The Importance of Remembering Krishna
In Bhagavad-gita (Bg. 8.6) we learn from Krishna: Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.
In the next couple of verses Krishna is giving Arjuna practical instructions that will enable one to remember Him at the time of death:
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt. (Bg. 8.7)
This instruction to Arjuna is very important for all men engaged in material activities. The Lord does not say that one should give up his prescribed duties or engagements. One can continue them and at the same time think of Krishna by chanting Hare Krishna. This will free one from material contamination and engage the mind and intelligence in Krishna. By chanting Krishna’s names, one will be transferred to the supreme planet, Krsnaloka, without a doubt.
He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Partha [Arjuna], is sure to reach Me. (Bg. 8.8)
This is the third verse where Lord Krishna stresses the importance of remembering Him.One’s memory of Krishna is revived by chanting the mahamantra, Hare Krishna . By this practice of chanting and hearing the sound vibration of the Supreme Lord, one’s ear, tongue and mind are engaged.
This mystic meditation is very easy to practice, and it helps one attain the Supreme Lord.
The devotees can constantly think of the object of worship, the Supreme Lord, in any of His features, Narayana, Krsna, Rama, etc., by chanting Hare Krishna. This practice will purify him, and at the end of his life, due to his constant chanting, he will be transferred to the kingdom of God.
Yoga practice is meditation on the Supersoul within; similarly, by chanting Hare Krishna one fixes his mind always on the Supreme Lord. The mind is fickle, and therefore it is necessary to engage the mind by force to think of Krishna . One example often given is that of the caterpillar that thinks of becoming a butterfly and so is transformed into a butterfly in the same life. Similarly, if we constantly think of Krishna, it is certain that at the end of our lives we shall have the same bodily constitution as Krishna.
So from these three important Bhagavad-gita verses we learn the importance of remembering Krishna. In our materially contaminated state it is very difficult for us to think of Krishna. We have no attraction for Krishna in the beginning. Because we are attracted by maya. We are in a diseased condition.
There is a very nice example in this connection, if a man is suffering from jaundice he looses his taste for sweet things. To the diseased man the sweet things taste bitter and therefore he does not like to eat them. But it just so happens that the cure for jaundice is to eat these sweet things.
So the diseased man has to force himself to eat these sweet things even though, because of the disease, they taste bitter to him.
And gradually, as he becomes free from the disease, his correct taste will return, and he will be able to appreciate the nice taste of sweet things.
So because we are in a materially diseased condition we have no attraction to chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, even though chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is the sweetest thing. Therefore we must voluntarily agree to force ourselves to chant the Hare Krishna mantra regularly every day, and as this chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is the cure for the material disease, gradually by this regular chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, all the dirty things in our hearts will be cleared away and we will uncover our original pure taste for Krishna consciousness. Then chanting Hare Krishna will be our transcendental pleasure and we will never want to stop chanting Hare Krishna…
But to get to this stage we have to surrender to chanting Hare Krishna regularly, every day, even though we may have no taste at all for the chanting, even though chanting Hare Krishna may seem unattractive to us. This stage is called saddhana bhakti. It means following the orders of the spiritual master even though one may not have any taste or much spiritual realization. But by this simple process of surrender, service and chanting Hare Krishna very quickly our original Krishna consciousness will be awakened.
About the Author
Madhudvisa dasa My first contact with a Hare Krishna was a most merciful Mataji in Oxford Street, London who sold me a "Higher Taste" cook book in 1984 while I was on holidays there. I started seriously reading Srila Prabhupada's books in Australia 1985 and by 1986 Srila Prabhupada had convinced me "Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead" and "we should surrender to Krishna." I joined the Hare Krishnas in Perth, Western Australia in 1986. Since then I have been chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, reading and distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and preaching as much as I can. That's my life and full-time occupation now really. I like it more than anything I've ever experienced before. Srila Prabhupada's books are so amazing... Even after reading them all many times they're still fresh and new. They are truly transcendental! That's it really. Now I'm just hankering to once again see the world chant Hare Krishna, dance and feast and float away in the ecstasy of Lord Caitanya's Sankirtana movement as it did in Srila Prabhupada's physical presence. Let the whole world drown in the ecstatic flood of love of Krishna!
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Thank you pravuji for this wonderful explanation
Dear Madhudvisa Dasa, I would just like to thank you for your emails that are so informative and helpful for me in many ways.I am forwarding them on now, to friends, who I am recommending Krsna Consciousness to. I am presently studying the 9th book of Srimad Bhagavatum as presented by our Grace, Srila Prabhupada, but the study of Bhagavad Gita alongside by way of your emails is the perfect break 🙂
how to start chanting the manthra is there any particular way,time or place to chant this manthra. can i do it all day long should i use a japamala to count
just chant. It is not difficult:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
How difficult is that?
