Increasing Determination: The Vow of 1-4-16-64

[guru]

 

In kali-yuga the mind is so lazy that it wants to quit without even trying. If one is not immediately successful in any attempt, his mind will balk, stammer, and whimper. "Oh, I cannot do it, its too hard, I quit!" working on a steady job, maintaining a relationship, performing bhakti-sadhana, fasting on ekadasi, and finishing one's rounds of harinama are Herculean tasks in this techno age of fast living and low thinking.

 

Krishna teaches Arjuna that the mind can be strengthened by constant practice and detachment. An empowered mind serving the will of en enlightened master is a most helpful friend on the path of life and devotion. The determination to complete a task requires mental concentration, endeavor, surrender and the mercy of the Lord.

 

Achieving success in determined acts nourishes determination and enthuses one to undertake more difficult duties. Determination, being a mental power, becomes stronger by practice. Though somewhat simplistic the following suggestions will help increase one's powers of concentration and determination to chant the holy name.

 

The vow of one- chanting one mala (108 beads) of japa is complete service offered for the pleasure of Radha Krishna appearing in Their most merciful maha mantra form. One should not stop in the middle of a round, hang the mala outside the bead bag, or mark it with an "alligator clip" to save it for later. Finish the round! Could you imagine a mangala arati where after offering the ghee lamp the pujari just walked off the altar leaving Radha Shyamasundara behind? Offering mangala arati is complete service that takes 25 minutes. Similarly chanting one mala of nama japa is a complete service that takes about 7 minutes. You cannot stop in the middle.

 

It may seem impossible, but make a vow to chant one round with full concentration. Sit straight with eyes closed and simply hear the holy name. Practice tolerance - don't give into the forceful pushings of the mind. Focus and concentrate! Don't follow the wayward thoughts. Nothing should move but the breath, tongue, lips and heart in gentle waves of affection. Don't scratch, fidget, slouch, wiggle, rotate, crack the neck, or speak to anyone. Seven minutes may seem like seven millenniums.

 

Nevertheless, focus full heart and attention on the transcendental sound vibration - Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

 

The vow of four - Harinama-cintamai says, "Four rounds on the beads make one granthi. Four granthis makes 16 rounds and sixteen granthis equals 64 rounds."

 

Since the word granthi means knot, it can be said that a group of four rounds forms a type knot that binds the devotee more firmly top the lotus feet of Radha Govinda.

 

If one has successfully followed the vow of one, he can try to observe the vow four. Following the same rules as above, one vows to sit in one place without moving until completing four rounds of japa.

 

The vow of sixteen - one will increase his powers of concentration and determination by successfully completing the above vows. Now make the vow of sixteen, which means to observe all the rules above while chanting sixteen rounds in one sitting.

 

The vow of sixty-four - on any auspicious day like ekadasi, Gaura Purnima or Radhashtami one can make a vow to chant sixty-four rounds of Hare Krishna japa in order to please Sri Guru and Radha Govinda. Take a vow to sit down four times during the day and finish four granthis as done in the vow of sixteen. But if you are a maha-yogi, then sit before Tulasi-devi and chant all sixty-four rounds without getting up.

 

- Excerpts from Srila Mahanidhi Swami's "Art of Chanting Hare Krishna"

 

[KrishnaBhakta]

Jay Sri Krsna

 

I was wondering if it is necessary to chant on the beads only. This body of mine is sixteen years old, and in the morining I have to go to school, then after school, a lot of my time, at least a few hours almost every day, is taken at the gas station that my family manages. In the morning I normally get time to do 2 rounds on the beads. I would like to know if this is fine: When I am in school, or some other place, and when I have time, I chant by counting in my fingers; to do this, I do the following: I do 15 chants on the fingers, 3 on each; I do this 7 times, and then do 3 more after this; this adds to be 108, the amount of beads on a mala. I try to do this when I remember and when I have time to do this. In school, or any populated area, I chant silently, without making it audible to others. I would like to know whether this is alright or not, the part about me chanting without the beads, and such. And it is alright if I chant silently? and it is okay that I chant with my shoes on, right?

