EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: HOW TO PRACTICE BAKTHI EFFECTIVELY? HOW MANY ROUNDS OF CHANTING LORD CAITANYA RECOMMENDED? (An astonishing fact) BAKTHI TIPS: (If you like to go closer to Krishna through saadhanas, read these Bakthi Tips) What is the need for saadhanas like chanting? Isn’t faith alone sufficient? A profound conception of divine truths naturally leads one to adopt various practices in obtaining the desired goal of life. While faith in the precepts of the tradition is certainly desirable, it is not sufficient in itself. There must be a method of practically realizing the truth of the object of our faith. This method is collectively called sadhana, the means of attainment. The essential outline for all practices is presented as follows by Rupa Gosvami in his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu. (Nectar of Devotion) The object of practice, as is evident from the above, is to attain a position similar one to the eternal associates of Krishna in the realm of Vraja, the pinnacle of the spiritual world, thus exquisitely serving the Supreme Person with all of ones loving feelings. ITEMS REQUIRED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BAKTHI: In Upadesamrita (Nectar of Instructions), Rupa Gosvami gives six items detrimental for devotion and six items conducive for devotion, which are to be deeply considered and adopted by all sincere aspirants. Six items detrimental (that affects) to the development of devotion are as follows: (1) eating too much or collecting more than necessary, (2) endeavours which are opposed to bhakti, (3) useless mundane talks, (4) failure to adopt essential regulations or fanatical adherence to regulations, (5) association with persons who are opposed to bhakti, and (6) ardent longing for the mundane. Six items favorable for the development of devotion are as follows: (1) enthusiasm, (2) firm faith, (3) patience and fortitude even amidst obstacles, (4) performance of proper activities, (5) giving up undesirable association, and (6) molding ones life similar to that of earlier saints. PROMINENT ASPECTS OF PRACTICE In his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu, Rupa Gosvami has divided the various practices of bhakti in sixty-four categories, beginning with accepting a spiritual teacher (guru), receiving initiation and instructions from him, serving him, living a life following in the footsteps of the saints, and inquiring about matters of worship (bhajana). An extensive discourse on this matter is not in place in this context, so we shall only focus on five of them, which were declared as the most important by Sri Chaitanya. (1) SADHU SANGHA: (Associating with Saints) One should render service to saints and offer them items they need, and lovingly accept whatever they offer in turn. One should reveal his mind to them in confidence, and carefully hear their realized instructions. One should feed them and accept their remnants with respect and devotion as a form of their grace. Anyone who has taken up the path of spiritual life is certainly a saintly person. However, to reap the full benefit of association, one has to discriminate between devotees of different grades. One should seek the association of those who are endowed with a similar inclination on the path of devotion. One should always seek the association of such saints who are affectionate towards oneself and more advanced than oneself. On the merit of such association, all spiritual practices will rapidly yield the fruit of love of God. (2) NAMA KIRTANA: (Chanting the Holy Names) The holy name of the Lord is nondifferent from His own form, qualities and pastimes. Therefore the chanting of the holy names is considered an integral part of practice in the Gaudiya tradition. hanting of the holy names is known to be of two kinds, namely japa and kirtana. Japa -- Japa is individual meditation on the holy name, during which the aspirant quietly murmurs the holy names while keeping count on a mala (rosary) of 108 beads. According to the instructions of Sri Chaitanya, Gaudiya Vaishnavas chant the maha-mantra (great mantra) which is as follows: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare This mantra consists of three divine names, namely Hara, Krishna and Rama. Hara, which becomes Hare in its vocative case, refers to She who steals the mind of Krishna, in other words Radha. Krishna refers to the all-attractive original person. Rama is another name for Him, meaning the one who brings delight to Radha and who enjoys varieties of transcendental sports. In addition to the maha-mantra, panca-tattva mantra is often chanted prior to it. Panca-tattva mantra consists of the names of Sri Chaitanya and His four associates, namely Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa, along with Gaura-bhakta-vrinda (all devotees of Sri Chaitanya). There are slight variations for this mantra from lineage to lineage, but the basic pattern is the same. HOW MANY ROUNDS OF CHANTING LORD CAITANYA RECOMMENDED? Wow.... Do not faint. Sri Chaitanya recommended His followers to chant one lakh (100,000) names PER DAY. It is common for dedicated saints to chant 100000, 200000 or 300000 holy names per day. The Name means either Hare Krishna Maha Manthra or even a single name like Vasudeva, Krishna, etc. However, considering the difficulties involved in this, Srila prabhupada fixed the minimum number of rounds of Hare Krishna Maha Manthra as 1728 TIMES A DAY , ie, 16 rounds for serious practitioners. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JAPA & SANKIRTANA? Kirtana -- Kirtana refers to the glorification of the holy names which is done aloud, often with the accompaniment of mridanga (clay drum) and karatalas (hand cymbals). When many faithful aspirants gather for loudly singing the holy names of the Lord, this is called sankirtana. Such kirtana is sometimes performed in the temples, and sometimes out on the streets in processions. This sankirtana is understood to be the foremost among the sixty-four items of devotional practice. On account of its great ability for absorbing all senses in experiencing the sweetness of the Supreme Person, it is regarded as the most potent among all varieties of practice. Whereas many other practices depend on the lucidity of the practitioners mind or on his ability of concentration, nama-sankirtana does not consider this, but instead plunges the aspirant in an ocean of divine happiness regardless of his qualification or lack thereof. During the modern age, it is understood that all devotional practices must be accompanied by nama-sankirtana to yield the fruit of pure loving devotion. Sri Chaitanya glorified the paramount position of Krishna-sankirtana in the first stanza of His Siksastakam (Eight Instructions) as follows: May there be supreme victory for the congregational chanting of the names of Krishna! It cleanses the mirror of the heart, and extinguishes the great forest-fire of material existence. It is a great moon spreading its soothing rays, bringing to bloom the white lotus of good fortune of the living entitiy. The holy name is the life and soul of the young bride of divine wisdom, and an ever-increasing ocean of ecstacy, and by tasting it, the self becomes thoroughly cleansed, and comes to taste at every step the complete nectar it has always longed for. The practice of nama-sankirtana is unequivocally recommended for one and all, since there are no hard and fast rules for it. It does not depend on time, place, person, articles of worship, purity or impurity. In whatever situation the holy names of the Lord are chanted, they prove to be beneficial for everyone. (Some other practices will be discused on another day)
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:56:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015