A Guide to Chanting With Absorption

NDANA.
 THE
LIVING
NAME
.................................... • ....................................

A Guide to Chanting
with Absorption
The Living Name
A Guide lo Chanting vvith Absorption
by Śaclnandana Swami

Illustrations by
Anna Kotova

Published by
ŚARANĀGATI Publishing

SARANAGATI
P U B L I S H I N G

www.sacinandanasvvami.com

©2018 Śaranāgati publishing

Ali rights reserved.
DED1CATION

This book The Living Name is gratefully dedicated to my exalted spiritual

master His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svvami Prabhupāda who brought
the Divine Names to the West and into my life and to ali sincere chanters of the
Holy Name - old and new.

ananta koti vaisnava-vrnda - kl jaya

Only if tny Divine Master and the Vaisnavas besto\v

upon me their undeserved mercy might I one day
chant the real Living Names.
tunde tāndavini ratim vitanute tundāvali-labdhayc
karna-kroda-kadambini ghatayate karnārbudebhyah sprhām
cetah-prāñgaña-sañgini vijayate satyendñyānām krtim
no jāne janitā kiyadbhir amrtaih krsneti varna-dvayi

7 do not knovj how much nectar the tvvo syllables ‘Krs-ncC kave
produced. When the Holy Name of Krsna is chanted, it appears
to dance m th in the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths.

When that Name enters the holes o f the ears, we desire many
millions of ears. And when the Holy Name dances in the
courtyard o f the heart, it conquers the activities o f the mind,
and therefore ali the senses become inert.’

Śrila Rūpa Goswami>

quoted in Śri Caitanya Caritāmrta, Antya 1.99
■ti

When \viIf Ifeel Your Name

pulsating with lije
like thatyoung bird
who once Jlew into my open palms?
■ USm. kr!>W X 'UU
JTv

,v
. «X

' i . X ' ; <x_ r* y

i'

<T>
▼
V(f 5 V>*
A v $*Lv"* / / .

^ y l J- V . -
X- A 'X
v
a T/*
^ (> > > . */;, ,w A? 15N

U.fc? US
When xvill Your Name X* 'V X' , A,’ A- j.

taste like cream, yogurt and ice

£Virp a-r yv ,
▼i V X» ! . 'X w i>

mixed together on my thirsty tongue _

vi>
exhausted from the tastes o j this world?

V r;X v V
t & 'v J l # ' l i
When will 1 stop offering You 1
broken Names
because my love is still divided S p jV J V _ <f,
betwecn You and the \vorld? m ;" ^ V ^
V ; vV , n V

s.:fc # » '
An insignificant servant,
Śacmanđana Svvami
X « V V ' .#•
8 | THE LIVING NAME

INTRODU CTION 12
Chanting with Taste - Two Examples 13
Meeting the Living Name 15
How Long Does it Take? 17
About this Book 18
Utilising this Book 20

CHAPTER 1 - YOJANA 22
The Concept of Alignment 25
The Three Temple Gates - an Analogy 27
Aligning the Body 27
Aligning the Mind 29
Aligning the Heart 32
Recovering our Lost Heart 32
The Last Door Opens 34

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION - YOJANA 36

Aligning the Body 37
Exercise 1 Proper Sitting 37
Exercise 2 Pronunciation and Listening 39
Aligning the Mind 40
Exercise 1 The First Hare 40
Exercise 2 Breath Control and Meditation on the Lord 43
Exercise 3 Trātaka Meditation 46
Aligning the Heart 47
Exercise 1 Bringing the Heart to the Chanting 47
Summary of Yojana 49

CHAPTER 2 - SAMBANDHA 50
Bound Together in a Relationship 52
Chain Around the Neck 53
Freed by Krsna 54
Meditating on the Meaning of the Mantra 55
The Real Name Versus the Shadow Name 57
Lost Relationship 59
 CONTENTS | 9

Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura’s Recommendation 60

An Important Doubt 62
Lost in the Name 64
Being Alone but in the Best of Company 65
Convinced by the Experience 66
The Seed of Krsna Consciousness 66
Entering the School of Sambandha-jñāna 68
Repentance attracts Krsna 70
Krsna s Response 71
Where to Start 72
Knovvledge of Krsna 72

EXERC1SES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION - SAM BAN DH A 73

Exercise 1 The Sambandha Meditation 73
Exercise 2 Entering the Higher Connection 77
Exercise 3 Alone with Rādhā and Krsna 78
Exercise 4 A Letter to Krsna 80
Exercise 5 Watering the bhakti-latā-blja 80
Summary of Sambandha 83

CHAPTER3 - SEVĀ 84
The Holy Name is a Person 86
The Material Tongue Cannot Chant 89
A Face Turned to Service 89
Blind to Transcendence 92
Sevā-dharma 94
The Blazing Inclination to Serve 95
W hen the Service Inclination is Limited 95
Sevā Cannot Exist W ithout Love 97
The Klrtana of the Cowherd Boys 97
Empty Medicine Capsules 98
The Holy Name Chooses 99
Qualifications to Chant 101
The Ungraspable Name 103
How the Miraculous Name Descends 104
King Bharata’s Three Lives 104
Gajendra, the Elephant King 105
10 I THE LIVING NAME

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION - SEVĀ 106

Exercise 1 The Hidden Secrets of Bhakti 106
Exercise 2 Become Aware of the Meaning of the Mantra 108
• The Practice 109
• Gopāla Guru Gosvvarrns Meditations 110
• Exit your Little Constructed World 112
Exercise 3 The Bhūta-śuddhi Meditation 113
Exercise 4 Serve Krsna in Meditation 115
Exercise 5 A Prayer for Service 116
Exercise 6 Instructions from Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura 118
Exercise 7 Reflect and Churn 119
Serve the Holy Name 119
Summary of Sevā 120

CHAPTER 4 - VIPRALAMBHA 122

The Sādhu Learns From a Girl in Love 125
ŚrT Caitanya M ahāprabhu’s Longings 126
The Beggar of the Mind 129
The Mood of Gaudlyas is the Mood of a Beggar 130
The Govinda Necessity 133
Teachers in the Mood of Separation 135
How to Access Deeper Feelings? 136
Devotion is Infectious 136
Pure Devotees Make our Klrtana Real 138
When Longing Reaches Boiling Point 139

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION - VIPRALAMBHA 141

Exercise 1 Chanting vvith the Spiritual Master 141
Exercise 2 Evoking Vipralambha to Overcome Mechanical Chanting 143
Summary of Vipralambha 145

CHAPTER 5 - ŚARANĀGATI 148

Whose Prayers Does Krsna Ansvver? 150
Our Surrender in Chanting 151
Humility: the Gateway to Surrender 154
 CONTENTS | 1 1

Seeing Krsna as our Only Maintainer 158

Taking Shelter of the Holy Dhāma 159
Receiving the Divine Gift of Prema-dhana 163
From Where Can We Obtain Divine Love? 164
Regular Practice Needed 167

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION - ŚARANĀGATI 168

Exercise 1 Chanting with the Śaranāgati Prayers
of Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura 168
Exercise 2 Chanting in the Holy Dhāma 170
• The Practice 172
Exercise 3 Surrender to the Holy Name: a Verse Meditation 173
Exercise 4 Do Everything to Give up the Ten Offences 174
• How to Counteract the Effects of Offences? 176
Summary of Śaranāgati 177

CHAPTER 6 - SAÑKALPA 178

Building the Foundation 180
The Mantra is the Bow 180
The Three Main Practices 181
Take Aim - See your Purpose in your Mind’s Eye 182
Make an Effort - Put Every Ounce of your Energy into it 182
Let Go - Surrender: Try your Best, and the Rest is up to Krsna 183
Keeping Trying Again and Again 183
The Beggar Who Found a Priceless Jewel 184
A Difficult Dilemma 185
Someone Who Successfully Changed 187
Attaining One’s Purpose with a Sañkalpa 187
Forming a Sañkalpa 189

I HE SAÑKALPA EXERC1SE 190

AFTERWORD 194
The Mature Fruit of Chanting 194
1 2 | THE LIVING NAM;

INTRODUGTION
For the past fifteen years there has been an ever-grovving demand for
retreats, events, seminars and vvorkshops related to chanting the Holy
Names. Many sincere devotees have developed their chanting practice and
benefitted from sharing their realisations with others. I myself have been
invited by various devotional communities ali around the world to facilitate
Holy Name retreats. I have sometimes given up to ten such retreats in a
year (in addition to my other projects), making the airports of the world
my second home.

Why is there such a demand for Holy Name events? The reason is that
devotees, and more and more lay people, are looking for a real and tangible
transformational experience vvhich helps them to attain nevv levels of
spiritual life. They have seen this is possible through chanting the Divine
Names. Thus, they wish to learn hovv to chant properly because othervvise
they face two major stumbling blocks:

1) a gap betvveen their aspirations and where they štand at present

2) the trap of mechanical practice with no or very little experience

of the ‘aliveness’ of true Krsna consciousness.

Most of us don’t live the spiritual lives we vvant to live. We experience

only a tiny portion of what our possibilities are. W hen we hear that chanting
bestovvs the highest goal - love of Godhead - we become inspired! But
when we realise hovv far away we are from that goal we often lose our initial
enthusiasm and our japa or hirtana becomes something we do only out of
duty. Thus vvhen we chant it’s by rote rather than feeling. Moreover, ever
so subtly, we begin to lose hope that attaining our spiritual goal is even
possible. As a result, we seek material things, vvhich vve try to justify or
hide, so that there is at least a bit of excitement in our lives!

But it is possible for us to close the gap betvveen imperfection and

perfection! It is possible to exit the hamster vvheel of mechanical chanting!
And it is possible for us to become self-realised souls fully alive in Krsna
consciousness. Truly!
 INTRODUCTION | 1 3

The one thing that dramatically changes everything - the switch that
turns on the light - is chanting the Holy Name m th taste and devotion. This
book is my humble attempt to help practitioners do this and gain genuine
spiritual realisation.

Thus, this book is meant to be experiential. If read with the intention to

apply its insight, it will, undoubtedly, give rise to new experiences. The
timeless practices introduced here vvill work for you just as they have done
for countless persons to date...

Use this book as a tool to introspect, ask questions and adopt a fresh
perspective and practice. From vvherever you are, you vvill need to leave
something behind and take up something nevv in order to reach the next stage.

I vvould like to add that if you actually take these teachings to heart
much more vvill happen than just improving your practice: your contact
vvith Krsna vvill increase from moment to moment. It ali begins vvith the
conscious moments in our japa and kirtana. Then, more and more during
the rest of the day Krsna becomes present in your life and nectar seeps
in. The ideal is that vve chant and sing the ma/iā-mantra throughout the
day just because vve appreciate it so much! We don’t vvant to stop nor can
vve. Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu famously said, ‘While you eat, vvhile you’re
avvake, and vvhile you sleep, only utter Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.’1

We vvant to become completely absorbed in Krsna through chanting vvith

taste. This is pure Krsna consciousness. Mahāprabhu has praised chanting
as the parama upāya, the highest and most feasible means to attain love of
Godhead. O ur goal is reached vvhen the Holy Name takes us to the spiritual
platform, never to return. On this platform, our consciousness is śuddha -
pure, buddha - avvakened, and mukta - freed from māyā's illusions.

Chanting vvith Taste - Two Examples

Arjuna is called Gudākeśa, the conqueror of sleep, because even in his sleep
he chants Krsna, Krsna, Krsna. He alvvays has the Holy Name in his mind
and on his tongue, and this happens vvhen Krsna bestovvs the blessings of
pure Krsna consciousness. This marks the end of material existence and
the beginning of an eternal life full of bliss and knovvledge!1

1 S»i Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 28.28, paraphrased.

14 | THE LIVING NAME

I observed something similar in my spiritual master, Śrlla Prabhupāda,

when he visited us in Germany in 1974. I was interested to find out what
he did in his private time. How did he act behind closed doors?

On a day vvhen I knew he was taking a short nap, I scaled the wall of
the old castle where we were ali staying and climbed onto the balcony. The
window to Śrlla Prabhupāda’s quarters was half open, and he was lying
on his bed - his face turned in my direction. His eyes were closed. He was
clearly asleep... but his lips were moving!

My breath stopped vvhen I heard him softly chanting 4Hare Krsna, Hare
Krsna’ on and on. I could not believe my ears and eyes: he was chanting
in his sleep! In breathless suspense I listened for some time. Then ali of a
sudden one eye opened and sent a very bright, clear glance in my direction,
saying ‘Your time is up!’ I bovved dovvn quickly and scurried away.

The next day Śrlla Prabhupāda told a guest: ‘I have not come to teach you
philosophy. I have come simply to askyou to chant, pu ñ fyyo u r consciousness
and realiseyour spiritual position.’ He seemed to indicate that one can come
quite quickly to this level.

Perhaps the greatest discovery in my own life vvas vvhen I became avvare
that the Absolute Truth is not an ‘it’ (an object) but a He - a subject, a
person. That changed everything. He thinks, feels and vvills in unlimited
vvays and everything He vvills is immediately fulfilled by one of His many
energies vvithout any difficulty. He is thus very much alive!

Of ali Krsna’s various energies, one reigns supreme: His krpā-śakti,

mercy-energy. Out of love, Krsna comes to this vvorld in the form of His
Holy Name, making Himself easily accessible to even conditioned souls.
Let us joyfully join the great saints and the sacred Vedas and vvelcome Him
again and again vvith a full ārati ceremony. Let us bovv dovvn and vvorship
His lotus feet by chanting His Name vvith affectionate respect. Let us hope
that He vvill be pleased to intensify our attachm ent to Him.

Connecting to Krsna, relating to His Holy Name as a person, and

recognising our chanting as a necessary practice, vvill make ali the
difference. Your chanting vvill be infused vvith life. Thus, you vvill meet the
titled personality of this book: the Living Name.
 INTRODUCTION | 15

MEETING THE LIVING NAME

Let me ask you a simple question: ‘W hen are you alive?’
A possible ansvver: when spiritual energy - the life-force - is at work. W hen
this energy leaves, the body is dead.

In the Śri Marinama Cintāmani (2.35) ŚrTla Bhaktivinoda Thākura

explains that in this world of life and death only two spiritual entities exist:
individual souls and the Holy Name of Lord Krsna. The art of chanting is
to bring the two together. Ali else is lifeless matter.

The Holy Name is always alive but the soul becomes spiritually alive
only when it actually meets the Holy Name and chants in that špirit.
Othenvise the soul is like a spark out of fire. Almost dead. Mechanical
chanting, where we are absent-minded, will not work for we only meet the
shadow of the Holy Name - not the real Living Name.

In this book you will find timeless teachings, tips and meditations that
will help you connect vvith the actual Living Name. There is a progressive
development in chanting where higher and higher stages avvait the chanter
- each one bestovving different kinds of spiritual delights as the Holy Name
unfolds more and more of His excellences and qualities. And then finally
the greatest mystery will be revealed: that the Holy Name is absolutely
identical with the Divine Couple. No difference.

In one sense, that is the end of the journey. In another, it is only the
beginning of yet another journey of divine love vvith śuddha-nāma, the pure
Holy Name.

A note specifically about japa: the spiritual practice of japa chanting is

ordinarily counted as one of the practices of dhyāna (meditation), hence
the term jupa-m editation.’

In the Gaud!ya tradition, hovvever, kirtana, or glorification aloud, takes

precedence over silent meditation. So, vvhile other traditions chant their
japa silently - vvithin their minds - Gaudlya Vaisnavas chant softly or
sometimes vvhen devotional feelings take over, even loudly. Thus, elements
of kirtana and specifically the audible utterance of the Holy Names have
carried into japa meditation.
16 I THE LIVING NAME

Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura speaks about audible japa in his Bāul Sañgit:

My dear mind, you chant japa on your mālā m thin your mind.
But why do you cease to chant japa extemally or audibly,
bāhya? When one performs bhajana [devotional Service] m thin
the mind, and prema Ipure love ojGodhead] factually rises
internally, then also the external body becomes pervaded by those
symptoms. Therefore the body may rock and sway vvhi/e one
incessantly turns their japa beads.
(Bāul Sañgit, Song 8)

Let me also humbly address those well-practiced chanters among my

readers. There is a legend about a warrior who approached a master of
martial arts for instruction. This warrior had fought in many battles. His
arrovvs would rarely fail. Convinced that he only needed to enhance his
existing skills he thought his training would be brief. Much to his surprise,
the master told him, ‘I can teach you how to shoot by using mantras, thereby
helping you unleash povvers much beyond vvhat you have at present. But
I wish to inform you that your training will take double the usual time
because first you will have to unlearn everything you know...’

This may apply to some of my readers who have chanted for a long time.
If you wish to reach new heights, you may need to question and overturn
your current practice. Śrlla Prabhupāda emphasised how important it is to
be introspective so that we can recognise and improve our chanting habits:

For persons vvho are not inclined to clean the dust Jrom their
hearts, and vvho vvant to keep things as they are, it is not possible
to derive the transcendental result of chanting the Hare Krsna
mahā-mantra. One should therefore be encouraged to develop
his Service attitude tovvards the Lord because that will help him
to chant m thout any offence.
(The Nectar of Devotion, ch. 12)

To reform poor chanting habits that have become entrenched in our

practice is a Service to Krsna and we hope The Living Name might help in
this. You can revievv your practices as you read and vvhenever beneficial
make the appropriate adjustments.
 INTRODUCTION 7

How Long Does it Take?

A verse in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa States that after many lifetimes one who is
very fortunate will always chant the Name of Acyuta - the infallible Lord.
Does it really have to take so long? ...N ot always!

By the blessings and instructions of a pure devotee things that seem out
of reach can become attainable. In 1969 in Hamburg, Śrlla Prabhupāda was
asked by a young man in the audience, ‘Is it at ali possible for someone
to come to the level of full Krsna consciousness in one lifetime?’ Śrlla
Prabhupāda’s ansvver was brief, ‘It is possible in one second, provided you
are serious. There is no formula vvhich States “after so and so many years”
one vvill be Krsna conscious. One may not become Krsna conscious even
after millions of births. But if you take it seriously, you can become Krsna
conscious vvithin this life [...] If one simply chants “Hare Krsna, Hare
Krsna” he is sure to become perfect. There is no doubt. Simply if you chant
this mantra, “Hare Krsna,” oh, there is no doubt about it.’

I am totally convinced that by following the guidance given in this book,

vvhich has been mined from Śrlla Prabhupāda’s teachings and the scriptures
he has given us, anyone can come to a level of full Krsna consciousness.1

1 vvish you a vvonderful journey vvith the Holy Name!

1 8 | THE LIVING NAME

ABOUT TH1S BOOK

In the coming chapters we will explore the follovving five foundational
practices for chanting the Holy Names and provide practical exercises for
maximum absorption in both japa and kirtana.

1. C hanting in
YOJANA

2. C hanting in
SAMBANDHA

3. C hanting in
SEVĀ

4. C hanting in
VIPRALAMBHA

5. C hanting in
ŚARANĀGATI

Each chapter contains practices that take you to deeper levels of chanting.
U is best to start reading and applying the book chapter by chapter, from
the beginning. Once you finish the book, you may like to go back to a
chapter to explore a specific practice further.

W hen I recommend meditational exercises, my goal is not to introduce

meditation for meditation šake. No. My goal is merely to help you become
present, aware and connected so that you can end mind-less and heart-less
chanting. I often encourage my audience, ‘Please, space in - don’t space
out!’

W hen mindful chanting is achieved, meditation might retreat to the

background or leave the stage entirely. It is our dynamic chanting that will
take and establish you on the spiritual platform.
 INTRODUCTION | 19

Śrlla Prabhupāda talked extensively about inethods for mind and sense
control. These are not an end in themselves but meant to help one absorb
the mind in Visnu or Krsna. W hen they help us do this they are vvelcome;
though when one can do this vvithout their help - ali the better.

As stated in the Bhagavad-gitā [8.8] it is said that one must

practice the breathing exercise (abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena). By
virtue oj these processes oj control, the mind cannot wander
to external thoughts. Thus one can fix his mind constantly on
the Supreme Personality of Godhead and can attain (yāti)
Him... If one concentrates his mind on hearing and chanting
Hare Krsna, the same result is achieved.
(Srimad-Bhāgavatam 3.28.9, purport)

1 leave it to the respected reader to decide hovv much he or she vvishes

to adopt these standard meditative practices for entry into deeper levels of
absorption. These can be seen as optional practices to be used when we
desire some freshness in our japa; they don’t have to become regular practice.

Lastly, it is essential that you enter the mood of a receiver rather

than achiever. While performing any spiritual practice, we have to train
ourselves to do this because ultimately the secrets of Krsna consciousness
are gifts given by Krsna. This means we have to attract the mercy of Krsna.
Tvvo practical steps for entering the right mood and attracting Krsna are:

1) open yourself up to higher guidance and watch readily for the

little hints that come your way
2) patiently endure the ups and downs as you enter nevv territories.

Exercising patience also means not to expect Krsna to reveal Himself in

the way you want. If you gratefully accept vvhatever comes, you vvill get
much more than you expect and often through unexpected avenues.

As Śrlla Prabhupāda says ‘The Lord is all-powerful and in His presence

anything can be made possible by His inconceivable energy.’2*

* Srimad-Bhāgavatam 1.11.27, purport.

2 0 | THE LIVING NAME

UTILISING THIS BOOK

Let me say it again: the goal of this book is not to give information but
bring about transformation. And from the reader this requires ‘active
participation.’ If someone only wants to be informed, ali he has to do is
collect the information. Hovvever, if someone wishes to have an experience
that helps him or her move forvvard in spiritual life then application and
practice are required. Therefore, I will introduce to you helpful principles
of active learning through exercises within or at the end of chapters.

Active learning means to learn something through an activity. Analysing,

evaluating, discussing, \vriting, and problem-solving, for example, are
ali good active learning exercises. These help you to immediately apply
whatever you have learned.

The principles of active learning date back to the ancient Upanisads.

According to the Brhad-āranyaka Upanisad, learning that leads to realisation
is done in three steps: śravana, manana, and nididhyāsana.

The definition of śravana is to hear and learn from a competent, live

teacher in a consistent and systematic way over a prolonged period of time.
After hearing on a subject, one needs to practise manana: to ask ‘what does
this mean?’ and reflect upon this until there are no doubts left. The final
stage of the learning process is nididhyāsana - deep, profound meditation.
This can best be accomplished by meditating on how to utilise the
teachings and then applying them. By such application one engages with
the teachings and assimilates them so that he ‘owns’ them. This requires
repeated meditation on the teachings and repeated application. Even if we
fail seven times - the eighth time vve will succeed! Thus, śravana can be
compared with bringing food to the mouth, manana with chevving it and
nididhyāsana vvith svvallovving and digesting it.

As Vaisnavas we add one more learning element - vandanam or praying.

By turning to the Lord for help even the daunting task of focusing our
restless mind becomes easily possible!

This is how one learns anything. It is different from gathering information.

Therefore, I humbly request you to fully participate by doing the exercises
given in this book.
 INTRODUCTION | 21

To end, I pray this book does not become yet another book on your
bookshelf which you forget ali about after you finish reading it. 1 will not
see my Service as effective if I only hear T han k you. Wonderful book.’ No,
the success of my Service will be if in half a year you say ‘I am a changed
person... I am novv an ecstatic person who deeply experiences spiritual
life!’

And please don’t forget:

because regular practice will take you from imperfection to perfection.

 CHAPTER 1

YOJANA
Aligning the Body,
Mind and Heart in Chanting
24 | CHAPTER 1

The essential truth is that we can chant properly and easily if we have ruci,
taste. Ruci, hovvever, is dependent on purity of the heart. Someone who
is pure at heart loves to chant, vvhile someone whose heart is occupied
with many other desires and attachments finds it difficult to chant vvith
concentration. It’s that straightforward. This internal purity is the result
of spiritual practice usually performed over a prolonged period of time in
the association of devotees. Is there any method that can help accelerate
the process?

Yes! We have to learn to befu lly present and absorb ourselves entirely
vvhile chanting.

This povverful and transformative practice invites the Holy Name to

vvork His vvonders and quickly purify us. But if we are absent, like someone
who is not at home, the Holy Name cannot vvork on our hearts because ‘our
heart is not in it.’

The method to bring us to a State of presence is called yojana. In Sanskrit,

yojana means to connect, join, harness or yoke. It comes from the verbal
root ‘yuj’ vvhich is also the verbal root o f‘yoga.’ The best English translation
for yojana is alignment.

But vvhat is to be connected and joined up? The ansvver is body, mind
and heart!
 YOJANA | 25

THE CONCEPT OF ALIGNMENT

The term alignment comes from the French word aligner, which means
‘to line up.’ The English translation is ‘to arrange things in their proper
position.’

Think of a sports car; it can speed down a highway if the vvheels, gears,
cylinders, fuel, etc., are in their proper position. These elements work
seamlessly only when they are fixed in their appropriate place. Then, and
only then, locomotion can take place. If oil or vvater is filled in the gas tank
instead of fuel then the car won’t move.

Another example of alignment is yoga āsanas. You can experience the

full benefits of yoga and enter the ‘yoga-zone’ when your body posture,
movement and breathing are ali synchronised. Yoga positions become
laborious or ineffectual when one moves, thinks and breathes out of
alignment.

We must begin to think like this in our chanting practice. We should

place our mind, body and heart in their proper positions so we achieve
optimal concentration and chant with deep devotional feelings. This vvill
attract the Holy Name to reveal Himself more and more because he notices
our efforts to please Him.

Taking the effort to align ourselves is our invitation to the Holy Name.
W hen our home is in disarray, it’s not fit to receive a guest. Only vvhen we
make order is it attractive for the guest to stay. Similarly, when our body,
mind and heart are in disarray, Krsna has no proper place to stay.

Aligning our emire sādhana śarira (vehicle for spiritual practice) helps
us to fully immerse ourselves in the sound vibration of the Holy Name. We
can thus approach the Lord on the altar of our heart and invite Him to stay
with us.
 YOJANA | 2 7

THE THREE TEMPLE GATES -

AN ANALOGY
The Śrl Rañgam temple in South India has three distinct gates called
gopuras. W hen one wants to enter the temple to take darśana (see the Deity
and be seen by the Deity), one has to cross the first gate and pass through
the outer walls that surround the temple. Then comes an inner wall vvith
another gate. And finally, the innermost wall and one last gate. Only after
passing through these three gates, can a person štand before the sanctum
sanctorum - the room where the Deity of Lord Rañganātha resides.

To approach the Lord of the heart, we also have to pass through three
gates: by preparing the body, mind and heart. We have to learn to gradually
tune inward by aligning ourselves while we chant. lf we do so, we have
done everything in our human povver to approach the Lord for His darśana.

It is important to note that the final gate, the very door to the altar,
cannot be opened by human power... It can only be opened by the mercy
of the Lord. It svvings open from the inside. Thus the revelation of Krsna
is purely His mercy and not the result of applying a technique - no matter
how good that technique looks in our eyes.

ALIGNING THE BODY

W hen we begin our chanting of the Holy Name, either in japa or in kirtana,
we must start by aligning our body. That is the first gate to open. It is said
that both prayer and japa are best done sitting down. Śrlla Prabhupāda
would frequently admonish us: ‘Sit properly!*

Why? Because posture is so important!

There vvas once a very happy sādhu who tried to help a man who čame to
him for counsel. This man was always depressed and sad. He had developed
a habit of hunching over with his head dropped downward and shoulders
slumped forward. No matter how the sādhu tried, he could not help lift this
man’s spirits. One day when the man returned to the sādhu, he was surprised
to find the sādhu hunched over like himself proclaiming with excitement, 7t
works! It works! Vm also becoming depressed../
2 8 | CHAPTER 1

Bodily posture strongly influences our State of mind. In the case of a

conditioned soul, body and mind are entvvined. If you simply bring your
body into the upright sitting position the mind will calm a little and it
becomes easier to chant. On the other hand, when the body is slumped
over the mind is often restless.

Sometimes chanters pače back and forth. This is good vvhen one is tired,
but for concentration, sitting is better. W hen you chant japa, try to sit up
as much as you’re able, and vvhen you chant kirtana try to sit (or dance
gracefully) as much as you’re able.

Aligning the body also includes making an effort to use and focus the
voice on clearly pronouncing each Name. This invites the Holy Name to
be present in its entirety, syllable by syllable. This is so important because
a truncated mantra does not have the same strength as the complete one.
Vedic scriptures illustrate this vvith stories of chanters vvho mispronounce
their mantra and achieved the opposite to their desired result. That said,
it is also true that Krsna is not pedantic. He appreciates our intention just
as a father is pleased by the broken, grammatically imperfect vvords of his
child. But shouldn’t we grovv up? It is a sign of love to give attention to the
beloved and this includes taking the time and effort to address Him nicely
vvithout leaving out parts of His Name.

After proper enunciation, we must also listen carefully to the utterance

of the Lord’s Names. Again and again Śrlla Prabhupāda instructed us
to hear ourselves chant the mantra. At first this may seem like a yogic
concentration technique, but actually it is an act of devotion to give ali
one’s attention to Krsna in the form of His Holy Name. You vvill also find
that listening vvith rapt attention vvill help focus your mind avvay from
distracting thoughts.

In my ovvn experience, each round of japa takes roughly six minutes.

But just as vve each have an individual pulse, vve also have different times
in vvhich vve complete one round of concentrated japa. To pače yourself
accordingly, you can sometimes look at a vvatch. If you have finished
one round in three minutes, it’s likely you have not chanted ali the 108
mantras. And if you needed tvventy minutes it’s likely you fell asleep or
became distracted.
 YOJANA | 2l )

In summary
Alignment of the body has three elements:

1) POSTURE: sit straight for better concentration

2) PRONUNCIATION: clearly utter the Holy Names
3) LISTEN: hear the Names as They enter your ears.

ALIGNING THE MIND

O ur Western civilisation has been remarkably successful in strengthening
the influence of ripus - the inner enemies of the conclitioned soul. These
enemies, which make the mind untamed, are the lusty desires to enjoy
as much as we can lay our hands on. Dr Cornell West, the American
philosopher and scholar, shared vvith Rādhānāth Swami in an intervievv:
‘We live in an age of mass distraction vveapons.’3

The mind regularly cheats us with misguided perceptions of reality. We

become lost in inessential things that we believe to be a priority or necessity,
and endlessly flit between what we want and don’t want, forever changing
our minds vvithout reason or warning. We have become sick vvith the speed
of our mind and spoiled by a hectic and frantic inner environment.

Cursed by the illusory energy we fluctuate betvveen past happenings

remembered as happy or sad, and future fantasies projected to give
happiness or distress. The mind is a specialist in stevving on vvhat he said,
vvhat she did, vvhat he really meant by doing that, vvhat we clicl and didn’t do
moments ago, days ago, vveeks ago, and years ago... It is equally proficient
at anticipating vvhat vviH he do next? W hat vvi/l I do next as a result? W hat
if her plan vvorks out? Or, vvhat if it doesn’t vvork out? W hat about my plan?

Thus, vve are either in the past or in the future; but right novv, vve are
not here... Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thākura captures this sentiment in his poem
Sāragrahi Vaisnava:

J Interview at Princeton University on April 19, 2011.

 3 0 I CHAPTER 1

Forget the past that sleeps

and the future dream at ali
but act in times that are vvith thee
and progress thee shall call.

It is critical we train our minds in deep concentration, or mindfulness. Be

in the novv because in reality, real true life happens in the present moment.
We only have the present time to live. We only have some authority over
the moment right now. Why should we be ruled by things of the past or the
unknow n future? We have a chance to be with Krsna - right novv! Practice
being in the present with each Name you chant! Bhakti only happens in
the present.

