Avadhuta das says:
16/01/19 at 1:40 pm

Super article Srila Gurudeva! Very blissful to read such a wonderful article on how to advance in Bhakti by properly chanting Harinam! All glories to you.

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:41 pm

Yes, chanting each Nam with remembrance is 99% of what Bhakti is all about (harer namaiva kevalam) and the remaining else is 1%.

Radhabhav das says:
16/01/19 at 1:41 pm

Super Article. This is the essence of chanting. The big effect comes only after attentive chanting.

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:42 pm

Exactly. Chanting is no chanting if there is no remembrance of each of the 16 Names of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. Only some cumulative remembrance of all the 16 Names together is not doing justice to each of the 16 Names. And this happens just because we chant so fast that there is no time for the mind to delve on the transcendental meanings of each Name.

Shyam das says:
16/01/19 at 1:43 pm

Very nice article. It is such an important consideration but seems to be very simple. It happens that in order to compete the quantity quality is heavily compromised. Please bless!

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
16/01/19 at 1:44 pm

Yes, when we chant Hare Krishna, we should become completely absorbed in the remembrances of the Form, Qualities, and Pastimes which spontaneously arise in Harinam. Then we will feel like never giving up the chanting 24/7, instead of always worrying that my so-and-so rounds are left.

Amy Harilal says:
17/01/19 at 11:22 pm

I was wondering if you were still sharing on the internet Bhaktiratna ji. I am glad to see this site and hope that your faith in God is still strong. Best wishes,~ Amy.

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
18/01/19 at 3:39 pm

Glad to see you around dear Amy. Thank you for your kind words. Hare Krishna!

Yashoda-putra das says:
20/01/19 at 10:21 pm

My mind wanders when chant slow

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
23/01/19 at 11:01 pm

Can you remember the meanings of each Name when you chant fast then? The mind may wander in the beginning when you chant slowly, pronouncing and remembering each Name, because the mind rebels as it is forced to remember each Name for first time. When we broom a dirty room, we see more dust rising in the beginning. But that does not mean that there is something wrong with the process of brooming and it should be given up?

By practice the mind gets tamed and then the mind will demand that we pronounce and relish each Name fully and only then go to the next Name in the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. We should chant every Name of Harinam considering each Nam to be the Nami Lord Himself, and that respectful attention cannot be given if we chant fast without clear pronunciation. We should not think that only the full Harinam is Nami. Each Name is also the Nami Himself. (… krs-ne ti varna dvayi).

Gaura das says:
27/01/19 at 10:40 am

Dandavat pranams my dearest Gurudev. All glories to your lotus feet. Extremely well written article with sastric proofs. Definitely need of the hour. You have presented the essence of Sri Harinam Cintamani and other sastras very lucidly. Clarified many confusions. Lately I have been contemplating on Banka Raya Lila in Ekachakra. And yesterday while chanting; the beautiful form of Sri Banka Raya was coming in my mind again and again. Again; very thankful for all you do for humanity and ego centric maniacs like me. Your divine articles and teachings will be cherished by generations to come. May your glories spread to the whole universe!

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
29/01/19 at 12:55 am

Oh dear prabhuji, it is just a tiny spark in the infinite powerhouse of Harinam Chintamani. I aspire to collect many more such tiny sparks from the divine words of Srila Haridas Thakur and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur to menially illuminate the path of devotees in their quest to chant Shuddha Harinam. You are like a honey-bee collecting the nectar of our Acharyas and then using it in your remembrance during chanting. Dandavat pranams. Hare Krishna.

Chaitanya das says:
29/01/19 at 8:11 am

Dandavat pranam dear Gurudev. Thanks for that sweet quality explanation about Harinam. Hare Krishna.

Bhaktiratna Sadhu says:
08/03/19 at 7:49 pm

Thanks. Harinam is sweet and even the tiniest glories of Harinam are the sweetest. हरे कृष्ण.

Jahnavi dasi says:
15/06/19 at 7:30 am

Jay jay thankyou so much Shrila Gurudeva for sharing deep secrets of Harinam and guiding us at every step. 🙏🙏

Premi Krishna das says:
15/06/19 at 7:55 pm

Hare Krishna,
The title of the post is probably the most important question existing in this material world.
Thank you for this post. Looking forward eagerly to hear more…

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