For those who want to listen, they will hear 21st Feb

Are you able to hear me? Okay, those who want to hear, they are hearing me. I will like to convey for the pleasure of Radha-Govind Deities and for the pleasure of the devotees that today we had 325 participants. Maybe 10 – 20 countries are part of this conference.

Try to finish all your 16 rounds in one sitting, that’s the best. You have stopped chanting now and that means you have only chanted 6, 8 or 10 rounds in morning, in association with full attention and concentration. Early morning hours are favourable for chanting with attention. Brahmamuhurta is the mode of goodness time. Early morning hours conditions are favourable. Mind is fresh, more cooperative, not preoccupied. As we go through the day, lots of things happen and we keep thinking about lot of things. Then in the midst of all these thoughts, we are trying to chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. We may not hear it.

There will be no attention. Chanting becomes inattentive. So try to chant in the morning. It is observed that sometimes devotees are not able to chant in the morning and then with many other things, it may become night. The other day I was doing some review of the chanting performance, and I realised that the chanting of only 10 or 12 rounds that we do in the morning and then for the remaining rounds it should be worked out. Later we have to do a lot of running around for Krsna which arouses a lot of passion. The mind can’t concentrate, can’t hear and ends up hearing other things. Mind gets dragged everywhere.

So I would encourage you to chant the prescribed number of rounds in one stroke. When the mind is preoccupied with so many other issues, then such a mind becomes a stumbling block. Between you and Krsna there is a stubborn mind which is preoccupied and is standing like a block. It’s like regulator of a fan. When the regulator is on one, the fan moves slow. On three it moves a little faster, but on 5 it runs really fast. What the regulator does is it regulates the amount of electricity that reaches the fan. This is a device which regulates the amount of current reaching the fan. We do not want our mind to be a stumbling block. If the regulator blocks the current, then the fan moves very slowly. Like that the mind regulates our communication with the Lord.

The Lord is revealed to different degrees. When the mind is preoccupied with thoughts of other activities, other assignments it means that those other activities are our number one priority. Chanting becomes less important. There is only vague hearing. If the mind is more fresh and not allowed to be engaged in other engagements and not allowed to wander, then like a fan which makes a connection with the regulator , it will establish a connection with Krsna . Sometimes there could be a blockage. There can be complete, inattentive chanting. There can be 100% inattentive chanting. So the degree of attention or inattention depends on the purity of the mind. For attaining purity, you have to do lot of endeavours and chant Hare Krishna sincerely. Did you get the point?

When you chant again and again you get used to it. Those who are staying next to railway tracks don’t hear the sound of the trains. Param Karuna Prabhu’s home in Nagpur is next to railway tracks. The home members were not even noticing the sound of railway trains coming and going. But when we were there, we were only hearing the train sounds. So the mind could also act like that. After hearing and hearing and hearing the railway sounds, a time comes when you don’t hear. There is a kind of dislike so you try to keep that at the back of your mind. This could happen and this does happen with chanters. When we say inattentive chanting, devotees are chanting. They are saying Hare Krishna Hare Krishna and the whole mantra, but they are not hearing. Then there will be other sounds and thoughts. It becomes like two tracks. The mind is busy with so many other things while chanting. Some kind of chanting and also other thoughts are going on. Then one round, two rounds are finished. Like that 16 rounds are finished. It’s a risky business! Like that one could go on year after year after year, not hearing. When we sit down to chant the mind is elsewhere. The mobile could be next to them, or for grhasthas the TV is on and they are chanting. So do you think that you are such a great yogi? In the midst of all this you are completely oblivious of the surroundings and you are fully absorbed in chanting no matter what is happening around you? This is not our state as sadhakas. We have just started chanting.

So this inattentive chanting is also an offence. According to Bhakti Vinod Thakur, inattentive chanting is the source of all other offences. There are ten offences to the holy name, but the origin of these ten offences is inattentive chanting. When your chanting is inattentive, it gives rise to anarthas. Like this, we become too familiar with the holy name and there develops some kind of dislike. At least you should be neutral. We dislike somebody or are neutral to someone. Like that we take positions. Either we like chanting, or we dislike , or we are neutral. We have to hear properly, sit properly .

Our Bhurijan Prabhuji, reformer of chanting says that at the beginning of the mantra should be heard properly. Every time you start with new mantra, make sure you have heard the beginning attentively. This is a tip or hint. You have to hear Hare Krishna and then you have to hear more. When you chant Hare Krishna you heard Hare Krishna, but then what did you hear. The inner voice asks what Hare Krishna meant to you? What did you derive out of hearing? What happens when you hear Hare Krishna? That is going even more deeper. When we hear Hare Krishna something has to happen. If we really hear, then jiva jago, the soul has to wake up. You are looking around, looking for Krsna. When we say Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, here are so many Krsnas. The mind is full of Krsna’s thoughts. Krsna’s names, form, qualities, pastimes. There is an ocean of Krsna thoughts. That is some food for thought.

Try to improve your chanting everyday. Make it better and better.
Hare Krishna!