Hare Krsna Maha Mantra

[Guest guest]

October 26, 2001

 

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Earlier today I received a copy of the April, 2001 (Vol. 62, Issue 2) issue

of The Indian Journal of Social Work. It includes an article I (David B.

Wolf) wrote entitled Effects of the Maha Mantra on Some Mental Health

Indicators. This article reports on pilot research I did on the efficacy of

the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra. The study was in the form of a single-system

design. This research was preliminary to a rigorous, group design on the Hare

Krsna Maha Mantra that formed the basis of my doctoral dissertation. Two top

social science journals in the United States have already accepted

manuscripts reporting on the group design research. These articles will be

published in 2002.

 

Articles such as the above provide an empirical basis, in terms that the

scholarly world and academic institutions can appreciate, for the

effectiveness of Vaisnava practices. One of the measurement instruments that

I used for the Maha Mantra Studies was the Vedic Personality Inventory (VPI),

which is a personality assessment that I developed that is based on the three

gunas. The research on the VPI constitutes some empirical, statistical

validation of the Vedic psychological paradigm and world view. Articles in

scholarly journals about the VPI research include Psychological Reports

(June, 1999) and the Journal of Indian Psychology (January, 1998).

 

Apart from preaching to the intellectual community, the research and articles

described above can form the foundation for implementation of Vaisnava

practices, especially the chanting of the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra, in the

mental health and social service professions. For example, with articles such

as those described above, devotees in social service and mental health fields

can present the Maha Mantra as a legitimate therapy technique to be

instituted in venues such as prisons, mental health clinics, and hospitals.

Already it is very common for such agencies to incorporate forms of yoga and

meditation as part of their rehabilitation and stress-relief programs.

Commonly the specific techniques they use are supported by empirical

research. It will be exciting if devotees can establish the Maha Mantra as an

accepted practice for mental and societal health.

 

Hare Krsna.

 

Your servant,

 

Dhira Govinda dasa