If we are not aligned in this way, we will go through life but not notice the
lessons placed before us. We will see but not recognise. We vvill be dishevelled
and ali over the place. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone
who is constantly receiving phone calls? It’s not possible to enter into any deep
topics because his mind is dispersed. Krsna also cannot communicate with us
if our mind is ali over the material world. He can’t enter our heart if we have
given it to other things... Be with the chanting by bringing your mind to it.
Wherever the mind vvanders due to its restless nature, bring it back.

There is a famous archery contest described in the Mahābhārata vvhere

Dronācārya, the great teacher of the Pāndavas and Kauravas, called ali his
students to demonstrate their shills. He requested them to shoot an arrovv into
the eye of a vvooden bird placed elusively at the top of a tree. He first asked
Duryodhana to try his luch, then Yudhisthira, and after him, ali the other
young princes. But before permitting them to release their arrovvs, he asked
each of them to describe what they saw after they had taken aim.

Each hopeful archer described how they could see the tree, leaves, the bird,
other students, their teacher, and so on. Dronācārya \vas not pleased and
forbade ali of them from attempting to hit the mark. Finally, he called for
Arjuna and asked him \vhat he sa\v. Arjuna readied himself to shoot, just as the
others did, and replied: 7 see only the eye of the bird/

‘What about the tree, your brothers, ali of us?, probed the teacher. ‘Right novv
I see only the eye of the bird/ replied Arjuna. Dronācārya commanded, T ire 1/

What was the point of the test? Dronācārya vvanted to teach the importance
of focus. When you are focused on your goal and your mind is deeply fixed
 YOJANA | 31

on that goal, the rest of the body aligns itself. The same holds true for
chanting the Holy Name. Our goal is to be utterly present when we chant.

In the context of kirtana, to align the mind means to listen both to the lead
singer, and to yourself as you repeat after him. Because most of us identify
so deeply vvith the content of the mind, in some ways, kirtana means to
lose the mind in order tofind it. Lose the material mind, and find your Krsna
conscious mind. This means to consciously svvitch off distracting thoughts
and replace them with thoughts of Krsna.

To do that, we have to practice the essence of mental focus: return the

mind to the chanting whenever it drifts away. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-
gitā (6.26):
yatoyato niścalati
manaś cañcalam asthiram
latas tato niyamyaitad
ātmany eva vaśam nayet
From vv/ierever the mind wanders due to its Jlickeñng
and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdra\v it
and bring it back under the control of the self.

In summary
To align the mind means to:

1) relinquish thoughts of the past and future, and focus on

being utterly present

2) keep bringing your attention back to hearing the Holy

Names. Don’t despair if the mind still vvanders; just learn
to catch it and bring it back. It is something one needs to
practice... relentlessly.

Śrlla Prabhupāda reiterated the solution vvith encouraging vvords,

‘W hat is controlling of the mind? You have to chant and hear.
That’s ali. You have to chant vvith your tongue and hear the sound.
That’s ali. W hat is the question of the mind?’41

1 Morning walk, Febmary 3, 1975, Ha\vaii.

32 I CHAPTER 1

ALIGNING THE HEART

The third and final gate we have to cross is to bring a heart full of devotional
feelings to our practice. How?

We begin by thinking about the Lord vvhose name we are chanting.

Though as soon as we try to think about Krsna as someone whom we need
we will find other concerns flood into our heart. Longings for partners,
grand homes, gadgets, money, fame, adoration, prestige and luxury, etc.
torment us our vvhole lives. But if we churn ali these desires to their ćore,
we vvill find under the surface is the need for love, shelter, stabililty,
appreciation, comfort, safety, etc. And underneath these is our true need
for Krsna. He is the only one who can satisfy ali these needs. ln fact it is
our primeval longing for Him that has become substituted for these lesser
superficial things. Therefore, we connect to our devotional heart when we
understand, ‘Krsna, I only really vvant You! Only with You will I truly be
happy...’

Recovering our Lost Heart

We ali know about our material heart: the organ vvhich pumps blood
throughout our body. We also have an emotional heart: the residence for
feelings of friendship, community, happiness, integrity, love, inner peace,
as well as pain and loss. There is, however, a third, and often overlooked,
heart. This is the most important heart of ali: the spiritual heart. It is vvhere
our true, eternal self resides.

Unfortunately, during the course of our daily activities in the present

world, this heart can easily get covered over. U is as good as lost, and
critical to uncover and revive because only with a healthy spiritual heart
can our spiritual life flourish. If the spiritual heart is unhealthy we are as
good as dead spiritually.

So how to locate and revive our spiritual heart?

 YOJANA | 33

We must enter into a devotional relationship with Krsna. The third heart
is built to experience and express love in spiritual relationships that are
being actively nourished. Mechanical practice, inspired by a sense of duty
or fear of what will happen to us if we don’t do ali that is described in
scripture, will not really help us enter the life-giving realm we long for.
Only a vibrant devotional relationship can impress the Lord to exchange
with us and ansvver our longings. Reaching out to Krsna with feeling will
flip the switch to the dynamic life we envision in bhakti, and thus our three
hearts are satisfied.

It is from this deepest place vvithin our spiritual heart that we should
chant in japa or kirtana vvith everything weVe got, begging the Divine
Couple for Service. In this way, we can sincerely turn to Their Lordships
and address Them vvith devotion.

There is a beautiful prayer vvhere a devotee begs for such spontaneous

devotional feelings: ‘J ust as young men desire young ladies, and young
ladies desire young men, my dear Lord, may my mind be attracted to You.’5
This is the feeling that devotees exprcss vvhen they vvant to let go of old
karmic impressions and desires that infest the entrance to their spiritual
heart. We should yearn to clear the passageway into the temple of the
heart vvhere vve vvill find our real self-expression and spiritual vvillpovver. If
vve follovv that path Krsna vvill immediately become attentive, V h , here is
someone calling out to Me. I must adopt him under my care. He is now mine. .. ’

Krsna responds vvhen vve call Him vvith our hearts vvide open. Even if
our heart is closed before chanting, it vvill open if vve really chant the very
best vve can from our spiritual heart.

5 Padma Purana, quoted in Bhahti-rasđmrta-sindhu 1.2.153.

34 | CHAPTER 1

In summary
To align the heart means to

1) become conscious of our need for Krsna

2) revive our spiritual heart by reaching out to Krsna in our
chanting
3) beg for mercy, and specifically for Service and shelter.

A crucial help in aligning the body, mind and heart is not to

interrupt your chanting. No more multitasking during japa or
klrtana. We must rehabilitate ourselves. Can you have a good
conversation with someone who keeps interrupting the flow by
making phone calls? Impossible... Therefore, stay with the Holy
Name without spoiling the flow. At the very least, finish each
round before you tend to other things. Don’t let the mind steal
away our opportunity for spiritual transformation.

THE LAST DOOR OPENS

After ali our efforts to align ourselves, will the Holy Name reveal Himself
automatically?

The simple ansvver: the revelation comes when Krsna, out of His great
mercy, spontaneously decides. We have to wait for it, just as we wait for
the final gate of Lord Rañganātha’s temple to be opened from the inside.

The gates of Vaikuntha are guarded with heavy, sharp spears that have
turned away many yogis back to the material world. No gatecrasher has
ever been successful in forcing his way into the spiritual vvorld. Similarly,
we cannot force the Lord to reveal Himself.

The Holy Name, Rādhā and Krsna, will reveal Themselves only when
and how They choose to do so. There is no technique or skill we can learn
that will make Krsna appear in our hearts. We can do vvhatever is in our
3 6 | CHAPTER 1

power to push the door open but it will uncloubtedly remain closed until
it is opened from inside.

However, from our side, we can create the most favourable situation
we can by aligning our body, mind and heart to show the Lord that we are
eager to receive Him. Then, we pray to Gaura-Nitāi or Rādhā and Krsna
that by Their mercy the Holy Name reveals the Truth.

It may appear there is a contradiction here: we hear we have to make

an effort to align body, mind and heart but we know that even the greatest
endeavour cannot make Krsna reveal Himself. This apparent contradiction
is resolved by one of the sweet principles of bhakti: Te yathā mām
prapadyante: To the degree someone surrenders unio Me, I shall reward him
accordingly *

Don’t be a passionate achiever; instead, become a grateful receiver. These

are the fundamental poles of Vaisnava practice. Never hesitate to go ali the
way because the Lord always lies beyond our endeavour. In other words,
‘Give your best and let Krsna do the rest!’ W ith our best endeavours we
show how much we really care and seek to obtain Krsna’s mercy, feeling
completely.dependent on His will for divine revelation.6

6 Bhagavad-gitā 4.11.
 EXERCISES 8c PRACTICAL APPLICATION YOJANA | 3 7

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Please try these exercises and if they prove helpful incorporate them into
your regular practice.

ALIGN1NG THE BODY

To align the body for chanting means to:

sit with the spine erect

pronounce the mahā-mantra clearly
listen attentively and capture the sound with yoūr ears.

EXERCISE 1
Proper Sitting
As we have discussed, our posture has a huge influence on our mind,
and thus our ability to concentrate. The ācāryas have advised to chant
vvhile seated, especially for japa. This makes it easier to chant with deep
absorption.

It is recommended in theyoga scripture that one should put

the soles of the feet between the two thighs and ankles and sit
straight; that posture will help one to concentrate his mind on
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(Sñmad-Bhāgavatam 3 . 2 8 .2 8 , p u r p o r t )
3 8 | CHAPTER 1 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPUCATION

These steps will help you achieve peak form:

Step 1 Come to a peaceful position by using a cushion on the floor or

sitting on a chair.

Step 2 Sit tali, with spine erect. Imagine you are a puppet pulled gently
upwards by a string fastened to the back of your head. You will
feel your head moving slightly upward. Then slightly tuck in your
chin. Also imagine a line pulling your spine tovvards the centre of
the earth - thus making you long and tali. Hovvever, keep a relaxed
inward bend in the lower back.

Step 3 Open your shoulders by rolling them back in circles. On an inhale,

move your shoulders up, almost touching your ears. On an exhale,
move your shoulders backwards, down and away from your ears.
Repeat this 10 times, synchronising your breathing. Now, reverse
the movement: on an inhale, move your shoulders up and to the
front. Once you almost reach your ears, start to exhale while
moving vour shoulders to the front, down and away from your
ears. Again perform 10 cycles.

Do a final check: if your shoulders are leaning forvvard, gently pull them
back. The point is to sit tali.
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAl APPLICATION YOJANA | 3 9

Now you are sitting completely straight. The prāna vvithin your body
can flow freely through you, and bring more oxygen to your brain. In this
position, you will be able to focus your mind on the sound of the tnahā-
mantra with greater ease. As you chant, from time to time it is good to
readjust your sitting posture according to these instructions.

For those vvho practice yoga it will be easy to sit in the padmāsana (lotus
posture) or ardha padmāsana (half-lotus posture). It is known to be the
best sitting posture to calm and stabilise the mind because the spine aligns
properly, and breathing is unobstructed and deep, which is necessary for
a focused and meditative State of mind. This posture enables the mind to
withdraw from the world of sense perception and turn invvard.

EXERCISE 2
Pronunciation and Listening
While chanting, be avvare of your pronunciation: use both your lips and
your tongue to produce clear sound. If you vibrate the mantra consciously
and chant vvith your heart then it becomes much easier to concentrate. Try
not to skip a mantra or any syllables. Stay focused on the sound.

Step 1 Sit properly. Pronounce each Name in the mantra clearly.

Step 2 Begin chanting at a slow pače; hearing each mantra carefully.

Step 3 Try to ‘catch’ the sound vibration of the mahđ-mantra. As Śrlla

Prabhupāda said, ‘J ust try to hear yourself chant sincerely.’

Step 4 Once you are focused on hearing, you may chant at your usual
speed.

Step 5 W henever you notice that your concentration fails you and your
mind wanders off from listening to each mantra, just slow your
chanting pače and again focus on hearing.
4 0 | CHAPTER 1 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

A personal tip: from time to time you might like to amplify the sound of
your chanting in the follovving way: bring your left palm close to your left
ear and touch the tip of your ear with the tips of your fingers; then turn
your head slightly to the left so that your ear bends inward; then chant as
if speaking privately with someone. You will hear the sound of the mahā-
mantra very clearly. Just by giving your best to pronounce the mantra
properly, you will immediately notice how attentive you are to hearing
each sacred syllable.

ALIGNING THE MIND

Since attentive chanting requires a controlled mind - no easy goal - we
give you three exercises to help you in this endeavour. Try each exercise
and see which one works best for you.

EXERCISE 1
The First Hare
Capturing the wandering mind is an art. One effective technique is to focus
the mind on the first Hare of each maha-mantra. This is how it works:

W hen chanting, focus ali your attention on the first Hare so it becomes
a door through vvhich you enter the flow of the emire mantra. Again and
again, try to bring your full attention to the first Hare.

After you succeed in this, try to place your attention on the other parts
of the mantra until you are able to concentrate on the complete mantra.
Practice bringing the mantra into your mind and your mind into the mantra.
Dhyānacandra Gosvvami vvrites about this beautifully in his Paddhati:

The mantra should first be placed into the sādhaka’s7

heart. Then the mind should befirmly placed into the
ćore of the mantra. When oneys mind is thus absorbed
totally in the mantra that is the symptom of real japa.

7 A sādhaka is a practitioner of bhakti.

 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION YOJANA | 41

In simple words - practice immersing yourself into the natural flow of

the mantra. It is like entering a gentle, flovving river. You step into the
river and the river moves you forward. Focus on the first Hare, keep your
attention there, and let the mantra take you along its own sweet flow.

Overleaf you will find an illustration of this step by step immersion into
the river of the Holy Name.

Step 1 Sit properly, as you’ve learned in previous steps.

Step 2 Start to chant slowly. Focus on hearing the first Hare of the
ma/iā-mantra.

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare,

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

And again, focus on the first Hare.

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare,

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Imagine the ma/iū-mantra to be a river flovving by. By focusing on the first

Hare you enter this river knee-deep.

Step 3 Now focus your attention on hearing the other Names of the
mahā-mantra as vvell.

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare,

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

This is you immersing yourself in the river.

Step 4 Now let yourself ‘float’ in the river freely. Ease your efforts
to concentrate and let the mantra ‘move you.’ The follovving
painting vvill help you to internalise this practice.
tm k im
 EXERClSES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION YOJANA | 4 3

EXERCISE 2
Breath Control and Meditation on the Lord
We will use prānāyāma from the Sfimad-Bhāgavatam to focus the mind. In
ali spiritual traditions there is information on how the mind is influenced
by breathing. Śrlla Prabhupāda generally advised to control the mind by
concentrating it on the lotus feet of Krsna or hearing and chanting Hare
Krsna. Therefore, 1 want to recommend to my readers to use the follovving
techniques only if it helps focus the restless mind.

In the Third Canto of Śrimad-Bhāgavatam, Lord Kapiladeva teaches that

breath control helps control the mind. Śrlla Prabhupāda writes beautiful
purports to illuminate how this vvorks, referring to pūraka, recaka and
kumbhaka - inhaling, exhaling and holding the breath. The follovving is
an example:

In Bhagavad-gitā [8.8] it is said that one must practice the

breathing exercise (abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena). By virtue of
these processes of control, the mind cannot wander to extemal
thoughts (cetasā nānya-gāminā). Thus one can fix his mind
constantly on the Supreme Personality of Godhead and can
attain (yāti) Him.
(Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 3 .2 8 .9 , p u r p o r t )

The actual text of the same verse details how these breathing exercises can
be executed.

First he should inhale very deeply, then hold the breath in, and
fm ally exhale. .. This is done so that the mind may become
steady and free from external disturbances.
(Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 3 .2 8 .9 )

Most of us breathe vvithout ever investing a single thought into how we

breathe. The breathing happens to us. There is, hovvever, a simple breathing
exercise that focuses the mind and increases avvareness. If we can practice
this and fill the mind vvith devotional content, thinking ourselves as part of
Krsna, our chanting vvill improve tremendously.
44 | CHAPTER 1 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Step 1 Sit with legs crossed8 and palms in the prāna mudra. This is one
of the most im portant mudrās which helps to activate dormant
energies in the body. It strengthens the immune system, improves
eyesight and energises us when we feel fatigued or depressed.

Step 2 Focus on your breathing.

As you inhale, count 1, 2, 3, 4 in your mind
(the inhale should take around 4 seconds).
As you exhale, count 1, 2, 3, 4.
Repeat this step at least 4 times.

Step 3 Inhale again, count 1, 2, 3, 4.

This time as you exhale count, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
(lengthening your exhalation).
Repeat this step at least 4 times.

Step 4 Inhale again, this time without counting.

Then hold your breath for 1-2 seconds or longer.
Exhale vvithout counting.
Repeat this step at least 4 times and find your own rhythm.

Step 5 Fix your mind on the Deity you worship or on any image
of the Lord and chant.
Bring the mind back to listening to the mantra whenever it
vvanders and continue to look at the Deity.

The lotus postute is ideal but other crossed leg postures will also do.
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION YOJANA | 4 5

For those who wish to go further, you may like to fix your concentration
on the Lord in the heart while chanting. Śrlla Prabhupāda once said, The
Hore Krsna mantra chanting means keeping Krsna always within your heart.’9

After we have stilled the mind from its active and vvandering propensities,
we can place the Lord onto the lotus of our heart and chant the Holy
Names, while a) keeping our concentration on the Lord and b) hearing
each mantra. Should the mind vvander off, bring it gently back to the Lord
in the heart and hear each Holy Name.

Step 6 Fix your mind and vital air on the heart space.
There meditate on Lord Śri Krsna:

He has a cheerful, lotus-like countenance,

He has ruddy eyes like the interior of a lotus,
He has a swarthy body like the petals of a blue lotus,
He bears a conch, discus and mace in three of His hands.
(Srimad-Bhāgavatam 3 .2 8 .1 3 )

Step 7 Keeping your mind fixed on the form of the Lord, meditate
on this verse:

The Lord is eternally very beautiful, and He is worshipable

by ali the inhabitants of every planet. He is ever youthful
and always eager to besto\v His blessings upon His devotees.
(Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 3 .2 8 .1 7 )

Step 8 Now chant japa or sing kirtana vvhile keeping your attenlion
on the Lord in the heart, Deity, picture or mental image.
Try to hear each Holy Name.
If the mind wanders off, pull it back gently.

Im portant: let me take this opportunity to remind the kind reader that this
and ali the other meditation techniques are meant to help focus the mind
on the Lord. In the bhakti tradition they are not an end in themselves but a
means to this goal. And like any means they can be exchanged with other
more effective methods or disposed of when the goal is reached. The point
is to bring our full attention to the divine sound of the Holy Name.

9 Śrlla Prabhu[)āda, lecture on Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.10, Gcneva.Jitnc 1, 1974.

4 b | CHAPTER 1 EXERCISE$ & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

EXERCISE 3
Trātaka Meditation
The scriptures teach us another practical exercise to align the mind. It is
called trātaka meditation, and it means fixing the mind by fixing the gaze.

While chanting japa on our beads, we often fix our gaze on the beautiful
form of Krsna through a picture or Deity. The trātaka meditation suggests
fixing your gaze on the written vvords of the Hare Krsna mahā-mantra.

tr m'š. i t
H a re Ktrsn
t • a H a re K •rsn
• oa

K•rsn
• • a K •rsn
o • a H a re H a re

H a re R ā m a H a re R ā m a
R ā m a R a m a H a re H a re

Let your eyes read over each Holy Name as you pronounce it. If you
do this for a while you will observe how your mind aligns. By reading the
written Names in sync with your chanting, you effectively grasp your mind
and consciously pull it to chant. In kirtana, one can also sing and look at
the written Names.
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION YOJANA | 4 7

ALIGNING THE HEART

To evoke devotional feelings, prayers can be read, meditated upon and
carefully absorbed.

EXERCISE 1
Bringing ihe Hean to the Chanting

Step 1 Once again, sit properly.

Step 2 Become avvare of who you are: a soul longing to re-connect with
the Lord. Now, by the practice of chanting you will try to reach
out to the Lord.

Step 3 Focus on a picture or Deity of the Lord and pray:

aghadamana-yaśodānandanau nandasūno
kamalanayana-gopicandra-vrndāvanendrāh
pranatakamna-krsnāv ity aneka-svarūpe
tvayi mama ratir uccair vardhatām nāma-dheya

Oh $ri Harināma, You manifest in many forms, like Aghadamana

(the subduer of the Agha demon), Yaśodānandana (the son of
Yaśodā), Nandasūna (the son ofNanda Mahārāja), Kamalanayana
(the lotus-eyed), Gopicandra (the moon of the gopis), Vrndāvanen-
drāh (the Lord of Vrndāvana), Pranatakaruna (the compassionate
master of the surrendered souls), and Krsna. Oh Holy Name, let
my attachment for You increase more and more.10

Or simply pray,

My dear Rādhā, my dear Krsna, please accept me in Your Service.

Step 4 Now chant in this prayerful mood, while keeping your focus on
the Lord and listening to each mantra.

u)Snla Rupa Goswami, Śii Nāmđstaka 5.

4 8 | CHAPTER 1 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Here are two other vvonderful prayers that can also be used in step 3.
The Padya-pañcaka addresses the Divine Couple, Śri Śrl Rādhā and Krsna.

O master oj Rādhā, I am Yours. O beloved oj Lord Krsna, I am

Yours. I ojjer to both oj You my thoughts, words and deeds. You
two are the goal oj my lije.

0 Śri Śri Rādhā-Krsna, you are like two great oceans

oj mercy. Please be mercijul to me. I take shelter in You.
1 surrender to You. Please engage me, a sinner and ojfender,
in Your Service.
(Padya-pañcaka, fro m Śri Sanat-kumāra-samhitā 1 3 2 -1 3 3 )

There is also the beautiful prayer of Vrtrāsura expressed at the end of his
life. He was a great devotee who, due to an unfortunate mishap, is born in
the body of an āsura - someone who is against Krsna. Despite his extremely
‘unsuitable birth,’ he is still a devotee at heart. The verses express the mood
of one who longs to chant the pure Names of God with a devotional heart.

ajāta-paksā iva mātaram khagāh

stanyam yathā vatsatarāh ksudh-ārtāh
priyam priyeva vvusitam visannā
mano ‘ravindāksa didrksate tvām

0 lotus-eyed Lord, as baby birds that have not yet developed

their \vings always lookjor their mother to retum and Jeed
them, as small calves tied with ropes await anxiously the time
oj milking, when they will be allowed to drink the milk oj their
mothers, or as a morose wije vvhose husband is awayJrom home
always longs Jor him to return and satisjy her in ali respects,
1 always yean\ Jor the opportunity to render direct Service
unto You.
(Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 6 . 1 1 .2 6 )

Imagine the anxious little bird who awaits the mother to feel safe or the
agonised calf thirsty for her m other’s milk or the loving wife pining for
her husband. We are meant to chant for Krsna in the same špirit as these
vivid examples; with increasing devotional longing. This is chanting with
the heart.
 YOJANA | 4 9

Summary of Vojana
We must give our best energy and effort to align body, mind and
heart, in succession. First, we enter the gate of the body, then
the gate of the mind, and finally, the gate of the heart. With our
body, we sit straight and relax our muscles. With our mind, we
concentrate fully on the mantra, bringing the mind back vvhenever
it vvanders. And with our heart, we address Rādhā and Krsna,
infusing devotional feelings into our chanting. Then we w ait...
humbly and patiently, but with eagerness for Rādhā and Krsna
to reveal Themselves. It takes consistent practice! W ith time, the
results are extraordinary...

Inner resolve: align body, mind and heart ...

U• i

j
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ft#

■A
 \
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CHAPTER 2

SAMBANDHA

Chanting in a
Devotionol Relationship
5 2 | CHAPTER 2

BOUND TOGETHER IN
A RELATIONSHIP
After yojana, the next practice represents the most important element in
my view: chanting with a sense of relationship. If you learn how to do this,
there vvill be a vast improvement in your chanting.

The Sanskrit word sambandha indicates ‘relationship’ but literally it

means ‘bound together’ (sam: together; bandha: bound). Sambandha is that
understanding which binds you to Krsna. It is an inner orientation for
chanting the Holy Name that brings you into the presence of the Lord.

Sambandha begins with a general sense that ‘I am a part of Krsna.’ Later,

when you chant the Holy Name free from offences, your relationship
with Krsna becomes clearer. At the last stage, the Holy Name reveals your
unique spiritual identity, including your spiritual body, character traits,
and the particular Service you have for Rādhā and Krsna in the spiritual
world. Śrila Prabhupāda writes in this connection:

By the practice of devotional Service, beginning m th hearing

and chanting, the impure heart of a conditioned soul is purified,
and thus he can understand his etemal relationship with the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. That etemal relationship is
described by Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu: jlvera ‘svarūpa’ haya
krsnera ‘nitya-dāsa.’ The living entity is an etemal servitor of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one is convinced
about this relationship, which is called sambandha, he then
acts accordingly.
(Śri Caitanya-caritđmrta, Adi 7 .1 4 2 , p u r p o r t )

The greatest problem of material life is that we forget that we have a

completely different identity to the one we have temporarily assumed right
now. O ur true identity is covered as we become bound by māyā’s illusions.
W hen the self is lost - ali is lost.

The purpose of any yoga system, particularly bhakti-yoga, must there-

fore be to again connect the disconnected soul to the Lord. In a well-known
analogy, this means that the spark returns to the fire vvhere it can sparkle
and dance again.
 SAMBANDHA | 5 3

CHAIN AROUND THE NECK

Śrlla Prabhupāda describes how we are bound by māyā in the material
world:

It is a fact that every living entity is etemally a servant of Krsna.

This is forgotten due to the influence oj māyā, which induces one to
believe in material happiness. Being illusioned by māyā, one thinks
that material happiness is the only desirable object. This material
consciousness is like a chain around the neck of the conditioned
soul. As long as he is bound to that conception, he cannot get out
of māyā’s clutches. However, ifby Krsna’s mercy he gets in touch
m th a bona fide spiritual master, abides by his order and serves
him, engaging other conditioned souls in the Lord’s Service, he then
attains liberation and Lord Śri Krsna’s shelter.
(Sri Caitanya-caritāmrta, Madhya 22.25 , p u rp o rt)

We conditioned souls can be released from māyā’s tight bond around

our necks only by the mercy of guru and Krsna. Only when that chain
is broken are we free to enter a loving sambandha vvith Krsna. Here is an
anecdote that expresses this beautifully.

There was once a circus in India that burned to the ground. Ali the animals
escaped with the exception of one elephant. The tigers brohe free; the monkeys
scurried away. Every animal managed to find freedom in spite of being behind
prison bars-all except for this one robust elephant. Much to everyone’s surprise,
it was discovered later that the elephant was tied to a pole m th nothing more
than a thin,Jlimsy rope. That elephant was stronger than ali the other animals!
His obstacle to freedom - a jlim sy rope... ho\v could it be?

A deeper study brought to light that when this elephant was young, it
had been captured from the jungle and tied vvith an iron chain to a tree.
For one vveek the calf tried to escape. It pulled on the chain until its leg was
covered vvith blood and pus. The vvound got infected and flies feasted. The
young elephant continued trying frantically to break the chain but finally
surrendered to its fate and stopped pulling. From that time onvvard his
guards removed the chain and replaced it vvith a flimsy rope. The elephant
never tried to escape. They then sold him to the circus.
5 4 | CHAPTER 2

W hat was going on?

This elephant always remembered how it was bound when it was young
and could not escape. The iron chain still existed in its mind, even after
being physically removed. For the elephant, the chain forever bonded him
to the sentiment: ‘1 can’t change my fate.’

Each of us is also bound by an iron chain in our minds. It is covered

with the rust of impressions and desires hardened over many lifetimes!
You cannot see it vvith these eyes though you can know its presence by
behaviours stemming from your conditioned nature. The chain keeps us
under indenture: we are tightly tied to our present condition, to our present
identity and to the material vvorld. Every time we feel impelled to advance
spiritually, it tugs at us doing its best to halt our progress.

Worse still, our problems deepen because this chain feels like a part
of us. We are so accustomed to being in māyā that we have never known
anything else. Who vvould you be without the chain? It’s frightening to
glimpse into the unknovvn.

Can we break free from this chain?

Virtually impossible. The chain is far stronger than any actual iron chain.
We can escape a physical chain if we crack it vvith heavy tongs, but in this
vvorld there are no tongs to destroy the chain in the mind.

FREED BY KRSNA
But there is hope! Krsna lives in the inner mind vvhich is called the citta in
Sanskrit and the subconsciousness by modem psychologists. As the Deity
of the citta, Krsna is knovvn as Citta Hari because he is the enchanter of the
inner mind. He can easily break the chain and free us from the clutches of
past conditioning - if vve seriously turn to Him.

And that is the vvhole point of chanting in sambandha: to become avvare

that vve have a relationship vvith the Lord and need to turn to Him. In Śri
Caitanya-caritāmrta (Madhya 22.33) it is said:
 SAMBANDHA | 55

‘krsna, tomāra hana’ vadi bale cka-bāra

māyā-bandha haite krsna tārc kare para

One is immediately freed from the clutches oj māyā if he

seriously and sincerely says: ‘My dear Lord Krsna, although
I kave forgotten You Jor so many longyears in the material
vvor/d, today, I am surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere
and serious servant. Please engage me in Your Service

This povverful prayer brings us into divine connection, or at least into the
aivareness that we have a divine relationship with Krsna. Thus, it brings us
closer to Krsna’s saving grace. We can see this in action during the amazing
pastime where Krsna delivers the snake Kāliya from its demoniac mentality.
After the dramatic moments when Krsna crushes Kāliya’s hundreds of
hoods vvhile dancing on them, Kāliya vvearied and barely breathing says:

O my Lord, it is so difficult to give up one’s conditioned

nature, though it causes us to identify vvith that vvhich is unreal.
We serpenls are bitter, envious and angry by nature. How can
vve possibly give this up on our own? Thankfully, you are the
omniscient Lord of the universe and can free us from our illusion.
(Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 1 0 .1 6 .5 6 - 5 9 , p a r a p h r a s e d )

MEDITATING ON THE MEAN1NG

OF THE MANTRA
In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Śrila Sanātana Goswami encourages us to practice
mantrārtha-cintanam, that is, we must meditate on the meaning of the
mantra. Only then is the full power of the mantra released. If vve’re absent-
minded and not avvare of the meaning, we remain unfocused.

In the aforementioned verse from Śri Caitanya-caritāmrta (Madhya

22.33) vve learn the secret: proper inner orientation incorporates the
meaning of the mantra in the mind: ‘Please engage me in your Service.’ By
this, sambandha-jñāna is established and thus vve understand that vve have
a relationship vvith Krsna. The vvhole idea of chanting the Holy Name is
to attract the presence of the Lord by glorifying Him. We call Him vvith
affection because He possesses ali the best qualities of beauty, strength,
5 6 | CHAPTER 2

kindness, knovvledge and is capable of the supermost form of action... and

because we really need Him!

Ali the ācāryas (great teachers), such asjlva and Raghunātha Gosvvamis,
Gopal Guru Goswami and Bhaktivinoda Thākura, have left us lists of
meanings of the mahđ-mantra. Śrlla Prabhupāda compacts ali of these into
the prayer: ‘My dear Rādhā, my dear Krsna, please engage me in Your Service.’

