Reading Srila Prabhupada’s Books
I am requesting all of my students to read my books very seriously every day without fail. In this way, if your mind becomes absorbed at least one or two hours daily…
Los Angeles
13 June, 1972
New York
My Dear Bhargava,
Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated May 31, 1972, and I have noted the contents. Our advancement in Krishna Consciousness is made possible in two ways, by Knowledge and renunciation, jnana and tyaga or tapasya. The more we become renounced from this material world, the more we advance in Krishna Consciousness. But we are only able to make such sacrifices and perform tapasya if we have got knowledge. So first thing is to become knowledgeable in Krishna Consciousness, then the tapasya or voluntary life of austerity will result automatically. So I am requesting all of my students to read my books very seriously every day without fail. In this way, if your mind becomes absorbed at least one or two hours daily in the transcendental subject matter of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, and other books then very easily you will make your advancement in Krishna Consciousness. It is not a matter of changing our engagement, adjusting this or that material condition, in order to find our real happiness. Krishna Consciousness is not like that. It is able to be performed under any variety of material conditions or with any type of engagement. Therefore if your duty as a photographer is very much helpful to our propanganda work and for improving our BTG then there is very much need for your remaining in that occupation and doing it to your best capacity. It is a fallacy to say that my present engagement with the press is not the best for my spiritual advancement, and if we think in this way we may go on trying out one engagement after another and always say the same excuse. This restlessness or agitation of the mind cannot be rectified by altering the material circumstances. If we are Krishna Conscious, any type of occupation will suit me and we shall always be satisfied. Therefore, I recommend you to read books more and more and try to understand the subject matter from different angles of vision and be always discussing it with your godbrothers even while you are working at the press, and when you are working and you cannot read, then listen to the tapes of my lectures and hear in that way. And never neglect to chant your 16 rounds of beads daily, rise early without fail, attend mangal arati, take bath, and follow the other regulative principles, and everything will come out very successfully, you can rest assured of that.
I am feeling the tendency more and more to retire behind the scenes for translating work, and I want to turn over the management of everything to the GBC and other senior leaders amongst my disciples, so if you have in future any more matters for discussing you may assist me in training these leaders and managers by placing your questions before them. I think Rupanuga will be able to answer all of your questions satisfactorily, so you can be confident that he is giving you all good advice.
Hoping this will meet you in good health,
Your ever well-wisher,
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
ACBS.sda
About the Author
HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founded the Hare Krishna Movement in 1966 in New York. In only 11 years he spread the movement all over the world. He wrote more than 80 books including Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Isopanisad. Prabhupada's books constitute a complete library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture.
Related Posts
Who is Krishna? →
Following the Path of the Gopis →
Srila Prabhupada Addresses The World Health Organization →
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Can anyone get personal instructions from Srila Prabhupada by reading his books even if he is not following or not able to follow other rules and regulations regularly?
Yes. Of course Prabhupada is trying to give everyone instructions. But if we don’t follow the instructions then you don’t get the benefit. We have to follow the instructions… We may fail sometimes but we have to follow. If we don’t follow we can’t become Krishna conscious. Surrender is required. Surrender means we have to follow Prabhupada’s instructions.
HareKrishna Prabhuji!
I recently came across Guar Gopal Das ji, a disciple of HH Radhanath Swami ji. I feel that his teachings and recordings deviate a lot from that of Srila Prabhupada. In his videos I find no mention of Krishna or Srila Prabhupada’s books or being an eternal servitor of God. Can you please advise me on this, if his teachings are correct, authorized? Kindly forgive me if I am wrong.
Your Servant
Hare Krishna Mataji
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I never listen to these rascals but I can clearly understand that any disciple of Radhanatha Swami is not in the discipline succession at all. Radhanatha, in his book, which I have not read, but just opened at random places and seen horrible things on every page I randomly opened, is bogus, so any disciple of his must also be totally bogus.
The reality is actual, qualified, bona fide, pure devotee of Krishna, that is a very very very rare thing. So we have Srila Prabhupada, we know for sure he is the real thing. So why not read Prabhupada’s books, listen to Prabhupada’s classes, we’ve got almost 4000 first-class audio recordings of Srila Prabhupada, you can get them for almost nothing. There’s so much Prabhupada nectar, why waste your time with these rascals?
https://krishnastore.com/original-prabhupada-audio-complete-on-128gb-usb-drive-h-krishna-3163.html
Hare Krsna Prabhu Ji
I want to ask that Can i read SB ? I only read BG 2 chapters yet. But i want to read SB. So is it necessary to complete BG first. Please guide.
