Posted on : 14-11-2011 | By : Krishna Yoga | In : Case Study
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Pareshan is troubled by his inability to chant attentively. He feels frustrated as the chanting session leaves him tired and dry. He’s heard in classes that the Holy Names of Krishna is sweeter than the sweetest. However practically speaking, he finds the chanting a bitter experience. While chanting he wishes he was doing something more fruitful and productive. Rather than feeling spiritual bliss, he feels relief on completing his daily quota of ten rounds. He asks you how come if the scriptures describe the Holy Names as sweet, he feels restless and unhappy while chanting. Why he can’t experience the sweetness of the Holy Names like other seasoned practitioners. He agrees he’s new to chanting- just one year old- but he wonders how long will it take for him to be excited and joyful by the chanting process.
Can you address Pareshan’s worries on lacking taste for chanting?
follow:
We have given up our position as a subordinate to our Supreme Father Sri Krishna from time memorial.Some how by the grace of pure devotees we understood our eternal position and re-started our devotional service to our Supreme Father Sri Krishna.Because of material sense gratification for so many births after births we find it difficult to concentrate on chanting of the Holy Names which is 99% of our devotional service.Therefore we have to continue to chant The Holy Names while praying for mercy to Supreme Lord and Vaishnava. The longevity of cleaning process is now depend upon our sincerity and desire.If we are sincere we get mercy sooner and we can enter into a stage from offensive chanting to cleaning stage and from cleaning stage to the taste of Holy Names.
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Hare Krishna
Dear Pareshan Pr
PAMHO….AGTSP….AGTSG&SG!!!!!
It’s very true that in beginning everyone struggles very hard to chant. We feel restless and just want to finish it off somehow or other and get back to apparently important regular routine work.
However, one suggestion I can give you which personally I’ve benefited from is regular association of devotees and hearing Krishna katha on a regular basis which cleanses our heart of the heavy dust of material desires and helps us to get taste out of chanting. I promise you for sure that sincere chanting over a period leads to addiction to chanting.
Kindly pray for me that one day I also can get this taste as I am another soul struggling like you.
YIS
bharat
Hari Bol!!!!!!!
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We don't experience the sweetness as we always end up doing some or the other offense to vishnava.
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Chanting of the holyname is none other than Krsna Himself, who is the most attractive, so chanting has to be sweeter than the sweetest.
But as Acharyas describe in our diseased material condition we find it bitter, just as a jaundice patient find about the sweet sugarcane juice to be bitter, but thats the medicine if someone wants to get cure of jaundice.
Similarly our only solution is to keep taking the sugarcane juice of chanting + serve and please vaishnavas around us by their blessings we will be able to come out of the diseased condition as quickly.
And soon you will feel the divine taste of Chanting of holyname.
Please pray for me as well to reach to this stage soon
your servant.
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Hariboooool Prabhu,Very nice article. Hare Krsna !
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Chanting in a spiritually vibrant place, say dham or where enthusiastic devotees are sitting and chanting- Such japa will give us some solace.
When we are too mucj disturbed, we should not be alone. Then we get more depressed. Taking shelter of devotee association helps.
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Hare Krishna, I heard this from Murlidhar pr who heard it from H G Vayaskahi pr that one may find individual chanting sometimes “dry”. But at the same whenever we sing kirtan we do it with enthusiasm.Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used this technique knowing the state of conditioned souls.Srila prabhupada gave us the morning program in this way starting with Gurushatakam, Narsinga arati and Tulasi arati and then shikastakam and 10 offenses. After engaging in this kirtan format when we then sit to chant in association we find a trace of sweetness in our chanting and thus we may avoid any bitter experience
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dear pareshan,
two ways to take it for all of us.
its like tasting sugarcandies in jaundiced state, they r not perceived sweet bu they r real medicine.
its like bodybuilding exercise-hard struggle means strong.
we are also similarly stuggling
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Dear Pareshan, chanting done with a prayerful attitude to please LOrd can give us that unlimited sweet taste.. Lets improve our attitude and cons to chant by hearing to the holy words of saints and together trying to apply them..
