By Kavicandra Swami
Devotee (3): Srila Prabhupada, it’s very difficult to control my mind when I chant. It wanders.
Prabhupada: So what is the controlling of mind? You have to chant and hear, that’s all. You have to chant with your tongue, and the sound you hear, that’s all. What is the question of mind?
We can make arrangements to make it easier to hear.
1. Chant in the temple with many devotees. Some temples are especially good for this. Some of my favourites are London Soho, Bhaktivedanta Manor, Chowpati Radha Gopinatha Mandira and Mayapur. These temples all have intensive japa periods.
2. Get sufficient sleep.
3. If we cannot be at the temple for japa period, at least we should set aside a quiet time and place.
4. Use ear plugs. They make the sound of what we say ring very clearly in the ear.
5. Special places to Chant: Govardhan Parikrama, Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi mandiras (especially in Mayapur), Srila Prabhupada’s rooms.
Of course Lord Caitanya gives us the perfect guideline:
“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honour but is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.” Antya 20.22
These inner things are more sublime and elusive, but if we pray for the mercy of the Holy Name, with patience, it will come
1. Pray for service and joyfully accept any chance to serve.
2. Join as many harinam sankirtan parties as possible. Chanting publicly with enthusiastic devotees helps in developing a taste (appreciation) of the holy name.
3. Read Srila Prabhupada’s books. They tell us who KRSNA is and there is much glorification of the holy given by the past acaryas. In CAITANYA CARIAMRTA alone there are 873 references under “holy name”.
Here are a few of them:
“I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Krs na” have produced. When the holy name of Krsna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.”
CC Antya 1.99
Observing the beggars eating prasadam, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted, “Haribol!” and instructed them to chant the holy name. CC Madhya 14.45
As soon as the beggars chanted the holy name, “Haribol,” they were immediately absorbed in ecstatic love of Godhead. In this way Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed wonderful pastimes.
CC Madhya 14.46
“Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna once, a person is relieved from all the reactions of a sinful life. One can complete the nine processes of devotional service simply by chanting the holy name.
CC Madhya 15.107
4. Chant for Tulasi Devi. Even if we have no taste for the name, she will be blissful to hear it
5. Associate with devotees who are serious about serving the Holy Name. “One has to learn about the beauty and transcendental position of the holy name of the Lord by hearing the revealed scriptures from the mouths of devotees. Nowhere else can we hear of the sweetness of the Lord’s holy name.” CC Adi 1.101
6. Teach the glories of the holy name. Sharing your experience of the benefits of chanting will increase your faith in the holy name. Jayananda Prabhu always stressed the need for faith in the holy name.
7. Never never never give up. Keep chanting, always trying to be attentive to the sound.
Great article with many good points.
I find when I listen to the recording of Srila Prabhupada and the devotees chanting japa the chanting is more powerful, and I have less chance to fall into laziness with regards to chanting, and get more rounds chanted in less time. By listening to the style and sound of Srila Prabhupada’s chanting, over a long period of time, gradually my chanting has become similar to that style.
One thing I discovered from chanting, since I have a background in hathayoga, is to employ a simple pranayama technique when chanting japa.
I inhale and chant half the mantra on the exhaling breath, then inhale and chant the other half of the mantra on the second exhale. If this is repeated over and over it is much more difficult to become distracted, because the breath becomes regular and controlled.
One thing which might be a cause of distraction is irregular breathing.
To correct myself regarding Pranayama breathing, when taking an outdoor japa walk, I chant 1/2 the mantra with each breath, or as much as is convenient, so as not to become winded. Sometimes I may take several breaths between each mantra.
When sitting or temple chanting, one breath is sufficient for one complete mantra. The main point is not to over extend your breath and become winded, which makes your breath choppy, and breaks up mental concentration on the mantra.
We have put together a small booklet, “My Dear Nama-prabhu…”, to help become free from offensive chanting. Here is the introduction:
Introduction
In the purport to the famous verse, sravanam kirtanam visnu (Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.5.23), in what is the second largest purport in all of his books, Srila Prabhupada says:
“In the book Nama-kaumudi it is recommended that if one is an offender at the lotus feet of a Vaisnava, he should submit to that Vaisnava and be excused; similarly, if one is an offender in chanting the holy name, he should submit to the holy name and thus be freed from his offenses. One should be very humble and meek to offer one’s desires and chant prayers composed in glorification of the holy name, such as ayi mukta-kulair upäsya mänam and nivrtta-tardair upagiyamanad. One should chant such prayers to become free from offenses at the lotus feet of the holy name.”
This small booklet is a humble attempt to expand upon this instruction from Srila Prabhupada. It is a common practice in ISKCON temples to recite the ten offenses to the holy name (from the Nectar of Devotion) or the Sri Siksastaka after mangal arti or tulasi puja before beginning japa. In this booklet we will find the ten offenses from a number of Srila Prabhupada’s books as well as the Sri Siksastaka along with many additional verses glorifying Lord Caitanya and the holy name. These have been divided into seven sections with each section taking only a few minutes to read. In using this booklet, one suggestion would be to read section one on Sunday, section two on Monday and so on. This would provide some transcendental variety for the devotees and perhaps help to improve the quality of their japa chanting. Another way to use the booklet would be to read the first section for one week, then the next section for a week, and so forth. This would be more advantageous for memorization of the verses. In any case, in whichever way it is used, or whoever uses it, be it a temple, a bhakta program, or an individual devotee, we hope that the Vaishnavas will find this booket helpful for deepening their relationship with the glorious and all-merciful holy name of the Lord.
