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Chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra

09 Dec 2014 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhakti Yoga, Chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Maha-mantra, Meditation, Yoga Tags: A. C. Bhakthvedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, illusory struggle against material nature, Krishna Krishna, Krsna, purport to chanting hare krishna, Rama Rama, Srila Prabhupada, transcendental vibration by chanting of Hare Krishna

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Chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

“This transcendental vibration by chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, is the sublime method for reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual soul, we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities. This illusion is called maya, or hard struggle for existence, for winning over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Krishna consciousness.

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Chanting Hare Krishna (Japa)

28 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Japa, Meditation Tags: chanting Hare Krishna, chanting japa, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, japa, kirtana, Krishna Krishna, mantra, mantra meditation, meditation, Rama Rama

Japa

Chanting a mantra or hymn softly and slowly is called japa, and chanting the same mantra loudly is called kīrtana. For example, uttering the mahā-mantra (Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare) very softly, only for one’s own hearing, is called japa. Chanting the same mantra loudly for being heard by all others is called kīrtana. The mahā-mantra can be used for japa and kīrtana also. When japa is practiced it is for the personal benefit of the chanter, but when kīrtana is performed it is for the benefit of all others who may hear.

In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement: “For any person who is chanting the holy name either softly or loudly, the paths to liberation and even heavenly happiness are at once open.” (from Nectar of Devotion Chapter 9)

click on link; Srila Prabhupada Chanting

A Short Statement of the Philosophy of Krishna Consciousness

12 Feb 2014 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krsna Consciousness, The Hare Krishna Movement Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Absolute Truth, age of kali, blissful consciousness, bona fide spiritual science, chant the holy names of the Lord, eternal spirit souls, Founder Acarya, genuine spiritual master, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Krishna, Krishna Krishna, love of God, sense gratification, Vedic knowledge

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

Purport to the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

06 Dec 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, Practicing Krishna Consciousness at Home, YouTube Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting Hare Krishna, energy of the Lord, hara, Hare, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Hare/ Hare Rama, Hari, Krishna, Krishna consciousness, Krishna Krishna, Krsna, pleasure potency of the Lord, purport to the Hare Krishna mantra, Rama, spiritual souls, transcendental vibration

The following letter arrived in our mail box and because it is a very good question we have attempted to answer it here.

Dear Hare Krishna Movement

I understand that the Hare Krishna mantra should be received through a proper disciplic succession for it to be “active”

My question is, how can this be achieved? Is it sufficient to read about the mantra in books by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada? Or is there a need to in person receive the mantra from a authentic disciple? If so, where can information be found on who such disciples are and how to contact them?

Thanks and best regards

Our Reply is as follows:

Dear _____

Thank you for your very important question. If you would take a moment and view the following YouTube… or listen to it while you read the purport given by Srila Prabhupada. By the end of it I assure you, that you will have received the Hare Krishna Mantra through the proper disciplic succession from the proper person who is a pure devotee of Krishna, the representative of Krishna. and is the direct link to the parampara (disciplic succession).

The Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

Purport to the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
Founder and Acharya of the Krishna Consciousness Movement
New York, New York, USA 1966

As explained on the cover of the record album, this transcendental vibration– by chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Hare Hare – is the sublime method for reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities.

The Lord’s Holy Name

14 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Chanting Hare Krishna, Letters by Srila Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting Hare Krishna, God's holy name, Hare Hare, holy name, Janardana, kingdom of God, Krishna consciousness movement, Krishna Krishna, Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya, Lord Jesus Christ, millions of holy names

…The Lord Has millions of holy names and you can chant any one of them, and each and every Name of the Lord is of full potential. We chant the above mentioned holy Name of the Lord because the name was Chanted by Lord Caitanya, the father of this movement of Krishna Consciousness. We follow Lord Caitanya’s footprints to achieve very quick result…

Letter to: Mr. Dambergs (senior)
New York,12 April, 1967

Dear Mr. Senior Dambergs,

Kindly accept my greetings. I am unknown to you but I have heard about you from your very good grandson Sriman Janardana (Janis). I have heard that you have been ailing since a long time but I have heard also that you are a great devotee of Lord Jesus Christ. It is very good. I am also an insignificant servant of Lord Jesus Christ because I am preaching the same message as Lord Jesus did. I’m preaching God consciousness or Krishna consciousness. Fools thought that Lord Jesus Christ was dead by crucifixion but He resurrected. All living entities are parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord and therefore they are also eternal. All our ailments are due to the external body. Although we have to suffer some time from bodily inconveniences specially in the old age, still if we are God conscious, we shall not feel the pangs. The best thing is therefore to Chant the holy Name of the Lord Constantly. I would you request you to chant always God’s holy Name. We are chanting God’s holy name always and instructing our students to do so. If you have any holy name for God do chant Him always and it will do you the greatest benefit. And by chanting so when you will be remembering Him always then you transfer to the Kingdom of God is guaranteed. When you return to the Kingdom of God there is no necessity to come back again to the rotten world full of miseries. We are chanting God’s Name as