Just do it..
When Krishna and Ram were not there who was worshipped as supreme godhead?? Who did saints considered supreme god??
Krishna and Rama are always there. They are eternal. Means no beginning and no end.
Hare Krishna… prabhu
All glories to Srila Prabhupada… and all glories to those deciples who r trying to follow Srila Prabhupada strictly under His full direction…
prabhu how can i get original Srimad Bhagwatam text book in Jaipur, India ?
Soon you will be able to get it at:
http://krishnastore.in
How to start chanting the maha manthra? When and for how long and in what way should I chant? Should I use a Japamala?
Just chant it. It is not difficult just do it.
Very good explanation,Prabhu ji…
Now I have an important doubt to ask…One girl I know personally love Krishna.One of her roommates in hostel is a psychological vampire…This roommate is said to drain positive energy from my friend,and make her diseased especially during examination time.My friend chants Hare Krishna daily,but she couldn’t withstand this roommate who is using some ‘black art’ for her own victory…What can we do in such a situation,ji?
Krishna is most powerful magic.
So just become pure devotees of Krishna. Keep chanting Hare Krishna and no black magic will be able to touch you.
Sometimes there is a battle between maya and Krishna. But if you are Krishna conscious you will always come out victorious. That is promised by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita. READ IT.
Respected Prabhuji,
I have immense faith on the content that you have sent me.But from the childhood I have been exposed to so many daities,(Krishna,Ganapati,Anjaneya,Laxmi,Durga……) and do pray all gods every day.I am confused as to am I doing right.Should I chant Hare Krashna and no one else?
Please Guide me
Sincere Pranams Guruji.
Yes, chanting Hare Krishna includes everything. Worshiping Krishna includes worshiping all the demigods. So we can simply worship Krishna and chant Hare Krishna and everyone will be happy.
My greatest gratitude for this text. To me, it is very helpful as it explains a lot of the “why” of chanting, even when it at first seems not to attract.
Hare Krishna Prabhuji, Dandvat Pranam!
Jai Srila Prabhupada!
Prabhuji I wanted to ask that am uploading events of ekadashi on krishnaconnect, but there are also the appearance and disappearance days of Vaishnava devotees of our sampradaya. and there are many many days like these so shall I also upload them or just keep uploading the ekadasi event? I don’t have any issues uploading these events as only the devotees will get to know more from these events about the vaishnava saints and that’s my aim for uploading them, but still I want to ask you, because I don’t want to commit any offence. I mean that is it okay if I take this little service by your permission? i’ll do as you’ll say, before uploading the ekadasi events I didn’t took your permission and am really sorry for that but now I don’t want to do it again, so please guide. 🙂
Your’s tiny servant
Vanshika,
dandvats.
Hare Krishna Vanshika
Sorry for the long delay replying.
Yes. Please upload all the Vaisnava festivals to KrishnaConnect.com along with the ekadasi days. It is a great service you are doing so keep on doing it and expand it. KrishnaConnect will get bigger in the future so we need to keep it going now and if you have any ideas for improving it please let me know so we can make it better.
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Madhudvisa dasa
Thanku very much prabhuji!! I’ll upload all the events. No need to say sorry for the delay prabhuji, I know you are very busy serving Prabhupada. Salute to yours service towards Srila Prabhupada!
Hari Bol! I’ll continue uploading all the events. Dandvat. 🙂
Undoubtedly, the most important message from the newsletter. I am having it framed so that the mind does not forget these MOST VALUABLE instructions. I humbly offer my sincere thanks.
Your view on constant remembering God is true as my experience at ISKCON , Bangalore taught me the truth. On one of the occasion, while I was waiting in the line, I saw a bifurcation. My curiosity forced me to join the line which was not very crowded. 108 slabs were laid in the path where all were instructed to chant the manthra with every step on the slab. When I stood in front of the sanctum sanatorium my mind was almost drowned in bliss. Latter retrospectively I compared this experience with other experiences where I reached the same place effortlessly, I could conclude that what you revealed in the mail is truth.
It would be interesting and strengthening if a platform on electronic media is created for people to share such experience, good service to one and all.
You can share such experiences at:
http://krishnaconnect.com
Kindly tell me how many rounds atleast are sufficient?
Thank u for sharing these information with me.
16 rounds is absolute minimum.
You can chant more than 16 rounds a day but never less.