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The Meaning of the Hare Krishna Mantra

29 Jun 2022 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting, Chanting Hare Krishna, Lectures Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chant Hare Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Krishna, Maha Mantra, mantra meditation, Srila Prabhupada

The Meaning of the Hare Krishna Mantra

Lecture on Maha-mantra New York, September 8, 1966

By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada: Now, some of you members have asked me to explain the meaning of this chanting, Hare Krishna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Now, this sound is transcendental sound, transcendental sound, incarnation, sound incarnation of the Absolute Truth. Just try to understand what is incarnation. Incarnation means…

In the Age of Kali-yuga… There is Still One Good Thing…

06 Aug 2017 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting, Chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Kali Yuga, Sankirtan Tags: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Pabhupada, chant Hare Krishna, chanting Hare Krishna, hare krishna maha mantra, kirtanad eva krsnasya, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam

We all have our favorite quotes and slokas from the pages of Srila Prabhupada’s books. One of mine is the following:

“My dear King, although Kali-yuga is full of faults, there is still one good quality about this age. It is that simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.” (Bhāg. 12.3.51)

Srila Prabhupada quotes this partictular verse from the Bhagavatam many times in his lectures, conversations, books etc., for instance:

“In the sastra it is said this Kali-yuga is full of faults, so many faults. It is the ocean of faults. But there is a very nice thing, asti hy eko mahan gunah, a very great quality. What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. If you simply chant Hare Krishna mantra, then you become perfect. Is it very difficult? Chant Hare Krishna and you become perfect. But we are so unfortunate, we are not even prepared to chant. This is our position. So you have to make little determination that ‘I shall chant henceforward Hare Krishna mantra.’ Then everything is all right.”

“Our process is so nice anyone can avoid, if he follows”

31 Jul 2017 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Conversation with Srila Prabhupada, Krishna Consciousness Tags: chant Hare Krishna, compassion of Srila Prabhupada, conversation with Srila Prabhupada, hari sauri das, Ramesvara das, SB 1.5.17

Conversation with Srila Prabhupada

Jan 21 1977

Hari-sauri: So those persons who can’t come up to the standard of the temple life…

Prabhupada: Yes.

Hari-Sauri: …they should remain outside.

Prabhupada: That is above all the guṇas.

Ramesvara: That’s very rare. That is the most rare.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Ramesvara: Not every man. You always say it’s not possible for every man.

Prabhupada: No, that you cannot do. Because you are in the material world, how you can avoid the influence of material qualities? But our process is so nice that anyone can avoid if he follows. There is no difficulty.

Hari-sauri: But just like in our society we already have so many people who are initiated, but they can’t follow the principles very strictly.

Prabhupada: That’s all right. It will take some time. They’ll do it.

Hari-suari: They just have to be encouraged to keep that association.

Prabhupada: Therefore I stress in every letter, “Chant Hare Krishna at least sixteen times. Follow the principles.” That can be done.(?) This simple method will help. Even if he cannot strictly follow, still, whatever he has done, that is his asset. And it will give me more and more chance. So it is not actually lost. tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer (SB.1.5.17)

Hari-sauri: So we have to give allowances to such people. We have to give allowance?

Prabhupada: Allowance? It is not allowance, but give him instruction. It is up to him to follow or not to follow.

Hari-sauri: But we cannot give any compromise.

Prabhupada: No. This is the way. “But you are not able? All right, take little more time.“

There Will Always Be Difficulties

10 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Difficulties, Krsna Consciousness, Letters by Srila Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chant Hare Krishna, compression, depression, difficulities, difficult, guru disciple, krsna consciousness, letters by prabhupada, rectification, repression, the material world

Sometimes when people take to Krsna Consciousness, they think that automatically, all their problems and difficulties will be solved, but unfortunately this is not the immediate case, as the letters from Srila Prabhupada to his disciples so vividly indicate. I was listening to one lecture where Srila Prabhupada was saying “…in this material world there will always be difficulties. This material world was designed in such a way that there will always be difficulties.” I went through some of the letters and highlighted where Srila Prabhupada used the word difficulties. It was interesting to read how he explained about these difficulties.

“Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated December 27, 1973. I can understand that you are sometimes experiencing difficulties but that you are very sincerely trying to become Krsna Conscious and that you have a number of persons there who are interested in your presentation of Krsna Consciousness. Actually this material world is full of suffering conditions and the only way to become free from these sufferings which are due to past sinful activities is to chant Hare Krsna. In this age no other method of rectification is possible. Along with the chanting of Hare Krsna we have to rigidly observe the prohibition of four sinful activities. If only these things we can do our lives can become perfect. I think you have my books so please study them carefully.” (Letter to: Bhumata — Los Angeles 2 January, 1974)

And in this one famous letter he wrote to Gurudas Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada descrbes his own difficulties in starting this Hare Krishna Movement.