In this connection, Śrlla Prabhupāda gave an instruction that guides

kirtana leaders when they sing:

Your business is not to satisfy the crowd. Your business is to satisfy Krsna,
and then the cro\vd \vill be automatically satisfied. We are not going to please
the crowd. We are going to give them Krsna. So you should be very much
careful \vhether you are delivering Krsna in the right way. Then t/iey7J be
satisfied. Your only business should be to satisfy Krsna.11

Kirtana is not primarily about music, rhythms, fancy mrdanga-beats,

karatala-playing, attractive voices or melodies. The Lord is not really
attracted to our music; He has gopis in the spiritual world who are expert
musicians far beyond our capabilities. They are served by thirty-three
thousand ragas and Krsna Himself plays His flute ali day in a style that
transforms hearts, making even rocks melt! That is real music. He really
doesn’t need our music. He only needs our hearts.

Kirtana is about a relationship; this cannot be emphasised enough. If

we don’t become aware of our relationship vvith Krsna and don’t begin
to meditate on vvhere we are right now in that relationship, we will sing
more or less like folk singers and never enter the mysteries of the mantra.
Thus, Krsna will not be present in our kirtana because we are not present
in our relationship vvith Him. The relationship is ali He looks for. If we
overlook this, we vvill never enter the vvorld of kirtana but remain in the
vvorld of mundane music. Śrlla Haridāsa Thākura, the great teacher of the
Holy Name, also explains this:

If a person by a saintly Vaisnava’s mercy understands his relationship

vvith Lord Krsna and chants Lord Krsna’s Holy Name, he then attains a great
treasure of spiritual love.
(Sri Harināma Cintāmani 3 .2 6 )

" Srila Prabhupāda, lecture on Bhagavad-gitā 7.1, Los Angclcs, December2, 1968.
 SAMBANDHA | 5 7

The word kirtana itself is derived from the root krt, to glorify. Thus,
ask yourself before you begin to sing: lW hom do I glorify novv?’ You can
actually visualise yourself standing before your Lord and addressing Him
through His Holy Name, V , Rādhā, O, K rsna../

After we have connected with Krsna and start to address Him in a mood
of servitorship, then if we are able, it’s vvonderful to add violin, sitar, flute
etc., to produce a concert worthy of pleasing Krsna. But first things first:
the relationship should always be the focal point. W ith that in our hearts,
we can furnish further ornaments. If, however, you are not present in the
relationship, you miss the point of kirtana and will always practice shadow
kirtana, which vvill not nourish you spiritually.

THE REAL NAME VERSUS

THE SHADOW NAME
Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura has written two books on chanting: Śri
Harināma Cintāmani and the sequel Bhajana Rahasya. He says in the third
chapter of Śri Harināma Cintāmani that we need to chant in the awareness
of our relationship with Krsna. If we don’t do this then we will only ever
obtain a shadow of the Holy Name, not the real Name.

yāvat sambandha jñāna sthira nāhi haya

tāvat anarthe nāmābhāsera āśraya

As long as someone does not understand his relationship vvith

Krsna, the individual soul m ll tahe shelter of nāmābhāsa -
the shadovv of the Holy Name.
(Śri Harināma Cintāmani 3 .2 7 )

There is a difference betvveen the real Name and its shadow, just as there
is a difference between an actual tasty meal on a plate and a projected
image of one. We can’t actually eat from the latter. It is a shadovv of the
real thing leaving us hungry, and as a result, forcing us to go elsevvhere to
eat something real. It is the same vvith chanting. If we chant the shadovv of
the Holy Name, that is to chant vvithout any conscious avvareness of our
relationship vvith Krsna, vve also remain spiritually hungry, and as a result,
vve are dravvn to taste the pleasures of the material vvorld. W ithout the
5 8 | CHAPTER 2

špirit of the Name, we are forced to seek out material satisfaction and make
unconscious compromises to our Krsna consciousness. The tragedy is that
this is often done unconsdously and we don’t even know vvhat we’re really
doing or what vve’re really missing!

You might ask: Why can’t we just remain neutral and go on chanting the
Name of Krsna distractedly vvithout becoming materiallv motivated?

The constitutional nature of the soul is to constantly gravitate tovvards

enjoyment. We need enjoyment like vve need water. Therefore, if we don’t
get spiritual enjoyment, we have no other choice but to look for short
term illusory material enjoyment. Hence, it is absolutely essential to
get spiritually nourished! If we don’t, our hearts will feel immediately
spiritually weak. This is an important signal we often miss and must
urgently pay attention to.

Therefore, as long as one does not learn from a bona fide spiritual master
about the true relationship that exists betvveen oneself and the Supreme
Lord, he or she remains consigned to the anartha of ignorance.

At a certain point in my life, 1 stopped ali 1 vvas doing to look back on the
years behind me. I vvas deeply disappointed because I could see that I had
not made full use of the teachings of Krsna consciousness. I still had most
of the symptoms of material consciousness. I needed to change something
or felt I vvould die of frustration! It vvas then that I began a sincere inquiry
into vvhy my spiritual progress had come to a halt and hovv I could truly
advance from vvhere I vvas. I asked the question: W hat is missing in my life?

After arduous soul-searching for maybe three to four years, one dear
Vaisnava vvho vvas very close to Śrila Prabhupāda reminded me in a moving
conversation of the importance of chanting the Holy Name properly. He
challenged me, ‘Is that not vvhat your spiritual master had told you? Why
have you forgotten?’

These vvords čame from the m outh of a man vvho chanted 64 rounds a
day - there vvas tremendous force behind them. I thought to myself, ‘He
really does knovv vvhat he’s talking about!’ so I received his vvords deeply
and felt a nevv avvakening to the teachings of my spiritual master. Then I
knevv vvhat I had to do!
 SAMBANDHA | 59

I began anew my journey with the Holy Name and discovered many
things I had only heard of before. Perhaps the most important realisation
was that we have to chant the real Name and not the shadow of the Name.

Let me ask you now: Have you achieved what you most deeply desire in
your spiritual life? W hat is your plan to get there? How long can you go
on tasting shadow spiritual experiences - one more year? Two more years?
Three more years? It’s a serious issue.

Personally, I have spent a lot of my life in shadow chanting and I am

still falling into that trap. W hen I look around I see many devotees who
are not yet spiritually satisfied because they too are experiencing only the
shadow of spiritual life. They attain a semblance, a look-alike, but not the
real thing... It is for this reason we are not as spiritually strong as we would
wish to be.

LOST RELATIONSHIP
Do you have strong friendships? By this 1 mean people close to your heart,
who are with you through good and bad times, people with whom your
life is tightly bound. Will these relationships endure at your deathbed and
beyond?

There is only one person who is tightly bound to us beyond the barrier of
death. He has always been with us, even before this life. He is a friend vvho
knows the contents of our heart... and yet we have somehow managed to
forget Him. We have inconceivably lost our most important relationship...

Of course, in the ultimate sense this relationship can never be lost; we

only lose our consciousness of it. We are always a part of Krsna for we
are souls and the soul is part of God. But we have to avvaken from our
forgetfulness to fully benefit from that one relationship.

In the Second World War, family members from countries like Poland
and Romania were torn apart. Years after the war they again found each
other. Imagine the moving scene when a son was reunited with his old
parents. How must he have felt? In some cases, people vvere infant when
they were separated from their families but nevertheless they felt a deep
6 0 I CHAPTER 2

bond when they met as adults. Their natural relationships started to

blossom as soon as they were active in those relationships - talking to each
other, eating and working together as a family.

Just as these inactive relationships were revived instantaneously, our

relationship with Krsna can be reactivated the moment we turn to Him -
for example when we go on pilgrimage to a holy place such as Vrndāvana,
the home of Rādhā and Krsna. Transcendental feelings of love avvaken just
by visiting Them ‘at home.’

In Vrndāvana or Māyāpur, the home of Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one

can engage in chanting or other devotional practices and especially feel,
‘Krsna is here and I have a substantial relationship with Him.’ No one has
to teli you about it. It comes naturally.

Śrila Prabhupāda vvrites in The Nectar of Devotion: ‘The

places in the eighty-four square-mile district of Mathurā are so
beautifully situated on the banks of the Yamunā that anyone who
goes there m ll never want to return to this material world.’12

ŚRlLA BHAKTIVINODA THĀKURA’S

RECOMMENDATION
For a divine relationship to manifest, we need three elements:

Bhakta: the devotee

Bhagavān: the Supreme Lord Krsna
Bhakti: the process of devotional Service (chanting is a limb of bhakti).

W hen these three come together, the Holy Name dances on the tongue of
the devotee as described by Śrila Rūpa Gosvvami,

‘Love (bhakti) makes Krsna dance.

It makes the devotee dance.
It dances itself The three dance together.’
(Śri Caitanya-caritāmrta, Antya 1 8 .1 8 )

12Nectar oj Devotion, p. 111.

6 2 | CHAPTER 2

For this kind of magical chanting to take place, Śrlla Bhaktivinoda

Thākura recommends the follovving three-step process that renevvs our
understanding and establishes our position in relation to Krsna. The steps
respectively address the questions:

1) W ho am 1?
2) To whom do 1 relate?
3) W here does this relationship take place?

Step 1 Connect to your spiritual essence and identity

1 am an atomic particle of consciousness and the eternal servant
of Krsna.

Step 2 Connect to the other person in the relationship

Krsna is the infinite conscious entity and my only master.

Step 3 Inhabit the space of the relationship

The material world is a prison house meant to reform my adverse
tendencies and teach me to be present in my relationship vvith
Krsna in the sacred space of kirtana and japa.

By deliberately creating this space of spiritual consciousness vvithin, you

can actually chant vvith devotion. Sambandha is established the moment
a devotee sincerely turns to Krsna and thinks ‘I don’t vvish to be a slave
of Māyā anymore. U is enough! I don’t vvant to be chained to an ordinary
material existence in a vvorld of birth and death, slapped by Māyā at every
opportunity she gets! It’s now time to turn to my relationship vvith You.’

AN IMPORTANT DOUBT
As 1 give my seminars and retreats around the vvorld, I have noticed an
intriguing phenomenon: sometimes devotees doubt they can have a direct
relationship vvith Krsna. 1 believe this is for tvvo reasons. Firstly, devotees
feel they can only have a relationship vvith the tangible representative
of Krsna: the guru. And secondly, they misconstrue Śrlla Prabhupāda’s
vvarning of the prākrta sahajiyā mood - an attitude characterised by cheap
imitations and unfounded imaginations.
 SAMBANDHA | 6 3

In our tradition, we greatly stress the necessity of the guru and hear a
great deal about developing our relationship with him. Indeed, the guru
is of param ount importance. But, he is also described to be a transparent
via-medium. He leads us to Krsna, the highest Truth. That means that our
devotion does not stop at the guru’s door. His door is made of glass and we
look through it to find Krsna on the altar.

yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gumu
tcisyaite kathitā hy arthāh
prakāśante mahātmanah

Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both
the Lord and the spiritual master are ali the imports o/Vedic
knovvledge automatically revealed.
(Śvetāśvatara Upanisad 6 .2 3 )

On the second point of prāhrta sahajiyā, Śrlla Prabhupāda specifically

warns against the immature attitude where neophyte devotees cheaply,
and often offensively, make a show of highly advanced levels of Krsna
consciousness. Prematurely, they imagine themselves in a direct
relationship with Krsna or Rādhārāni as a gopi assistant, peacock o r...

This is obviously not w hat Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura had in mind when
he recommended that we become aware of our relationship vvith Krsna
while chanting. He doesn’t speak of a rasa-filled relationship where Krsna
relates to that person in one of the four active moods: dāsya (servitor),
sakhya (friend), vātsalya (parent-figure) or mādhurya (lover). Such specific
rāsa is only revealed when our siddha-deha (perfected spiritual body) is
shovvn to us by the mercy of the Holy Name. Before this, we must become
aware of our relationship in broad terms as we chant: fundamentally we
are parts of Krsna and we have a long-lost forgotten relationship with
Him. We vvon’t be clear on details but we can sincerely feel that there is a
relationship...

A vvonderful example of this is Piñgalā, a prostitute who becomes

inspired vvith a spiritual insight vvhile vvaiting at the tovvn gate for her next
customer. Disillusioned vvith her material attachments she prays ardently:
6 4 | CHAPTER 2

santam samlpe ramanam rati-pradam

vitla-pradam nityam imam vihāya
ahāma-dam duhkha-bhayādhi-śoha-
moha-pradam tuccham aham bhaje jñā

I am such a fool that l bave given up the semice oj that

person vv/io, being eternally situated m thin my heart, is
actually most dear to me. That most dear one is the Lord oj
the universe, who bestows real love and happiness and is the
source oj ali prospeñty. Although He is in my own heart,
I have completely neglected Him. Instead I have ignorantly
served insignificant men who can never satisfy my real
desires and who have simply brought me unhappiness, fear,
anxiety, lamentation and illusion.
(Srimad-Bhdgavatam 1 1 .8 .3 1 )

Śrlla Viśvanātha Cakravaril Thākura comments on this verse, verbalising

Piñgalā’s thoughts, T he Lord resides in my heart. He is the actual enjoyer.
He loves and accepts love. W hy should 1 not give my love to Him? And why
vvould He not give His love to me?’

After the former prostitute čame to this understanding she became

peaceful, relieved and happy. She left the gate and her trade forever.

LOST IN THE NAME

I still remember an extraordinary gift Krsna offered me that sparked my
own avvareness of chanting in the divine relationship. It happened while I
was on pilgrimage to the source of the river Ganga. I was vvalking alone on
a beautiful narrovv mountain path when ali of a sudden the afternoon wind
picked up. First a soft breeze, then a stronger bluster, until finally a great
storm was under way. lt was strong enough to blow me off course so I took
shelter behind a rock to wait out the storm.I

I quietly chanted there until something unexpected caught my attention.

From where I sat, I could look down into a valley with attractive birch
trees. Some distance away where the storm did not reach 1 saw a long-
haired, long-bearded sādhu sitting on a rock. He couldn’t see me up on the
 SAMBANDHA | 6 5

mountain path but I could see his face. From his tilak m ark13 it was clear
he was a Rāma bhakta. Like me, he vvas alone and also chanting on his japa-
mālā. I couldn’t make out the mantra he chanted due to crashing winds but
I felt I could hear his heart. His face vvas turned tovvards the Ganga and he
vvas crying. His tears vvere not ordinary; they vvere beautiful tears of God
consciousness. He vvas lost in the Names of his beloved Lord...

Still today vvhen I remember this scene I think about hovv the sādhu
vvas someone vvho truly chanted vvith sambandha. He didn’t need anyone
or anything, only Lord Rāma. His tears of ecstasy revealed that he had
found Lord Rāma in His Holy Name. The sādhu vvas alone but in the best
of company.

Recounting this Rāma-sambandha also reminds me of something a

Bengali contemporary shared about Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura. They
vvere neighbours and he used to hear Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura chant
in the garden early in the mornings. The neighbour remembered that the
Thākura chanted loud and pronounced, as if he vvas calling for Krsna vvith
a special feeling. This is just as Śrlla Prabhupāda taught us: to chant like a
child vvho calls for his mother.

BEING ALONE BUT

IN THE BEST OF COMPANY
The three examples: the sādhu in the mountains, Śrlla Bhaktivinoda
Thākura sitting in his garden chair, and Śrlla Prabhupāda’s instruction to
chant like a child calling ‘mother,’ ali depict this principle of chanting in
avvareness of our relationship vvith Krsna - being alone but in the best of
company.

Many devotees arriving at this avvareness have experienced a substantial

transformation. Once vve learn to chant vvith this higher connection vve can
bring a little fragrance from that Krsna conscious vvorld into the material
vvorld and our relationships here. It is akin to a noble lady vvho returns
from a perfumery and arrests everyone’s attention vvith the fragrance she
carries from there.

,JA tilak mark is a sign chalked on the Jorehead and other ixirts of the body that signifies the spihtual
orientation of the individual.
6 6 | CHAPTER 2

Bring the scem of Krsna to this world! If you turn to other relationships
first and keep ignoring your most important friend you vvon’t actually be a
true friend to anyone. Your friendships will be only skin-deep - a product
of your superficial persona in this vvorld. Friendships among masked
people on the basis of their disguises lack the depth that satisfies the self.
The real need of the soul is always to find that one relationship.

CONVINCED BY THE EXPERIENCE

In order to chant with that higher connection you may need to experiment
and see what works best for you. One simple suggestion to create
sambandha: sit before your Deities or picture Them in your mind vvhen
you chant. Look at Them vvith the understanding that you belong to Them.
No need to make a big mental effort: just sit and chant before Them, focus
and see what happens...

If you do this and connect, you vvill experience a distinct improvement

that starkly contrasts to vvhen your mind is set to its default mode and goes
ali over the place. U is as different as grasping at the shadovv of a meal versus
eating an actual delicious meal. Śrlla Prabhupāda vvrites in this connection:

The need of the špirit soul is that he vvants to get out of the
limited sphere of material bondage and fulfil his desirefor
complete freedom. That complete freedom is achieved when he
meets the complete špirit, the Personality of Godhead.
(Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.8, p u rp o rt)

THE SEED OF KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS

Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave an apt analogy for the cultivation of Krsna
consciousness. He said the devotee should become a gardener vvho takes
a seed, places it into fertile ground, and then vvaters it so that it can grovv
into a beautiful flovver-bearing creeper. Over time the creeper vvill grovv so
tali that ultimately it pierces the layers of this material vvorld, reaches up to
the divine abode of Goloka Vrndāvana, and coils itself around Krsna’s soft
lotus feet for eternal shelter...
 SAMBANDHA | 6 7

In this analogy, the seed of bhakti is like a chickpea with two distinct sides:

1) knowledge of Bhagavān, ātmā and māyā (sambandha-jñāna) and

2) knowledge of the process of bhakti-yoga (abhidheya-jñāna).

This seed must be planted in the antah-karana, or the inner self, also knovvn
as the mind or subtle body. U has four levels:

mana: the reactive mind

buddhi: the reflective mind
citta: the subconscious mind
ahañkāra: the feeling of identity

and must be sown deep inside so that you internalise who Krsna is, what
ātmā is and what māyā is. You need to understand, 7 am not the body; I am
the soul/

This seed of bhakti must be planted so deep in your understanding that

it reaches even the unconscious level. Then no storm can vvither or destroy
it. You will be fixed in the midst of every difficulty. But if you don’t place
the seed deep enough then you may lose it or the birds of material desire
will devour it.

And remember, the mind is meant to be your servant. You are supposed
to use your mind and not allow your mind to use you. Ali too often our
mind teliš us what to do; the instrum ent has made an instrument of us!
This is a scandal. Therefore, plant the seed of bhakti deep in your mana,
buddhi, citta and into your ahañkāra.

Guard it closely; nurture it deep vvithin you and remain mindful of it.
Let it strengthen you and become a pari of you. Then you can truly ch an t...
Othervvise, your practice vvill remain an imitation of bhakti vvhich only
reminds you of the real thing and nothing more; just as the shadovv of an
apple reminds you of an apple but cannot nourish you.
6 8 | CHAPTER 2

ENTERING THE SCHOOL OF

SAMBANDHA-JÑĀNA
Most problems of the conditioned soul are solved spiritually and not
intellectually. Deep-rooted desires for sense gratification, misapprehension,
bad habits, and the like, await purification of the heart before they can
leave us in peace.

For deep and permanent realisations that are the results of true
transformation, contemplate sambandha-jñāna constantly. Don’t be lazy,
and you will see exceptional results come your way!

Sambandha-jñāna helps you make rapid spiritual progress. Jagadānanda

Pandita outlines the process in a nutshell in Śri Prema-vivarta:

ei rupe samsđra bratimite kona jnana

sādhu sañge nija tattva avagata hana

The living entity wanders in the material world taking one birth
ajter another. I f by chance, he comes in contact m th a saintly
person, he becomes immediately knowledgeable ofhis true
identity as a pure špirit soul and eternal servant of Krsna.

nija tattva jāni đra samsđra nā cāya

kena vā bhajinu māyā kare hāya hāya

Then he becomes enlightened by this knovvledge, and he does

not want material entanglement any longer. He thus laments,
‘Oh, no! Alas! Why have I served this illusory material energy
for so long?’

keñde bale ohe krsna āmi tava dāsa

tomāra carana chādi haila sarva nāśa

He bitterly regrets and cries out, *Krsna, my Lord!

I am Your eternal servant. Ever since I left the shelter
ofYour lotus feety my life has been completely devastated.’
 SAMBANDHA | 6 C)

krpei kari krsna lārc chādāna samsāra

hāhuti kañyā krsne yadi dāke eka bara

Lord Krsna is so merciful that ij anyone appeals to Him

earnestly, He immediately releases t/ie jiva Jrom material
entanglement.

māyāke pichane rākhi krsna pāne cāya

bhajite bhajite krsna pāda-padma pāi

Then, \vhen the jlva breaks a\vayJrom māyā’s captivating spell

and strives toward Lord Krsna by rendering devotional Service,
he regains the supreme shelter oj the Lord's lotus feet.

My comment: this means that after we hear from a sādhu about how we
are connected to Krsna, we should feel some excitement in our heart and
express ourselves to Krsna: i have forgotten You for so many long years.’
Krsna will be delighted! He vvill say, T am so happy you’ve said this. I tried
to teli you through the sādhus and the śāstras... I also sent you reminders,
through my material nature, that you should tuni to Me. But you vvere not
listening. No\v,Jinally, you have heard Me... \vonderful!'

At that time, Krsna becomes active. He embraces anyone who seriously

tries to connect with Him when ehanting. Jagadānanda Pandita concludes:

krsna tare dena ni ja cic-chaktira bala

māyā ākarsana chādc haivā durbala

Then Lord Krsna makes this soul strong \vith His

transcendental internat potency. And the overbearing
power oj the Lord’s spiritual potency \veakens māyā’s
injluence over the living entity.
($rl Prema-vivarta 6 . 7- 12)
7 0 | CHAPTER 2

REPENTANCE ATTRACTS KRSNA

Do you wish for a surrendered mood but have material desires you can’t be
rid of? Is there always something stopping you from leading the spirilual
life you want?

...That something is the rope of māyā. You might feel too ashamed to
admit it as it is quite embarrassing. Māyā-sambandha is ensnarling and can
only be escaped by Krsna-sambandha - falling in love with Krsna.

It begins by connecting your body, mind and speech with Krsna as often
as you can, understanding that there is a relationship. Take shelter in this
relationship and meditate on it. If you do this, Krsna will fortify you. He
will strengthen you with His internal potency. First, you will feel ashamed
of your material desires but later by the force of that repentance your
prayers will attract Krsna’s mercy and you will, at last, be able to give them
up. They will ali fali away w ithout any difficulty and you will wonder, ‘Are
my material desires really gone?’

Yes, it will be true! It is because you moved into a relationship with

Krsna, or at least you tried, and Krsna immediately responded by coming
to your aid. The scriptures teli us Krsna will personally cut the knot of false
ego and make us strong from inside. You can’t give up material desires by
your ovvn endeavour but Krsna can give you the required strength.

KRSNA’S RESPONSE
Release from māyā would mean a life of happiness. Ovenvhelmed with
bliss you would jum p up and down in ecstasy and cry tears of love. It
would mean a life of unlim ited freedom where the word ‘impossible’ is no
longer in your vocabulary. There are many examples of people who have
lived this free life. We hear in the scriptures of great saints who were lost
in love. We can even see living examples of devotees today who chant
with love. The Lord immediately responds to a person who turns to Him.
 SAMBANDHA | 71

He says,
‘It is My vovv that ij one only once sincerely surrenders unto Me
saying, “My dear Lord, from this day I am Yours,” and prays to
M efor courage, then l shall immediately award courage to that
person, and he vvill always remain safe,from that time on.’
( q u o t e d in Śri Caitanya-caritāmrta, M adhya 2 2 .3 4 )

In the Ādi Purana, Krsna teliš Arjuna just hovv much He appreciates even
those who chant His Name carelessly: ‘O Arjuna, listen attentively! When the
living entity chants My Name, whether out ojdevotion or indifference, then his
name m ll remain forever in My heart. I m ll never jorget such a soul.’

Ajāmila is one such example of this. A wretcheđ criminal ali his life,
inadvertently he chanted the Lord’s Name at the end of his sinful life.
Although Ajāmila only meant to call out to his son, who was also named
Nārāyana, the Lord did not turn a deaf ear. Instead, He thought T his person
belongs to Me. I m ll always protect him.’H

If this is the Lord’s attitude, then hovv much more vvill He remember a
person vvho serves Him and addresses Him with devotion?

W hen you vvorship the Lord through His Holy Name, He vvill immediately
respond, ‘My dear, come on. You are eternally dear to Me. Nowyou are turning
yourface to Me. I am very glad.’15

WHERE TO START
We should make our prayers from vvherever vve honestly are on our journey.
For example, a devotee might pray, ‘1 knovv You and 1 have a relationship.
1 may not alvvays feel it but please don’t take this personally. It’s just my
mind. I can’t help that I am vveak. Only You can help m e...’

This sincere and humble turning to Krsna is open, frank and free from
the pretension of being advanced - that is ali He vvants. You could also pray

"$rila Viivanđtha Cahiavarti Thđkura, quoting Stila Srulhara Swami in his purport lo
Srimad-Bluigavatam 6.2.10.

"Slila Prabhupđda, lecture in Hamburg, 1969.

72 | CHAPTER?

for courage to turn away from māyā, and if at this moment you just can’t (or
don’t want to) give up certain things, then pray that soon the day comes when
you can pray intensely for that courage. This actually works...

Knovvlcdge of Krsna
A devotee whose love for Krsna has not yet been born has to learn more
about Krsna: W ho is He? W hat does He like and dislike? W hat does He
do? W ho does He especially favour? W ho are His dear devotees? And so
on. Developing a relationship with Krsna only really happens when you
hear about Him deeply and consistently. This is the only way to give the
relationship a chance: by hearing. Let’s look at a powerful illustration of
this from the Śrimad-Bhāgavatam.

Rukmini Devi lived in the majestic palače ofherfather, Mahārāja Bhismaka.

As a young girl, she regularly heard narrations oj Krsna from Nārada Muni
when he visited herfather. She always made sure to be there in the audience,
every time, just to hear about Krsna’s beautiful form, mesmerising pastimes
and exceptional qualities - including His tremendous generosity and kindness
to His devotees. From ear\y on she decided that she would marry Krsna. FJo one
else could be the one. When the time ofher marriage arrived, RukminVs father
decided that Śiśupāla, the prince of one of the neighbouring kingdoms, should
become her husband. The thought of such a thing was unbearable to her. She
cried inside, T \vant only Krsna as my husband!*

At that time, Rukmini was no more than fifteen years old. She wrote Krsna
a love letter declaring, T have heard about You, Krsna. I want to marry You.
I don't want to marry a so-called man, made ofblood and pus. I don't care for
that material concoction. I want only You and will wait for lifetimes if that is
what it takesforyou to accept m e/

When Krsna received the letter, He smiled and instantly decided, This
devotee is surrendered to Me. I vvill take urgent action... I will go to her rescue/

W hen you have heard about Krsna for a consistent prolonged time, you
will also feel connected to Him. If you feel your relationship with Krsna
is, at the moment, abstract and theoretical, do the best thing to counteract
that passive pattern: hear or read about Him as much as possible! Especially
connect to the Śrimad-Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gitā!
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAl APPLICATION SAMBANDHA | 7 3

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

SAMBANDHA
The follovving exercises vvill help you become more mindful of Krsna in
His Holy Name.

EXERC1SE 1
The Sambandha Meditalion
Bascd on Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thākura s G uidclines

We always think relationally: ‘I am his son,’ ‘I am her mother,’ ‘I am their

leader,’ or ‘I am sitting on this floor.’ Thus, our identity or position is always
relative to the other person or objeet. During japa we need to see ourselves
only in relation to Krsna: i belong to you.’ Let ali the other material
relationships fade away in the background and let us finally proelaim ‘Here
1 am, Trn calling to you from the material vvorld.’ For at least tvvo hours
of the day let us be real and situated in our truest identity. If that is too
difficult then let us start with at least one moment and build upon it.

To help us experience real ehanting in this way and end shadovv ehanting,
Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thākura offers guidclines that help fix the mind on the
soul’s true connection with Krsna:

1 am an atomic particle of consciousness and Krsna’s eternal servant

Krsna is the infinite conscious entity and my only master
The material vvorld is a house of correction meant to reform my
tendency to remain absent in our relationship.

To ehant with deep connection, practice the follovving meditation:

74 | CHAPTER 2 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Step 1 Sit tali with spine erect, as described earlier in the yojana chapter.

Step 2 Take a few deep breaths, bringing your avvareness to each inhale
and exhale. Continue to breathe consciously in this way until
your mind becomes calm and focused. If distracting thoughts or
feelings ariše, gently let go of them and return to your breathing.

Step 3 VVhen you feel centred, calm and focused, envision in your
mind’s eye these truths:

I am an citomic particle o f consciousness and Krsna’s eternal

servant.
(1 am categorically different from the body and mind. I am a tiny
soul. I am an eternal blissful spiritual being; I am a part of Krsna.)

Krsna is the infinite conscious entity and my only master.

(For so long I’ve invested in so many relationships but now
I understand that Krsna is my only master and my only true
friend.)

The material world is a house o f correction meant to reform my

tendency to remain absent in our relationship.
(The only purpose of the material vvorld is to teach me to
connect and be present in my identity as Krsna’s servant.)

Step 4 Novv you have brought your spiritual identity into your
awareness, chant and let your japa or kirtana come alive. You may
find it easier to stay in the consciousness of your relationship with
Rādhā and Krsna if you chant before the Deities or a picture.

Step 5 You can always return to the meditation if your mind becomes
distracted. Keep it with you always. It is a povverful tool that will
transform your chanting.

Rest assured, Krsna will hear you and reciprocate... either immediately or
in due course!
 Pkj dear Lord Kristina*
aUkough J hadejo rja tie n ^ joajor so m m j tjears
ifi ih e m aterin i Porid , iodruj 1 <m sjrrerukriruj
uzdo y o ii 1 om yo u r slncere an
PLease, encjacje m t tn Ijo u r
V " '" V / i
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION SAMBANDHA | 77

EXERC1SE 2
Entering ihe I ligher Connection
One way to enter into the presence of the Lord vvhen chanting is to practice
mcintrārtha-cintanam. This unleashes the intrinsic spiritual potency of the
mantra. The best way to do this is to reflect on a pertinent verse from
śāstra to prompt our awareness. Again, before doing so, please align
yourself:

Step 1 Sit before your altar vvith Deities or pictures of the Lord.
(If you are outside or travelling, invoke a mental image of Krsna.)

Step 2 Sit tali vvith spine erect.

Step 3 With eyes closed, take a fevv deep breaths, bringing your
avvareness to each inhale and exhale until your mind becomes
calm and focused. Remember, if distracting thoughts or feelings
ariše, gently let go of them and focus on your breathing.

Step 4 W hen you feel centred, calm and focused, open your eyes and
gently gaze at the Deities. Appreciate that you are Krsna’s eternal
servant and turn to Him in prayer.

Step 5 Recite the follovving verse in earnest

‘krsna, tomāra hana’yadi hale eka-bāra

māyā-bandha haite krsna tare kare para

My dear Lord Krsna, although I have forgotten Youfor

so many longyears in the material world, today I am
surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere and serious
servant. Please engage me in Your Service.
(S ri Caitcmya-caritāmrta, Madhya 2 2 .3 3 )

Step 6 Enter the meaning of the verse. Connect. Take a moment to feel
how it brings you into spiritual consciousness...