Prabhu it only takes a few days to read Bhagavad-gita. So just read it. What’s the problem? It is not a very big book?
I have read Bhagavad-gita hundreds of times and Srimad-Bhagavatam dozens of times, these books are truly wonderful. Every time you read them they become better and better and ever-increasingly more wonderful.
Yes. In the beginning it may seem tedious and repetitive and hard to understand. But Bhagavad-gita is the introduction and Srimad-Bhagavatam starts from the point where Bhagavad-gita ends. So just read Bhagavad-gita first. Of course if you must just read Srimad-Bhagavatam you can also. But that is not the best way. Best way is to read Bhagavad-gita first.
Hare Krishna Prabhu
I like to read Chaitanya Chatitamrita more than other books. So if I just concentrate on reading Chaitanya Charitamrita then is it allowed by Srila Prabhupada?
Yes certainly read Caitanya-caritamrta, but you don’t understand it if you like Caitanya-caritamrta and don’t like Srimad-Bhagavatam. Because both are presenting the same thing. So sure, read Caitanya-caritamrta. If you feel attached to reading it just read it 24 hours a day. But you will want to read the other books also. But of course if you are reading Caitanya-caritamrta 24 hours a day that is perfectly OK.
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Should one not read beyond 2nd canto if he is still attached to illicit sex? I’m not sure if I’m enough detached. I’m in 4th canto, Dhruva Maharaja goes back to Godhead chapter and after crossing the 2nd canto I have fallen down once but later on even though I was unsure I continued. But currently I have gone back to Krishna Book, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Nectar of Instruction and other smaller books. Should I continue reading Shrimad Bhagavatam and Chaitanya Charitamrita? Please tell me Prabhu.
Hare Krishna Aman Prabhu
Yes. Keep reading and don’t fall down but if you do fall down pick yourself back up again and get yourself back properly situated in chanting Hare Krishna, following the regulative principles, and reading Prabhupada’s books. It is quite difficult, in the material world, surrounded by non-devotee association, and is not so astonishing if we fall down, but we should not fall down, we should not make excuses for ourselves, but if we do fall down it is not the end of the world, we just have to get ourselves properly situated again and keep on going from where we left off. So get back into chanting 16 rounds and following the regulative principles and start reading Bhagavatam again from the point you left off.
These are all attacks by maya and we should not let her succeed. If maya attacks and we stop reading Prabhupada’s books because of that maya has been successful. And we don’t want to let maya divert us from Krishna consciousness like this.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Prabhu, I’m again following the four regulative principles, chanting at least 16 rounds daily and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours daily.
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Can we read anything we like from any of Srila Prabhupada’s books if we have read that book once? For example if I like some chapter in Shrimad Bhagavatam canto 1 and I have read SB upto the third canto, then can we read that chapter which I like in canto 1 whenever I want?
Yes. Of Course, why not? Devotees often chant whole favorite chapters, memorize all the Sanskrit verses and chant them over and over and over again. It is all spiritual…
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Do we have to chant any mantras before hearing Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, bhajans, etc or watching his videos as well?
No. But chanting Hare Krishna is always nice…
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Are there any mantras etc that devotees chant before reading Srila Prabhupada’s books just like before chanting Hare Krishna on japa beads? Is there anything else also that we should do before reading Srila Prabhupada’s books?
Yes. There are mantras for chanting before reading Bhagavad-gita, they are in the introduction, you can start learning them, for Srimad-Bhagatam, and for Krsna Book, and for Caitanya-caritamrta…
Hare Krishna Prabhu
Now I’m chanting these mantras given in BG Introduction from ‘Om ajnana timirandhasya to Hare Krishna mantra. So these mantras given in BG Introduction are to be chanted before reading all the books or only BG, SB, KB and CC? It would be great help if you tell me how you start reading the books Prabhu.