 

Thank You,

Jay Sri Krnsa

[guru]

Hare Krishna!

 

Chanting on beads are ideal but one must act according to time, place and circumstance. When the sadhaka shows sincerity in chanting Hare Krishna, the Lord kindly paves way for a situation where the sadhaka can practice devotional service as per the standards prescribed by the previous acharyas and Srila Prabhupada.

 

However till such time one has to be patient and consistent in his sadhana to attract the mercy of Krishna.

 

Hare Krishna!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna

 

Maharaj

 

Please accept my humble obeisances.

I am a neophyte and have been practicing Krishna Consiousness for 3 months. I strictly adhere to the four regulative principle, and recently started chanting 16 rounds . Since my work place is far from home I try to complete 12 rounds in the morning by waking up at 4:00AM, ant remaining 4 rounds after work.

Now the problem I have got is focus and sitting in one posture. My legs get paralyzed and thus I have to get up to east atleast after every 3 rounds. Also my thoughts go to my official business and meetings that I have to attend in the mornings, but usually I end up thinking more about the deity in the temple , devotees and the home programs I am planning to organize. I think these are too many thoughts hampering my focus on changing.

 

Please advice on how to improvise and focus on chanting.

 

Hare Krishna

 

 

[Guest guest]

i found it helpful to concentrate by covering my eyes or sitting in darkness while chanting maha mantra Hare Krishna with my eyes closed. When thoughts appear in my mind i open my eyes and because what the eyes see is darkness they don't go looking around. When i open my eyes the thought i was thinking stops. then after a few seconds i close the eyes again.

your ever well wisher,

Patrick

[BruzWayne]

My best record up to date is chanting 32 rounds in one day during Janmastami on the year 2000. One day I'll break this record and do more rounds in one day. Hare Krishna.

[Guest guest]

chanting hare krishna is not a recod

[Guest guest]

Chanting any mantra is supposed to be effortless, you should let go and merge with the sound. Not "Oh, I did 10 rounds, hurray!" becuase the deeper one goes into the sound, the more easily the mind transcends thought.

[Guest guest]

interesting somebody signed as your ever well wisher. but only one free from all material designations and one who is trnad api sunicena taror api suhishnena can be like this- Haridasa Thakur being beaten, SP allways encouraging tolerantly all disciples.... so one has to be careful to sign your ever well wisher since as long one has anarthas the well wishing mood will go up and down

[Guest guest]

Best is to chant all day and night. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur was also chanting 192 rounds a day. But chanting has 3 stages. So one has to purify the heart get the right understanding by serving and associating with vaishnavas. For not so advanced devotees association of devotees is most important and no one should give it up in the sake of chanting more rounds. Only a pure person can chant purely and all day. So there is process to purify and this is pancaratra process and the 9 processes started with sravanam. 64 rounds is nice. I am chanting always more rounds like 40, 64, sometimes more. I know many ISKCON Guru's personally who chant at times more then 100 rest they are very busy preaching and glorifying Krishna. Preaching was also the instruction of Lord Caitanya as well as 64 rounds.

[Max_]

You guys seem to be forgetting that this is the age of Kali, most people just can't can't sit and chant 16, 32, 64 rounds without their minds wandering. I do believe the point is to chant, not sit in a nice way or not slouch while chanting. If we worried so much about these little things no one would chant at all. I forget where I read this but Srila Prabhupada said he would often pace back and forth in his room and chant so that he could finish his rounds for the day. We should all take after his example.

 

Hare Krishna

[Guest guest]

You dont have to sit in one place in smae position and chant!

get up and wander around - if you look at temple cam on web you see devotees all the time doing this - its very hard tpo sit in one spot all the time when we have these wretched bodies!

 

move about if you have to because if you become too uncofmortable sitting you eill only focus on pain of sitting not on chating your rounds

 

do what you need to - to allow your mind to focus on chanting

 

 

Also for devotee who is 16 in school - yes just chant if you cant use beads no matter

Actually i saw on one Indian Spiritual supplies internet site - a little "round ticker".

You poress button after each matra and it clocks up numbers.

It looks just like some kind of pedometer - perhaps a good idea for people who cant carry japa bag with them