Step 7 Chant japa or kirtana in this špirit. If your mind should vvander
gently guide it back to the meaning of the verse.
7 8 | CHAPTER 2 EXERCISES & PRACTICAl APPLICATION

EXERCISE 3
Alone with Rāclhā and Krsna
For your further personal advancement, I would like to suggest another
powerful meditation with which you can establish a conscious connection
to Śrl Śrl Rādhā and Krsna.

In this vvorld there are countless diversions from our relationship with
Krsna: other relationships, our job, our dreams, society at large, and so on.
Ali these preoccupations are like smoke; one day they will simply dissolve
into the air. At that time, we will be left with our one and only eternal
relationship. We may already know this but our worldly relationships
continue to demand our time and attention. We often allovv them to take
up nearly ali of our energy...

So here is a meditation to help you connect with the Divine Couple, free
from diversion:

Step 1 Sit in a peaceful place vvhere you will be undisturbed.

Imagine you are completely alone.
Let everything around you slowly and gently disappear.
Bring your attention to what is going on in your life and let it slip
away...
Your relationships with your relatives: let them go as well.
Your job, your important responsibilities, your future desires:
ali gone...

Step 2 You are now absolutely alone.

You may imagine yourself sitting on the banks of the Yamunā,
or at Girirāja or your favourite place...
You feel completely safe and spiritually connected.

Step 3 Become aware that in your truest being you are an eternal
spiritual soul - an eternal servant of Rādhā and Krsna. It is only
due to some misfortune that you have been absent from that
relationship.
 EXERCI$ES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION SAMBANDHA | 7 9

Step 4 But your fortune has tu rn ed ... You have finally met your spiritual
master and learned about your real identity as a pure špirit soul
completely separate from the gross and subtle body.

You have been inspired to take up the path of eternal loving

Service to Their Lordships, Rādhā and Krsna.

Step 5 Now, see in your mind’s eye that Rādhā and Krsna are before
you. No one else. You have the opportunity to chant for Their
pleasure.

Wrap yourself up in this one relationship and feel bhakti rise in

your heart.

Step 6 You can turn to the Divine Couple by offering this prayer to
Them:
I surrender to You, Śri Śri Rādhā Krsna.
Whatever is mine is in truth Your property.
Everything is for Your šake.
Everything isfor Your enjoyment.
Nothing is meant for my enjoyment.
(Sanat-Kumāra Samhitā, te x t 8 3 )

Step 7 In this State of consciousness, you can chant for Their pleasure.

This meditation will clarify vvhere you štand in your relationship vvith
Rādhā and Krsna. It will act as a powerful inspiration to improve vvhatever
needs improving. Most of ali, it will help you transform your daily life and
make it deeply spiritual. You might even find that your so-called problems
disappear... Please try it. It works.
8 0 | CHAPTER 2 EXERCI$ES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

EXERCISE 4
A Lctter to Krsna
Some of us can access deeper levels of avvareness by w riting... A few years ago
someone sent me a very special gift by mail - an envelope containing a picture
of a blue hand holding a bamboo flute. It was obvious lo me that this was
Krsna’s hand. As well as the flute, ihe hand also clasped a little handvvritten
note which read: Trying to connect with You.’ Written underneath was my
signature, ‘Śaclnandana Swami,’ indicating that 1 had vvritten the letter to the
Lord and Krsna had kept it. ‘How intriguing,’ I thought.

Now I wish to inspire you to write your own letter to Krsna. Please take
a pen and paper and compose your letter in freevvriting style. The main rule
is to not stop vvriting: write for a specific time period and dig deep. The
subject of the letter should be: ‘My present relationship with You and how
I wish to improve it.’
W hat we are trying to do in this exercise is to go more and more internal
until we find some genuine feelings, perhaps feelings of separation: ‘1 miss
You Krsna,’ or some other feeling we wish to communicate. We are trying
to connect with Krsna from wherever we are, with whatever is inside us.

If your relationship is not so active at the present moment - if you feel

only a desert within - no problem, write about this. Be honest. Make that
your connection! Express something! Go deep!

Take your time with this exercise and give it your best. If you write this
from a real place, it vvill certainly reach Krsna. You can also place your
letter before the Deity or picture of the Lord.

At the end, contemplate what you could practically do to overcome the

problem of mindless and disconnected chanting. Think of how you could
add more feeling to your japa or kirtana practice.

EXERCISE 5
Watcring the bhakti-latā-bija
As we’ve explored in this chapter, the bhakti-latā-bija (seed of Krsna
consciousness) consists of sambandha-jñāna (spiritual knovvledge of Krsna,
ātmā and māyāl6) and abhidheya-jñāna (spiritual knowledge of the process
of bhahti-yoga).
8 2 | CHAPTER 2 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised us that this seed needs to be

cultivated conscientiously until it grows into a beautiful and strong plant
- the bhakti-latā - that will ultimately take shelter of Krsna’s lotus feet. For
this, it is essential to pervade our emire subtle body (mana, buddhi, citta
and ahañhāra) with Krsna consciousness. Here are some further tips to
vvater your bhakti-latā-bija:

W hen you wake up in the morning, before you start any other activity,
connect vvith the knowledge of sambandha-jñāna. Contemplate: ‘I am an
eternal servant of Krsna. Krsna is my eternal and infinite master. Today I
have a chance to serve Krsna. Today I will be present in our relationship.’

Write on a post-it note: ‘I am not this body. I am an eternal servant of

Krsna. Krsna is my master.’ Place the note on the mirrors in your house.
Each time you look into the mirror, connect with this truth.

Śrlla Jlva Gosvvami says that an activity becomes bhakti only when we
offer it to Krsna before we begin that activity. So, before you do any
spiritual activity like chanting, reading, serving Vaisnavas or Deities,
etc., remind yourself of this sambandha-jñāna, 41 am an eternal servant of
Krsna. He is my only master and I will be present in our relationship by
offering this Service of (chanting, reading, cooking, etc.) to
H im /

Last, but not least, before you go to sleep, again reflect on sambandha-
jñāna and offer ali your Services, thoughts and words of the day to
Krsna. You may even like to recite this verse:

kāyena vācā manasendriyair vā

buddhyātmanā vānusrta-svabhāvāl
karoti yad yat sahalam parasmai
nārāvanāyeti samarj?ayami17

Whatever 1 have done vvith my body, according to my nature: said vvith my

words, thought vvith my mind, perceived vvith my senses, and comprehended
with my intelligence, I offer unto the Supreme Lord Nārāyana.
(b ased o n Srimad-Bhāgavatam 1 1 .2 .3 6 )

"’Sec Bhahtivinoda Thākurci’s 3-Step Meditation.

17In the original text the verse ends ,nārāyanāyeti samarpayct tat’which means one should offer
everything to Nārāyana. Here the prayer ends vvith ‘samarpayam],’ the active tenu that means
7 offer to the Lord.’
 SAMBANDHA | 8 3

Summary of S am bandha
Sambandha means to be connected with Krsna. Chanting in
sambandha means to chant with a feeling of relationship to
Krsna. It means to know deeply, from the heart, that you are an
eternal soul and that Krsna is your master. Only if you have this
attitude can you experience the real Holy Name. This mood is
the connection point that Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura’s 3-step
meditation helps fix in our hearts.

Sambandha also means to chant prayerfully while contemplating

the meaning of the mantra. The Hare Krsna ma/iā-mantra is
a yugala-mantra, a mantra that directly addresses the Divine
Couple. Śrlla Prabhupāda informed the vvorld of the root meaning
of the maJiđ-mantra, a meaning that includes ali other meanings:
‘My dear Śrlmatl Rādhārānl, my dear Lord Krsna, please engage
me in Your Service!’

Chanting with a sense of relationship is spiritually nourishing!

It is an effective cure for the spiritual starvation that forces us to
remain attached to this vvorld, seeking nourishm ent materially.
You are a soul; a part of Krsna! You are in this vvorld only to
realise your relationship vvith Him! The moment you make a
conscious step tovvards Him, He responds by taking one hundred
steps tovvards you... There is nothing more encouraging than
feeling the svveet closeness of Krsna as you continue to move
tovvards Him in devotion.

Inner resolve: I belong to You...

A personal note: I am sorry if I have belabored the point of divine relation­

ship by stating and restating it, again and again. Please excuse me. The
reason I do this is because I strongly feel that it is precisely this point vvhich
at once distinguishes a Vaisnava from ali other chanters. It’s our ‘unique
distinguishing feature’ so to say. Personally, I knovv of no more povverful
method than chanting vvith this avvareness.
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CHAPTER 3

Chanting with
the Intention to Serve
8 6 | CHAPTER 3

Many times we have heard it said that chanting is easy. We also hear that
one Holy Name destroys the reactions to more sins than we can commit
and the result of chanting Hare Krsna is love of God. W ho has not asked if
these statements really apply to everyone?

The truth of these statements seems elusive, no doubt, but make no

mistake, it is true. We are invited to make it a truth for ourselves...

In this chapter we vvill take up the essential inner attitude of sevā (offering
Service) that inspires Krsna to appear in our hearts. He is attracted to this
kind of energy because it is Śrlmatl Rādhārānl’s mood. After He comes, He
drives away material energy and cleans the mirror of our mind - vvashing
away our anxieties, problems and bad karma to come.

It ali starts with giving your attention to the Holy Name, as the
foundational Service in klrtana and japa is to listen to the Holy Name and
vvelcome Him with rapt attention. We may object: ‘Isn’t Krsna’s Name
povverful enough that Krsna vvill appear despite vvhat is going on inside us,
even vvhen we chant absent-mindedly?’ Unfortunately, He vvill not appear
under such circumstances... but it has nothing to do vvith a lack of povver.
W hen vve chant vvithout focus Krsna isn’t inspired to come, just as our
friends are not inspired to be vvith us if vve say vve vvant to be vvith them but
are utterly distracted vvhen they are vvith us.

So vvhat kind of focus is required?

THE HOLY NAME IS A PERSON

One of the most important realisations for someone on the spiritual path
is that the Absolute Truth is not an ‘It’ but a ‘He.’ This ‘He,’ the Lord, is a
lovable person vvith features, desires and preferences.

O ur first introduction and tangible connection to Him is through the

Holy Name. From the Name comes the complete truth about the Lord,
i.e., realisation of ali other aspects: form, qualities and pastimes. Exactly
hovv the Holy Name is the root of everything is explained by Śrlla Haridāsa
Thākura to Śr! Caitanya Mahāprabhu:
 SEVĀ | 8 7

ei cāri pañcaya madhye nāma tama

sakalera ācli se pratiti sabākđra
ataeva nama mātra vaisnavera dharma
nāme prasphutita haya rupa, guna, karma
krsnera samagra lila nāme vidyamāna
nāme se parama tattva tomāra vidhāna

Of thesefour ways in which You are known

(Name,form, qualities and pastimes),
Your Name is the first. This is accepted by ali
By Your Name alone, the Vaisnava-dharma is manifest.
By Your Name, Yourform, qualities and pastimes are made visible.
By Your Name, Your Krsna-pastimes are known.
By Your Name, the supreme truth about You is manifest.

śri-nāma smarile rūpa āise sañge saiige

rupa nđma bhinna naya, nāce nānā rañge

Anyone who remembers Lord Krsna’s Name, meets Lord Krsna’s

form. Lord Krsna’s Name and fom \ are non-different. They are
Lord Krsna Himself dancing in different dancing places.
(Sri Harināma Cintāmani 2 .2 9 -3 1 & 2 1 )

Śrila Rūpa Gosvvami’s Śri Nāmāstaka or Eight Prayers Glorifying the Holy
Name also describes the Holy Name as a person:

nikhila-śruti-mauli-ratna-mālā-
dyuti-nirājita-pāda-pañkajānta
ayi mukta-kulair upāsvamānam
paritas tvām hari-nāma samśrayāmi

O Hari-nāma! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly
being \vorshipped by the glom ng radiance emanatingfrom the
string of gems known as the Upanisads, the crown jewels of ali the
Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls, such as Nārada
and Śuhadeva. O Hari-nāma! I take complete shelter ofYou.
(Sri Nāmāstaka, v e r s e 1)
8 8 | CHAPTER 3

In poetic language it is explained here that Krsna is personally present as

the Holy Name. The Upanisads in their personified forms worship Him as
the essence of the Vedas. They are assembled in a group before Him, having
realised His paramount status, and offer an ārati lamp before His feet.

W hen performing an ārati to a great personality, it is common practice

to chant mantras and begin vvorship at the feet. Śrlla Rupa Goswami speaks
of the lotus feet of the Holy Name to make the point that the Holy Name
is not merely a combination of syllables. Words don’t have feet! Only a
person has feet. The Holy Name is a person who is vvorshipped with an
ārati by the most glorified Vedic scriptures, the Upanisads, and adored by
liberated souls such as Nārada Muni and Śukadeva Gosvvami.

Thus, vvhen we chant the Holy Name, vvhat we really aspire for is the
descent of Krsna into our lives. We vvish that Krsna will personally come
to our tongue, and from there enter our heart so that a sweet, loving
relationship - a heart-to-heart relationship - can develop. The temple
of the heart is the place where we long to receive and install Krsna, and
permanently keep Him there. This is the idea of chanting. Śrlla Prabhupāda
expressed it clearly:

‘Chanting the Hare Krsna mantra means keeping Krsna always m thin your
heart/18

This is something the devotees who sing kirtana must learn. The main
desire vvhen they sing kirtana should be to receive Krsna in the temple of
the heart. Kirtana is not about ethnic music, nor is it about dancing and
having fun. It’s about a relationship vvith the Lord. And vvhen vve feel that
relationship, it vvill express itself in melodious song sometimes vvith tears
in the eyes, and ecstatic dancing. The relationship must come before ali
else. First things must be first! This is the first davvning of chanting vvith a
Service špirit: attending to Krsna by giving Him our attention.

Śrlla Prabhupāda, lecture on the Śñmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.10, Geneva, 1974.

 SEVĀ | 8 9

THE MATERIAL TONGUE

CANNOT CHANT
The material senses can only perceive the material: our eye can only see
gross material objects; our ear can only hear material sounds; and the
tongue can only pronounce material syllables. The tongue cannot utter
the Holy Name vvhich is entirely spiritual and identical vvith the sac-cid-
ānanda rūpa of the Lord (His form of eternality, knovvledge and bliss). Such
a spiritual entity cannot be touched by the material senses.

But the Holy Name is so merciful that He descends from the spiritual
realm to enter the heart of the conditioned soul and ariše onto the tongue.
Śrlla Prabhupāda emphasised that we can chant the real Holy Name only
when we try to serve Krsna. To illustrate this point, he invokes the well-
known verse from Bhakti-rasāmrta-sindhu which says,

atah śri-krsna-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam cva sphuratv adah

Therejore material senses cannot appreciate Krsna’s Holy

Name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is
a\vakened to Krsna consciousness and renders Service by using
his tongue to chant the Lord's Holy Name and taste the remnants
of the Lord's food, the tongue is purified and one gradually
comes to understand who Krsna really is.
( q u o t e d in Ś ñ Caitanya-caritāmrta, Madhya 1 7 .1 3 6 )

A FACE TURNED TO SERVICE

The aforementioned verse from Bhakti-rasāmrta-sindhu says in essence,
‘W hen a conditioned soul is avvakened to Krsna consciousness and renders
Service to the Lord (sevonmukhe) then the Holy Name reveals Himself as
Śrl Krsna.’

The Sanskrit word sevonmukhe literally refers to one vvhose face is

turned to Service. Śrlla Jlva Gosvvami explains that sevonmuhke means ‘being
inclined to accept the Lord’s Name and form in Service.’ That indicates that
9 0 | CHAPTER 3

a devotee accepts Krsna in his heart and turns toward Him by engaging
his tongue and other senses in Service. Then he can receive Krsna through
hearing.

The first and most important Service to Krsna is using our time and
attention in the Service of the Holy Name. Gradually, one after another, ali
other Services can be infused with nāma-sevā.

As we learn to receive Krsna through the ears, by chanting in a mood

of Service to Him, we begin to naturally perform ali nine processes of
bhakti during kirtana, without even making an effort to do so. It ali starts
with ‘present-minded’ (and not ‘absent-minded’) hearing, singing and
meditating on the Holy Name... Turn to Krsna while you chant! That is
bhakti. The Holy Name is our first contact with Krsna!

Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gitā that no one can ever understand Him
save one who renders Service unto Him:

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāstni tattvatah
tato mām tattvato jñātvā
viśate tad-anantaram

One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme

Personaluy of Godhead, only by devotional Service.
And \vhen one is in Juli consciousness of Me by such
devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.
(Bhagavad-gitā 18.55)

Krsna reveals Himself only to His servants. From there, their specific
relationship to Him develops. Service is the starting point. Once we truly
begin to serve Krsna, a little match is sparked in our hearts. Then, given the
right environment, it grovvs until the full-blown flame of our relationship
with God is ablaze.

Let us pause here to admit something important - unfortunately most

of us don’t have an active relationship with Krsna because there is already
someone else at the centre of our lives: ourselves. Day and night we think
in terms of I, me and mine and ask ourselves, lDo I like this or do 1 dislike
this? Do I have enough of this? W hat will 1 do after I am done with that?’
and so on.
92 | CHAPTER 3

If we want a revelation of the pure Name to take place, we have to take

ourselves out of the centre and instead place Krsna there. Yes, ultimately
we must do so! In relationship to kirtana this means: don’t chant to enjoy
niče kirtana. Don’t even chant to enjoy your private ecstasies. Don’t štand
in the way of Krsna! Put Him in the centre and truly chant for His pleasure.
Chant with devotional attachment! Then you are on your way to receive
Krsna within the temple of the heart in the form of His Holy Name.

How Krsna decides to reveal Himself once someone decides to chant in

the right way is nicely described by Śrlla Jlva Goswami,

‘First a person must hear and chant the Holy Name to achieve
purity of consciousness. Thereafter, when his heart has become
pure, it is a fit appearance place for the Lord’s beautiful form.
As soon as the Lord’s form thoroughly manifests in his heart, as a
result ofhearing descriptions of that form, the bhahta experiences
revelations about the Lord’s qualities. As the Lord’s qualities
fully unfold, the defining characteristics, that is His unique
interrelationship \vith each of them, are exhibited. Aftenvards,
w/ien the Lord’s Name, form, qualities and associates have
completely manifested in the bhakta’s heart, the Lord’s pastimes
blossom in theirfull splendour.

The progression of sādhana has been delineated in this way

m th the intention of acquainting the bhaktas with the sequential
process involved in the Lord’s appearance within their hearts.
(Krama-scmdarbha c o m m e n t a r y to Srimacl-Bhāgavatam 7 .5 .1 8 )

BLIND TO TRANSCENDENCE
There was once a blind man \vhose friend told him one day, (You must drink
milk because milk is the best preparation there is. I live on milk.’

The blind man had never tasted milk so he asked, ‘What is milk?’

His friend told him, ‘Milk is a white liquid.’

‘What is white?’ the blind man asked.

 ŠEVA I 9 3

‘White is the colour of a crane

‘What is a crane?’

The friend realised ali his words meant nothing to the blind man who had never
seen anything and therefore had no /rame of reference. The blind man could
only touch.

The friend felt compassion and said, T m ll s/iovv you what a crane is ...’ He
arched his hand and placed it on top of his other arm to indicate the bent neck
of the crane, and said, ‘The crane has a neck like this. Here, touch!’

The blind man was shocked and ansrvered, lOh, no! I m ll never drink milk! It
\vill get stuck in my throat...’

We are in a similar situation: we are blind to transcendence because the

material senses can only realise material objects. Is there hope for us?

Ali we can do with our material tongue is chant letters of the Hare Krsna
mantra: H A R E K R S N A . But Krsna’s Holy Name is something quite
different from the letters of our alphabet. He is the non-material Personality
of Godhead. This raises the question: what does a conditioned soul chant?

Śrlla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvat! Thākura, Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura

and Śrlla Prabhupāda are of one mind in ansvver: an ordinary conditioned
soul chants the aksara-nāma, the external syllables, nol yet the real Name.
But while trying to chant if we turn to Krsna in a mood of sevā, the Lord out
of His mercy might reveal Himself. Like a kind father, the Lord becomes
pleased by our attempts and then appears. And if He is present, you will
feel the difference!

The point here is that we can never understand the Lord vvith our
imperfect senses. We can do as many yoga exercises as we want. We can
apply the very best concentration techniques. But we are still dvvarves
trying to touch the moon. Our senses just don’t reach. O ur only hope is, so
to say, that the moon will somehovv come down to us...
9 4 | CHAPTER 3

SEVĀ-DHARMA
In the four active relationships with Krsna, Service is the common
underlying factor: Krsna’s servants, friends, parents and lovers ali wish to
serve Him in their specific ways. The intention to serve is at the heartbeat
of their every thought. Therefore, if we wish to realise our own specific
relationship to Krsna, we must first enter that Service mood. From there
our unique relationship can manifest.

Everything starts with desire. W hen we sit down to chant the Holy Name
in japa or kirtana, we must desire to serve. This is the original identity,
svarūpa, of ali jlvas. At initiation, Vaisnavas receive a last name that really is
the best name there is: dāsa or dāsi! It indicates that our dharma or essential
occupation is to perform Service.

This essential quality lies dorm ant in us like the potency of fire within a
match. At first a match gives a flicker of fire but given the right circumstances
it has the capacity to bum down a whole town. Not even a thousand strong
men can extinguish the full blaže, ali started by a little match.

In the same way, every living being has the dorm ant inner impulse to
perform Krsna-sevā. As soon as we begin to display this mood of Service
while we chant or perform other bhakti practices, our spiritual nature
begins to gradually unfold and our specific rasa becomes revealed.

At the moment, we are, unfortunately, vvasting our sevā potency in

dealings of this vvorld: family, society, partners and the endless array of
sense objects that promise satisfaction. Therefore, the flame of our natural
relationship vvith Krsna is only slightly manifested: we vvant to serve,
and yet, our focus on Krsna is divided! This divided attention takes us
in ali directions and vve remain frustrated vvith our limited experience of
happiness. This frustration can only be cured vvhen vve start to cultivate a
deep desire to serve Krsna. Only if vve take up our sevā-dharma, vvhich vve’re
made for, is the full manifestation of our true selves possible.

For vvhatever reason, vvhen vve feel disinclined to take up Service to

Krsna, the interest can be rekindled by knovvledge of Him through lectures
or scriptures, vvhich naturally invoke His attractive nature. If this natural
inclination is not given a chance to express itself, vve vvill continue the
petty, frustrating Service to our mind and senses.
 ŠEVA | 9 5

THE BLAZING INCLINATION TO SERVE

W hen the soul attains the advanced stage of mukti (liberation) and enters
into Brahman (the impersonal effulgence emanating from the Lord) the
burning potency of sevā-dharma is extinguished. Not a flicker of light can
be perceived as the jiva tries to merge into God. After ali, if the servant
becomes ‘one’ with the Served, there would be no Service at ali. W ho would
serve whom? ...The soul would become spiritually dead.

It is for this reason impersonalists will never be empovvered chanters:

they would have to manifest a Service attitude in their chanting, which
requires, by definition, a personal understanding of God. The concept of an
impersonal God extinguishes the soul’s sevā-dharma; a match submerged
in vvater. Only when the match is retrieved and dried can the burning
potency again be released.

When the Service Inclination is Limited

W hen a soul enters the Vaikuntha world, its Service inclination tovvards
Lord Nārāyana is powerfully unleashed, and yet, because this realm
naturally evokes a feeling of awe and reverence tovvards God, the soul’s
Service mentality is restricted. The avvareness of aiśvarya, or the greatness
of God, stultifies the sevā potency by removing the sense of intimacy. The
match burns but not nearly to maximum capacity.

The match burns at brilliance vvhen a soul arrives in Goloka Vrndāvana

vvhere his natural inclinations for sevā can completely manifest. There is
no hesitation - no holding back. The devotees in Vrndāvana have a strong
possessive feeling tovvard Krsna that makes them think: ‘My Krsna! He is
mine. I have to care for Him!’ In Sanskrit, this possessive feeling is called
mamatva and through it the full burning potency of sevā-dharma is realised.
Everything is lit up: the sevā flames are ablaze and the jiva dances in them.
The bhakta dances, Bhagavān dances and bhakti herself dances too.

How does mamatva fuel the flame of sevā to bum so brilliantly?

W hen loving brothers come together they feel T his person is my family.
He’s very, very close to me and will always be on my side. I never have
to hold back and be formal. Betvveen us is a special understanding that
% I CHAPTER 3

can’t be conveyed to others.’ Even when we call someone who is not our
biological relative ‘brother’ it’s such a powerful expression of intimacy and
understanding.

An incomparably closer relationship exists betvveen the jiva and Krsna,

but it can only manifest at the highest levels in Goloka Vrndāvana, where
the opportunity for intimate relationships exists. There, in the kingdom of
love, we relate to Krsna as the supremely lovable Lord. That is the way of
the land; free from awe and reverence. Hence, our Service attitude blazes
forth like fire bursting from dynamite and continues expanding in evermore
intimate ways as personal servants, friends, parents or lovers of the Lord.

Why is there not the same Service attitude expressed in the Vaikuntha
mentality? In Vaikuntha, a devotee thinks that the uncontested ruler of
Vaikuntha, Nārāyana, doesn’t really need much from the devotee. The Lord
is able to fulfil His every wish by His own energies. But in Vrndāvana,
Mother Yaśodā thinks, Tf my little boy doesn’t eat he will not be strong!’
And thus she cooks fifty times a day.

Ali the boys, girls, and elders of Vrndāvana are utterly enchanted by
Krsna. They are completely absorbed in vvanting to please Him through
their unique relationships. They can’t stop serving Him! Their hearts are
pulled like magnets... They would do anything to make Him smile - even
give their lives. This is the pinnacle of sevā-dharma where Krsna becomes
dependent on His devotees and pulls them so intimately close that His
godliness and ali formality tovvards Him is lost. Like a firestorm, ecstasy
bursts forth and engulfs everything!

As we enter Krsna consciousness, the process gradually unveils our

inherent quality of sevā-dharma. To direct this natural inclination, it is
strongly recommended that we hear about Krsna’s captivating qualities,
such as His beauty and compassion, from guru, sādhu and śāstra. If we
don’t do this then we will be doomed in our everlasting, frustrating Service
to our mind and senses.

Thus, we have discussed hovv sevā-dharma is partially manifested here in

our world, it is eclipsed in the Brahman atmosphere, ignites in Vaikuntha
and glows in its fullest ecstatic magnificence in Goloka Vrndāvana.
 ŠEVA | t)7

ŠEVA CANNOT EXIST VVITHOUT LOVE

Strictly speaking, sevā cannot be performed if there is no love. The Sanskrit
word used in the context of sevā is bhakti, vvhich more specifically means
devotional Service, and delineates that it is inherently done with devotion.
If there is no love then Service is only work. In a spiritual context, the Lord
is not satisfied by such sevā-work; He is only pleased with love. There’s a
vast difference between the two.

Krsna is attracted and even controlled by devotional Service. He is con-

quered by the love of His devotees. Such pure devotees even induce Krsna
to serve them! Nanda Mahārāja, Krsna’s father, teliš Krsna to bring him
his shoes! Little boy Krsna actually struggles to fulfil the request, creating
a charming loveable scene as he carries the ‘heavy’ wooden shoes on His
small soft head. His dear mother, Yaśodā, thinks: ‘My goodness, Krsna is
always stealing butter. He has become a butter thief! Later, when He grows
up, He’ll steal ali kinds of things! This is a criminal tendency! I better nip
it in the bud before it gets any vvorse...’ She feels just as any m other vvould
and vvants to correct her son. W hen Krsna sees that His m other wants to
serve by ‘punishing’ Him, He just melts. He lets her catch Him in a chase
around the house and then allows her to bind Him to a mortar vvith a rope.

No yogi can ever catch Krsna, not even if he could run at the speed of the
mind. No one can catch Krsna, period. He is completely independent. But
if He sees a devotee absorbed in sevā-bhāva - the mood of Service - then
ali the rules of Godhood are out the window, and Krsna becomes bound to
His devotee in love.

Looking at ourselves, we may say there is a long way to go. Agreed! But
let us start our journey of chanting in a mood of Service. Every journey
starts vvith the first step and continues from there.

THE KiRTANA OF THE COVVHERD BOYS

In the Vrndāvana pastimes, we find the example of the covvherd boys doing
kirtana in a mood of loving Service. Krsna would sometimes become tired
from roaming about the forest and playing various energetic games. W hen
His friends noticed the Lord’s vveariness they quickly prepared a bed made
9 8 | CHAPTER 3

of soft twigs and fresh forest flovvers. With eagerness, they offered their laps
as a pillovv or head rest. To accept the Service of His affectionate friends,
the Lord expanded Himself in as many forms as there were covvherd boys.
Then some of the boys would sing to Him.

The Srimad-Bhāgavatam (10.15.18) describes their svveet singing to have

four qualities:

1) sneha klim a dhiyah - they sang with hearts melted by love

2) manah-jñāni - it was attractive to the mind due to the amazing
(rāgas) melodies and (tālas) rhythms
3) śanaih - it was slow and built up gradually and naturally
4) tad-anurūpāni - they vvould sing in a way that was suitable to
the particular pastime or occasion.

Our kirtana, in Service of Krsna, should also be pleasing, attractive and

performed with devotion. It can begin slowly so that everyone can sing
each Name clearly and vvith full absorption and then if the kirtana picks up
become a fuller expression of ecstatic singing and dancing.

EMPTY MEDICINE CAPSULES

Don’t vve ali know how it feels to be restless while chanting? We feel dry
and nothing seems to happen. But then at other times the chanting is just so
vvonderful that vve don’t want to leave the kirtana. Hovv is it vve experience
both of these realities vvhile chanting?

By Krsna’s free vvill. In the first example, Krsna is absent and in the
second example, Krsna is beginning to ever so slightly reveal Himself...

Śrlla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvat! Thākura uses the analogy of a medicinal

capsule to drive home the point: a capsule carries an active ingredient in
povvdered form that is contained vvithin its plastic-like outer shell. The
exterior layer makes it possible for the medicine to reach the stomach.
From there, the medicine is absorbed and spreads its effects throughout
the body. An empty capsule vvould not have the same effect.

In the same way, our chanting either evokes Krsna’s purifying presence
or not. Since Krsna is only attracted to the Service mentality of a devotee,
 SEVĀ | 9 9

chanting without bhakti does not attract His presence. He is not within
such mantras. They are like empty medicine capsules with no - or not
much - effect!

Sometimes a capsule can contain deadly cyanide but look exactly like
a medicinal capsule. This also relates to chanting: the main reason vve’re
vvarned against hearing the Holy Names chanted by non-devotees is that
they don’t believe in Krsna or serving Him, and therefore they cannot
give Krsna to us. Hearing the mantra from a non-devotee can in fact have
adverse effects if the chanter is directly opposed to Krsna. Such chanting
can only increase the chanter and listener’s material inclinations. Only
when we hear the Name from a devotee will Krsna be present and purify
our hearts so that we gradually develop deep Krsna consciousness.

THE HOLY NAME CHOOSES

We can’t force our way into transcendence but Krsna can make His way
into our world of condensed matter and come into our limited experience.
W hen Krsna sees us trying to turn to Him, He responds, T his person is
actually tuming towards Me! How can I not reciprocate?’ And He mercifully
manifests within the range of a devotee’s dull senses in the form of His
Holy Name. He adopts the sacred form of the Name to meet people who
are othenvise blind. Krsna is difficult to attain because He is beyond the
range of the senses and the mind of a conditioned soul. But He comes to the
chanter! Thus, the Name-form is the most merciful form in ali existence.