You can just read the books, they are full of wonderful transcendental mantras. Not that there is any special way to read the books, I have already suggested you read them aloud, so you can chant and hear and also read aloud the Sanskrit verses. So if you do that for all the books that will be wonderful. Yes. It is very nice to chant those prayers in the beginning of Bhagavad-gita before reading Bhagavad-gita, but you don’t have to, but it is very good to do it, and you know Srila Prabhupada, before speaking on Bhagavatam, he always chanted Jaya Radha Madhava… That is very nice. And you know there are so many nice verses you can chant before reading Srimad-Bhagavatam, and you will find them as you read Srimad-Bhagavatam. And Krsna book, it is in the beginning of Krsna Book, what you should chant Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna He…
And Caitanya-caritamrta, that is Jaya Jaya sri caitanya jaya nityananda jaya adviata chandra gaura bhakta vrnda… That is nice to chant before reading Cc.
But the main thing is to read all the books and preferably read them aloud so you hear them and chant them…
And as you read them you will work out what to chant before reading them…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu.
Please accept my humble obeisances
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I have started reading the Srimad Bhagavatam from this Guara Purnima. Prabhu, I have a query regarding maintaining cleanliness and purity. I bath once early in the morning but in other times of the day sometimes I do not bath when it is required bathing like after passing stool, after a long sleep etc. when weather is too cold ;as my immune system is weak & I catch cold very often. In that condition can I read the Srimad Bhagvatam and also the other books? I have been reading the Bhagavad-gita in these situations but I am not sure about other books like Srimad Bhagavatam, Chaitanya Charitamrta etc.
Hare Krishna Prabhu
We are not perfect, we are not pure, the process to become perfect and pure is to follow the regulative principles and chant Hare Krishna and read Srila Prabhuada’s books. So we can not stop chanting Hare Krishna and reading Prabhupada’s books because we are not pure. That is the whole point. To purify us. So for Srila Prabhupada’s books we should not put them on the ground, we should be respectful, but the greatest respect to Srila Prabhupada and his books is to read them and put the instructions we get from Srila Prabhupada into practice in our day-to-day lives.
So the answer is there may be many imperfections because of our health or because of the circumstances we find ourselves in that mean it is not possible for us to strictly follow every little rule and regulation. But we should never think that because of some impurity we should stop chanting Hare Krishna or stop reading Srila Prabhupadas books. No. No. No. Never stop reading Prabhupada’s books, never stop chanting Hare Krishna.
Remember, under Srila Prabhupada’s orders we distribute all of Prabhupada’s books to the karmis on the street. So it is not possible for a book distributor on the street to be always strictly clean. That does not mean he can not touch Prabhupada’s books to distribute them. And the people we are selling the books to are non devotee meat eaters, and we distribute the books to them, they read them in their impure condition and become purified. That is the power of Srila Prabhupada’s books and that is the power of the Hare Krishna mantra, they purify impure places. It is like the example Srila Prabhupada gives about the ability of the sunshine to purify impure places. If there is an impure place the sunshine will purify it and not become contaminated itself.
So there are many demons, including many demons in ISKCON, who say that you can not take your japa beads out of the temple, because out of the temple is not pure, you can not read Prabhupada’s books out of the temple, even they say you can not read Prabhupada’s books unless you are in the association of an ISKCON devotee because otherwise you may misunderstand them….
So this is all rubbish nonsense demonic preaching by demons in ISKCON and elsewhere. Prabhupada is living in his books, Prabhupada is very merciful, Prabhupada has so mercifully come to us, the greatest sinners, the most fallen, and very easily given us access to pure love of Godhead in the mood of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is Patatia Pavana, the deliverer of the most fallen.
So being fallen, being impure, that is no disqualification from reading Prabhupada’s books and chanting Hare Krishna. Rather Lord Caitanya is most merciful to the most fallen…
So never let anything stop you from reading Prabhupada’s books and know it for sure if you are touching Prabhupada’s books with a sincere desire to read them and to understand what is in them the whole atmosphere is immediatly purified. Even if externally you seem to be in an impure condition. It is all adjusted if you chant Hare Krishna and read Prabhupada’s books. Everything is automatically purified…
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu,
I had this confusion since a long time ago.Thank you very much for your message. I will always remember your instruction. From now onwards I will always read Srila Prabhupada’s books no matter the condition and not let Maya to distract me like this.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Hare Krishna Prabhu!
Please accept my humble obeisance.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I have got Brahma Samhita today by yours, Srila Prabhupada’s, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura’s and Lord Krishna’s grace.
I want to know if I can read it now? I have not read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books so I want to know what to do. Also, if not the commentary then can I just read Govindram Aadipurusham in Sanskrit from this book and it’s translation?
