Chanting with Humility by Sacinandana Swami
The holy name has unlimited energies, but it reserves them for those who chant without offenses. Chanting without offenses becomes easy in a humble state of mind. All offenses come from the false ego, no offenses come from a humble heart. The false ego needs to be dissolved by humility. According to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura real humility is based on the understanding “I’m not the body, but I’m a spiritual...
Loud Chanting
There are three ways of chanting the Mahamantra – chanting within the mind, chanting softly and chanting loudly. But unless we are very steady and fixed in devotional service, it is very difficult for us to chant within the mind or even to chant softly. We are bombarded with so many external noises as well as internal noise from our own mind so much that some times, the lips keeps chanting Krishna's names, but mind keeps...
Inattentive Chanting
Inattention is a serious problem in chanting. As the nondevotee does not understand the value of human life or the urgency to be Krishna conscious, so a devotee sometimes does not fully understand the urgency and necessity of calling on the holy name. Then despite his theoretical acceptance of the principle of chanting Hare Krishna, he stubbornly deliberates on other things while uttering the holy name. Inattention then explains why,...
Absorption
Absorption-means to incorporate as part of oneself, to be obsessed, or to fully occupy and saturate the mind in something. Absorption is a feature of our lives. Everyday we become absorbed in sleeping, absorbed in eating a delicious meal, or absorbed in reading a wonderful book. But for some reason, it is very difficult to become absorbed in japa. Repeating the following prayer will help one get absorbed in chanting Hare Krsna: O...
Govinda
kim no rajyena govinda kim bhogair jivitena va yesam arthe kanksitam no rajyam bhogah sukhani ca ta ime ’vasthita yuddhe praṇams tyaktva dhanani ca acaryah pitarah putras tathaiva ca pitamahah matulah svasurah pautrah syalah sambandhinas tatha etan na hantum icchami ghnato ’pi madhusudana api trailokya-rajyasya hetoh kim nu mahi-krte nihatya dhartarastran nah ka pritih syaj janardana (Bhagavad Gita 01.32 – 01.35)...