Hovvever, the Name only gives His full darśana to those Krsna chooses.
Krsna is supremely independent. His appearance on the horizon of the
heart is like the appearance of the sun on the eastern horizon. No one can
demand the sun to appear. It comes of its own accord, by its ovvn strength.
Similarly, Krsna’s actual appearance is never a mental projection of the
devotee, but Krsna Himself entering the devotee’s heart. W hen invited into
the heart, vvhere He longs to reside, Krsna dynamically dances on the tongue
as well. He cannot contain His joy and so He jum ps acrobatically from one
sense to another just as He did on the various hoods of the serpent Kāliya,
ovenvhelming the devotee with ecstasy. First the devotee hears Him, then
feels Him and then sees Him.
 1 rj
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 SEVĀ | 101

Never forget that the first relationship any conditioned soul can ever
have with the Lord is a Service relationship with the Holy Name. This
is the way Krsna makes His first appearance in the life of a conditioned
soul. Before any other form of the Lord comes to us, it’s the Name who
enters our hearts. There, He does His most important Service, vvhich we
desperately need! He purifies the inner senses of the antakarana, subtle
body, and continues deeper and deeper to reach our soul. Therefore, we
must chant with a Service attitude; othenvise, we only play with a material
sound vibration that may remind us of Krsna, if vve’re lucky, but is not yet
Krsna Himself.

QUALIFICATIONS TO CHANT
W hen someone in this world wants to meet an influential or celebrated
personality, he will do everything he can to qualify himself for the meeting.
He will brush his teeth, wear his best clothes and conscientiously put on his
best appearance. In the same way, the devotee must do everything possible
to gain the proper qualification to meet the Lord in His Holy Name.

There is a beautiful song in the Gitāvāli by Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura

that teaches us the necessary qualifications to chant. It centres on humility
and is called Śri Krsna Kirtane Jadi.

1) śñ-krsna-kirtanc jadi mānasa tohār

parama jatane tāhi labho adhikār

If your mind is always absorbed in chanting the glories of Lord

Krsna m th great care, then by that process of Śñ-Krsna-kirtana
you m ll attain transcendental qualification.

2) trnādhika luna, dina, ahiñcana chār

āpane mānobi sada chādif ahañkār

You should give up ali false priđe and al\vays consider yourself
to be \vorthless, destitute, lo\ver and more humble than a blade
of grass.
102| CHAPTER 3

3) vrksa-sama ksamā-guna korobi sādhan

prati-himsā tyaji’anyc horobi pālan

You should practice forgiveness like that oj a tree, and giving

up violence toward other living beings, you should proteci and
maintain them.

4) jJvana-nirvāhe đne udvega nā dibe

para-upakāre nija-suhha pāsaribe

In the course ojpassingyour lije, you should never give anxiety

to others, but rather do good to them ivhile Jorgetting aboutyour
own happiness.

5) hoile-o sarva-gune gunj mahāśoy

pratisthāśā chādi horo amani hrdoy

When one has thus become a great soul, possessing ali good
qualities, one should abandon ali desires Jor jame and honour
and make one’s heart humble.

6) krsna-adhisthāna saiva-jive jānV sada

korobi sammāna sabe ādare sarvadā

Knowing that Lord Krsna resides m thin ali living creatures, one
should with great respect consistently sho\v honour to ali beings.

7) dainya, doyā, anyc mana, pratisthā-varjan

cāri gune gunl hoV koroha kirtan

By possessing these Jour qualities - humility, mercijulness,

respect towards others, and the renunciation oj desires Jor
prestige - one becomes virtuous. In such a State you may sing
the glories oj the Supreme Lord.

8) bhakalivinoda kāñdi\ bole prabhu-pāy

heno adhikāra kabe dibe he āmāy

Weeping, Bhaktivinoda submits his prayer at the lotusjeet oj

the Lord: ‘O Lord, when will you give me the qualiJication Jor
possessing attributes such as these?’
 SEVĀ | 103

Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura expresses feelings of humility that are

overvvhelming to read. And it is precisely this quality that attracts not only
the attention of the Lord but also His heartfelt compassion. Humility is the
crovvn jevvel from which kindness, mercy and respect to others naturally
flow. It curbs any tendency towards illusory selfish gratification. The
deeper the devotee’s humility, that is his feeling bereft of qualifications to
meet the Lord, the more the Lord extends His mercy and is drawn in. As
the heat of humility increases, the Lord’s butter-like soft heart melts more
and more and flovvs tovvards the devotee.

Anyone who reflects deeply on this song has already embarked on the road
to proper chanting. Śrlla Prabhupāda is emphatic in a Śrimad-Bhāgavatam
purport (7.9.18) that devotees should chant the songs and narrations
left by the previous ācāryas to be purified of material contamination and
develop heartfelt devotional qualities that allow them to chant properly.

THE UNGRASPABLE NAME

During the time when Śrl Caitanya M ahāprabhu was in Benares, there was
also a leader of impersonalist theology, Prakāśānanda Sarasvati, who didn’t
believe there was any difference betvveen the sevāka (servant) and sevya
(the Served).

Once a brāhmana mtnessed $ri Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanting in ecstasy

and vvent to teli Prakāśānanda Sarasvati about it. The brāhmana described
how Mahāprabhu danced among throngs of people in the streets. He said, ‘Ali
the signs of a great personality in love of God are visible in this sannyās!!’

Instantly, Prakāśānanda Sarasvati became furious and said, Youfool! He's

a magician! He čame here to collect people, make them crazy and spoil them
by frivolously dancing with them. Ifh e ’s a true sannyāsi, let him sit do\vn and
study Vedānta. At best this person is an uninformed sentimentalist.’

The brāhmana’s heart \vas hurt. He approached Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu

and said, ‘When I told our spiritual leader about You, he criticised You! He
said that You are a sentimentalist and that You should study the Vedānta-sūtra
to utilise Your time properly. But I noticed something strange: \vhen I referred
to You by name, “Śrl Krsna Caitanyan he only nodded his head and said “Yes,
I know this Caitanya.n Three times he repeated Your Name - but never Your
104| CHAPTER 3

Juli Name. He would not say “Krsna Caitanya” but simply “Caitanya.” Please
teli me why he clid not pronounce Your Namefully? When I see You, my mouth
feels compelled to say Śri Krsna! Hari Hari! But why wouldn’t he speak Your
Name?'

Hearing this questionfrom the pious brāhmana, Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu

revealed that the Holy Name is not different from Krsna’s form, qualities or
pastimes. Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ‘Krsna’s Name cannot be grasped
by the senses oj a materialist, nor by anyone lacking a Service attitude.
Prahāśānanda Sarasvati is an impersonalist. Therejore, he cannot say the
Name “K rsna” U will not come to his tongue. The Names are fully manifest
only in the lije ojsomeone who serves Krsna and no one else.’

HOW THE MIRACULOUS NAME

DESCENDS
There are two extraordinary examples in the Śrimad-Bhāgavatam that
demonstrate that if the Holy Name desires He will descend even to an animal
that chants with vocal apparatus not equipped to pronounce mantras.

King Bharala s Three Lives

King Bharata was a spiritually elevated ruler. In Visnu Purāna (2.13.10) it
is said that he never spoke a word, not even in his dreams, except for the
Holy Names Krsna, Visnu, Acyuta, Govinda, Mādhava, Ananta, Keśava and
Yajñeśa. He was a true servant of the Holy Name.

At a certain time, he departed from his kingdom to the forest to dedicate

himself exclusively to the practice of bhahti. There, he found and sheltered
a sweet, young orphan deer that quickly became dependent upon him.
The king cared for the gentle and helpless creature and developed an
attachment so deep that he became absorbed in thoughts of the deer and
unwittingly compromised his spiritual practice.

W hen the time čame for the king to leave his body, his last thought
was concern for the innocent deer. Because of this ‘deer-consciousness,’
the king became a deer in his next life. But, because he had been such a
 ŠEVA | 105

high-class devotee, he was blessed by Krsna to retain his memory of his

chanting practice, even in the animal body. Of course, the tongue of a
deer is not equipped to pronounce Names; nevertheless, because King
Bharata had done so much chanting in his previous life, the Holy Name
čame to him, by Krsna’s grace, at the most important time - his death.
W hen the moment čame, the deer smiled broadly and, according to the
Śñmad-Bhāgavatam (5.14.45), clearly uttered ‘Nārāyanāya haraye nama/
‘Ali respects to Nārāyana, the Lord.’

Chanting at the time of death ensures that you reach Krsna’s abode in
the next life or, at the very least, become a highly Krsna conscious being
in the material world. We have a tongue made of blood and muscles. This
tongue is not able to receive Krsna. However, just as Krsna could appear in
the m outh of a deer, Krsna can appear on our human tongue.

Gajendra, the Elephant King

The second example is Gajendra, the king of elephants, vvho vvas viciously
attacked by a crocodile vvhile he vvas bathing in a lake. The two animals
fought for a long time but vvhen Gajendra savv he vvas losing, he finally took
complete shelter of Krsna by chanting. The Śñmad-Bhāgavatam (8.3.1)
recounts: ‘Gajendra fixed his mind on his heart vvith perfect intelligence
and chanted a mantra he learned in his previous life.’ Such an extraordinary
thing can only happen to an elephant if some special force enters its mouth;
it is said that the mantra čame to him by the grace of Krsna.

Let us never forget that Krsna can descend on the tongue of any living
entity. Only then can he or she truly chant the Holy Name. The Name
reveals Himself in this way vvhen He is pleased vvith the devotee’s Service
attitude. It vvas possible for Śrlla Haridāsa Thākura to chant the Holy Name
for tvventy-four hours vvithout tiring only because of Krsna’s descent. Śrlla
Haridāsa Thākura vvas not doing ‘his duty,’ he vvas performing his nāma-
sevā. There vvas zero struggle to stay avvake because he vvas in love!

Sevā, at its height, means to be enlivened in love. Śrlla Viśvanātha

CakravartI Thākura says in his vvork Mādhurya Kadambim that vvhen there
is bhakti in the heart the sādhaha is empovvered, and vvhile performing
devotional Services, such as chanting the Holy Names, he doesn’t fali
asleep...
106 | CHAPTER 3 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

In Vedic times, learned sages could bring forth fire by rubbing together
sticks of a special wood. In the same way, the omnipresent Lord is
manifested by chanting the Holy Names. It’s a Science that can be learned
easily. In the following section, I offer a few exercises. Try them out and
then select those that work best for you.

EXERCISE 1
The Hidden Secrets of Bhakti
What does it mean to chant in the mood of Service?

We need to be aware that:

1) the Holy Name is the object of our Service: Śrl Krsna Himself

2) our chanting is itself devotional Service

and putting the two together we can orient ourselves like this:

3) our chanting is devotional Service meant to please Krsna, our

object of Service who is non-different from His Name.
Thus, nāma-sevā is Krsna-sevñ.

We should desire to please Krsna by consciously chanting His Name!

O ur goal is to sustain such nāma-sevā consciousness in each and every
mantra. This will utterly transform our japa and kirtana.
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION ŠEVA | 107

Step 1 Sit tali vvith spine erect, just as you have learned in the yojana
exercises.

Step 2 W ith eyes closed, take a few deep breaths, bringing your
avvareness to each inhale and exhale. Continue to do so until
your mind becomes calm and focused. If distracting thoughts or
feelings ariše, gently let them go and return to avvareness of your
breath...

Step 3 Bring your consciousness to your heart and make a connection to

the Lord who vvaits for you there. Think to yourself:
Krsna is my close friend. He is my only protector and maintainer.
He has descended in Hisform of the Holy Name just to give me
shelter.

Step 4 Offer your practice of chanting to Krsna as a loving Service meant

to please Him:
My dear Lord Krsna, I vvis/i to offer my chanting to You,
for Your pleasure. Please accept me as Your seiyant.

Step 5 Now start chanting.

Step 6 W henever your mind begins to vvander, gently bring it back to

the understanding:
Krsna is my close friend, suhrdam sarva-bhūtānārh19
My object of love,
I offer my chanting in loving Service to You.

The key here is that you cannot just act, act, act. You must do it vvith
the intent to please Krsna. Connect vvith this sevā-bhāva, and you vvill
see miracles unfold as bhakti rises in your heart. In fact, the moment you
become avvare that Krsna is close by, your mood vvill change!

19Bhagavad-gUđ 5. 29.
10 8 | CHAPTER 3 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

EXERC1SE 2
Become Aware of the Meaning of the Mantra
W hen the chanter repeats the mantra again and again, there is danger that
the mind does not remain fixed on the mantra and starts to roam here and
there. Hovv vvill the Lord appear in such a case?

Meditating on or contemplating the meaning of the mantra is an ancient

technique described in many sources. The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (17.129)
describes mantrārtha-cintanam (contemplating the meaning of the mantra)
as one of six practices that brings chanting to perfection. This process
is aided by studying the sacred scriptures that teach hovv to establish a
connection vvith the Deily of one’s choice. The ancient yoga master
Patañjali also advises that vvhen repeating a mantra one should reflect on
its meaning. The commentator Vyāsadeva elucidates, ‘By contemplating
the meaning of the mantra, the mind becomes one-pointed, vvhich is the
vvhole point of any yoga practice, including bhakti-yoga/

ADOUBT

Sometimes chanters vvonder ‘Hovv can I do tvvo things at once: pay attention
to the sound of the mantra and dvvell on its meaning? This sounds to me
like another distraction.’

It does not have to be like that. W hen you infuse your mind vvith the
meaning, it adopts that mood and becomes ‘one’ vvith the meaning. Think
of it like svveetening milk vvith honey. The honey pervades the milk and vve
speak of the milk and honey as one substance: honey milk.

THIS IS HOW IT WORKS

The simple meaning of the Hare Krsna mantra is, ‘0 Rādhā, O Krsna, please
engage me in Your Service/ While chanting, try to enter the špirit of this
prayer. If this is too long for you, then make a shorter plea: ‘Please accept
me/
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION se v ā | 109

The Praetice
Step 1 Again, centre yourself by sitting tali with spine erect, as you
have learned.

Step 2 With eyes closed, calm dovvn by taking a few deep breaths,
bringing your awareness to each inhale and exhale...
Do so until your mind becomes peaceful and focused.
If distracting thoughts or feelings ariše, gently let them go
and return to your breathing...

Step 3 When you are ready, bring your consciousness to your heart and
connect to the Lord who is always there. Think to yourself:
Krsna, You are my master and I am Your eternal servant.
Unfortunately, I have forgotten our relationship fo r so many long
years. No\v I vvish to tuni to You in Your fortn oj the Holy Names.

Step 4 Begin chanting in this mood by meditating on the meaning of

the ma/iā-mantra, ‘0 Rādhā, 0 Krsna, please engage me in Your
seivice.’
It is important that you keep the meaning of the mantra in your
heart. To help yourself, look at your Deity on the altar or in a
picture.

Step 5 W henever your mind becomes restless and distracting thoughts

or feelings occupy it, gently bring it back by remembering that
you are now chanting for Krsna’s pleasure and that Rādhā and
Krsna are actually hearing you. Do not let go of the meaning of
the mantra and allovv bhakti to softly ariše in your heart...

The Hare Krsna mahđ-mantra is like a treasure chest. The key to opening it
is being aware of the meaning of the mantra...
1101 CHAPTER 3 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Gopāla Guru Goswamis Medilations

In Śri Harināma Cintāmani and Sri Caitanya Śiksāmrta, Śrlla Bhaktivinoda
Thākura strongly recommends the meditations of Gopāla Guru Gosvvami
on the meaning of the mahā-mantra. These meditations are meant for
seasoned devotees who have matured in their spiritual practice. There
are no hard and fast rules for how to use these meditations. The main
point is to remain mindful of them while you chant japa or sing kirtana.
You can either progress from one meditation to the next vvith each new
round or keep the same meditation for a few rounds before progressing to
the next. As you become more familiar vvith these meditations, personal
experience will dictate how best to progress through them. Remain open
to the dynamics of your own practice!

You may like to repeat steps 1-3 outlined in the previous exercise before
diving into the meanings.

PRAYERFUL MEDITATION

HARE he hare, mac cittam hrtvā bhava-bandhanān mocaya

O Rādhā, please capture my inner heart and deliver me
from the bondage oj material lije.

KRSNA he krsna, mac-cittam ākarsaya

O Krsna, please pali my heart to You.

HARE he harc, sva-mādhuryena mac-cittam hara

O Rādhā, please steal my heart m th Your sweetness.

KRSNA he krsna, sva-bhakta-dvārā bhajana-jñāna-dānena mac

cittarii śodhava
O Krsna, please purify my heart by giving me,
through Your devotees, knowledge ofhow to worship You.

KRSNA he krsna, nāma-rūpa-guna-lilādisu man-nisthām kuru

O Krsna, please make me steady in devotion to Your Name,
form, qualities, and pastimes.
 EXERCIS£S & PRACTICAL APPLICATION SEVĀ 1111

KRSNA hc krsna, rucir bhavatu mc

0 Krsna, please may I develop taste for You.

HARE he kare, nija-sevā-yogyarh mām kuru

0 Rādhā, please make me qualified for seiying You.

HARE he kare, sva-scvām ādeśaya

0 Rādhā, please show me how to serve You.

HARE he kare, sva-presthena šaha svābhista-lllām śrāvaya

0 Rādhā, please teli me of Your cherished pastimes
m th Your most beloved.

RĀMA he rāma, presthayā šaha svābhista-lllām mām śrāvaya

0 Rāma, please teli me o/Your cherished pastimes
m th Your most beloved.

HARE he kare, sva-presthena šaha svābhista-lilātii darśaya

0 Rādhā, please show me Your pastimes with Your most beloved.

RĀMA he rāma, presthavā šaha svābhista-lilārii mām darśava

0 Rāma, please sho\v me Your pastimes with Your most beloved.

RĀMA hc rāma, nāma-rūpa-guna-lilā-smaranādisu mām yojaya

0 Rāma, please engage me in such Services as remembering
Your Name,form, qualities and pastimes.

RĀMA he rāma, tatra mārii nija-sevā-yogyam kuru

0 Rāma, please make me qualified for Your seiyice in this \vay.

HARE he harc, mām svāñgikrtva ramasva

0 Rādhā, accepting me as Your o\vn, take pleasure in me.

HARE he hare, mayā šaha ramasva

0 Rādhā, please enjoy with me.20

*°Alternative translation: ‘0 Rādhā, take me along with You, when You enjoy pastimes (ramasva)’
112| CHAPTER 3 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Exit your Litilc Constructed World

The beauty of bhakti is that you can actually be in a relationship with God
- sambandha! Chanting means to associate with Rādhā and Krsna, the Lord
and Lady of the kingdom of love. And as we associate with Them more and
more our own spiritual identity will gradually shine forth!

In japci and kirtana we are meant to step out of our little worlds. W hen
we make that choice, our provincial vvorld constructed with props of a
temporal drama fali away to reveal reality. Upon exiting the false vvorld
of māyā and finding our connection to Rādhā and Krsna, our soul, at last,
rejoices.

Real spiritual practice starts from the understanding that T am an eternal

spiritual soul.’ But if we remain rooted in our own little vvorld, vvith ali
the mistaken identifications of ‘aharh mametV (I and mine) our chanting
becomes background music vvhile our mind, vvith its thoughts and moođs,
takes centre stage and ‘steals the shovv.’

Therefore, vve need a practice that helps us invest in our eternal

relationship or the time may come vvhen vve are faced vvith deep regret.
Like so many people on their death bed, vve too may feel, ‘Oh, no! W hat
have 1 done? I stood before the door of the kingdom of God but I turned
around and looked back! Novv, vvhen 1 try to think of Krsna, it is so difficult
for me. I have not learned to think of Him. W hat have I done?’ These are
the very real lamentations of the dying...

To enter the mood as an eternal servant of Krsna, there is one highly ef-
fective method knovvn as the Bhūta-śuclclhi meditation. It achieves tvvo goals:

1) removal of our absorption in the body by ‘lifting’ us

to the spiritual level

2) connecting us to our eternal essence in relationship to

Rādhā and Krsna.

Thus, the Bhūta-śaddhi meditation unveils the true me in our prayer,

‘Please engage me in Your Service’ and vve connect to the eternal spiritual self
vvho is always a dear servant of the Lord.

Each exercise here aims simply to enhance your attention tovvards Krsna
in His Holy Name and avoid absent-minded chanting. Please try them out
 EXERClSES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION SEVĀ | 1 1 3

and see vvhat works best for you. Remember that Krsna will descend into
our hearts only if we are chanting in a Service attitude with the intention
to please Him.

EXERC1SE 3
The Bhuta-śuddhi Meclilation
Step 1 Bring your shoulders back and expand your chest. Sit tali,
feeling as if there is a thread that pulls you towards the ceiling.

Step 2 Exhale deeply. Take a slow, deep in-breath.

Then exhale deeply again. Repeat this a fevv times.
O ur aim is to become relaxed but alert.

Step 3 While sitting erect, look in front of you. Then relax your gaze.
Continue breathing softly.

Step 4 Novv relax further. Imagine you are resting your body like a shirt
on a hanger. Your shoulders relax, your torso relaxes and your
legs relax. Your entire body settles. Relaxed.

Step 5 Breathe deep into your belly. You can touch your belly with your
left hand to check that it expands on each inhale and contracts
tovvards the spine on each exhale.

Step 6 Shift your focus to the heart. Imagine there is a bali of golden
light - an energv that appears like the sun. W henever you
breathe in, that energy bali becomes slightly larger. W henever
you breathe out, that bali becomes slightly smaller. W henever
you breathe in, the rays of the bali go through your body, and
vvhenever you breathe out, the energy concentrates in your heart.

Step 7 You are now ready to begin the Bhūta-śuddhi practice. Read the
follovving section as you concentrate on the heart region (where
you reside as the eternal spiritual soul).I

I let everything in my lije slowly and gently disappear.

My relationships, job, projects, plans, and ali that occupies my
114| CHAPTER 3 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

mind - 1 let them completely slip away... I am now absolutely alone.

There is no one and nothing in my environment.

I am sitting in a solitaiy place... I see myself a t ...

[Choose a place special to you. Perhaps in the holy dhāma

(sacred abode) - at the banks of the river Yamunā or the Ganga,
or at the feet of Girirāja Govardhana, etc.J

I have no memories, no thoughts of my life.Just me and my breath...

I am absolutely alone, absolutely safe and absolutely present to
whatever comes.

Now I concentrate on my heart-space. This is vvhere I, the eternal

spiritual soul, part of the Supreme, servant of Rādhā and Krsna,
am situated. It is my misfortune that I have been absent from that
relationship and instead been wandeñng the world in the repeated
cycle ofbirth and death. Helplessly, I’ve identified with one mateñal
body after another - one dream-life after another.

But novv myfortune has turned. I met Śrlla Prabhupāda through

his books and his folloivers, and I have learned from him about my
actual identit)' as a pure špirit. I am a resident of the spiritual world,
the kingdom oflove. I am an individual who is completely separate
from the gross and subtle body. Vve been inspired to take up the path
of eternal, loving Service to their Lordships, Rādhā and Krsna.

I will no longer ever be alone. I hno\v that there is only Rādhā and
Krsna. No one else.

[Visualise your favourite painting or Deities. You may begin to

pray or wait until the picture of Rādhā and Krsna is clearer in
your heart.l

Kneeling beforeyou, I no\v express myself...

[Offer a small sevā or any expression to vvhich you feel dravvn.]

Step 8 I wrap myself up in this relationship and feel bhakti rise in my

heart...

[Keep breathing... It is from this place that you now chant...]

 EXERCISES & PRACTlCAL APPLICATION SEVĀ | 115

Note: you may prefer not to undertake ali these steps every time you
perform lūrtana. It’s not necessary as long as you arrive at the main
objective: disconnect from your self-constructed world and connect with
Rādhā and Krsna as Their eternal servant. Here is an abbreviated version of
the meditation which contains the essence:

I am by nature the eternal servant oj Krsna, but because of my

misfortune I bave been inimical toivards Him since time immemorial.
I kave been identifying myself with the body and been continuously
wandering in the repeated cycle ofbirth and death in the material
world, suffering the burning threefold miseries.

No\v, as a result of some unimaginable good fortune, by the mercy of

my spiritual master, l know that I am an eternal servant of Krsna,
and that I am an infinitesimal spiritual being, completely apart from
the gross and subtle body.

No\v I have obtained the good fortune of being able to serve my

spiritual master’s lotus feet, and by his order, follo\ving his footsteps,
l serve the lotus feet of Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Śri Śri Rādhā
Śyāmasundara (or the name of the Deitiesyou are \vorshipping).21

EXERCISE 4
Serve Krsna in Meditation
Śrila Prabhupāda gave a meditation that introduces us to manasi-pūjā,
vvorshipping Krsna in the mind. One has to be a little open-minded to take
it up...

Prabhupāda begins by saying: ‘Chanting the Hare Krsna mantra means

keeping Krsna always vvithin your heart.’ Then he guides us on how to
offer Krsna an appropriate sitting place and to vvorship Him with sacred
water, as well as garments and ornaments:

You haven’t got to mahe a very exalted throne for Krsna. You can
imagine that, ‘In my heart I have placed a diamond throne and

21This passage is based on the Bhūta-iuddhi meditation presented in Pañcaiātra-Piadijm: Method of

Deity VVbrshipfor the International Socicty of Krishna Consciousness, compiled and published by
ISKCON GBC press, 1994.
1 1 6 | CHAPTEf? 3 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Krsna is sitting there/ That is accepted, and actually it becomes

true. Even if m thinyour m indyou think that, T Jiczve kept one
diamond throne, a very costly throne, because Krsna is coming.
He m ll sit there/ That is not false. That is afact. Now you create
such a situation m thin your heart. ‘Now Krsna is seated. Let me
wash His feet m th Ganges water or Yamunā vvater. Now, I change
His dress to first class costly garments. Then I decorate Krsna
with ornaments. Then I give Him something to eat/

Śrila Prabhupāda ends with encouragement to practice the meditation

often:

You can simply think oj this. This is meditation. It is such a niče

thing. Anywhere, you can sit down and think that Krsna is sitting
in your heart andyou are receiving Him in such a niče way. This
is not false. This is a Jaci. It is so easy.22

W ith instructions like this, Śrila Prabhupāda carefully guides the

devotees on how to meditate on Rādhā and Krsna vvhile chanting. It is
an advanced practice vvhich is attractive to those whose heart is already
somevvhat purified through chanting. In Śri Krsna-llla-stava (45), the great
Śrila Sanātana Gosvvami says ‘[Krsna] enter[s] the hearts of those who take
shelter of Your beautiful form and chant Your Holy Names.’

EXERCISE 5
A Praver for Service
Praying to Krsna is a verbal expression of the most important aspect of
bhakti - to turn to Krsna. Good prayers should therefore not be a lip Service
but a heart Service. The best prayers are those that come from a sincere
heart that turns to the Lord, seeing him as the only shelter.

In the Sanat-kumāra Samhitā (129-133), a vvonderful prayer entitled

Padya-pañcaka is given by Sadāśiva to Nārada Muni at the banks of the
Yamunā. It has the potential to infuse your chanting vvith devotional
feelings and can be recited before your japa or kirtana.

22Srila Prabhupāda, lectureon Śñmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.10, Geneva, June 1, 1974.

 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION SEVĀ | 117

PADYA-PAÑCAKA:
PRAYERS TO ŚRI ŚRI RĀDHĀ AND KRSNA

samsāra-sāgarān nāthau
putra-mitra-grhākulāt
goptārau me yuvām cva
prapanna-bhaya-bhañjanau

One should pray, ‘O Śri Śri Rādhā-Krsna, please rescue me

from the ocean ofbirth and death. Please rescue me from
the troubles botn from children, friends and bome. Please
break into pieces the fears ofYour surrendered devotee.

yo ’harii mamāsti yat hiñcid

iha loke parat ra ca
tat saivarii bhavator adya
caranesu mayārpitam

0 Śri Śri Rādhā-Krsna, today I place myself and everything

1 possess, both in this lije and in the next, at Yourfeet.

aham apy aparādhānām

ālavas tyahta-sādhanah
agatiś ca tato nāthau
bhavantau me bhaved gat ih

I am the home of ali offences. I have abandoned ali spiritual

duties. I have no shelter. O Śri Śri Rādhā-Krsna, 0 my Lords,
please become my shelter.

tavāst i rādhihā-nātha
harmanā manasā girā
hrsna-kānte lavaivāsmi
yuvām cva gatir mama

0 master of Rādhā, I am Yours. O beloved of Lord Krsna,

1 am Yours. I offer to You both my thoughts, words and deeds.
You two are the goal of my life.
1 18 | CHAPTER 3 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

śaranam vām prapanno ‘smi

ka runā-n ika raka ra u
prasādam kurutam dāsyam
mayi duste ‘parādhini

0 ŚrJ Sri Rādhā-Krsna, You are like two great oceans

oj mercy. Please be merciful to me. I take shelter o/You.
1 surrender to You. Please engage me, a sinner and an
offender, in Your Service.’

The Sanat-kumāra Samhitā assures us that one who chants these five
prayers daily will ‘quickly attain the direct Service of the Divine Couple.’

EXERCISE 6
Instructions from Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura
If you want to enter a Service mood while you chant, you may like to adopt
Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura’s four principles described in the Śn Harināma
Cintāmani:

1) Be in the company of saintly devotees who teach exemplary Service

mood by example. Such a mood is infectious!

2) Chant in a peaceful and secluded place, in a peaceful mood.

Consciously phase out external distractions.

3) Chant in a determined attitude. No matter what happens and

whatever your mind may concoct, remain fixed on the mantra.
After some time, you will see that your mind gives in to the chanting.

4) Think about the meaning of the mantra.

Practice of these four principles will steadily allay ali problems in your
chanting. This is a most magical formula. Start to execute it and the results
will speak for themselves.
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION SEVĀ I 1 1 9

EXERCISE 7
Reflect and Churn
Reflect on the experiences you’ve had while chanting in ali these different
ways.

W hat čame up vvhile you were chanting, concentrating, listening, keeping

Krsna in your heart, offering Him a diamond throne?

If something was helpful then build upon it as part of your regular practice.

Serve the Holy Name

You can also serve the Holy Name outside your ovvn japa or kirtana practice
by arranging programmes to share the Holy Name. The moment you make
an effort to do this, the Holy Name is deeply touched. You can arrange
kirtana programmes, conduct sañgas (gatherings) where you speak about
the Holy Name, or visit Vrndāvana to assist in the 24-hour kirtana as a
singer or a member of the chorus.

Like many others of my generation, I have noted that the Holy Name
shovvers unlimited blessings when one serves devotees by guiding them
into deeper contact with the Holy Name, or if one serves the public by
arranging programmes such as harināma (street kirtanas) or public
chanting events.
1 2 0 | CHAPTER 3

Summary of Ševa
Krsna is irresistibly dravvn to us the moment we chant with a
Service attitude. Conversely, when we chant in a faithless mood or
with an enjoying attitude, Krsna turns away from us. At that time,
we may perform good music but it is not true kirtana that glorifies
Krsna. He only manifests Himself completely when we chant with
sevā-bhāva. Out of kindness, He may sometimes partially manifest
to a new devotee to give some drops of taste to encourage him on
his path. But, if we want Krsna to fully manifest in our lives, then
we need to chant in the full špirit of Service to Him.

The exercises in this chapter can dramatically help bring the

špirit of Service into your chanting. It is, however, important to
note that chanting is itself already devotional Service; regardless
of techniques or prayers, chanting alone is more than enough to
please Lord Krsna.