Hare Krishna Aman
Yes. You can read Brahma-Samhita and the commentary by Srila Bhaktsiddhatna Sarasvati Thakura. It is quite difficult to understand but Srila Prabhupada advises us to just read it anyhow and try to understand as far as possible. And certainly chant Sanskrit mantras. It is nice to chant whole Brahma Samhita every day, you can add it into your schedule some time during the day and chant Brahma-samhita, it does not take very long and it is a very powerful mantra and the more you chant it the more you will feel the spiritual power in it.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu!
Dandavat pranam
Thanks for the reply. I will start reading it from today itself.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Hare Krishna!
How and in which form the space element (out of five material elements) exist in our body.
Hare Krishna
You are talking about ether. As far as I understand ether is the material space in which we exist. So that is within and without our bodies. Ether is the medium upon which sound travels. It is everywhere, in everything.
Is it a false theory then that there is no sound in vacuum space?
Yes. It is a false theory. Sound is the first created element and sound is existing in all the other elements. So there is sound in the ether [space]. And it is the sound in the ether that creates fire and that fire in the ether creates water and from that water the earth is created. And sound is the original element and sound exists within all the other elements.
Do we have any figures of book wise sales figure till date. It can be inserted in this list
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books
I don’t have personally, but certainly a lot of Prabhupada’s books have been sold. I do not know really if anyone knows exactly how many copies of Bhagavad-gita As It Is have been sold for example. You can do some research and try and find out.
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji,
I want to ask why lord Krishna has said that He is the chanting of holy name among the SACRIFICE……. How chanting of lord’s holy name is greatest sacrifice..?
You have to sacrifice your time and energy to chant Hare Krishna. We make a vow to chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day. And sometimes that is difficult. We have to sacrifice our time, we have to control our minds, we have to force ourselves to chant, etc.
‘Sacrifice’ is the English translation of yajna, which we translate as sacrifice, but the English word sacrifice does not quite carry the same import at the Sanskrit work yajna. Yajna is a purifying process as well as a sacrifice. But anyhow it is a sacrifice to commit to chanting Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds a day and we have to do it if we want to make spiritual advancement.
Thank you prabuji. I automatically get up 2.30 am. I do 16 rounds of jap. Takes me more than 3 hrs. I surrender to lord krishna for all my sin done knowingly and un knowingly in this life and in my previous life. And i feel i am benifitted with that.. I also surrender on behalf of my 2brother in law both are in hospital one is for last 15 days and the other is in icu for last 4 months and had many operations . i pray to lord krishna for their fast recovery and return home. Please bless us and pray for us to lord krishna . pranam guruji.
I want to chant with devotees but cant do as no one is near my house so i see videos of iskon chanting whole day . and feel better. Please bless me and my family.
Hare Krishna Sandip
Very good to hear that you naturally get out of bed early every morning and chant Hare Krishna. Yes. Three hours for chanting 16 rounds is very good, it is not much time, three hours out of 24, to spend for Krishna. So it is very good.
We do not know what is Krishna’s plan. So please keep on chanting Hare Krishna and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books no matter what happens in your life.
I am very sorry to hear some of your family members are not well and are in hospital. We do not know Krishna’s plan. Ultimately we have to give up our family attachments and dedicate our lives to serving Krishna and consider the greater family of the entire humanity and help them by spreading Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtana movement all over the world. So Krishna may want you to perform some greater service, beyond the realms of the family life…
So we should not be asking Krishna for anything except to engage us in His service, and praying to Him to give us the strength and determination to surrender to and serve Srila Prabhupada with no material attachments and no reservations.
So please keep on chanting Hare Krishna, no matter what happens, and family members may recover or they may even die. That is the way of the material world and we have to come to grips with it. We appear here with some family members and we can stay together for a few days but then there is some disturbance and we are separated forever.
So we have to become part of Krishna’s greater family. Seeing Krishna as the father and all His sons as our brothers and sisters. And we have to awaken to this greater consciousness of reminding all Krishna’s children that Krishna is their father and they should surrender to Him and serve Him.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji,
Soon i am going to seat for an interview i have thinking to put some activity related to Krishna in my hobby section….please give me some best options available….