My dear Gurudasa,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated August 23, 1972, and I have noted the contents carefully. Do not be depressed. All along my godbrothers gave me only depression, repression, compression—but I continued strong in my duty. So never mind there is some discouragement, continue with your work in full enthusiastic Krishna Consciousness attitude of service…

Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

The following are the letters that Srila Prabhupada wrote to his disciples wherein he uses the word difficulties. More

The Sankirtan Movement

06 May 2014 2 Comments

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Krishna Consciousness, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Sankirtan, Susan Beckman Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chant 24 hours a day, chant Hare Krishna, holy name of Krishna, humble state of mind, ISKCON Spiritual Sky, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya, sankirtan, Srila Prabhupada, Susan Beckman, the sankirtan movement

I love reading all these letter written by Srila Prabhupada to his aspiring disciples, and the following letter written to Susan Beckman is very sweet.

…Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of Godhead in this age has delivered the medicine for all problems of the world by his introducing the Sankirtan movement. Sankirtan means to chant that Holy names of the Lord and to give up all other engagements. The chanting is a process of purification. Just like we use soap to cleanse the body, this is material, but the chanting is spiritual cleansing.

…The conclusion is that one should learn the art of chanting the Holy name of Krishna 24 hours a day and that alone is the remedy for all problems of material existence. How is it possible to chant 24 hours a day? Lord Chaitanya gave the hint, “One can chant the holy name of God in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street, more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all kinds of sense of false prestige, and always ready to offer all respects to others. In such a humble state of mind one can chant the Holy name of God constantly.” So I cannot give you any better advice for your problem, simply chant Hare Krishna and everything will be all right. (Letter to Susan Beckman)

Full Letter More

Krsna Consciousness in the Age of Kali

12 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna Consciousness, Mantra Meditation, Sankirtan, Srimad Bhagavatam Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, age of kali, chant Hare Krishna, full of faults, Hare Krishna Mantra, Kali-yuga, kirtanad eva krsnasya, Krsna, krsna consciousness, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, sankirtana movement, Srila Prabhupada, The Hare Krishna Movement

“In the sastra it is said this Kali-yuga is full of faults, so many faults. It is the ocean of faults. But there is a very nice thing, asti hy eko mahan gunah, a very great quality. What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. If you simply chant Hare Krishna mantra, then you become perfect. Is it very difficult? Chant Hare Krishna and you become perfect. But we are so unfortunate, we are not even prepared to chant. This is our position. So you have to make little determination that ‘I shall chant henceforward Hare Krishna mantra.’ Then everything is all right.” (Srila Prabhupada from Lecture)

and this from Srimad Bhagavatam 8.5.23

When Kṛṣṇa appeared, He gave His orders, and when Kṛṣṇa Himself appeared as a devotee, as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He showed us the path by which to cross the ocean of Kali-yuga. That is the path of The Hare Kṛṣṇa Movement. When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared, He ushered in the era for the saṅkīrtana movement. It is also said that for ten thousand years this era will continue. This means that simply by accepting the saṅkīrtana movement and chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the fallen souls of this Kali-yuga will be delivered. After the Battle of Kurukṣetra, at which Bhagavad-gītā was spoken, Kali-yuga continues for 432,000 years, of which only 5,000 years have passed. Thus there is still a balance of 427,000 years to come. Of these 427,000 years, the 10,000 years of the saṅkīrtana movement inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu 500 years ago provide the opportunity for the fallen souls of Kali-yuga to take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and thus be delivered from the clutches of material existence and return home, back to Godhead.

Full Text and Purport More

Letter to Yamuna

22 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Devotee's, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Yamuna devi Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, chant Hare Krishna, Gurudas photo, letter to Yamuna, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Sri Sri Radha Krishna deity, Yamuna devi

(click on photo to enlarge)

Dear Yamuna,

Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter of January 18, and studied the contents.

The picture of your Radha Krishna deities is very good. They appear to be like the Radha Govinda deities of Mullick Thakur which I used to see from my childhood.

Yes, go on with your program. Live a simple life. Take a little milk and food grains, chant Hare Krishna and worship Sri Sri Radha Krishna deity, that’s all. That will make you perfect.

Hoping this finds you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Smte. Yamuna devi dasi
Sri Sri Radha Vanabehari Mandir
Murphy, Oregon 97533
ACBS/sdg

Chanting Hare Krishna

11 Oct 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna Consciousness Tags: chant Hare Krishna, chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Kali-yuga, kirtanad eva krsnasya

Srila Prabhupada Chanting & Dancing

Chanting Hare Krishna
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

“In the sastra it is said this Kali-yuga is full of faults, so many faults. It is the ocean of faults. But there is a very nice thing, asti hy eko mahan gunah, a very great quality. What is that? Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. If you simply chant Hare Krishna mantra, then you become perfect. Is it very difficult? Chant Hare Krishna and you become perfect. But we are so unfortunate, we are not even prepared to chant. This is our position. So you have to make little determination that ‘I shall chant henceforward Hare Krishna mantra.’ Then everything is all right.“