[Fwd: Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest15]

[Guest guest]

Thu, 13 Sep 2001 12:37:42 -0400

ISKCONDC mail

Devotees

Inquiries into the Absolute: Digest15

Digest 15, September 13, 2001

 

Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

 

Chanting

********

Q.1) It is said that if one chants with offenses he may go on chanting for

millions of years but he will never get the taste for the holy name. Also it is

said that chanting only gives taste for chanting. How are both things possible?

Please resolve the contradiction?

 

Ans.

Offensive chanting is not useless. However, through imperfect chanting flawed

with offenses it takes a long time to purify the heart and to bear the fruit of

chanting, i.e. developing a taste for chanting, and approaching the stage of

love of God. Therefore, in addition to chanting one must make the endeavor to

know what the offenses against the holy name are and diligently avoid them. It

is only by striving to continue one's chanting that one can overcome one's lack

of taste and also get the strength to ultimately overcome the offenses.

 

In other words, if one is committing offenses against the Holy Name, the

solution is not to give up chanting, but to quantitatively and qualitatively

increase one's chanting, by endeavoring with great care to remove one's

offenses.

 

If someone thinks that it is okay to keep committing offenses, because by

chanting all of one's offenses will be effortlessly neutralized, such a

mentality is considered to be the greatest offense, and the Holy Name will never

bestow His mercy upon one who has such an attitude.

 

The purification which comes from chanting 'in the clearing stage' brings one to

the point where one can remove one's offenses; but if one carelessly and

casually remains complacent towards the removal of offenses, then one will not

get the full benefit of chanting. This is the implication of the first statement

you have quoted. Therefore, there is no actual contradiction between the two

statements.

 

Q.2) One of my close friends has stopped chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra

saying that since the mantra destroys all material desires, as a grhastha

(householder), he needs the material motivation to support his family, and also

that chanting the maha-mantra while maintaining material desires is offensive.

He has taken to the chanting of Sri Lakshmi Suktam, which awards material

prosperity and also indirectly reminds him of Lord Vishnu. How do I explain

things properly to him?

 

Ans.

The grhastha ashrama is an important part of the social structure and has been

created by Krishna Himself. If by chanting Hare Krishna everyone will abandon

their household life or the prescribed duties connected to it, that would be a

great social disturbance and the scriptures would have prescribed that

householders should not chant Hare Krishna! But that is not the case; rather,

our vaishnava acaryas have sung: grihe thako vane thako sada hari bole dako -

"whether you are a grhastha managing the responsibilities of household life, or

a sannyasi, always chant Hare Krishna." Many of our vaishnava acaryas, including

Bhaktivinode Thakur and even Srila Prabhupada had their families and were very

responsible householders. Thus chanting Hare Krishna is not endangering to one's

worldly duties.

 

Rather, by chanting the holy names, one gets spiritual motivation and strength,

which is far greater than even the impetus of material motivation. By chanting

the maha-mantra, one acknowledges the fact that it is ultimately the Supreme

Lord who is maintaining us and providing for us. He is the source of all

opulences, and the master of Lakshmiji. Then one sees oneself as the instrument

through whom the Lord is protecting the other family members, and in that

consciousness one can work very hard to serve one's family members and see them

and all one's possessions as the Lord's property and mercy, which is the actual

fact. Only by working in that consciousness, can one be free from facing the

reactions to one's work. And Lakshmiji will automatically bless that person who

has accepted Her Lord as his master also, just as when Sudama offered Krishna

whatever he had, Rukmini was so much obliged that she made him prosperous

without any endeavor.

 

In other words, the mahamantra purifies the heart of all material desires, but

that does not necessarily mean that one has to abandon his family or duties

connected to family life.

 

Regarding the consideration of offense in having material desires, Srimad

Bhagavatam also mentions that whether one is full of material desires, desirous

of liberation or has no desires, one who is broad-minded should worship the

Supreme Lord, because He is ultimately the Supreme Master of all. (Cf. SB

2.3.2-10) That is the duty of all, and by worshiping the Supreme Lord, gradually

the heart will be cleansed of all misconceptions.

 

 

Q.3) Can the Supreme Soul can be realized only when mind becomes pure? Does the

chanting of "Hari Om" purify the mind? Is there any mantra helpful in attaining

the highest goal of self-realization? What are the different phases of sadhana

practiced in ISKCON?

 

Ans.

Yes, practical realization of the Supreme Soul is attained when one becomes

fully pure, free from the effects of passion and ignorance, and lust, greed and

other attendant impurities of heart.

 

Chanting of any of the innumerable Holy Names of the Supreme Lord purifies the

mind. The sixteen syllabled mantra, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare", which is called the

mahamantra, is especially recommended in the Upanishads as the most effective

mantra in this age of Kali, and chanting of this mantra can bring one to the

highest platform of self-realization and God-realization.

 

The most important element of sadhana for a devotee in ISKCON is to chant at

least sixteen rounds (each round consisting of chanting the mahamantra mentioned

above 108 times on tulasi beads). One also must follow the four regulative

principles, namely, no eating of non-vegetarian foods including fish, meat and

eggs; no intoxication including coffee and tea; no gambling; and no illicit sex.

Devotees eat only Krishna prasadam (food prepared and offered to Krishna). In

addition, devotees read and hear lectures on devotional books like Bhagavad-gita

and Srimad Bhagavatam everyday.

 

Another important part of the daily sadhana is to rise early during the

brahma-muhurta (an hour and a half before sunrise) and worship and sing prayers

in honor of the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord, and worship Tulasi. This

morning worship is called mangala-arati, and can be done either at home or by

participating in a regular temple program. Devotees generally chant most of

their sixteen rounds early in the morning, before and after mangala-arati, prior

to beginning their day's work. In addition to the above basic sadhana, one can

do more according to one's availability of time and resources.

 

------- x ------------- x ---------- x ----------- x ---------- x ---------- x

---------- x -----------

 

----- Festivals over the next week ------

Sep 13 2001, Thursday Ekadasi Indira (Break fast 05:49-09:59) (Fast)

 

*** NOTE: All times are for Washington D.C, USA, EST ***

For festival information for your city please go to http://www.iskcondc.org and

click on 'Calendar'

--\

--------------------

 

** A brief biography of His Holiness Romapada Swami available at

:http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl?ndx=2

** This and all previous digests are available on the internet, sorted by topics

and date. **

They can be accessed at: http://www.iskcondc.org -> Philosophy -> Inquiries into

the Absolute

You can also directly link to our Philosophy website by add the following URL to

you website:

http://www.prastha.com/cgi-bin/uncgi/renderphilo.pl

--\

---------------------------

 

 

This Email has been sent to you by the ISKCON temple of Washington D.C.

Our contacts are:

Email : mail

Web Address : http://www.iskcondc.org

Postal: 10310 Oaklyn Drive, Potomac, MD 20854

 

In order to be removed from this mailing list please reply with the word REMOVE

in the Subject.

--\

------------------------

 

Please note that under Bill 1618 TITLE III passed by the 105th U.S. Congress

this letter cannot be considered "SPAM" as long as the posting includes: 1)

Contact information 2) A "REMOVE" device.