The Science of Repetition.
13/01/07
By Deenanath dasa
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Srila Prabhupada encouraged repetition of the sastra as a principle of disciplic succession and at the same time he condemned it as artificial and unscientific. Let’s examine the two positions with quotes from him.
The importance of repeating the words and instruction of Krishna of the disciplic sucession is repeated time and time again by Srila Prabhupada. He said, “We simply repeat the words and the instruction given by the predecessor.”1 In the Bhagavad-gita Krishna indicates that the acceptance and unadulterated repetition of the teachings of the disciplic succession constitute the process of knowledge:
evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ,
“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way.” 2
Therefore Arjuna accepted Krishna’s instructions:
sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye, yan māṁ vadasi keśava
“O Krishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me.”3
To repeat the words of the sastra and acaryas is the method of becoming a guru. It is one meaning of ’follow in the footsteps’ and is the direct instruction of Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘Krishna’-upadeśa
āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa
“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Shri Krishna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”4
Srila Prabhupada repeated again and again that we simply have to repeat:
“One may not think that ‘I am not qualified to become guru.’ No, you are qualified if you follow strictly the paramparā system. Then you are qualified”.5
“Simply repeat Krishna consciousness as Krishna said.’”6
“There is no need of any qualification, simply repeat.”7
“We are not learned scholars. But our mission is to repeat the words of Krishna.”8
“So this is the position of the preacher, that you simply repeat, like a parrot, no qualification.”9
“Even a child can reproduce what he has heard from his father. It is not at all difficult.10
“We simply repeat, parrot-like, what Krishna has said.”11
Simple repetition is the only qualification to become a guru in the disciplic succession. But is that all? Apparently not. While encouraging simple repetition as a principle of disciplic succession, at the same time Srila Prabhupada condemns parrot-like preaching and repetition:
“We have to simply repeat like parrot. Not exactly parrot. Parrot does not understand the meaning; he simply vibrates. But you should understand the meaning also; otherwise how you can explain?” 12
Not only does Srila Prabhupada disapprove of parrot-like repetition, he also condemns parrot-like, artificial chanting and dancing:
“Artificial chanting and dancing may be due to sentiments or sentimental agitation, but this cannot help one advance in Krishna consciousness.”13
While Prabhupada encourages artificial parrot-like repetition on the principle that ‘imitation of a good thing is desired’ he preferred his followers have a thorough understanding of Krishna consciousness. He said: “If you understand very easily, then you will forget very easily…If you understand little with difficulty, then you will forget also with difficulty.”14 Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur expresses the same idea in different words:
“It is indeed very easy to tell and swift to hear that, ‘Absolute truth has such an affinity with the human soul that it comes through as if intuitively. No exertion is necessary to teach the precepts of true religion.’ This is a deceptive idea…Labour has its wages and the idle must never be rewarded.15”
Is it prudent to compare ourselves to Ajamila? Is it wise to think that Krishna will be obliged to run after us simply because we call Him at the fag end of life when all hope is lost? If we do, then we may be guilty of the seventh nama-aparadha thinking that one can be freed from our sinful reactions simply by chanting the holy name of God.16 Will parrot-like repetition help us at the time of death? No.
“You may be very great devotee. That’s all right. But it will be tested at the time of your death, how you remember Krishna. That will be the test examination. At the time of death, if we forget, if we become parrot-like… Just like parrot, he chants also, ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.’ But when the cat catches the neck, “Kanh! Kanh! Kanh!” No more Krishna. No more Krishna. So artificial practice will not help us.”17
Thoughtful devotees cannot be satisfied with artificial repetition and unscientific, though well-meaning sentimental presentations. For example, Srila Vyasadeva, although faithfully presenting the conclusions of the Vedas for the benefit of humankind, still felt despondent within his heart. Srila Prabhupada explains the cause of the despondency: “…Vyasadeva’s disappointment was due to insufficiency in presenting the science of devotional service.”18
The result of unscientific and shallow presentations on Krishna consciousness can further be illustrated in same śāstric example: although Srila Vyasadeva performed a seemingly noble activity, his attempt to present Vedic philosophy attractively to the masses simply increased people’s confusion about the Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna. The attempt was condemned by Narada Rshi, his guru. Narada Rshi told his disciple: “The people in general are naturally inclined to enjoy, and you have encouraged them in that way in the name of religion. This is verily condemned and is quite unreasonable.”19 The unscientific presentation by Srila Vyasadeva unwittingly justified sense enjoyment in the guise of religion, the opposite result Vyasadeva desired. Therefore, the result of unscientific presentations on Krishna consciousness direct people further from Krishna consciousness.20 Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur agrees, commenting in his The Bhagavata: Its Philosophy, Ethics and Theology that ‘useless readers’ who have not properly presented the subject of devotion have done more damage to the reputation of Vaisnava philosophy than atheists and critics.
