By Janananda Gosvami
Well we did it! Hang up them dancing shoes till next year! Now back to normal. Normal? Yeah! World Holy Name day is over! But what is normal? This is the Hare Krishna movement. Some may remember a few years ago when on an average day a temple devotee would chant Hare Krishna around 12-13 hours a day not including classes. Of course those living outside might not come to that level. Even in sleep it was common to hear devotees chant Hare Krishna. To dream about the chanting ‘ a roaring kirtan. Now it is not such a common feature. Times have changed ‘ we’ve grown up! Different lessons are being taught. The process however remains the same ‘ chant the holy names as much as we can. Kirtan is the ‘only infallible path to perfection’ (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati) Ask ourselves ‘ are we chanting as much as we could. The chanting is the Lord’s form. The more we associate with Him the more we come to the normal state. Absorbing ourselves in the chanting will dissolve all the hang-ups. Remove the misunderstandings, free us from envy, give us the feeling of happiness and peace, purify our hearts and bring us to the steady state of devotion. Thence we experience a real taste, become attached, awaken ecstatic emotions and finally pure love of God dawns in our hearts.
‘The religious principle for the age of Kali is the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. Sri Sacinandana incarnates to establish this principle’ CB Adi-khanda 2.23
It is stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam that the Supreme Absolute Truth, Lord Gauracandra, incarnates to propagate the congregational chanting of the holy names. Kirtan! ‘In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krsna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krsna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons, and confidential companions.’
CB Adi-khanda 2.26 ‘Lord Caitanya inaugurated the congregational chanting of the holy names as the essence of all religious principles for the age of Kali.’ COMMENTARY: Whenever there is a disagreement about the process of spiritual advancement, the process itself is generally criticized. But only the chanting of hari-nama is undisputedly situated above all other processes of sadhana.
Chanting is the yajna for this age. In the Bhagavad-gita 3.10, Krishna says “Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.” Kirtan is such a yajna. It is really joyfully performed ‘ we just have to do it.
The Holy Names are so glorious, so merciful. Let us dive deep into the Names and distribute Them at every moment. They are the only panacea for the suffering souls in this age. Perhaps some of us are suffering too and are even aware of it. Charity begins at home. Yes, by distributing the Holy names we become purified. We imperceptibly imbibe the mood of Mahaprabhu, the mood of compassion, freedom from selfish pursuits. The congregational chanting of the Holy names unifies all diversities. It enables us all to ‘taste the nectar for which we are all anxious’. Don’t hang up the boots. The Holy Name ‘Boots off the Hang ups’. We spend millions of dollars, millions of devotee hours, racking our brains – meetings, E mails by the million, papers, brain storming to such an extent we get brain drain and pain barely stay sane and get little gain. Whatever has to be done to support and push on the mission is admirable, but let us not forget the purpose behind it is to facilitate the chanting of the Holy names. Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to verse 7 of the Nectar of Instruction: ‘The Krsna consciousness movement is especially meant for creating an atmosphere in which people can take to the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra’ [Cc. ?? di 17.21] “In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” The bottom line solution to all problems is to take shelter of the name. We want to introduce Varnasrama, social programmes, youth programmes, devotee relationship programmes. Everything a society needs to thrive. But without the purity where will the force come from? In the 7th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam Narada Muni explains the Varnasrama system and how it can be introduced. In the purport to verse 7.11.13 Srila Prabhupada writes: ‘A human being must be trained in the above-mentioned thirty qualities; otherwise, he is not even a human being. Then, among such qualified persons, the varnasrama process should be introduced. We are being prepared by the Lord -moulded to become those instruments to fulfil His will. The moulding process takes place by our exposure to the Holy Names. Then we can become instruments for the reform ‘ the revolution to save the course of the world.
‘The world stands in no need of any reformer. The world has a very competent person for guiding its minutest happenings. The person who finds that there is scope for reform of the world, himself stands in need of reform. The world goes on in its own perfect way. No person can deflect it but by the breadth of a hair from the course chalked out for it by providence. When we perceive any change being actually affected in the course of events of this world by the agency of any particular individual, we also know very well that the agent possesses no real power at any stage. The agent finds himself driven forward by a force belonging to a different category from himself. The course of the world does not require to be changed by the activity of any person. What is necessary is to change our outlook to this very world. This was done for the contemporary generation by the mercy of Sri Caitanya. It could be only known to recipients of His mercy. The scriptures declare that it is only necessary to listen with an open mind to the name of Krishna from the lips of a bona fide devotee. As soon as Krishna enters the listening ear, He clears up the vision of the listener so that he no longer has any ambition of ever acting the part of a reformer of any other person, because he finds that nobody is left without the very highest guidance. It is therefore his own reform, by the grace of God, whose supreme necessity and nature he is increasingly able to realise by the eternally continuing mercy of the Supreme Lord.’ Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaja.
It’s understood that Srila Prabhupada emphasised the importance of all services, but they should be accompanied by the chanting of the holy names. “Chanting the holy name is the chief means of attaining love of Godhead. This chanting or devotional service does not depend on any paraphernalia, nor on one’s having taken birth in a good family. By humility and meekness one attracts the attention of Krsna. That is the verdict of all the Vedas. Therefore if one becomes very humble and meek, he can easily attain the lotus feet of Krsna in this age of Kali. That is the fulfilment of all great sacrifices, penances and austerities because when one achieves ecstatic love of Godhead, he attains the complete perfection of life. Therefore whatever one does in executing devotional service must be accompanied with the chanting of the holy name of the Lord.” Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Antya-lila 4.70-71
Let us all ‘chant and be happy’ .