01 The prime religious practice for the kali yuga is the chanting of the holy name
The Hare Krsna mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upanisads, such as the Kali−santarana Upanisad, where it is said: hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare itisodasakam namnam kali −kalmasa−nasanam natah parataropayah sarva−vedesu drsyate “After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare...
Chanting is Boring
When I commit offences to the Holy Name, chanting becomes boring. In this consciousness chanting is tasteless, troublesome, and outright uninteresting, and it’s the last thing I want to do. Thus I do it only out of duty while my mind is totally disengaged from chanting. My mood is simply to get my rounds finished as soon as possible. This is a sign to me that my spiritual life is lacking. When I don’t do something to...
What should be the quality of Japa?
By and large, japa is a personal matter. Whether a person is chanting their rounds or not is ultimately very subjective, and should not become a matter for public discussion. For instance, someone might say that they’ve chanted 16 rounds, but who is to know what the quality of those rounds was, or how many offenses may have been committed while chanting? Although Srila Prabhupada recommended that we chant 16 rounds each day, he...
28 Other instructions on the transcendental effects of the holy name
One who chants the holy name will be situated in the transcendental disciplic succession: One must have firm faith in the process of devotional service and the scriptures that support it… In this age a person should … chant the holy names of Hari and Krsna, the maha−mantra. That is the sum and substance of eternal religion, known as sanatana−dharma… If one strictly follows the Vedic literature and chants the holy name of...
What Feeling Should we Have in Mind While Chanting Maha Mantra?
Hare Krishna! Thanks for your question. Actually the most important thing when chanting the maha mantra is to hear the mantra. Other feelings and thoughts will come naturally as we begin to hear the Mantra and relate deeply to the Lord as He appears in His Holy Name. It is not necessary to try to feel or think about anything. Just chant and hear. According to Lord Chaitanya the most important feeling ultimately, is humility. When one...