We can conclude that neither Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Srila Vyasadeva or Narada Rshi condone blind following and artificial, thoughtless repetition. Srila Prabhupada makes it very clear for us:
“Perfect this Krishna consciousness; try to understand the philosophy behind it. It is a science, not a bluff. We can speak from any angle of vision. Krishna consciousness is the great necessity of human society. Learn it and appreciate it, comprehend it and assimilate it—and teach it. It is very simple.”21
“Unless you fully assimilate, understand, you cannot describe it. So two things… Simply reading will not help us.”22
As rust is to iron, the Buddhists consider dull repetition the ‘rust of sacred verses.’ Instead of effortless sentiment and artificial repetition, Srila Prabhupada encourages us to assimilate, understand and enquire:
“So we request simply people that you accept this authoritative knowledge and try to assimilate it by your intelligence. It is not that you stop your argument and intelligence, simply blindly accept something. No. We are human beings, we have got intelligence. We are not animals that we shall be forced to accept something. No. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā [Bg. 4.34].”23
“Now, if you little try to assimilate it. And what is that assimilation? Smaraṇam. Simply by thinking, “Oh, this has been spoken.” Try to argue whether it is true or not. So you have to think over. Satāṁ prasaṅgān, taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani. And if you do that… Suppose you hear something of the Bhagavad-gita, and it appeals to you, or even does not appeal to you. Just try to think over: “What Bhagavad-gita says? How Swamiji has discussed this matter?” Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don’t take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith. You have got reason; you have got arguments; you have got sense. Apply it and try to understand it. Neither it is bogus. It is scientific. Then you will feel… Taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani śraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyati. You will gradually develop your attachment for hearing it, and devotional service will be invoked in your heart, and then, gradually, you will make progress.”24
In conclusion, we find simple repetition a principle of disciplic succession. However, perseverance in blind repetition accrues two results, (a) the preaching of sense enjoyment in the guise of religion and (b) disappointment within the heart of the preacher. Accordingly, while Srila Prabhupada encouraged simple repetition, at the same time he condemned it as artificial and unscientific and unlikely to significantly advance our Krishna consciousness.
(end)
Very nice and thoughtful presentation. Specially Liked two points by two great acaryas
“It is indeed very easy to tell and swift to hear that, ‘Absolute truth has such an affinity with the human soul that it comes through as if intuitively. No exertion is necessary to teach the precepts of true religion.’ This is a deceptive idea…Labour has its wages and the idle must never be rewarded.”
&
“If you understand little with difficulty, then you will forget also with difficulty.”
Jaya Srila Prabhupada.
“The importance of repeating the words and instruction of Krishna of the disciplic sucession is repeated time and time again by Srila Prabhupada. He said, “We simply repeat the words and the instruction given by the predecessor.”
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It is interesting to note that while repeating the instructions of his predecessor – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati – Srila Prabhupada very rarely quoted him verbatim. What he was repeating wast the assimilated instructions received from his spiritual master. It is unfortunate that in our society of devotees so much emphasis is placed on simple parroting, and so little on assimilation.
Thank you for that interesting article, and for raising this very important subject matter.
is it ok to simply repeat but with some understanding?
otherwise it would seem that promoting my own deliberations on the conclusions of sastra could go unchecked. i think its best to try to understand as far as possible what is presented by guru, sadhus and sastra and, with whatever depth of understanding we have, repeat this message as a parrot. For this to be effective i think it relies upon a particular ‘disciplic mentatlity’ where one feels themselves to be perpetually a student of the very message they are attempting to c0nvey. Taking shelter of the parampara, such a parrot-like repeater would rely upon more upon the hope of being empowered by the predecessors than upon the strength of his/her own understanding.
I think this mentality is best expressed in Srila Prabhupada’s poem written onboard the Jaladuta as it sat at the dock in Boston Harbour 18/09/1965:
My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me.
But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?
Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vāsudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.
But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible, because You are the most expert mystic.
How will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.
All living entities have become under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.
I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.
The words of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives them with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.
It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17-21): “Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. By regularly hearing the Bhāgavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. At the time loving service is established in the heart, the modes of passion [rajas] and ignorance [tamas], and lust and desire [kāma] disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness and he becomes happy. Thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from material association [mukti] and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead. Thus the knots of the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions [karma] is terminated when one sees the self as master. He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear.”