Thank you for your interest in chanting
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Srila Prabhupada explained 3 stages of chanting
Offensive Stage
Clearing stage and
offense less stage…
its natural that since we are not into offenseless stage of chanting we feel like to leave chanting. But if we continue the daily quota as a means to train our mind to listen the holy name, slowly we make progress and may attract the mercy of Pure devotees.
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Dear Pareshan Prabhu,
Hare Krishna ! PAMHO !
Its very true that initially there is going to lot of opposition from mind & we may feel miserable. Personally I get inspired by hearing lectures of Radhanath Swami Maharaj. May be atleast 2-3 times a week you can chant in the association of devotees early morning. But make sure that physically you get good rest so that in the morning the mind doesn't rebel much. Also try to keep some inspiring quotes infront of you while chanting along with Maha-Mantra written on it with bold letters.
I hope this helps & do pray for me so that I can also sincerely chant !
Your Servant,
Jagannath Dham Das
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I agre with you , pareshan must chat with devotees and also he should attend the classes on holyname whenever they take palce in near by center.
also as Jaganath Dham pr i ssuggesting he should regularly hear lecture on holyname, I have heard Radhanath maharaja’s lectures they are very helpful.
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I too hav such a problem but i hav noticed that whenever (i m nt able to do tht evryday) i try concentrating on hearing the mantra i never feel bored or dry. Boredom occurs only when i am inattentive.
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Sugarcane Juice is not so sweet for people afflicted with Jaundice. Gradually we become cured by taking that medicine. Holy names are sweet, but we are diseased – Lust,Anger,Envy,Illusion,Pride,Greed. For diseased, it is medicine. For cured, it is very sweet.
So, Paresan should persistently with an attitude to get cured and with the faith that one day we could taste it. But Krishna is merciful, he gives a glimpse to each one of us in our initial stage. There must be one time we felt very happy chanting. That keeps us trying for more and more.
Holynames are so sweet, and it becomes sweeter by sharing it with others and chanting in association. Engaging in book distribution helps in developing faith.
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Sincerity in chanting the Holynames helps a lot for self-realization.
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Holy name is really sweeter than sweetest. Here, he is not trying to concentrate on holy names. If he tries to concentrate on the holy names, forgetting all others, he will definitely get the sweet in the holy names.
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Hare Krishna!
Dear Pareshan,
I can appreciate your feeling a lack of taste in the chanting at same time i can assure you that if you only try to pay attention to hearing you will feel a drastic change in consciousness immediately! This is not only my experience but of so many millions of people including westerners!
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If one regular discuss about holy name & do prayers then by mercy of holy name one can get attraction in chanting. Jai Hari Nam Patbhu Ki.
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Very nice Pareshan! This shows that this process is working for you!
Because our mind opposes us when we are trying to get free from its slavery of millions of years.
But if you, keeping faith, continue chanting, your mind will become your best friend and then you will find the chanting nactarean.
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In spiritual life. means and end are the same. So continue chanting. We are in diseased condition, as we get purified, we will taste the nectar of holy name
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I have heard HH Radhanath Maharaj saying we find the Hari Naam (which is sweeter than sugarcane) Bitter as we are suffering from jaundice like disease and sugar cane is the medicine for this disease. Once our disease is cured we will be able to feel the sweeteness of Sugarcane.
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Build faith, put sincere effort, sweetness will come with causeless mercy.
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Hare Krishna. Pareshan should spend a couple of minutes reading or hearing the glories of chanting before beginning his chanting session each day. He can find that information either on this site or as japa talks in audio files on iskcondesiretree site. He will realize the why, what, how, when, and where of chanting. Chanting is the rare privilege to desire to develop a spiritual relationship. This mood should be constantly maintained. One chants from the heart, not simply mechanically. Chanting for the heart means to desire to overcome anarthas, and beg for grace. From Pareshan’s side, he should not be worried about the results of his efforts, he should simply endeavor and do his duty to try to chant as best as possible. He should try to associate with and chant together with advanced chanters. If there are none in his area, he should start a group and invite advanced chanters from the temple, if none live in his area.
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