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Krishna Consciousness in a Nutshell

04 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Chanting Hare Krishna, Krishna Consciousness Tags: Caitanya-caritamrita, chanting Hare Krishna, hansadutta das, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Krishna consciousness, Krishna Krishna, Srila Prabhupada

Krishna Consciousness in a Nutshell
By Sriman Hansadutta Prabhu

Self-realization the Aim of Life

Krishna consciousness is the original consciousness of every living being, and it is explained in different Vedic literatures. One of these literatures is the Chaitanya-charitamrita. Chaitanya-charitamrita means “characteristic of the eternal living force”. Every living being is eternal by nature, and because he is eternal, he cannot be happy in this material world, which is a temporary arrangement, however wonderful it may be. It is the duty of every living entity to learn the science of Krishna, or the science of the self, and to make himself perfect. He will attain freedom from the temporary world of material creation by reviving his original love of Krishna. In this way, he will return home, back to Godhead, which is the aim of all human endeavors, be they scientific, economic, artistic or cultural.

No one lives forever

Every living creature is subjected to four basic miseries, beginning with birth, continuing into old age and disease, and ending in death. No one wants to be miserable—everyone wants to be happy—but material nature functions in such a way that no one can be happy.

Ignoring this basic truth, modern thinkers, politicians, scientists, educators and artists are all struggling against the stringent laws of nature. They think by material adjustments they will find the happiness they hanker for. In spite of all comforts and the advancement of science, economics and politics, no one is happy—if for no other reason than life is temporary.

The Hare Krishna Explosion (Chapter 5)

04 Mar 2011 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Hayagriva das, The Hare Krishna Explosion Tags: beads, chant and sing the Lord's holy names, chapter 5, devotees, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, hayagriva das, Krishna Krishna, Mott Street, Rama Rama, Srila Prabhupada, Swamiji, the hare krishna explosion, The Hare Krishna Movement, vegetarian

The Hare Krishna Explosion
by Hayagriva Prabhu

Part I: New York, 1966
Chapter 5

The Hare Krishna Explosion

“If Krishna sees you are taking one step toward Him,” Swamiji says, “He will take ten toward you. He is so happy to see you turn to Him. He is more eager to see us return to Godhead than we are to go.”

Back in the Mott Street apartment, I stare at myself in the mirror and repeat my new name. “Now you are Krishna’s,” I think, inspecting the new kanthi beads around my neck. “These are Krishna’s dog collars, and they don’t come off.”

We all optimistically resolve to try to follow the rules. For most of us, meat eating and gambling pose no problems. Rules governing sex and intoxicants, however, force some rapid changes in living patterns. I decide to convert the old Mott Street apartment into a brahmachari ashram. Down come the psychedelic posters, and up go pictures of lotus-eyed Krishna.

The next day at the temple, we find a new notice posted on the bathroom door. There are additional rules and regulations written neatly in ink by Swamiji himself.

NOTICE

All initiated devotees must attend morning and evening classes. Must not be addicted to any kind of intoxicants, including coffee, tea and cigarettes. They are forbidden to have illicit sex-connections. Must be strictly vegetarian. Should not extensively mix with non-devotees. Should not eat foodstuffs cooked by non-devotees. Should not waste time in idle talks nor engage in frivolous sports. Should always chant and sing the Lord’s holy names, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Thank you.
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Acharya

Umapati says nothing when he reads the notice. Rayarama simply chuckles.
“No coffee, no tea,” he says, shaking his head.

“By sound vibration one becomes liberated.”

28 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Science of Self Realization Tags: Arjuna, chanting, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, J.F. Staal, Krishna Krishna, Krsna, liberation devotional service, sound vibration, Supreme Brahman

Excerpt from The Science of Self-Realization
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Letter to J.F. Staal Professor of Philosophy and of South Asian Languages
January 30, 1970

“By sound vibration one becomes liberated.” By devotional service, by understanding well the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can go to His abode and never come back again to this material condition. How is it possible? The answer is, simply by chanting His name constantly.

This is accepted by the exemplary disciple, Arjuna, who has perfectly learned the conclusion of spiritual science from the yogeśvara, the master of mystic knowledge, Kṛṣṇa. Recognizing Kṛṣṇa to be the Supreme Brahman, Arjuna addresses Him, sthāne hṛṣīkeśa…: “The world becomes joyful hearing Your name, and thus do all become attached to You.” (Bg. 11.36) The process of chanting is herein authorized as the direct means of contacting the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. Simply by chanting the holy name Kṛṣṇa, the soul is attracted by the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, to go home, back to Godhead.

In the Nārada-pañcarātra it is stated that all the Vedic rituals, mantras, and understanding are compressed into the eight words Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Similarly, in the Kali-santaraṇa Upaniṣad it is stated that these sixteen words, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, are especially meant for counteracting the degrading and contaminating influence of this materialistic age of Kali.