I have no idea. Just work it out yourself. If you don’t know keep chanting Hare Krishna and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books until you do know…
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji,
Prabhu ji i know in this age of kaliyuga sankirtan is advised to become devotee of lord Krishna…i do chant regularly…but can i do meditation ALSO Focusing on lord Krishna..i just like to meditate..???
Don’t wast time, chant the Hare Krishna mantra at least 16 rounds and read Srila Prabhupada’s books at least 1-2 hours a day and strictly follow the four regulative principles [no illicit sex, no meat eating, no gambling and no intoxication]
Chanting Hare Krishna is the only yoga system that is practical in this Kali-yuga. All other systems will give no good benefit in this age, can not be properly performed in this age, and are useless waste of time. So just chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Dear Madhudvasa dasa.
Hare Krishna!
Several times I have read devotees been advised to chant at least 16 rounds a day.
I have no idea what exactly is meant with the word ’round’.
Will you kindly explain – for my better understanding?
Your Gratefull
We have a set of beads with 108 beads on it. So a round is chanting one mantra on each of the 108 beads. So a round is chanting:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
108 times.
Why should I read changed books?
You should read Prabhupada’s original books. They are all in print and you can get them from:
https://krishnastore.com/books-srila-prabhupada-om-21_38.html
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji,
As told in Bhagvad gita Guru have great importance in a devotee life..i want to ask that how can i get a Guru???
When i asked this to a devotee of ISKCON they told me that SHIRLA PARBHUPADA is our guru and he is present everywhere it doesn’t matter that he physically is present here or not!!!
It is true. Prabhupada is a pure devotee of Krishna and he is living personally in his books. If you read Prabhupada’s books you are directly and personally associating with Srila Prabhupada. So do it. Get Prabhupada’s books and read them and you will find your guru there.
Of course there are so many people posing as gurus at the moment, in ISKCON and out of ISKCON. But the time is bad. It is Kali Yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. So these days almost everyone who is presenting himself as a guru is not a pure devotee of Krishna. That is cheating. Only a pure devotee of Krishna has the power to elevate his disciples form the material platform to the spiritual platform. If one is himself still on the material platform he has no power to help anyone else to the spiritual platform. So there are so many cheaters. You can presume today that every guru is a cheater. Real guru has real symptoms and you can find out what are the symptoms of a real guru by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and by seeing his personal example in his life.
So the ISKCON devotees have told you the correct thing. Please follow their instructions and read Srila Prabhupada’s books and find your guru there.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Thanks alot Prabhu ji your reply is very helpfull to me i am searching for answer of this question from years and you enlightened me with this answer…. Hare Krishna 🙂
Hare Krishna Prabhu ji
I want to ask that if conditions are like that i have to chant using my mobile app should i count that rounds which i have chanted using my mobile app in my total rounds of per day…
Hare Krishna Jatin
If you can chant 16 rounds on beads that is best, but if, due to circumstances, you have to chant using some other counting method, then you can do that. The point, the vow, is to chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra every day, how you count them is up to you. Best to chant on Tulsi beads, but if you can not then chant Hare Krishna and count some other way.
Personally I do not think mobile app is a very good way. Better to turn off the mobile and chant Hare Krishna using clikker or something that won’t disturb your chanting:
https://krishnastore.com/japa-clicker-hand-tally-for-mahamantra-chanting-h-krishna-1120.html
Mobile is very distracting and we don’t want to be distracted, at least as far as possible, while chanting Hare Krishna.
Situation in the material world is not always perfect… So we have to adjust sometimes, to make the best use of a bad bargain.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Thank you Prabhu ji,
Hare Krishna.
Hare Krishna ji,
Thank you all very much for sharing such wonderful quotes and preachings.
Today is Ekadashi. Calenders shows it on 2 days, for Vaishnavas it’s on today.
I wish to know, on which day Kaliyug will enter into grains ? Which Ekadashi day will Kaliyug consider for entry into grains ?
My regards
Vishal
Hare Krishna Vishal
According to Srila Prabhupada we should observe the Ekadasi fasting on the same day as it falls in Mayapur.
So Prabhupada’s System is to get the calendar for Mayapur and use that all over the world. So Ekadasi fasting is on Sunday April 23 all over the world. That is Prabhupada’s system, and if we follow that we will not go wrong.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna, prabhu…can you please clarify something for me?
Can advancement in Krishna Consciousness be achieved by chanting the maha-mantra alone?