How will I make them understand this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.
Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like.
O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.
Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.
O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance. O Lord, make me dance as You like.
I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.
This article reminds me of Srila Prabhupada’s frequent instruction to avoid “professional reciters”. They may be able to recite the entire Bhagavatam and sing it with very beautiful tunes and mellifluous voices, but Srila Prabhupada says that there is no benefit from hearing such recitations, and the neophytes who make a show of listening to such recitations are simply engaged in sense gratification.
We need to do more than simply learning to recite all the verses. We must properly receive and assimilate the teachings through disciplic succession.
tac chraddadhana munayo jnana-vairagya-yuktaya pasyanty atmani catmanam bhaktya sruta-grhitaya
“The seriously inquisitive student or sage, well equipped with knowledge and detachment, realizes that Absolute Truth by rendering devotional service in terms of what he has heard from the Vedanta-sruti.”
(S.B. 1.2.12)
In the purport Srila Prabhupada says that devotional service is not meant for neophyte, third-class “material” devotees who have no knowledge and renunciation. Such third-class devotees have to hear the Vedic literatures from the “established personality of devotee” (not from a professional reciter who has no realization).
The purport concludes: “By assimilation of such messages from the Vedic literatures, one can see the all-pervading localized aspect of the Personality of Godhead within his own self constantly. This is called samadhi.”
In the word-for-word translation, the word “grhitaya” is translated as “well received”, and the words “pasyanti” “atmani” “ca” and “atamanam” are translated as, “see” “within himself” “and” “the paramatma”, respectively.
“grhitaya” means we have to really take the sound vibration from the bhagavata (personality of godhead or pure devotee) and assimilate it, bringing it into our heart and transforming our subtle body.
We cannot simply hear it and not act according to what we hear. We have to hear it, remember it, consider it, act upon it, and then we will actually realize (or see) the Absolute Truth within ourselves by direct perception.
Reciting choice verses is part of that process. We sing various songs approved by the acaryas for the pleasure of the Deities and as part of our daily sadhana. By remembering these songs, contemplating their meaning and trying to really act according to the sentiments of the great devotees who composed them (e.g., Narottama, Visvanath, Bhaktivinode) we can begin to assimilate these teachings.
When we have really assimilated the sound and become self-realized, then our chanting and explanation of the sastras will have a powerful effect.
We see by Srila Prabhupada’s example that he did memorize many verses and encouraged us to do so, too. When he preached, he was able to cite authority from scripture by reciting slokas he had memorized.
Sometimes (quite often, actually), even when he did not recite a sloka, what he was saying in English was really paraphrasing some sloka from Bhagavad Gita or Srimad Bhagavatam. (I started to see this after I began memorizing some slokas myself).
I find the process of memorizing and reciting chapters at a time from the Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam to be quite helpful. By actually reciting the Gita one sees the flow of the whole argument presented by Krishna and this can help one assimilate the philosophy of Krishna.
By reciting these words of Krishna and Arjuna (and Sanjaya, and Dhrtarastra) you begin to feel that you are associating with them to some extent (just like chanting the Holy Names)
Reciting nice prayers can be “vandanam” or “svadhyaya jnana yajna”. Gradually reciting these verses with care and attention we can really take them into ourselves and try to live accordingly.
Also, when we discuss Srila Prabhupada’s purports with friends, knowing the verses enriches the conversation. We begin to feel we can back up what we say by reference to an appropriate sloka. As we continue this discussion process, the slokas become more and more part of the way we live, think and talk. We begin to “own” them.
[Having friends we can have such discussions with is very precious]
Modern people spend lots of time driving alone in cars. While it might not be the ideal situation for peacefully reciting sacred verses with care and attention, I have found it to be a good time to memorize and recite chapters. [It sure beats listening to National Public Radio.]
Often I recite quickly without paying attention (offensive chanting), but it still strengthens my memory of the verses and occupies my mind (which otherwise might be busy reciting popular music or an advertising jingle).
Other times (too rarely) I find myself paying close attention.
A nice “game” is to sit or walk with a friend who knows the same chapters and take turns reciting a few verses at a time. By reciting the chapters to each other in this conversational style one naturally pays some attention to the meaning.
Memorizing the key points in the purports to the different verses is of course important, too. Without knowing the verses, how will we remember which purports go with which verses?
Most important is to actually follow and apply the teachings in life. I pray for the blessings of all devotees that I may have more success in doing that. I do not want to become like a “professional reciter”.