Inner resolve: let me serve You. ..

____________________________ ______ ^ _______________ =_____________:________________________
 CHAPTER 4

............................................................. • ..............................................................

VIPRALAMBHA

Chanting in
the Mood of Longing
1 24 | CHAPTER 4

In the previous two chapters we’ve described the importance of chanting

in a connected way: by practicing sambandha (chanting with a sense of
relationship) and sevā (offering our chanting as Service to Krsna and
praying for Service). Both of these practices must be based on the essential
understanding that Krsna’s Holy Name is non-different from Krsna
Himself. If we chant with this faith, the desired result of chanting - Krsna’s
descent into our heart - will come about more easily than with any other
devotional practice.

There is another deep secret that will help us please Krsna and obtain
His mercy: exceptional grace comes when we chant with vipralambha -
the mood of separation from Krsna. Vipra denotes distance and alamba is
to attain. Thus, the word means ‘to attain that which is in the distance.’
In chanting this means we deepen a feeling of missing Krsna, which is
very effective in opening the heart and inviting Him to reside vvithin. Śrila
Prabhupāda wrote about this devotional feeling in a letter to one of his
disciples:

We should follow in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya and the six

Goswamis of Vrndāvana. They are always serving Krsna in the
mood of separation. They never said that ‘Now I have seen Krsna’
or (Last night, I danced m th Krsna.’ No. They were crying, tWhere
is Krsna?’ and they were always searching after Him, \vondering
when they \vould be finally able to see Him. We should also desite
intensely to see and be m th Krsna, but the first thing is to become
purified through devotional Service. It’s not possible othenvise.23

As Srlla Prabhupāda indicates here, the heart needs to be purified so that

one is able to see that our real need, and only need, is Śrl Krsna’s association.
As long as the heart is not purified one desires many other things and
not Krsna. In this chapter we will explore this subject further and then
offer guidance on how to approach the sublime mood of vipralambha in a
realistic way.

23Śrila Prabhupāda, letter to Lalitā-priya devi dasi, May 1975.

 VIPRALAMBHA | 125

THE SĀDHU LEARNS

FROM A GIRL IN LOVE
There vvas once a spiritually advanced sādhu vvho lived alone in the Jorest. He
vvas accustomed to sitting in the cleañng outside his hut at night to meditate.
One night as the moon vvas rising he vvas startled to hear a rustling sound
that got louder and closer. His eyes darted around until he savv a young lady
running through the Jorest. She didn’t see him in her hurry and practically
knocked him over as she rushed passed and disappeared into the night.

Shocked, the sādhu brushed himself off and proceeded to chant until early
in the morning vvhen again he heard the noise ojsomeone moving through the
Jorest. He savv the same girl rushing tovvard him though this time she savv him
and instantly stopped to pay her respects. Shocked at the shijt oj mood, the
sādhu said: Tirstyou čame here, knocked me over, didn’t even excuse yourselJ
and continued to run. Novv you pay your obeisance! Hovv can I take your
respects seriously? Go, go, go!*

‘What!’ the girl replied. 7 knocked you over?’

‘Yes,’ said the sādhu, ‘y ou knocked me over! I vvas sitting here and you čame
Jrom over there in the night...*

‘Oh, I truly didn’t realise... please excuse me! I’m so sorry!’ said the girl.

The sādhu grevv curious. ‘Why had the girl brushed passed so rudely the
Jirst time and vvas novv paying her obeisance so politely, as ij tiying to excuse
herseljJor the misdeed?

The girl shyly spoke, ‘O/i Sādhu Maharaja, vvhen IJirst čame by I couldn’t see
you because my heart vvas somevvhere else. I vvas rushing to meet my beloved
Jrom vvhom I vvas separated Jor a year. I vvas thinking only oj him. I couldn’t
think ojanything else... and novv as I am returning home I seeyou.*

The sādhu immediately recognised his ovvn error. In his heart he

acknovvledged: TJI had been absorbed in thoughts oj the Lord and vvas eager
to meet Him in the vvay this girl vvas Jor her lover, I vvould not have been so
disturbed vvhen she knocked me over. And should I not have been more engrossed
than an ordinary vvorldly lover? Ajter ali I am Jocusing on the greatest Lover.’
1 2 6 | CHAPTER 4

Feelings of yearning and anticipation had given vvings to the girl. She
\vanted so badly to meet lher man’ that she could only think of him - and
nothing else. W itnessing this incident changed the sādhu's perspective and
his practice permanently. He gratefully accepted the lesson of absorption
and applied it to his own meditation.

This is the mood for practicing Krsna consciousness! Yes, we are now in
this world, separated from Krsna. We have to face the sorrovv of breaking
our most important relationship. We have committed a terrible blunder
with the most serious consequences. But, as soon as we connect with
Krsna, feeling the separation and longing for Him, then He appears in our
hearts and we meet Him, like the beloveds do in this story.

ŚRl CAITANYA MAHĀPRABHU’S

LONGINGS
Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us how to open our hearts to deep feelings
of separation through a simple but pivotal prayer:

ayi nanda-tanuja kiñkararii

patitam mārii visame bhavāmbudhau
krpayā tava pāda-pañkaja-
sthila-dhūll-sadrśam vicintaya

Oh My Lord, O Krsna, son of Mahārāja Nanda! I am Your

eternal servant! But because of My o\vn acts, I havefallen into
this horrible ocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly
merciful to Me! Consider Me a particle of dust at Your lotusfeet.
($rt Śiksāstaka, verse 5)

Here Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu expresses His mood of longing for Krsna,
and it is precisely this mood that He taught to others. W hen you sing kirtana
or chant japa in the špirit of separation with some longing for the Lord,
something vvonderful happens. Externally, Krsna may be far away, and
your situation as a soul fallen into the material world remains, but if you
imbibe this mood of separation Krsna vvill come into your heart without
delay. Vipralambha means: outside absence, inside presence. Externally, we
feel apart from Krsna but internally we feel connected.
128 | CHAPTER 4

Material relationships and objects don’t vvork in the same way: they
don’t come into your life simply because you long for them. In fact, longing
for someone can make their absence feel more acute. But longing for Krsna
actually brings Him into the heart. Experiencing His absence paradoxically
brings about His presence. You can then feel Him with you and be solaced.
It needs to be experienced to be understood!

The next verse of the Śiksāstaka is explicitly about hankering for Krsna;
it opens the door to deep absorption and an inner State that is highly
desirable for serious chanters of the Holy Name:

naycinam galad-aśru-dhđrayā
vadanam gadgada-ruddhayā girđ
pulakair nicitarii vapuh kada
tava nāma-grahane bhavisyati

Oh dear Lord, \vhen will My eyes be beautified byfilling with

tears that constantly glide down as I chant Your Holy Name?
When \vill My voice falter, and ali the hairs on My body štand
erect in transcendental happiness when I chant Your Holy Name?
(Śri Śiksāstaka, verse 6)

Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu speaks this verse with apparent distress. He

laments and feels vvretched. He vvishes to say, ‘I can’t go on like this any
longer! W ithout love of Godhead, My life is useless. Therefore, I pray
to You Krsna, please accept Me as Your servant and give Me as a salary
ecstatic love for You. I don’t vvant anything monetary. 1 just want a tiny
compensation for My efforts to serve You: please give Me just a fraction of
that prema-dhana, the vvealth of ecstatic love. I am on the brink of death...
please give Me some alms to maintain My life.’

The verses of the Śiksāstaka prayer, born from the mood of Śrl Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, are highly beneficial for those vvho desire to chant with
vipralambha. Hearing them imbibes the heart with devotional feelings of
longing.
 VIPRALAMBHA | \ 2 L)

THE BEGGAR OF THE MIND

We know from Śrl Caitanya M ahāprabhu’s biographers that every
evening He would hear the poetry of Vidyāpati, Candldāsa and Jayadeva
Gosvvami; ali of whom described the love of the Vrndāvana residents who
associated with Krsna every day and exchanged with Him most attractive
transcendental loving dealings.

Submerged in the ecstasy of these stories, Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu

taught the inner orientation for opening the heart to Krsna with strong
feelings of separation and longing through his beautiful poetry.

In the heart there are vrttis: thought vvaves or desires. W hen the heart
is impure, the vrttis run tovvards material enjoyment. However, when
the heart is pure, the vrttis run towards Krsna. Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu
illustrates this in an exquisite analogy where He compares His mind to
a beggar who abandons home to beg for the vvealth of prema-dhana and
eventually meets Krsna in Vrndāvana.

The beggar is expert at meditation, therefore Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu

calls him Togi of My m ind.’ T heyogi is dressed in a quilt of anxiety uttering
only two words: ‘Oh, Krsna!’ He is emaciated, vvears a turban of greed on
his head and bangles of distress on his vvrists. The beggar constantly studies
poetry and descriptions of Krsna’s Vrndāvana pastimes.

Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu elaborates: T his beggar couldn’t find what

he wanted in his own home - the body - where there vvas only material
enjoyment.’ He longed for a greater treasure... so he took his disciples,
the ten senses, with him to start his begging campaign. He was after the
alms of pure love! But he needed to find those who could freely give him
the treasure of divine love. So, ‘This yogi approached the gopis who always
relish Krsna’s svveetness from the sound of His flute, the aroma of His
body and even the touch of His beautiful form. To his joy, the gopis offered
him the much-sought alms of pure love and this mystic yogi of the mind
ventured in a garden where Krsna was enjoying His pastimes and finally
settled into a mystical trance.’24

From the accounts that describe Śrl Caitanya M ahāprabhu’s life we

knovv that He frequently received the darśana of Krsna in His vision and

Based on descriptions from Srl Caitanya Caritāmrta Antya, 14.4 J-55.

1 3 0 I CHAPTER 4

His feelings of vipralambha vvere an overpovvering flood. In Jagannātha

Puri, He vvould reside in a small room called the Gambhlrā and vvould stay
up ali night chanting ‘Krsna, Krsna!’ with deep feelings of separation, in the
mood of Rādhārānl yearning for Krsna. Sometimes He would rub His soft
cheeks against the wall, back and forth, up and down, until His face drew
blood. At other times, He would magically escape through closed doors
and high security walls. This made devotees extremely concerned for His
safety. They held a meeting to address the issue and decided to appoint
Śañkara as the Lord’s companion in the night to make sure Śrl Caitanya
Mahāprabhu vvould not hurt Himself anymore. Because the room was so
small, Śañkara vvould lie dovvn first and Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu vvould
lie the other vvay and put his legs over him. This vvay Śañkara vvas alerted
vvhenever Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu moved and could immediately take
care of Him. Śañkara became knovvn by the affectionate nickname, ‘Pillovv
of Gaurāñga M ahāprabhu.’

But despite the protective measure, Śrl Caitanya M ahāprabhu’s longing

could not be restrained. In fact, it made the flames of intense separation
so much stronger that sometimes He vvould miraculously escape - even
though the doors remained shut.

THE MOOD OF GAUDlYAS IS THE

MOOD OF A BEGGAR
The mood of a piteous beggar vvho calls and yearns desperately is found in
many Vaisnava scriptures. This is not surprising after vve hear Krsna say in
the Ādi Purana that He is overcome by such a mood. Speaking to Arjuna in
confidence, Krsna reveals:

Oh Arjuna, listen very carejully lo what is in My heart:

those persons, who sing My Name and dance directly
before Me, truly purchase Me. Don’t be surprised by what
1 teli yoa, truthfully, those vvho sing My Natnes and a y
tears of longing purchase Me, Janārdana,25 completely.
Except for these devotees, no one else can purchase Me.
( q u o t e d in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa)

Janārdana is a name of Krsna, referring to Hc u ho is situaled in cveryone’s heart.

 VIPRALAMBHA | 131

Krsna says that He does not belong to the yogis vvho meditate and travel
at the speed of the mind throughout the universe to find God; nor the
jñānls, the philosophers; nor the great kanma-kāndis vvho feed thousands
of people a day. Krsna is truly pleased only with devotees vvho give their
hearts to Him in longing. Krsna says to such a devotee, 7 surrender to you
now. You can have Me.’

Thus, the devotee can ‘obtain’ God by singing His Name and dancing
before Him because the merciful Lord becomes inclined to anyone vvho
lovingly chants His Name. This is the mood of the Gaudlyas - from
practicing devotees to perfected beings.

W hen Rādhārānl is separated from Krsna, She cries torrents of tears

until She faints. She almost gives up her life because nothing and no one
can extinguish the viraha-agni - the fire of separation burning up Her life
airs. The gopls feel helpless, ‘W hat can be done?’

Ali they can do is call for Krsna by singing His Name ‘Śyāmasundara -
O beautiful One vvith the dark complexion of a rain cloud.’ There is a
vvonderful poem in this connection, vvritten by Candldāsa, that describes
hovv Rādhārānl vvakes from Her svvoon after hearing Krsna’s Name.

1) saldii, kevā śunāila śyāma-nāma

hānera bhitara diyā, marame paśila go
ākula karila mora prāna

0 my dear sakhl, vv/io is that person who first made

Me hear this Name ‘Śyāma?’ When it enters My heart
through My ears, I become ovenvhelmed m th impatience.

2) na jāni kateka madhu, śvāma-nāme āehe go

vadana chādite nāhi pare
japite japite nama, avaśa karila go
kemanc pāiba, sai, tare1

1 don’t kno\\> how much s\veetness Jills this Name.

It is so sweet that My tongue m ll not leave itfo r a moment.
As I go on repeating this Name, I become completely
absorbed. 0 sakhl, how will I ever be able to meet Him?
132| CHAPTER4

3) nāma-pciratāpe jđ ’ra, aichana karila go

afigera paraše kivā haya
jekhāne vasati tā’ra, sehhāne thākhiya go
vuvati dharama kaiche raya

1J that person’s Name alone has the power to put Me in

such a condition, I cannot even imagine what My condition
ivould be if I ivere to touch His body. Wherever He stays,
how can young wotnen maintain their religious principles?

4) pāsarite cahi mane, pāsarā nā java go

hi kariba hi babe upāva
kahe dvija-candidāse, hulavatl hula-nāśe
apanāre vauvana jācāya

In My heart I want to forget Him, but I cannot. Novv I cannot

understand what the remedy is, ivhat to do? Dvija Candidāsa
says, ‘Simply by displaying His youthful beauty, that Śyāmā
has destroyed the ivhole dynasty of young cultured ladies.’
(Sakhi, kevā śunāila śyāma-nāma)

Dark-hued Śyāmasundara Krsna čame as golden-hued Gaurasundara

Mahāprabhu, immersed in the mood of Rādhārānl. Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu
imbued His hirtana with Rādhārānfs thirst and pining for Krsna. At the
time, devotees vvould gather around Him to sing, and emotions would
reach such a pitch that they vvould ali begin to cry. Only these tears vvould
cure Śrl Caitanya M ahāprabhu’s heart pain. Ali of our ācāryas take part in
that eternal hirtana; it is the hirtana of our sampradāya.
 VIPRALAMBHA | 133

THE GOVINDA NECESSITY

WHERE DO W E START?

Śrlla Prabhupāda once revealed a secret of Gaudiya hirtana to his disciples:

<Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is a sannyāsl, He has no necessity. Why is He
crying? What does He want? He has given up the vvhole world. He became a
sannyāsi. He doesn’t vvant anything. Why is He crying so much? He is crying
fo r Govinda. That is the redi necessity. Govinda virahena me. Govinda
necessity.’26

We ali have that all-important need: the Govinda necessity. As discussed

in chapter one, if we go deep within our hearts we can perceive an
existential need. Hovvever, only an avvakening soul can clearly identify that
need. Others give their tears other names: ‘I am longing for appreciation,’
‘I need a true friend,’ ‘I must have a high-tech device with lots of useful
apps,’ etc. These are shallovv surrogates, vvhich fail to satisfy the true need
behind ali needs.

W hen we find someone who we believe can fulfil our deepest desires,
vve’re prepared to give everything to that person. Ali our life we search in
hope to meet him or her. The trouble is that no ordinary human being can
give us what we desperately need.

W HO KNOWS ABOUT THE GOVINDA NECESSITY?

Charitable, good-hearted people in this world can perhaps give us good

counsel and our daily bread and butter, but only a true Vaisnava can help
us understand the longing that forever tugs at our hearts. The Vaisnava
knows the Govinda necessity. And because he has ‘purchased’ the Lord
vvith his hirtana, he is willing to show us how we can do the same: by
chanting in the mood of separation.

26Śrlla Prabhupāda, moming walk, Honolulu, 28 May 1976.

 VIPRALAMBHA | 135

TEACHERS IN THE MOOD

OF SEPARATION
The spiritual masters of the past have left us with a great treasure house
of writings, songs and prayers through which they introduce and teach us
the finer aspects of spiritual life. In one of his songs, Śrila Bhaktivinoda
Thākura offers a very moving personal example to help us shift into the
mindset of a longing devotee.

Alas, how unfortunate I am. I have fallen into this insunnountable

ocean of material existence since time immemoñal. I am being
thro\vn here and there by the violent waves of my wicked desires.
I cry miserably at my helpless condition.

I do not see any hope of being saved. The ocean is insurmountable.

What should I do? How will I be delivered? I do not see any solution
to my dilemma. Alas, alas. Trn most unfortunate. The power of
māyā takes me by force and there is no one to help me. Now I turn
to You - V Lord, take me to You; lift me up to the cooling shade of
Your feet. Oh, I beg You, have mercy on this \vretched soul.’
(F ro m th e s o n g Anādi karama-phale, v v h ic h is b a s e d o n t h e fifth
te x t o f Śri Śiksāsiakam, Gitāvali)

Śrila Prabhupāda describes Śr! Caitanya M ahāprabhu’s mood of

separation as the perfection of Krsna consciousness:

(Where is Krsna? Where is Krsna?’ And crying, just like a madman - this
is Krsna consciousness. This is the highest perfection of Krsna consciousness,
\vhen one \vill be mad after Krsna. Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu showed us the
\vay. And the Goswamis sho\ved us also that way.27

So this is the way: lose your uncooperative mind to Krsna! Or at least

begin with the avvareness: ‘I am here and You are over there. I made such a
mistake when I broke off from our relationship! You have always tried to
come and help me, but I have persistently ignored You... Oh, what have I
done? W hat have I done? W hat have I done!’ This is the starting point for a
deeper and more fulfillingjapa and kirtana practice... We must chant with
genuine devotional feelings.

27Śrila Prabhupāda, lecture on the Śrimad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.39, San Francisco,July 20, 1975.
1 3 6 | CHAPTER 4

HOW TO ACCESS DEEPER FEELINGS?

Obviously we cannot and should not artificially manoeuvre ourselves
into a devotional mood of separation; we would only end up with our
imagination and imitative feelings, and not the real thing. Nonetheless, is
there a path that can lead us to experience genuine devotional feelings so
that we can call out to Krsna in the proper mood? Or do we just have to
wait until a ferocious wave of life rolls over us and brings us into such a
miserable condition that we are forced to turn to Krsna for help?

Dear devotees, I can assure you that there is one way to access deep
devotional feelings... Go to the great devotees like a beggar goes to rich
men! Śrlla Krsna dāsa Kavirāja Gosvvami speaks about this in the Śrl
Caitanya-caritam rta:

krsna-bhakti-janma-mūla haya ‘sādhu-sañga’

krsna-prema jamne, teñho punah mukhya añga

The root cause of devotional sei'vice (bhakti) to

Lord Krsna is association with advanced devotees.
(Śri Caitcmya-caritāmrtci, Madhya 2 2 .8 3 )

Even after one’s dormant love for Krsna avvakens, association with
devotees is still most essential because from it we receive more and more
feelings of bhakti.

DEVOTION IS INFECTIOUS
1 once saw how infectious crying can be. I vvas in South Africa and passed
by a funeral procession. The relatives vvere carrying the dead body to the
funeral pyre and vvere ready to place it into fire. Many people vvere vvatching,
some connected vvith the family vvhile others vvere onlookers, just like me.
Everyone vvas crying terribly. Then I savv a peculiar thing that arrested
my attention: I vvatched passers-by, vvho clearly had no relationship to the
deceased, also begin to cry, being influenced by the intense crying of the
relatives. I come from a culture and background vvhere such emotional
expressions vvere not nurtured, but even I vvas moved by the pervasive
mood of sorrovv and choked up.
 VIPRALAMBHA | 137

The association with sādhus works in the same way. W hen they speak
or share their genuine experiences, something vvill come into our heart.
Words born from the hearts of great devotees can move us like nothing else
if we are a little sensitive to spiritual life. Therefore, half of my personal
library consists of prayer books. Once when I asked one goodhearted
Vaisnava hovv 1 could fertilise my desert-like heart so that the seed of bhakti
can sprout, he recommended I read prayers. He said in particular, Ton must
read the prayers of Bhaktivinoda Thākura

Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thākura has vvritten four songbooks replete with deep
prayers capable of touching our hearts and avvakening devotional feelings
of separation. Śrila Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvat! Thākura recommended that
every Vaisnava should possess these songbooks and read them again and
again.

In his book Bhajana-rahasya, Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thākura teaches hovv

to leverage spiritual texts and prayers to uplift our consciousness and
maximise our absorption in chanting. You vvill find many verses to guide
you to deeper levels of understanding. W hen chanting, Śrila Bhaktivinoda
Thākura vvould sometimes pause to read and sing verses, including his
ovvn compositions.

The Gosvvamis also left us many literary vvorks for the same purpose.
Śrila Raghunātha dāsa Gosvvami and Śrila Rupa Gosvvami vvrote extensively
so that vve could chant their astakas and prayers to imbibe devotional
feelings. They vvould sit in their places of bhajana (vvorship) to chant japa
and sing kirtana, and from time to time they vvould recite the prayers they
had composed. Often, they vvould pay their obeisance flat on the ground
and pray. That vvas their method of bhajana.

Even Jagannātha dāsa Bābājl is quoted to have said, ‘Love of Godhead

is very cheap, only 4 rupees! Go to the market place and buy Prārthanā and
Prema-bhakti-candrikāV The m entioned prayer books, vvritten by Śrila
Narottama dāsa Thākura are filled vvith exquisite feelings of separation.
Giving them just a little attention cultivates an extraordinary mood.
It always vvorks! So if you vvish to have a heart full of devotion, allovv
yourself to be influenced by the devotion of the great souls vvho have come
before us.
1 38 | CHAPTER 4

PURE DEVOTEES
MAKE OUR KIRTANA REAL
If we want to develop the right mood in kirtana, we absolutely have to
associate with advanced devotees and learn from their example. Śrlla
Bhaktivinoda Thākura informs us, ‘One should not attend any kirtana
unless it is performed under the auspicious guidance of a pure devotee.’
This means that at least one pure devotee must be there; one pure antenna
so to speak, that will attract the bhakti-śakti. Or, if we do kirtana among
peers, we must make sure it is done according to the guidelines of pure
devotees. Only then will our kirtana have the śakti to attract Krsna.

Before chanting we must remind ourselves that when we chant with an

empty heart Krsna is not attracted to us and vvill not come. He is attracted
only by bhakti.

Asking for divine support is also practiced in other traditions. W hen a

Christian priest prepares to address his congregation from the pulpit, he
first meditates on the sentence: Domino sit in corcle meo et in labis meis,
which means ‘May the Lord be in my heart and on my lips.’ He prays to
be empowered so that his vvords vvill genuinely affect his listeners. W hat a
niče prayer! A kirtana leader should have a similar attitude. At the start of
his kirtana he can pray to Śrlla Prabhupāda and to the paramparā for their
help. Then he should pray to Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates
who taught us how to obtain love of Godhead through singing the Holy
Names and are kind enough to forgive ali offences.
 VIPRALAMBHA | 139

WHEN LONGING
REACHES BOILING POINT
Once there was a saint living near Nandagrāma who worshipped Krsna and
Balarāma his entire lije. He had become so old that ali his hair turned grey, his
teethfell oni and his hands shook.

One day, this sādhu čame before his Krsna-Balarāma Deities and spoke
to Them - aggrieved, ‘You are not fair! You never reciprocate with my ef/orts
to please You. I have worshipped You my \vhole lije! 1 \vent every day to beg
food from the villages to bring You something to eat. I have called fo r You
countless times but You have never responded! I lived my \vhole lije according
to the principles outlined by Śrila Rūpa Goswami. Every day I called to You
in my kirtana but You have not given me a sign that You care - not even once!
You just štand there. You don’t talk. And when those thieves čame in the night
and stole everythingfrom me, I cried out desperately fo r help \vhile they vverc
beating me, but You still ignored me. Now I am old and will die soon. Give
me permission to leave You. I will go to Varsānā to Śrimatl Rādhārāni. She is
hno\vn as karunā-mayl - full of mercy - not cruel like You two!’

The saintly bābā got up shaking and \veeping. He took his kamandalū
(\vaterpot) and turned around one last time, ‘That's it! No\v You can take care
of Yourselves. Trn going.Jaya $ri Rādhe!’

So he departed. The whole village mtnessed this heartrending scene. People

\vere shocked: "Bābā, ivhere areyou going? You are so old. You won’t have strength
to return! Maybeyou \vill die on the road. Who \vill cooh for you?’

‘Don’t try to stop me! Trn going.’

‘But who will \vorship Krsna-Balarāma?’

‘They can take care of Themselves!’

The villagers follo\ved the bābā trying to convince him to stay. Though one
by one, they gave up. At the border of the village, only t\vo boys still walked
m th the bābā.

‘Bābā, don’t go,’ they implored.

‘Boys, leave me.’

140 | CHAPTER 4

‘What about Krsna-Balarāma?*

T can Lake care or They can Lake care oj Themselves. I don't care. Jaya
om Ś ri
Rādhe!’

The boys persisted. One took the sādhu’s lejt hand, and the other his right.
The disgruntled bābā looked a little closer at them, and suddenly noticed one
boy was fair and the other dark... Krsna and Balarāma had come to give Their
direct darśana. The bābā \vos consumed m th bliss.

Balarāma said, ‘What do you m sh to do now, bābā? Will you return?

It is evening time and We need Our milk. We have come ali this way m th
you/

Krsna said, ‘We are takingyou m th Us. You can give Us Our milk in Goloka
Vrndāvana. Just go to Mother Yaśodā and she will give you Our m ilk/ When
the sādhu heard these \vords, he fainted.

The next morning, the villagers found their bābā still smiling. He had ali the
ecstalic symptoms oj asta-sāttvika-bhāvas (existential ecstasy) and one day
later he lejt this \vorld Jor Goloka Vrndāvana.

This is one of countless local Vrndāvana stories that shows how

sometimes Krsna chooses to intensify the devotee’s feelings to a boiling
point before He comes to them.
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION VIPRALAMBHA | 141

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

VIPRALAMBHA
In this chapier we have described the povver of chanting with vipralambha.
Such devotional feelings become a kind of ‘spiritual currency’ that can
purchase Krsna if He is moved by the devotee’s sincere yearning.

Krsna consciousness can only be attained by paying one priče: intense

greed. The Sanskrit word for greed laulyam can be translated also as intense
longing. That is the priče. This type of sacred greed is not cheap. It cannot
be attained through pious activities done over thousands of births. That
does not qualify one. If we want our chanting to be blessed with feelings of
longing, we need to be empovvered by Krsna’s śakti. The residence of this
śakti is the heart of pure devotees. In order to open our hearts and enter
this elevated mood of longing for Krsna, we have outlined the follovving
practices.

EXERCISE 1
Chanting vvith the Spiritual Master
As expressed earlier, bhakti-śakti comes from the devotee. The prime
devotee on our path to Krsna is our spiritual master. Therefore, we should
seek the company of our guru vvhen we chant, as recommended by Śrlla
Bhaktivinoda Thākura. One way to experience this connection is by
keeping a picture of the spiritual master on the altar or remembering the
guru while we chant.

In Śri Caitanya-caritāmrta there is a wonderful description of how a

former hunter worshipped Nārada Muni, his spiritual master, and Parvata
Muni, an equally exalted soul.
142 | CHAPTER 4 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

The hunter then received the two great sages in the courtyard
ofhis house. He spread out a straw mat fo r them to sit upon,
and m th great devotion, he begged them to sit down... He then
fetched \vater and \vashed the sages’feet with great devotion.
(Śri Caitanya-caritđmrta, Madhya 2 4 .2 7 4 -2 7 5 )

Śrlla Prabhupāda vvrites in his purport to this, T his is the process one
should follovv vvhen receiving the spiritual master or someone on the level
of the spiritual master.’ Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura also gives a vivid and
powerful meditation for greeting and vvorshipping one’s guru in the heart
and chanting in their presence.

One worships the spiritual master by offering a seat, water

fo r vvashing his feet, \vater to drink (arghya), cloth and
ornaments. Then, with the spiritual master’s permission, one
may begin worshipping the Divine Couple through chanting
and other methods. When one finishes \vorshipping the Deities,
prasādam is given to the spiritual master, and then to other
Vaisnavas and demigods.28

This process can be done both physically as well as mentally with

vvonderful results.

By the power of one’s devotion to his spiritual master

(guru-bhakti-bala) one crosses over the ocean ofbirth
and death. The spiritual master gives Lord Krsna’s mercy.
(Śrl Hañnāma Cintāmani 6 .3 3 - 3 4 )

W hat follovvs is a step-by-step meditation for receiving your spiritual

master. You can do this before you start your chanting.

Step 1 Sit straight. Stretch out and loosen your muscles.

Step 2 With eyes closed, take a few deep breaths, bringing your
awareness to each inhale and exhale. Do so until your mind
becomes calm and focused. If distracting thoughts or feelings
ariše, gently let them go and simply return to your breathing...

St ila Bhahtivinoda Thākura’s footnotc to Śrl Harimima Cintāmani 6.34.

 EXERCISE$ & PRACTICAL APPLICATION VIPRALAMBHA | 143

Step 3 Now imagine that you place a beautiful seat near you and invite
Śrlla Prabhupāda to sit on this seat.

Step 4 Worship Śrlla Prabhupāda by washing his lotus feet.

Step 5 Next, you may offer drinking water in an elegant cup.

Step 6 Now you can request Śrlla Prabhupāda for his permission to
worship the Divine Couple through your chanting.

Step 7 Begin chanting in Śrlla Prabhupāda’s inspiring association...

Try to be conscious of his deep devotional mood and imbibe it.

Step 8 W hen you are finished, offer gratitude to Śrlla Prabhupāda and
take permission to leave.

Note: O ther spiritual masters can also be invited with this method.

EXERCISE 2
Evoking Vipralambha to Overcome Mechanical Chanting
Śrlla Prabhupāda used to say that the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra is the
ultimate prayer. W hen chanting, we štand before the Lord and naturally
want to knovv what pleases Him. A true Vaisnava will express this with
the sentiment: ‘Please engage me in Your seiyice. Please accept m e/ But alas!
Because of uttering the mantra so many times, our mind and heart tend to
svvitch off and we remain empty inside. No feeling - only inner emptiness!

Reading prayers or singing songs can fill our hearts with devotion that
releases us from the oppression of mechanical chanting. If you do this
before or during your chanting, w hether japa or kirtana, you will notice
that where there was just emptiness, there is now fullness...

Undoubtedly, the best prayer for accessing the mood of separation is

given by Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the seventh verse of His Siksāstaka
prayers. It’s hugely beneficial to recite before japa or kirtana. W hat follovvs
is a song by Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura from the songbook Gitāvali that
beautifully illustrates Śrl Caitanya M ahāprabhu’s meaning.
144 | CHAPTER 4 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

GĀITE GĀITE NĀMA Kl DAŚĀ HOILO

1) gāite gāite mirna ki daśā hoilo

krsna-nitya-dāsa mui hrdoye sphurilo

What is happening to me as I repeatedly chant the Holy Names?