Yes. Of course. Chanting Hare Krishna will help us to advance in Krishna consciousness undoubtedly in any circumstances.
However there are certain things that are favorable for our advancement and certain things that impede our advancement. That is why there are regulative principles. You could say that “Will lighting a match always create fire?” And one would be inclined to say yes. But there are some circumstances that impede the fire. Like if you are pouring water on the match and trying to light it to make fire. It will be very, very difficult to get fire. So it is with the regulative principles. There are four things that very much impede our advancement in Krishna consciousness. That is illicit sex, meat eating, gambling and intoxication. So chanting Hare Krishna and doing these things is something like trying to light a fire while pouring water on it. Very difficult. Still even if you can not follow the principles you should continue chanting Hare Krishna because that chanting, although you many not get the actual result of love of God yet, still that chanting will purify you and give you the strength to follow the regulative principles.
So we should always chant Hare Krishna, no matter how fallen we may be. But we have to know that a symptom of chanting Hare Krishna is that we will get the strength to follow the regulative principles and to make advancement in Krishna consciousness we have to follow the regulative principles.
So just chant Hare Krishna in whatever situation you find yourself in. That will always help you. And will give you strength to follow the regulative principles and make more advancement in Krishna consciousness.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare Krishna, Madhudvisa dasa! Thank you for the explanation!
Is chanting mentally considered valid chanting? I can still “hear loudly” in my mind when I chant like this. I’ve started chanting quite a bit now – 102 rounds since last Thursday March 23 – sometimes verbally, and sometimes mentally, and a mixture of both.
No. Chanting has to be done with the tongue and heard with the ears. Chanting in the mind is not chanting. That is thinking in the mind. Of course thinking in the mind about Krishna is also good. But it does not count as chanting. Chanting must be done by vibrating the tongue and hearing through the ears. Spiritual advancement is possible through hearing. So we have to vibrate the Hare Krishna mantra with our tongue and hear it with our ears.
Hare Krishna…!
Oh no! I’ve been chanting both audibly and mentally combined as my lips get dried up after a while…Would that still count??
I will chant audibly the next time…
No. You can’t count thinking in your mind as chanting. Chanting is done with the tongue and heard with the ears. Thinking about Krishna in the mind is also good, but you can’t count that as chanting.
Oh…can I record my voice and then play it back like a loop over and over again while I am listening to it, and silently whisper the Hare Krishna chant along with the recording?
And, or, can I listen to my own recorded Hare Krishna voice that can play over and over again throughout the day if I am occupied with work?
No. If you want to listen to something listen to Srila Prabhupada. There is Prabhupada Japa tape. That is Srila Prabhupada and other devotees chanting japa. And there are all Prabhupada kirtans and bhajans and classes and so many things.
So don’t bother recording yourself and listening to yourself. Better to listen to a pure devotee of Krishna. Listen to Srila Prabhupada. There are thousands of hours of Prabhupada audio recordings available..
So listen to Prabhupada…
https://krishnastore.ca/audio-mp3-on-usb-stick-cd-om-45_47.html
Aloha; i will leave it to you to research, but you will find 16 Purports in Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita where Srila Prabhupada emphasises His instructions of following the 4Reg.Principals and chaning 16 Rounds of Japa a day. In one of these Purports He makes the point that this Japa must be chanted Loudly so that others can also hear you chanting.
( another instruction that our Hrydananda swami seems to have missed along the way)
Aloha ~@~ 4got to mention ~@~
Srila Prabhupada also points out in these Purports
~OF ALL THE ACHARYA’s INSTUCTIONS,~
~Following the 4 reg. principals and
chanting 16 rounds a day ~
~IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.~
Certainly an important point to study when considering
KRISHNA’s point~Bhagavad Gita 4:34~
Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.
PURPORT
“One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master.”
Srimad Bhagavatam: ~Canto3 Ch.24 Text 12~
“To honor the spiritual master means to carry out his instructions word for word.”
Chaitanya Charitamrita: Adi Lila Ch.12 Text 10
” The order of the spiritual master is the active principle in spiritual life. “
Oh…I have a question that I’ve forgotten to ask all along. Is Krishna really blue in color. If really so, why is he blue and not having the same color like everyone else during the time he was on earth? I always see pictures of him colored blue all over and I wondered why.
Hare Krishna!