Krsna-nama bhulibe na
Never forget the name of Krsna.
(Svarupa dasa Babaji to Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur)
If anyone is interested in the booklet, you may contact me at: Namaprabhu@aol.com.
Suresh Prabhu makes very good point of using pranayam technique to improve chanting. Thank you Suresh Prabhu for your explanation.
High
I do Chant since 14 years, not regulary. But mostly 1 round, and i do celebrate my chanting, in Washing my self and getting prepared to do my chanting, i know i could do more, at the moment i´m trying to make it two rounds. Well, as i also realised, when after chanting, and i´m in a spiritual high, and i have to face Public, it seems that at leats one demon see that i´m High, and trying to harm to me, in subtile way, so now i do my chanting, knwoing, what i will be doing afterwards. Why i´m doing not more, well I´m walking in my Shoe´s some might won´t fit and i tried to do more, but i´m getting so High, no one can reach me, so its better for me to stay tuned on the earth.
Please feel free to show a way which i haven´t seen ,
Hare Krsna
Darest Devotees of the Holy Names; This pranayama business may have some benefits, but it may also be misleading for those who don’t know any better. We are for pure bhakti, not mixed with yoga. Yoga will not help one attain pure chanting. There may be some health or material benefits, but this pranayama will not help one to chant purely. When one has the taste for offenseless chanting, all benefits will be derived, no need for any special breathing techniques.
Probabaly the authors/commentors are already aware of this, but I thought to write something for the sake of those who are new to our path. Thank you! Haribol!
Tamoharadasa
I am not speaking of complicated Pranayama breathing procedures. Just simple breathing. Everyone has to breath. In every form of exercise proper breathing techniques are used, because it is recognized that if breathing is not steady and even, it can lead to ill-health and even madness.
The article is about a devotee who complained he was having difficulty concentrating his mind on the mantra.
All I was suggesting was inhale one breath, and exhale the mantra, inhale again, and exhale the mantra. What you might find, as I did many years ago, is if your breath is controlled, regulated and steady, it is easier to focus your mind on listening to the sound of mantra.
In our stage of Bhakti Yoga we are in a mechanical stage of practice, and we have no taste. We are not in a high stage of Bhakti Yoga.
What I stated as most important was to listen to the recording of Srila Prabhupada chanting japa, with the breathing technique being only secondary.
All the other processes mentioned are also essential for success in chanting.
Also it is helpful to gaze at the feet of the Deity or Spiritual Master while chanting.
Hari Hari bolo!
In Sridhama Mayapura, at his morning class circa 1975, Srila Prabhupada instructed
the assembled devotees to fix the form of the Lord in our hearts and never forget Him. A devotee asked, “Is it also alright to rmemeber the spiritual master as an alternative?”, to which Srial Prabhupada mercifully said, ” Yes’.
Since that time, I have endeavored to do just that, though it was only in more recent years that I have been able to do this , by Krsna’s incredible mercy. Naturally, as we are trained in devotional services, one wants to do some service to this remembered form of Sri Gurudeva. Hence, internal devotional service manifests. I find that this service helps the concentration, keeps me very awake, and my japa has never been sweeter. It is not some cheap so-called raga-nuga practice, but directly following the spiritual master’s orders.
Often, new bhaktas wholeheartedly engage in temple services, sometimes to the detriment of their need for enough sleep. The result is being too tired to remain keen while doing rounds. Please be careful of this.
Once upon a time, in the early seventies, I was staying at a cheap hotel in Delhi waiting for a return flight back to Canada. I spent much time chanting. A fellow came up to me, and asked me where I had learned such perfect breath control. I was surprised, for there was no breath control practice on my part. It turned out that he was a student of Sri Aurobindo, a yoga teacher of some repute, and had studied with him for years. He said that my breath control was perfect, but that he hadn’t been abel to attain such a state despite years of trying.
It was simply a question of bhakti! I did not want to stop the mantra for breathing, so I chant continously, sacrificing the outgoing breath into the incoming, etc. as described in Sri Gita, and thus chanting on the inhale, also, nonstop. No seperate practice required. just a will to chant.
If a breathing technique helps you , then by all means accpet the favorable. But note for certain that it is not necessary, and that developing an enthusiasm for the chanting will take you further into the realm of offenseless and thus perfect, chanting.
Begging Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Caitanaya Mahaprabhu, and Srimati Radharani for help is possibly the best course to improve the quality of japa. Rounds chanted before the all-importanat mangala arotika put you in a nice trance state of ecstasy, such that the arotika is so much more relishable! Get u earlier, and also take rest earlier.
Your servant
Tamoharadasa, MS, Aud ( C ), (ACBSP)