I have come to understand that I am Krsna’s etemal servant.

2) jānilāma māyā-pāśe c jada-jagate

govinda-virahe duhkha pāi nānā-mate

I have realised that due to my separation Jrom Govinda 1 have

been entangled in the network oj māyā in this material world,
and thus I am suffering material miseries in various ways.

3) ara je samsāra mora nāhi lāge bhālo

kāñhā jāV krsna heri e cintā viśālo

This \vorldly lije no longer brings me any pleasure. The only

thing I vvant to know is what I must do in order to see Krsna.

4) kāñdite kāñdite mora āñkhi bariśoya

barsā-dhārā heno cakse hoilo udoya

My eyes are Jilled m th tears which pour down like torrents

oj rain, like the dovvnpour oj the monsoon season.

5) nimese hoilo mora śata-yuga-sama

govinda viraha ara sahite aksama

Now, one moment appears to be equal to a hundred yugas.

In Jact, I am simply unable to tolerate separation Jrom Govinda.

6) śūnya dharā-tala cau-dike dekhiye

parana udāsa hoya
ki kori ki kori sthira nāhi hoy
jlvana nāhiko roya

Looking in every direction, I see the world as completely empty

and this has made me indijferent to lije. What should I do?
What on earth should I do? I am no longer capable oj living.
EXERCISES & PRACTICAl APPLICATION VIPRALAMBHA | 145

7) brajci-bāsi-gana, mora prāna rākha

dekhāo śri-rādhā-nāthe
bhakativinoda, minati māniyā
laohe tāhāre sāthe

0 inhabitants o/Vraja! Please save my lije by showing me

the beloved Lord oj Rādhā. Accept this request oj Bhaktivinoda
and give him your association.

8) śri-krsna-viraha āra sahite nā pari

parana chārite āra dina dui cāri1

1 cannot tolerate the separation Jrom Krsna anymore.

I have only a Jew days lejt bejore the lije airs leave my body.
146 | CHAPTER 4

Summary of Vipralambha
Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us that to chant in vipralambha
is the real perfection of our chanting. We have already heard from
the Adi Purana that Krsna becomes purchased by a devotee who
chants and dances in this mood.

These feelings cannot be taught by a specific technique; they

ariše naturally in the purified heart. However, by follovving in
the footsteps of previous ācāryas and by reading their songs
and prayers their devotion can ‘rub off on us. Their prayers are
outpourings of their innermost feelings and by connecting with
their mood of vvorship our hearts can experience deep devotional
feelings too.

Performing kirtana is a potent way to help you enter devotional

feelings. Śrlla Prabhupāda encouraged that we sing aloud even
when we are alone. W hat happens when we sing out loud? We
break a certain barrier in our heart, let go of our reservations and
actually hear the sound vibration; our heart and mind have to
hear us. If we sing softly, we might get lost in our thoughts. It is
described that when Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted He was so
loud that the whole universe became steeped in the sound.

Anyone who realises that the material world is not our home
can feel longing for Krsna and come to see that our deepest need
is the Govinda necessity. That is the secret of Gaudlya kirtana: to
cry out for Govinda -govinda virahena me - and pray for the Lord
to kindly hear and avvaken bhakti vvithin us. This vvill inform ali
aspects of our chanting.

Inner resolve: I want only You...

 *BS

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MP

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 /

CHAPTER 5

SARANĀGATI

Chanting
with Surrender
1 5 0 | CHAPTER 5

WHOSE PRAYERS DOES

KRSNA ANSWER?
Strictly speaking, feelings of pure bhakti are not found in the human
psyche, or the conditioned mind. They have to be given to us by someone
who already possesses them. This means that no manmade technique can
give us bhakti. Only Krsna or His devotee can bestow it.

There is, hovvever, something that can move Krsna’s heart so that He
becomes especially inclined towards us. Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thākura shares
this secret in his opening song in the Śaranāgati prayer collection. There,
he replies to the question: Whose prayers does Krsna hear?

sad-añga śaranāgati hoibc jāhāra

tāhāra prārthanā śune śri-nanda-kumāra

The prayers oj one who submits unconditionally to the six-fold

path of śaranāgati are heard by Ś ñ Nanda-kumāra-Krsna.

W hen we turn to the Lord in prayer He not only hears us but becomes
more inclined to bless us. W hen He sees that we are vvalking the path
of śaranāgati and taking shelter of His lotus feet, He will certainly turn
towards us. Therefore, if we really want to receive the gift of bhakti, we
must surrender to the Holy Name.

Give up your own plans and make nāma-sevā, Service to the Holy Name,
your priority. Place Krsna in the centre, at least during chanting. Gradually
mould your life in such a way that you cannot live in peace without drinking
the nectar of the Holy Name. How? By increasing your focus on nāma-sevā.
 ŚARANĀGATI | 151

OUR SURRENDER IN CHANTING

Śnla Bhaktivinoda Thākura says that as soon as the soul is favourably inclined
tovvard Krsna, he begins his approach to the temple of prema, the temple of
love. But what does this surrender really mean vvhen chanting Hare Krsna?

There are two types of truly devoted souls: one is the person who aspires
for prema, and the other is one vvho has attained prema. Both classes of
devotees practice śaranāgati, especially in relationship to the Name. Those
who have already attained prema chant vvith natural surrender. Those who
are on the way to prema chant the Names vvith a certain understanding:
i have no other place to go. I must go to Krsna. Unfortunately, I am not
qualified. Lust, greed, and so many other things still trouble me, but in my
heart of hearts, I only vvant bhakti. Although my senses may teli me that
1 vvant other things, I knovv those things vvill not make me happy. I have
tried everything to satisfy myself and it hasn’t vvorked. I vvill novv invest
fully in the Holy Name.’

Śrila Yāmunācārya’s prayer shovvs hovv śaranāgati manifests in a prayerful

attitude:

nimajjato ‘nanta bhavārnavāntaś

cirāya me kūlam ivāsi labdhah
tvavāpi labdham bhagavann idānim
anuttamam pātram idam dayāyāh

O Infinite one! I have been dro\vning in this material

ocean for so long, but now I havefound its shore - You.
You too, O Lord, have today found the perfect recipient
of Your unlimited mercy - me.
(SrI Stotra-ratna 21)

Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thākura vvrites a purport to this verse in the Bhajan-

rahasya:

nija-karma dosa-phale padi bhavārnava jale

hābu dubu khāi kata hala
sāñtāri sāñtāri jāi sindhu anta nāhi pāi
bhava-sindhu ananta viśāla
1 5 2 1 CHAPTER 5

nimagna haiyā jabe dākinu katara vabe

keba more karaha uddhāra
sei kale āile tami tava pada-kūla-bhūmi
āśā bija haila āmāra

tami bari dayāmaya pāile more suniścaya

sanvttam a bhājana dayāra

On account of my material lije, I havefallen into this material

ocean \vhere I bave been drowning since time immemorial
I bave been smmming and smm m ing, bat I bave notfoand
the end of this great and fathomless material ocean.

While drovvning, I cried out in distress, ‘Help! Someone rescae

me!* then Yoa čame and I anderstood that Yoar lotas feet are
the shore of this ocean. Then the seed of hope arose in my heart.

0 Hari, Yoa are the most compassionate! In me, Yoa have

certainly found the most appropriate recipient for Yoar mercy.

Devotees who realise that the Lord’s mercy is their only hope take
exclusive shelter of His Name as it is the most accessible form of the Lord.
They have faith that ehanting is the highest means of reaching purification.

Although there are sixty-four añgas29of bhakti, as mentioned by Śrlla Rupa

Goswami, those who really aspire for prema focus on nāma-sevā. Here are
some reasons why they prefer ehanting over the other sādhanas:

they derive the greatest satisfaction from hearing and remembering

the Name
no type of worship is as pure, simple and effective;
you just sit and call out to Krsna
among ali devotional activities, ehanting and remembering
the Lord’s Name is glorified most because there’s no difference
betvveen Krsna and His Name
it’s the means and the end; the way and the goal are the same
Krsna personally comes to deliver His devotee. W hich other practice
has such power!

29An añga is a limb or element of a whole.

1 54 | CHAPTER 5

HUMILITY:
THE GATEWAY TO SURRENDER
To enter the vast arena of surrender, start with the first step: humility. Only
a humble and meek person is allovved to move fonvard in bhakti while the
proud are sent back. Develop a humble and reflective mindset: ‘I am fickle
and unsteady in my sādhana. I have not realised my spiritual nature, nor
do I have any real devotion. 1 am unqualified in every way. O Krsna, please
show me mercy. Please, I just can’t tolerate this State any longer! Please
give me some Service to You. Please accept me! ...Please accept me.’

Some people are afraid to take this step because they suffer from low
self-esteem, and fear that this kind of supplication will make them even less
confident in life. But true humility does not mean to think less of yourself;
it means to think of yourself less! Humility is not supposed to bring one
into the mental prison of self-absorption but widen one’s perspective to the
extraordinary mercy of the Lord. And that is always enlivening!

If we start to practice serious chanting, feelings of humility will naturally

ovenvhelm our heart. In order to enter the world of Śrl Krsna, we have to
bend very low through the gateway of humility... Bow down mister! Bow
down sister! Othervvise, we vvon’t ‘fit’ through the gate! This is the reason
why Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:

trnād api su-nicena

taror iva sahisnunā
amđninā māna-dcna
kirtaniyah sada harih

One who thinhs himself lovver tkan the grass, \vho is more
tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honour
but is always prepared to give ali respect to others, can very
easily always chant the Holy Name of the Lord.
(Śrl Caitanya-caritāmrta, Ai\tya 2 0 .2 1 )

In the last line sadā means ‘always’ - we can always chant when we are
humble.
 ŠARANĀGATI | 155

Once in 1931 Śrlla Prabhupāda, who was running a pharmaceutical

business in Allahabad at that time, was visited by Dr O.B.L. Kapoor - a
prominent scholar and godbrother. Śrlla Prabhupāda had prepared him
a tonic as a gift. Upon receiving it, Dr Kapoor joked, ‘Abhay Bābu, 1 wish
you would give me the tonic of Krsna-prema [pure love of Krsna] that you
yourself use.’

‘1 don’t have that tonic as of yet,’ Śrlla Prabhupāda had replied,

‘but I have the formula.’

‘lf the formula is not a secret, then please give it to me?’

Dr Kapoor requested.

‘It’s not a secret at ali:

trnād api su-nicena

taror iva sahisnunā
amāninđ māna-dena
klrtaniyah sada harih

This is the formula,’ Śrlla Prabhupāda said, ‘and I’m going to preach it ali
over the world.’

Śrlla Bhaktisiddhānta SarasvatT Thākura recommended a wonderful song

vvritten by his father Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura that can be performed
before nāma-klrtana. It is a tonic that induces true humility. Entitled
Amāra jivana, it appears in the Śaranāgati collection of poems. It urges us
to introspect, recognise our deficiencies and to humbly beg for the Lord’s
grace to remedy them.

ĀMĀRA JIVANA

1) āmāra jivana, sadā pape rata,

nāhiho punyera lesa
parcre udvega, diyāchi je kata,
diyāche jlvere kleśa

My lije is evergiven to sin; in it there is not a particle ojgood.

I have caused others great anxiety and have troubled ali souls.
1 5 6 | CHAPTER 5

2) nija sukha lāgi’, pape nāhi doti,

doyā‘hina svārtha-paro
para-sukhe duhkhi, sada mithya-bhāsi,
para-duhkha sukha-karo

For the šake oj my own enjoyment, I have never hesitated to

perfotm sinful acts. Devoid oj ali compassion, I am concemed
only with my selfish interests. Perpetually speaking lies,
I become dejected upon seeing others happy, whereas the misery
of others is a source of great delightfor me.

3) aśesa kāmanā, hrdi mājhe mora,

krodhl, dambha-parāyana
mada-mat ta sada, visaye mohita,
himsā-garba vibhūsana

There are limitless material desires m thin the ćore of my heart.

I am wrathful, fond of exhibiting arrogance, intoxicated by
vanity, and bemldered by worldly affairs. I wear the cheñshed
ornaments of envy and egotism.

4) nidrālasya hata, suhāryc virata,

akārye udyogi āmi
pratisthā lāgiyā, śāthya-ācarana,
lobha-hata sada kami

Ruined by laziness and sleep I resist ali pious deedsyet am \ery

enthusiastic to perform wicked acts. For the šake of worldly
fam e and reputation I engage in the practice of deceitfulness.
I am victimised by my own greed, being always lustful.

5) e heno durjana, saj-jana-varjita,

aparādhi nirantara
śubha-kārja-śūnya, sadānartha-manāh,
nānā duhkhe jvara jvara

A vile, wicked man such as this, rejected by godly people, is a

constant offender. Devoid of ali good works, forever inclined
towards evil, he is worn out and \vasted by various miseries.
 ŠARANĀGATI | 157

6) bārdhahye ekhona, upāya-vihina,

tā’te dina akiñcana
bhakativinoda, prabhura carane,
kore duhkha nivcdana

Now in old age, depñved oj ali means oj reliej thus humbled

and poor, Bhaktivinoda submits bis tale ojgriejat the Jeet oj the
Supreme Lord.

Śrlla Bhaktisiddhānta SarasvatI Thākura recommended that every

sādhaka should chasten himself every morning and evening with these
prayers. W hen we look inside ourselves we become aware of our very real
disqualifications and can appreciate so much more what is given to us! On
the other hand, if we feel qualified and deserving, a special gift loses its
specialness to us.

A humble soul is described as someone who, although accomplished

in many ways, thinks himself utterly unqualified. Such a soul sees that
in relationship to God, he is insignificant. Yes, in comparison to someone
who has just started on the spiritual path, the humble soul has experience
to leverage, but that doesn’t make him feel superior because in relationship
to the ultimate goal - pure, exalted love of God - he always feels so far
away...

Thus, to get closer to the goal it’s more effective to remain in the beginner’s
mindset. How? The humble soul understands that the goal of Krsna-prema
is unfathomable to a mere mortal. In appreciation of something so high, he
laments being so low and far away. This feeling attracts Krsna.

While visāda (lamentation) pulls us down if directed tovvards material

objects and relations, the opposite happens in visāda-yoga30 - the yoga of
sincere lamentation. Faced vvith our insufficiencies, if we turn to Krsna for
help then miracles happen! Lamenting our distance from Krsna never fails
to lift us up tovvards Him.

Thus, the way up is by bending down. If you wish to reach Krsna

then become truly humble. Though please remember: don’t think less of
yourself, but think of yourself less.

wThefirst chapter of the Bhagavad-gJtā is callcd visāda-yoga, the yoga of lamentation. In it. Arjuna
sees no \vay out of his desperate situation and turns to Krsna for advice and tahes full shelter.
 1 5 8 | CHAPTER 5

SEEING KRSNA AS OUR

ONLY MAINTAINER
Of the six limbs of śaranāgati, to see Krsna as one’s only maintainer is the
main. In Sanskrit, this is called goptrtve varana and is considered the añgi,31
the basis of śaranāgati, since the act of selecting a guardian and entrusting
him to protect oneself encompasses the whole process of seeking shelter.
The other five limbs (añgas) assist in this.32

Thus, we must develop a strong conviction that Krsna alone can take care
of us and nobody else. Parents, friends and other devotees offer us support
and give us some relief, but the Lord, who is behind them ali, can offer us
shelter that includes ali types of support. Śrlla Prabhupāda instructed the
same on chanting, ‘We should cry out to Krsna like a dependent child calls
for its motluer* This is surrender: to put ourselves into Krsna’s hands and
trust Him to maintain and protect us. Only a very indifferent and cruel
mother would not take care of her child. How can the Lord, vvhose mercy
is described like that of a thousand mothers’, ever ignore a person who has
made himself fully dependent on Him?

Although we have vvronged Krsna for so long in so many ways, out of His
extraordinary kindness He is moved to act vvhenever we turn to Him. He
responds to a simple and sincere statement like T am Yours’ by preparing a
royal road back to Godhead. Krsna is kind by nature! In His heart He has
no place for the mistakes of His devotees. Can anyone find a more worthy
person to surrender to?

Go before the Lord in a genuinely surrendered mood. In old limes,

one vvould fold their hands above their head in a classical gesture of self-
offering to express this mood. To pass the gateway of humility into Krsna’s
land, it behoves us to express our utter dependence, becoming like a child
vvhose every need is met by his parents.

Take shelter like a child! See Krsna as your maintainer, upon vvhom you
are absolutely dependent. If He hadn’t given it, you vvould not have the

31The añgi is considered the bachbone or the basis oj somei/ting. The añgas are the supi>orting
elements.

,:Discussed in Bhahti-sandarbha, Anu 236. The five añgas are: humility, accepting what is favourable,
rejecting uhat is unfavourable, seeing the Lord as one’s protector, and self-surrender.
 SARANĀGATI | 159

ground to walk on! If you can’t yet surrender in this childlike way then
remember those who have, such as the great soul Śrlla Haridāsa Thākura.
Connect vvith the saints who have left behind their footsteps for you to
follovv. By studying their experiences and particularly how they dealt with
obstacles, fresh emotions will come to your heart and spiritualise your life.

TAKING SHELTER OF
THE HOLY DHĀMA
W hen we wish to become close to someone we visit him at his home.
Similarly, those who wish to come close to Krsna take shelter at His dhāma
vvhere He has enacted (and still enacts) His pastimes. Such a person will go
to Vrndāvana, Navadvlpa, Jagannātha Puri, etc., to chant the Lord’s Holy
Names and pray ‘Please accept me/

The Lord will not remain in the distance - especially not at His earthly
home - when He hears the prayers of such a surrendered devotee. He will
reciprocate in lots of ways, according to the devotee’s surrender.

The mind of someone vvho absorbs himself in these holy places while
chanting will be flooded with Krsna conscious bliss. Performing devotional
activities - especially chanting the Holy Names - vvill yield much higher
results in the holy dhāma than in any other place in this vvorld. This has
been confirmed by many grateful pilgrims.

During His visit to Vraja, Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu would spend His
time absorbed in chanting japa and performing kirtana, inundating ali the
Vrajavāsis vvith Krsna-prema.

vrndāvane āsi’ prabhu vasiyā ekānla

nāma-sañklrtana kare madhyāhna-paryanta

Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu \vould go to Vrndāvana and sit in a

solitary place, vv/iere He \vould chant the Holy Name until noon.
(S ri Caitanya-caritāmna, Madhya 1 8 .8 0 )
160| CHAPTER5

His mind was absorbed in great ecstatic love, day and night. W hen He
visited particular Deities or places like Rādhā-kunda, He simply sang and
danced in ecstasy, not caring about eating or sleeping. Everyone who saw
Him was simply amazed for they had never seen such symptoms of love in
any person.

After He left Vrndāvana, Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Śrlla

Sanātana Goswami

nāma-safikirtancim śriman-
mathurā-mandale sthitih

One should congregationally chant the Holy Name

of the Lord and reside in Vrndāvana.
(Sri Caitanya-caritāmrta, M adhya 2 2 .1 3 2 )

Śrlla Rupa Goswami considered this advice vital; the essence of ali
spiritual instructions. In his own book of instructions to help practitioners
attain Vraja-bhahti, he summarised the process in this way:

tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-suhlrtanānu-
smrtyoh hramena rasanā-manaśi niyojya
tisthan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugānū
kalam nayed ahhilam ity upadeśa-sāram

The essence of ali advice is that one should utilise one’s Juli
time - twenty-Jour hours a day - in nicely chanting and
remembering the Lord’s Divine Name, transcendental Jorm,
qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging
one's tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja
and serve Krsna under the guidance oj devotees. One should
Jollow in the Jootsteps oj the Lord’s beloved devotees, who
are deeply attached to His devotional Service.
(Nectar oj Instruction, te x t 8 )

Why is visiting the holy dhāma so helpful in our spiritual practice? In

the holy dhāma, two of Krsna’s powerful energies come to help any sincere
sādhaka who visits: His tāraka śakti - energy of liberation, and His pāraka
śakti - energy of attraction.
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1 6 2 1 CHAPTER 5

Thus, devotees receive tremendous support in their spiritual lives by

visiting ancient holy places vvhere Krsna enacted his pastimes. They go
on pilgrimage and chant the Holy Names there. We can do likevvise! Even
within the mind! Forget your present surroundings, and go to Vraja in
your mind. Perhaps you will arrive in a forest near Girirāja Govardhana, or
on the marble floor of Śrlla Prabhupāda’s sumćid/ri-temple, or on the sandy
banks of the Yamunā, or on the ancient stone steps leading down to sacred
Rādhā-kunda... Choose your preferred holy place, stay there mentally
during your kirtana, and enjoy the spiritual bliss of taking shelter in Rādhā
and Krsna’s Holy Names in such a setting. Then you can address Krsna, ‘My
Lord, I am Yours,yjust as a child seeks out his parents.

tavāsmiti vadan vācā

tathaiva manasā vidan
tat-sthānam āśritas tanvā
modate śaranāgatah

One whose body is fully surrendered takes shelter at the holy

place where Krsna had His pastimes, and he prays to the Lord,
‘My Lord, I am Yours/ Understanding this m thin his mind, he
enjoys spiritual bliss.33

W hen you wish to make up with an estranged relation, it is best to

visit them at their home and humbly say, ‘It’s me again. Can vve give our
relationship another try?yThis also means we take responsibility to work on
our relational failings.

lt is exactly the same vvhen we truly surrender to Krsna: we go to His

earthly home, either in our body or within the mind, and try to make up
for the time vve have kept our dearest friend vvaiting.

nāma-sañhirtanam śriman-
mathurā-mandale sthitih

One should congregationally chant the Holy Name

oj the Lord and reside in Vrndāvana.
(Śri Caitanya-caritāmrta, M adhya 2 2 .1 3 2 ) 3

3iHari-bhakti-vilāsa 11.677.
 SARANĀGATI | 163

RECE1VING THE DIVINE GIFT

OF PREMA-DHANA
In the Śri Śiksāstaka, Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu prays to receive the gift of
love (prema-dhana):

navanam galad-aśru-dhārayā
vadanam gadgada-ruddhayā girā
pulakair nicitam vapuh kada
tava nāma-grahane bhavisyati

My dear Lord, vvhen will my eyes be beautified byfilling with

tears that constantly glide down as I chant your Holy Name?
When will my voicefalter and ali the hairs on my body štand
erect in transcendental happiness as I chant Your Holy Name?
(Sri Śiksāstaka, verse 6)

Krsnadāsa Kavirāja Goswami reveals the thoughts and emotions of the

Lord as He entered deeper and deeper into the heart of Śrlmatl Rādhārāni.
Continuing to speak in Her mood, Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ‘W ithout
love of Godhead, My life is useless. Therefore 1 pray that You accept Me as
Your servant and give Me the salary of ecstatic love of God.’34

Śrl Caitanya M ahāprabhu’s separation from Krsna awakened mellovvs

of distress, lamentation and humility, and thus He began to speak like
a crazed person, lMy Lord Govinda, because of separation from You,
1 experience every moment as a millennium. In My agitation, the day
never ends. Pouring excessive tears, My eyes are like clouds in the rainy
season. The three vvorlds have become void and 1 feel as if 1 am burning
alive in the slow fire of Your separation. Lord Krsna, You have become
indifferent to Me, just to test my love! My friends say, “Better You disregard
H im ...”’

W hat is expressed may sound like tragic love to our ears, but it is the
highest summit of spiritual bliss. Śrl Caitanya M ahāprabhu echoes Śrlmatl
Rādhārānfs moods and feelings when She manifested characteristics of
pure love. Ecstatic symptoms of envy, great eagerness, humility, zeal and
supplication ali became visible in her. Her mind agitated, she had spoken to

wSri Caitanya-caritāmrta, Antya 20.37.

164 | CHAPTER 5

Her gopi friends with a heart charged with the highest spiritual emotions.
In the same špirit of ecstasy, Śri Caitanya Mahāprabhu recited His verses.
As soon as He did, He felt just like Śrlmatl Rādhārānl.

God has a treasure house. ln it are treasures that supersede in value the
greatest treasures of the kings and emperors of this world. Of ali God’s
treasures, the Holy Names are most precious because they bestow that
unattainable wealth of prema.

FROM WHERE CAN WE OBTAIN

DIVINE LOVE?
W ithout love of Godhead life is simply a waste of time, Śri Caitanya
Mahāprabhu says bluntly. Kirtana of the Holy Name is a gift of love,
beginning with affectionate feelings for Krsna. In the Ś ñ Marinama
Cintāmani, Śrlla Haridāsa Thākura says,

By follom ng this direct path ojchanting the Holy Name, the

conditioned soul attains a great treasure oflove for Lord Krsna.

From where can we obtain this gift of the Holy Name which, unvvrapped,
is pure love for God? Śrlla Viśvanātha CakravartI Thākura advises that just
as a hungry beggar goes to rich householders to beg for food, a devotee
should beg for mercy from other devotees who can lovingly glorify Krsna
in kirtana.

Please note that attachment does not reside in the object of attachment
but in the heart of one who is attached. If we seek attachment to Krsna,
we do not look to Krsna but to the person who possesses attachment to
Him.

We jivas are on the border between the spiritual and material worlds,
and if we desire to enter the spiritual world, it is possible only by divine
investment from those who already have such divine attachment.

Patañjali concurs that certain qualities can be obtained from those who
have already developed them. For example, one can control his thoughts
by fixing his mind on someone else who has transcended human passions
and attachments and is thus self-controlled.
 SARANĀGATI | 165

The principle vvorks also with respect to material attachment. W hen we

hear the songs of materialists, see their movies, and visit their gatherings,
we become affected by their culture. Attachment to the opposite sex easily
develops if one associates with people who are deeply focused on romantic
relationships.

Thus, association vvith a person attached to the Lord is, in the beginning,
more desirable than even association vvith the Lord Himself. If you are not
attached to the Lord, you vvouldn’t recognise Him even if He was standing
before you. This is precisely vvhat happened vvhen Krsna was present on
the planet: only His devotees recognised Him as the Supreme Personality
of Godhead.

If our hearts are not so pure but we have good connections to vvonderful
devotees, we vvill still be moved to develop feelings similar to theirs.
Gradually, we vvill begin to long for the day vvhen vve’re able to follovv their
example of giving up our attachments to the vvorld and exclusively seeking
the unlimited happiness of pure love of Godhead. NVithout the association
of advanced devotees and hearing from them about Krsna and His pastimes,
the various illusions that pain the heart of the inquisitive devotee vvill not
leave him. He vvill fail to achieve love of Krsna. Śrlla Viśvanātha CakravartI
Thākura vvrote about this beautifully:

My dear Lord, I vvant to associate vvith the devotees because

vvhen they talk about You, the love vvhich they have in the ćore of
their hearts comes out through their mouths. I seek the blessing to
have millions of ears in the presence of millions of your devotees
so that I may simply listen to them and imbibe their love.55

This is an amazing prayer! Śrlla Viśvanātha CakravartI Thākura doesn’t

vvant to miss the nectar from even one of Krsna’s devotees!

Śrlla Rūpa Gosvvami refers to the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya to illustrate the

same point vvith the example of a crystal vvhich imbues the colour of any
object next to it.36 W hen one puts a red hibiscus flovver near, the crystal
turns red, and so on. Similarly, vve vvill see the attachments and feelings of
those vve associate vvith appear in our hearts, as both their good qualities
and flavvs are transmitted to us.

3iSarartha darsini commentary by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, 4.20.24.

36Bhakti-rasāmrta-sindhu 1.2.229.
166 | CHAPTER 5

This is one of the reasons why kirtana leaders have a great responsibility
tovvards those they are leading. Often, the contents of their heart transmits
to the hearts of those who participate. Therefore, a kirtana leader has to
try to light up the hearts of others! He must internally acknovvledge, ‘I
have to be in a good State of consciousness. It is my responsibility to have
a clean heart and clear mind. Therefore, I have to connect with Krsna
first.’

Thus, it is preferable if those devotees who are advanced lead the kirtana,
even if they do not possess strong musical skills. We don’t need to care so
much about excellent melodious voices; we care much more about Krsna-
bhakti.

This shouldn’t, hovvever, discourage anyone from leading kirtana. If we

are not so advanced, the klrtana-śakti can still flow through us when we
aspire to become a transparent via medium. And, to become a transparent
via media means to move oneself and his self-centred thoughts and feelings
out of the way. Step to the side and focus on Krsna and the pure devotees
vvhom we represent. Then the flovv of bhakti can begin...

To illustrate this point further, imagine a priest about to open the altar
curtains for a crowd eager to take darśana of the deities. Suppose the priest
starts thinking, ‘Ali these people have come to see me! They will notice how
1 am dressed, my facial expressions, my muscles, etc.’ Consequently, he
starts to draw attention to himself by flexing his muscles and similar antics.
W ouldn’t such a priest be considered foolish? He vvould be a complete
nuisance! The congregation has gathered to see Krsna, not him! Similarly,
a kirtana leader must remember that kirtana is ali about Krsna, and not
himself.
 ŚARANĀGATI | 167

REGULAR PRACTICE NEEDED

We can’t be irregular in our practice of japa and kirtana if vve want to
become accomplished chanters. Only regular practice will affect change
inside. If we want to boil water in a kettle, we wouldn’t apply a little heat
to the pot, then svvitch off the electricity, then turn it on again, then switch
it off again, etc. The vvater would never boil! It would warm up, cool off,
warm up, then cool off. Each time we would have to use so much energy
to again raise the temperature to vvhere it was vvhen we switched off. The
same holds true for chanting! We have to do it regularly for a good length
of time vvithout any periods of non-chanting.

Let us be clear: the timeless teachings presented here will work best
only if you apply them regularly and take japa and kirtana with you in
life. Chant as much as possible! Chant vvhen you are happy and vvhen
you are sad ... Sing vvhen you go to your office, or vvhen you shovver - just
sing! Everything else that you have obtained in this vvorld vvill be stolen
from you at the time of death... The safest vvay to obtain the vvealth of
prema-dhana is by making regular contact vvith the Holy Name and taking
association of those vvho have Krsna consciousness.
1 6 8 | CHAPTER 5 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

EXERCISES AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

SARANĀGATI
It’s difficult to teach the mood of full surrender. We cannot force attitudes
to appear in our heart, they come in their own time as we mature. Hovvever,
there is something that you can d o ...

Obtain the gift of chanting with affectionate feelings by associating

with advanced devotees. You don’t have to wait until you are an advanced
chanter. Such association can be had in several ways.

I recommend reading and singing the ancient Śaranāgati prayers of Śrlla

Bhaktivinoda Thākura. His devotion will certainly effect you and some of
it will enter your heart. Of course, you may also like to read other suitable
verses from scripture where the mood of surrender is expressed.

Surrendering to Krsna in the form of the Holy Name can mean so many
things, for instance, chanting a certain number of rounds every day, or to
sing kirtana regularly at a particular time. It can also mean to really listen
with full attention, thus giving the Holy Name first-class aural reception, just
as Śrlla Prabhupāda recommended, Just try to hear yourself chant sincerely.'

Surrender is a very personal affair. The principle is always the same

though the expression differs from person to person. If you go deep inside
you will most probably know what your next step in relationship to the
Holy Name is, and also what needs to be ‘surrendered’ in order to take it.