Damien
Krishna’s color is very special. You will see Krishna and then you will understand His color. It is not exactly blue. It is blackish, silver, like a new monsoon cloud. So Krishna is not black and not blue. The real color of Krishna is extraordinary. But you will understand when you see Krishna.
Thank you, Madhudvisa dasa!!
Hare Krishna!
Thank you, prabhu!!
Hare Krishna!
Hare Krishna!
Our dear cat left her body just two days ago. Sixteen was her age.
What – according to vaishnavic filosofy – is the place/role of animals in general?
I assume the Supreme Person of Godhead gave them an identity too? Do they – being also spirit soul then – sink and rise as human identities do after reincarnating? Can they attain a human body? Have all humans ever in their evolutional unfolding been animals once?
Thanking you beforehand for your kind and clearing reply,
Hare Krishna Henk
Yes. Cats are people too. You can also take a cat’s body in your next life and it is very likely that you will be in a cat’s body in your next life if you become attached to your pet cat like this. And that would be a great pity. Because the consciousness of a cat or any other animal is not very developed. They can only think about eating, sleeping, mating and defending. All their activities are totally driven by these four animal desires.
Yes. Cats will eventually attain a human body. They have to evolve through various species of life until they come to either a monkey, cow or tiger body, then from these three species the next body will be human.
Animals don’t sink and rise like humans, they just rise gradually through the species. It is an evolution of consciousness. They can not sink because their consciousness is not developed so they do not have free choice. They act out of instinct only, so there is no question of sinful and pious activities for animals.
It is only when the consciousness is elevated to the human platform that the free will to choose between good and bad activities is there. And with that free will comes responsibility for the choices also.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Hare krishna prabhu does happiness come from satisfaction or vice versa? I was explaining someone the importance of chanting and i told him that if you chant you will be happy and if you are happy you are satisfied. And then the discussion took a different turn and then he told that if you are satisfied then you are happy. Hare krishna
Yes. It is splitting hairs. Satisfaction and happiness are symptoms of the same thing. You can not separate them. One is not caused by the other. Both are symptoms of the same thing. So the only cause of actual happiness and satisfaction is when we are reinstated in our eternal constitutional position as servants of Krishna.
The materialists misidentify the body with the self. They think they are the material body. So they become confused and think if they satisfy the senses of the body that will make them happy. So they are thinking if they can have sex with a nice girl, get a lot of money, eat nice food, etc, etc, they will be happy. But this is a mistake. They are mistaking the material body as themselves and thinking that satisfying the demands of the material senses will make them happy. It is a great mistake.
We are not the material body and no amount of material sense gratification will make us happy or satisfied. The only way we can become happy and satisfied is by reestablishing our original eternal loving relationship with Krishna and the best way to do that is by chanting:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Aloha; ~*~In regard to Srila Prabhupada’s Requests for reading His Books~*~
1977 Srimad Bhagavatam Class@L.A.Temple(NewDwaraka) a few weeks after 1977 Mayapur Goura Purnima Festival and GBC meetings,
Under the Order of Srila Prabhupada
Satsvarupa das Swami was reiterating GBC resolutions from those meetings.
One new resolution announced , made by Srila Prabhupada Himself, is His request for a minimum daily Sadhana to be followed by all formerly initiated disciples, either living in the Temples or living in their own home.
2 points from this request
~1~Everyone must attend morning and evening Classes.
~2~Everyone must read the 4Books,
(Bhagavad Gita~Srimad Bhagavatam~Chaitanya Charitamrita~Nectar of Devotion)
2hours a day independently beyond the Class time.
~?~Update~?~
~1~ satsvarupa das has told me that he presently has no memory of this.
~2~ This established 1977 GBC resolution made by Srila Prabhupada Himself has disappeared from the “official” GBC archives~?~
Hare Krishna, Jai Srila Prabhupada, Dandvats.
This article one should keep reading time to time so that we keep reading Gurudev Srila Prabhupada’s books daily,
A source of great inspiration is your website Madhudvisa Prabhuji!
Thanku
Hare Krishna!!
father while hearing the lecture in mp3 format i fall asleep why is this/?is this due to impurity in mind
Yes. But keep on hearing and gradually the subject matter will become more and more interesting and you will hear it with wrapped attention. But the purification of our minds will take some time. So just keep on hearing and chanting Hare Krishna and reading Prabhupada’s books and you will see the good results in time.