EXERCISE 1
Chanting with the Śaranāgati Pravers of
Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura
Let me give you a taste of prayers that can inspire your chanting. Before,
during, or after your japa and ki rtana, you can read or sing the follovving
song from the Śaranāgati prayer collection:
 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION ŠARANĀGATl | 169

KIJĀNI Kl BALE

1) hi jāni hi bale, tomāra dhāmete,

hoinu śaranāgata
tumi doyā-moya, patita-pāvana,
patita-tārane rata

By what personal understanding or by what power has one such

as me come into Your shelter? Surely it is by Your mercy alone,
fo r as the merciful one and the purifier oj the fallen, You are ever
engaged in the deliverance oj the Jallen souls.

2) bharasā āmāra, ei mātra nātha!

tumi to’ harunā-moya
tava doyā-pātra, nāhi mora sama,
avaśya ghucābe bhoya

My only hope, 0 Lord, is that You are Juli oj compassion and

mercy. There is no one more in need ojYour mercy than me.
You vvill surely drive away ali myjears.

3) āmāre tārite, kāhāro šakati,

avani-bhitore nāhi
doyāla thāhura! ghosanā tomāra,
adhama pāmare trāhi

No one in the world has the power to rescue me. O mercijul

Lord! By Your decree, kindly deliver this vile and lowly sinner.

4) šakala chādiyđ, āsiyāchi āmi,

tomāra carane nātha!
āmi nitya-dāsa, tumi pālayitā,
tumi goptā, jagannātha!I

I have given up everything and come to Your lotus Jeet,

O Lord. I am Your eten\al servant, and You are the
maintainer. You are my sole protector, O Lord oj the universe!
170| CHAPTER 5 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

5) tomāra šakala, āmi mātra clāsa,

āmāra tāribe tami
tomāra carana, korinu varana,
āmāra nāhi to’ āmi

Everything is Yours. I am merely Your menial servant,

so it is certain that You \vill deliver me. I have chosen
Your lotus feet as my shelter. I no longer belong to myself.

6) bhakativinoda, kāndiyā šarana,

lo’y eche tomāra pāya
ksamV aparādha, nāme ruci diyā,
pālana korohe tāya

Bhaktivinoda weeps as he humbly takes shelter at Yourfeet.

Forgiving ali his offences, affording him a taste fo r the Holy
Name, O kindly maintain him!

Continue your japa or kirtana in this m ood...

EXERCISE 2
Chanting in the Holv Dhāma
In his guide the Upadeśāmrta, Śrila Rupa Goswami instructed that the
essence of ali instructions is to chant the Holy Name in Vraja vvhile
remembering Krsna and His transcendental form, qualities and eternal
pastimes.

Many of my esteemed readers have responsibilities in the West and don’t

feel able to move to Vraja or stay there for long periods of time. Here is a
practice that helps one to mentally move to Vraja.
■ « ->
172| CHAPTER 5 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

The Practice
Step 1 Sit tali with spine erect, as described in the earlier chapters.

Step 2 Take a few deep breaths, bringing your awareness to each inhale
and exhale. Continue to breathe consciously in this way until
your mind becomes calm and focused. If thoughts or feelings
ariše, gently let go of them and return to your breathing...

Step 3 W hen you feel centred, calm and focused, think of a holy place
you appređate, perhaps in Vrndāvana, Māyāpur, or elsewhere.
It should be a location where you have felt at peace and close to
Krsna.

An example:

Think of the Yamunā river

Its silvery waves flow with the soft breeze

There is a beautiful bathing ghāta (steps leading into the depth

of the current). In your mind’s eye, take a seat at this ghāta

On the other bank you notice tali birds with long legs, such as
flamingos

The atmosphere is very soothing... flocks of parrots fly

overhead

In the distance temple bells ring...

In your heart you understand, T his is the land of Krsna who

never leaves Vrndāvana’

You remember the description from the holy scriptures:

In the shining land ojŚri Vrndāvana, in a temple compound made
ofjewels, Śri Śri Rādhā Govinda are seated on an effulgent throne
beneath a kalpa-vrksa (desire tree), accepting Service from Their
beloved gopl friends. I meditate upon Them.37

37Śri Caitanya-caritāmrta, Adi 1.16, Madhya 1.4 and Atuya 1.6.

 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION ŚARANĀGATI | 173

Step 4 Now chant, remembering in your heart that you are surrendered
to Krsna and belong to Him.

Step 5 Stay in this inner place for a vvhile. You have ‘arrived.’ Krsna,
your only master, will surely maintain you.

EXERCISE 3
Surrender to the Holy Namc: a Verse Meclitation
Sometimes reading specific recommended verses can inspire the mind
to come alive in the mood of surrender. The follovving verse from the
Srimad-Bhāgavatam is recommended by Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura in his
Bhāgavatārka-marici-mālā, 13th Ray. Sincere chanters can read it before
chanting to enter its profound meaning and gain proper inner orientation.

As baby birds that have not yet developed their wings always
lookfor their mother to return and feed them; as stnall calves
tied with ropes await anxiously the time vvhen they will be
allowed to drink the milk of their mothers; or as a morose \vife
whose husband is away from home ahvays longsfor him to
return and satisfy her in ali aspects; O lotus-eyed Lord, I always
yearn for the opportunity to render direct Service unto You.
(Srlmad-Bhāgavatam 6.11.26)

O ther recommended verses:

Srlmad-Bhāgavatam (10.1.4) and Śrl Krsna-nāmāstakam by Rupa Gosvvami,

especially Text 1.
174| CHAPTER 5 EXERCI$ES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

EKERCISE 4
Do Everything to Give up the Ten Offences
The fever of aparādhas, offences, causes us to feel clisinclined towards
spiritual activities and drawn to worldly ones. Thus, in one respect, giving
up the ten offences against the Holy Name is the most important and
needed instruction on chanting. It deserves at least one chapter if not more.
Hovvever, I have vvritten on this subject extensively in the Nectarean Ocean
oj the Holy Name and thus only give it a little space here. U is placed in this
chapter on śaranāgati to provoke reflection and conviction; only someone
who has decided to take full shelter of the Holy Name vvill master the inner
strength to scrupulously work on giving up ali the offences.

In Canto Seven of the Śñmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrlla Prabhupāda elaborates on

the ten offences and offers the only solution to these grave obstacles:

While chanting the Holy Name of the Lord, one should be careful to avoid
ten offences. From Sanat-kumāra it is understood that even if a person is a
severe offender in many ways, he is freed from offensive life ifh e takes shelter
of the Lordys Holy Name. Indeed, even if a human being is no better than a two-
legged animal, he \vill be liberated if he takes shelter of the Holy Name of the
Lord. One should therefore be very careful not to commit offences at the lotus
feet of the Lord's Holy Name.

THE OFFENCES ARE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS:

1) to blaspheme a devotee, especially a devotee engaged in broadcasting

the glories of the Holy Name

2) to consider the name of Lord Šiva or any other demigod to be equal in

po\ver to the Holy Name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (no
one is equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nor is anyone
superior to Him)

3) to disobey the instructions of the spiritual master

4) to blaspheme the Vedic literatures and literatures compiled in

pursuance of the Vedic literatures

5) to comment that the glories of the Holy Name of the Lord are
exaggerated
 EXERCISES & PRACTlCAl APPLICATION SARANAGATI | 175

6) to interpret the Holy Name in a deviant way

7) to commit sinful activities on the strength oj chcmting the Holy Name

8) to compare the chanting oj the Holy Name to pious activities

9) to instruct the glories oj the Holy Name to a person \vho has no

understanding oj the chanting oj the Holy Name

10) not to awaken in transcendental attachment Jor the chanting oj the

Holy Name, even ajter hearing ali these scriptural injunctions.

There is no way to atone Jorany oj these ojfences. It is therejore recommended

that an ojfender at the Jeet oj the Holy Name continue to chanl the Holy Name
twenty-Jour hours a day. Constant chanting oj the Holy Name m ll mahe one
Jree oj ojfences, and then he will gradually be elevated to the transcendental
platjorm on which he can chant the pure Holy Name and thus become a lover
oj the Supreme Personality oj Godhead.

It is recommended that even ij one commits ojfences, one should continue

chanting the Holy Name. In other words, the chanting oj the Holy Name makes
one ojjenceless. In the book Nāma-haumudi it is recommended that ij one is an
ojfender at the lotusjeet oj a Vaisnava, he should submit to that Vaisnava and be
excused; similarly, ij one is an ojfender in chanting the Holy Name, he should
submit to the Holy Name and thus bejreedjrom his ojfences. In this connection
there is the follo\ving statement, spoken by Dahsa to Lord Šiva: 7 did not kno\v
the glories ojyour personality, and therejore I committed an ojfence at your
lotus Jeet in the open assembly. You are so kind, ho\vever, that you did not
accept my ojfence. Instead, \vhen I \vas Jalling do\vn because oj accusing you,
you saved me by your mercijul glance. You are most great. Kindly excuse me
and be satisjied m th your own exaltcd qualities.f

One should be very humble and meek to ojfer one's desires and chant prayers
composed in glorijication oj the Holy Name, such as ayi mukta-kulair upāsya
mānam38 and nivrtta-tarsair upaglvamānād.39 One should chant such prayers
to become Jree Jrom ojfences at the lotus Jeet oj the Holy Name.
(Šñmad-Bhāgavaiam 7.5.23-24. purport)

w‘0 Holy Name. You are praised and \vorshipped by ali liberated personalities like yogis and sages. I
talte Your shelter.’Śrl Nāmđstaka 1, by Šrila Rūpa Gosuami.

*'Sec Śñmad-Bhāgavatam 10.1.4.

1 7 6 1 CHAPTER 5 EXERCISES & PRACTICAL APPLICATION

How to Counteract the Effects of Offences?

Among the ten offences, the two considered most dangerous are: offending
the devotees and committing sins on the strength of chanting. And it is
obvious why. If you vvished for the favour of an important or official person
but offended his children, he would not be vvell-disposed tovvards you no
matter what gestures of respect you shovved him. He has invested his love
in his children. Krsna is the same. His devotees are dear to Him and He
would not be pleased with anyone who offends them. Hurting His devotees
hurts Krsna’s own heart.

Committing sins on the strength of chanting is equally grave as the

individual takes the Lord’s mercy for granted and commits vvhatever
improprieties come to mind assuming the Lord will be forgiving and
merciful. It is akin to a government official who abuses his position by
being exploitative with the confidence that the government will cover up
his activities. While a mundane government may do this, the Lord expects
his servants to act properly because truly they are meant to represent Him
in this world.

It is very difficult to absolve oneself of the results of such behaviours.

The Padma Purāna warns, ‘The Holy Name cannot pardon criticism of
those who spread the Name. Even the servants of Yamarāja, the God of
death, can’t purify a person who commits sins on the strength of chanting.’

However, the magnanimity of the Holy Name prevails, as the Hari-

bhakti-vilāsa (11.525) explains:

If due to carelessness, or any other reason, one commits

an offense at the lotus Jeet oj the Holy Name one must tahe
complete shelter of the Holy Name and continue chanting
without cessation.
 ŚARANAGATI | 177

Summary of Śaranagati
In kirtana and japa we surrender to the Lord by expressing our
heart, 7 belong only to You.’ Then we may joyfully travel in our
minds (or physically) to the holy places related to the Lord and
enjoy the life of a surrendered soul.

To gain true deep attachment for Krsna we have to beg for

the mercy of His pure devotees who already possess it. Śrlla
Bhaktivinoda Thākura, the stalvvart devotee of Śrl Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, reveals how we can obtain the Lord’s absolute
mercy as the gift of love of Godhead:

atyanta durlabha prema koñbāre dāna

śikhāya śaranagati bhakatera prāna

In order to freely distribute the gift of ecstatic love of

God, which is very difficult to obtain, He taught the path
of śaranāgati, devotional surrender to the Supreme Lord.
This śaranāgati is the very life of the true devotees.
(Śaranāgati, I n tr o d u c to r y s o n g , v e rs e 2 )

From this verse we can see the importance of infusing our

chanting with the mood of śaranāgati. Śaranāgati is practiced in
six steps: 1) humility; 2) dedication of the self; 3) having faith
in Krsna’s protection; 4) accepting Krsna as the only maintainer;
5) execution of those acts favourable to pure devotion; and 6)
renunciation of conduct averse to pure devotion.

I vvould like to remind my readers to utilise Śrila Bhaktivinoda

Thākura’s Śaranāgati prayers vvhile chanting. W hen you allovv
yourself to become impressed by the deep mood of these prayers,
you will see miracles unfold in your spiritual life. The nature of
the Lord is such that whenever He sees someone walking on the
path of śaranāgati and taking shelter of His Divine Names, He will
turn tovvards that devotee and say ‘Yes, what do you wish for?’

Inner resolve: I give myself to You. ..

.
. +
 CHAPTER 6

SANKALPA
.................................................................................... • .....................................................................................

Tronsform
your Chanting
1 8 0 | CHAPTER 6

Building the Foundation

Since our spiritual life is the foundation for living properly in this vvorld,
proper chanting is not just a spiritual practice but a fundament for our life.
It is knovvn that the higher you wish to build, the deeper and stronger the
fundaments must be. If the fundaments are not deep enough, the building
will crash down. It’s only a question of time. Thus, deep fundaments, or
deep spiritual roots, are absolutely essential, as encapsulated in the proverb,
‘W hen the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the vvind.’

Chanting the Holy Name gives life. As discussed in chapter one, Śrlla
Bhaktivinoda Thākura puts it succinctly ‘In this dull material world there are
only two living entities: the individual soul and the Holy Name.’40 Our task
is to make the two meet. The previous chapters have detailed the moods and
attitudes most beneficial to do this. This chapter summarises the process.

THE MANTRA IS THE BOW

Vedic verses compare chanting mantras to releasing an arrovv from a bow.
In the Mundaka Upanisad (2.2.3) we read:

pranavo dhanuh šaro hy ātmā brahma lal lahsyam ucyate

apramattena veddhavyam šaravat tanmayo bhavet

Om is the bo\v. The self is the arrovv. The Supreme Person is

the target. A sober person should make himself like an arrovv.

The same imagery appears in the Śrimad-Bhāgavatam. Śrila Prabhupāda

elaborates:
When someone is purijied, he gives up his bodily conception oj lije,
that is, his Jalse identity ojbelonging to a certain community, a
certain nation, a certain society, a certain Jamily and so on. Then
he takes the arrow oj his purijied lije, and with the help oj the
bow - the transcendental chanting oj pranava, or the Hare Krsna
mantra - he throws himselj toward the Supreme Personality oj
Godhead. ... by dint ojperjonning this heroic activity ojdevotional
Service one receives the benejit oj returning home, back to Godhead.
(Srimad-Bhāgavatam 7.15.42, purport)

*°Sri Harināma Cintāmani 2.35, purport.

 SANKALPA | 181

Anyone who has absorbed himself in the chanting of the Holy Names
during kirtana has experienced something comparable to the gracious
flight of an arrow: ali of a sudden one finds himself transported to another
dimension where he feels spiritual clarity and the divine presence of Krsna.

But this is no easy feat - archery is a Science! If one has a bow and
doesn’t know how to use it, one will never reach the target. I tried archery
when I was young - it was complicated! First you learn how to hold the
bow and arrow; then you take aim carefully; next you pull the bowstring
backward with ali your strength; and finally you release the arrow vvithout
losing aim...

The attempt works best when you perform ali movements in harmony
with your breath. The most im portant factor is to absolutely fix the mind
on the target. Calm yourself and focus, and then fire the arrow. Once you
learn this secret you can’t miss the goal.

The same holds true when we wish to chant; we need to perfect the art!
Ali those who chant the Holy Names in japa or kirtana vvish to experience
a relationship with the Divine Couple. We already have the means: the bow
of the Hare Krsna mantra. We just have to learn how to chant it properly so
that we reach the lotus feet of Rādhā and Krsna.

THE THREE MAIN PRACTICES

Using the analogy of archery, we can identify three steps to chanting:

1) take aim
2) make an effort
3) let go.
1 8 2 | CHAPTER 6

TAKE A1M
Sce your Purpose in your Mind’s Eye
Every archer begins by taking precise aim. The chanter must do the same.
Take aim and think T h is is now my time with Krsna. I will vvorship Him
through the yuga-dharma of this age - the Holy Name. He is my goal and I
wish to connect to Him novv.’

This kind of mindfulness is necessary vvhen we call to someone and wish

to attract his attention. If a child calls for his m other but is still preoccupied
vvith playing with his many toys, his mother will most probably not come
and continue with her many tasks. She understands from the tone that
his call is not urgent. But if the child is focused on his mother, she will
interrupt everything and hurry over because she senses ‘the right sound.’

MAKE AN EFFORT
Put Every Ounce of your Energy into it
Just as the archer makes an effort to pull the arrovv on the bovvstring and
then draws backward with ali his strength, a serious chanter also has to
apply strenuous effort: focus the mind; align the body, mind and heart
again and again; chant vvith an attitude of Service, etc. You vvill have to
bring your best self and your best efforts to the practice.

Perhaps the most crucial effort is to avoid offences against the Holy
Name. These are born of inattentive chanting. Śrlla Prabhupāda gave two
recommendations for attentive chanting:

1) ‘You have to chant and hear. You have to chant vvith your tongue
and hear the sound. That’s ali.’41

2) ‘J ust try to listen to yourself chant sincerely.’42

By this sincere endeavour vve shovv Krsna that vve are eager to receive His
mercy.1

11Śrlla Prabhupāda, morning walk, Ha\vaii, February 3, 1975.

42Śrila Prabhupāda’s instruction to one oj his senior disciples.

 SAÑKALPA | 183

LET GO
Surrender: Try your Best, and the Resi is up to Krsna
After conscious effort to take aim and m ount the arrow, the archer releases
it on its trajectory. He cannot know for certain if the arrow will hit its
mark; but he has to let go. Similarly, even if one chants with full attention,
the individual cannot attain the goal merely by his own endeavour. Śrlla
Haridāsa Thākura says ‘One must make an effort and then with an earnest
heart one should beg for mercy.’43 Śrlla Bhaktivinoda Thākura reiterates ‘O
Lord, Your mercy makes everything easy. Therefore I approach You and
with heartfelt words I beg for Your mercy.’44

To take shelter of Krsna in this way is to surrender. The chanter has done
what he can. Then he begs. The Living Name will take over and deliver the
result.

KEEPING TRY1NG AGAIN AND AGAIN

The archery analogy fališ short at the end because the archer eventually runs
out of arrovvs vvhereas the chanter’s quiver never empties. Again and again
turn your full attention to Krsna. Each rnantra offers you a new opportunity
to give your best. Each mantra could bring you to the perfection of spiritual
life: meeting the Supreme Lord and His divine energy, Śrlmatl Rādhārānl.
Unlimited opportunity! Unlimited prospects! Unlimited revelations!

As you chant patiently, the Holy Name will reveal His ullimate mystery
and secret - that the Names are absolutely identical with the Divine Couple,
Rādhā and Krsna. I can never forget how Śrlla Prabhupāda revealed this
secret to us once in Śrldhāma M āyāpur...*

*J$ri Harināma Cintāmani 12.50.

“ Footnote to Śrl Harināma Cintāmani 12.49.

184 | CHAPTER

Śrila Prabhupāda sat on his vyāsāsana45 singing tiic Holy Names and entered
deep ecstasy. We savv tears streaming down his cheeks, he becamc immobile and
abruptly stopped playing the karatals/6 He just sat there, blissfully absorbed
in another world only accessible to himself. We, the obseivers oj his genuine
ecstasy, were also affected. Although we couldn’t follo\v him into the other world
and see what he sa\v, vve ali felt moved, and in some cases cried. Aftenvards,
one oj his disciples ventured to ask him privately, ‘Śrila Prabhupāda, what
should vve do vv/ten you go into these States ojecstasy?yThe answer was simple:
‘Chant Hare Krsna/

In fact, Śrila Prābhupacla gave this ansvver to many questions: The besi
thing is ifyou chant Hare Krsna, and go to Krsna-loka andJind out the ansvvers
to ali these questions yourselJ.*47

The chanting vvill reveal everything that neecls to be knovvn in due

course. U will grant the faithful chanter the mature fruit of chanting: love.
The Lord and everything about Him can only be knovvn and experienced
by love.

The Beggar Who Found a Priceless Jewel

In this vvorld vve are ali seekers. Most people look for vvealth, fame,
relationships, new and better jobs, etc., vvhile some look for genuine
spiritual life and lake to a spiritual path. Unless vve go ali the vvay to recover
our natural and original State - our blissful relationship vvith the Supreme
Lord - our hearts vvill remain empty. We vvill miss the ultimate shelter and
remain dissatisfied beggars. W hen I vvas a child I once heard a vvell-knovvn
story of a beggar vvho unexpectedly stumbled upon treasure...

One day a poor man was travelling through a Jorest. He vvos starving and
searched JorJruit or at least some edible mushrooms. He čame upon a pile oj
iron pieces. He looked around vvondering ij there was anyone in the mldemess
who could claim proprietorship.

4*The honourcd scal of the spiritual master.

46Hand cymbals.
47SrJla Prabhupāda, letterto Ehavani, August 31, 1971.
 ŠANK ALPA | 1 8 5

Seeing no one around, he stuffed tile iron pieces into his begging bag.
There vvere so many pieces that he tore oJJ a piece oj his clothing to mahe an
improvised bag. He grabbed as much oj the iron as he could and thought 7 vvill
seli it in tow n/

Twenty minutes later the beggar sa\v a pile oj silver pieces on his way.
‘VVbvv/’ he thought, lEven better!’ He dropped ali the iron pieces on the earth
andjilled his bag with silver. ‘Ali my worries are gone no\v. I can marry, buy a
home, have a Jamily... God has been merciful to me!' he nuittered.

Further along the \vay, he čame upon a pile oj shiningje\vels and became
conjused. ‘VVlio knows ij they are real?’ he thought and continued do\vn the
path. But the thought oj the jevvels goaded him and he returned to inspect
them. No doubt they had an amazing ejfulgence. He tooh one and accidentally
touched the silver with it. Instantly, the silver turned into gold.

‘Wo\v! This must be the Jamous touchstone. The jewel \vhich turns ali metal
into gold.’

The beggar experimented again and again, and Jound the same result.
Everything \vas turning into gold. Though he \vas delighted, a nagging doubt
overshado\ved his mind.

7 need someone to conjirm this is real. I must Jind a jevveUer or at least an

expert in metals to chech ij the jevvel really is a touchstone and ij the gold is
real/

I clon’i remember the rest of the story ... but it’s not so important here.

A Difficult Dilemma
In many ways we are like that beggar who stumbled upon unexpected
treasures. Every single object in this vvorld is by its very nature dull matter
vvithout consciousness. It cannot satisfy the cravings of the spiritual self.
Hovvever, there is a jevvel presented to us vvhich comes directly from the
spiritual vvorld. It is imbibed vvith consciousness and personal qualities.
It is eternally pure. It is a vvish-fulfilling jevvel (cintāmani). It is the Lord’s
Holy Name, vvhich ushers us into our specific relationship vvith Krsna. It
is described as the most precious of ali treasures in Lord Krsna’s treasure
house. Unlike the beggar, vve have ample confirmation that it is real:
186 | CHAPTER 6

Śrila Prabhupāda, an absolutely credible source, says so; a tradition with

scriptures, and the experiences of countless saints give testimony. Even
Lord Krsna Himself gives His reassurance that He personally comes to the
place where His devotees chant His Holy Name.

We can trust these reliable sources, give up any reservation and take full
shelter in Krsna’s most merciful form - the Holy Name. Krsna encourages
the conditioned soul in the Bhagavad-gitā:

Those who take shelter in Me, even though oflower birth,

can attain the supreme destination.
(Bhagavad-gitā 9 .3 2 )

And instructs further,

Therejore having come to this temporary and miserable world,

engage in loving Service (bhajasva) unto Me.
(Bhagavad-gitā 9 .3 3 )

But alas! Although we have ali heard these motivating statements from
guru, sādhu and śāstra, obstacles remain on the path to chanting the Holy
Names with taste and full absorption. W hat keeps us bound to our old
ways?

Old habits die hard! They are so strong and stubborn. They guide our
actions, perceptions, thoughts and most certainly our spiritual practices,
including our chanting. W hat makes them so confounding is that often
vve’re not properly avvare of them. We can’t grab at them! They exert their
influence invisibly, although other people can recognise them much before
we do!

If we don’t recognise our unfavourable habits and consciously work at

changing them, we are no freer than a prisoner vvho ventures out of his cell
at certain times of the day, but is always forced to return again. Can such a
person be taken seriously when he declares himself a free person?
 SANKALPA | 187

Someone Who Successfully Changed

Scripture narrates the story of Ajāmila, a brahmana vvho became a terrible
sinner and murderer, addicted to a life of crime and abominable habits.
At death, he calls out for his cherished son called Nārāyana. Because he
accidentally chants lNārāyana,’ one of the Lord’s Divine Names, Ajāmila
miraculously receives a second chance to live. Grateful, he hastens to
Hardwar to take up a life of chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord.
Ajāmila was strict in his practices and determined not to fali back into his
old habits. His ardent efforts formed new samskāras (impressions in the
mind) and after a relatively short time he became so pure that he was taken
by the Visnudūtas back to Godhead.

From Ajāmila’s story we receive proof that it is possible to change old

habits. And just as Ajāmila took up a life of chanting, I sincerely urge ali
my respected readers to transform your lives by forming new habits in
chanting.

Take vvhatever has resonated with you from this book, and make a firm
decision to apply it every day. Obtain blessings for your new practices by
doing the sañkalpa exercise outlined below. (A sañkalpa helps you form a
new habit.)

And please remember: advancement does not come merely by gaining

nevv information! W ithout practice, such newly acquired knowledge floats
about in the head for a little time before it becomes stale and ultimately
disappears. You need to practice regularly so that new habits set in and
result in a dramatically enriched spiritual life.

Attaining Onc’s Purpose with a Sañkalpa

It is well known hovv difficult it is to break an old habit and adopt a nevv
and better one. In India there is a proverb vvhich says that it is easier to
move the Himalayan mountains than change a personal habit. Hovvever,
there is a means called a sañkalpa vvhich is imbued vvith special povver to
help us achieve this.
188 | CHAPTER 6

A sañkalpa is a new intention, a solemn vovv formed in the heart and mind
lo improve spiritual practices with determination. It can be generated by
asking questions that help you decide vvhat you most want to concentrate
on:

In which way do I want to improve my chanting?

W hat would my practice be like if I don’t do anything about this?
W hat steps do I need to take?
What do I seek to gain from vvorking on this goal?

Forming such an intention and living by it a!lows you to exercise vour

free will and make the besi use of your time. It helps you remember why
you are about to embark on the most sacred practice of chanting and vvhat
you hope to give and receive from it. Soon enough your intention vvill
become your best friend and you can gradually break free from the slavery
of material conditioning. You vvill be able to do something vvonderful vvith
your life.

A sañkalpa derives its strength from the blessings and empovverment

of the Lord.48 A verse in the Srimad-Bhāgavatam describes the efficacy of
sañkalpa,

A person who hasfaith in Me and \vho absorbs his mind in

Me the fulfiller of ali desires, vvill achieve his desired object
(sañkalpa) by that very means.
(Srimad-Bhcigavatam 1 1 .1 5 .2 6 )

Śrl Krsna is called satya-sañkalpa: He vvhose desire, intention, purpose or

resolve alvvays comes to pass. Similarly the Holy Name, vvhich is described
as a cintāmani, can fulfil one’s desires. Fortunately, this does not apply to
our fleeting desires that come and go like clouds in the sky.

**Possiblc iranslalions o jsailkalpa: a solemn vo\v to perjonn any regular spiritual practice; a
determination; an intention; a deelaration oj purpose; or the delineation oj an intention ordecision.
 SANKALPA | 189

Hovvever, when a devotee consciously goes to Krsna to seek help in

fulfilling a certain purpose, his desires receive the attention of Krsna who
can by His power fulfil them. A sañkalpa thus derives its strength from
Krsna. Śrila Bhaktisiddhānta SarasvatI Thākura mentions that one should
be determined to revive one’s lost relationship with the Supreme Lord by
the infallible means of devotional Service.

Forming a Sañkalpa
In our Vaisnava tradition, devotees would often form a sañkalpa to observe
Ekādaśl, a fasting day where one increases their devotional practices. On
the evening before fasting, the devotee would reflect upon the vows they
wish to keep on this special day. Then they would go before the altar, offer
their vows to the Lord, and request blessings to fulfil those vows. (These
vovvs were for the Lord’s pleasure, of course.)

This practice of being mindful and intentional goes a long way in anything
we wish to achieve. Amid the chaos and complexities of the material vvorld,
forming a one-pointed sañkalpa is a simple yet essential practice in pursuit
of the spiritual. U keeps one closely connected to their purpose.
1 9 0 I CHAPTER 6 THE SANKALPA EXERCISE

THE SANKALPA EKERCISE

1) Now, take a moment to think clearly about vvhat you wish your best
chanting to be like. Perhaps you wish to chant with absolute absorption,
or at least with more focus, or more connected to Krsna throughout
your practice?

Try to discover your ovvn answer organically; it is your personal ansvver

that will determine the goal in your chanting. Hovv will you know if you
have arrived at your own answer?

Simple: you vvill feel great excitement and joy in your heart! You vvill
feel that to reach this goal vvill unlock the life you truly vvant to live...

2) Next, reflect on your chanting at the present moment. Consider:

Are you inspired vvhen you chant?

Do you give priority to your chanting?
Does your chanting tend to be mechanical or is it enlivened?
Are there habits you vvant to give up or nevv ones you vvant to adopt?

Try to be as honest and clear as possible. Write or reflect on this from

the heart.

3) Novv, brainstorm a specific, practical and feasible step you could take
to help you advance on your journey to your best japa. It may be an
aspect of yojana or a practice to imbibe the mood of sambandha, scvā,
vipralambha or śaranāgati.

Im portant: identify one nevv practice only - and not several. (You can
list several options but choose to adopt jusi one at a time. Often people
set their minds on too many nevv practices and end up doing none due
to limited capacity). Write dovvn one clear aim.
 THE SANKALPA EXERCISE SANKALPA | 191

For example:

I m ll read songs and prayers that glorify chanting.

Whenever l catch my mind wandering off, I will bring it back

to the Holy Name.

I will give pñoñty to my chanting by \vahing up early to chant at

least number oj rounds.

I will nourish my chanting by applying , one oj the tools

presented in this book.

4) Now you are ready!

Go before your altar or inwardly turn to the Lord and your spiritual
master and humbly reveal to them your situation. Teli them where your
chanting is at present, then express how you wish your chanting could
be, and ñnally present your intended practical steps to arrive at your
aspiration. Thus, vvith a heart filled with sincerity and determination,
pray they bless your sañkalpa and practice to be infused vvith spiritual
strength.

Important: the questions in step 2 and their corresponding ansvvers in

step 3 serve only as examples. It is essential that you find your individual
ansvvers to become a truly inspired chanter. Only vvhen you discover your
ovvn passion for the practice does it really take off... You might need to do
this exercise again.
192 1 CHAPTER 6 THE SANKALPA EXERCI$E

After you have gathered the inspiration you need and have requested
the Lord for His blessings, it is time to act. A sañkalpa vvithout an action
plan remains wishful thinking. To put your sañkalpa into practice, let me
recommend these four steps which have always helped me.

1) Write down your sañkalpa and display it so you can see it and read it
daily.

2) Execute your new practice regularly over a fixed minimum period of

one month. Review after this period and perhaps adjust or increase the
parameters based on your experience.

3) Set aside a realistic window of time for the practice.

4) Make any appropriate arrangements that facilitate and favour your new
practice.

5) Surround yourself with the right people who already have similar goals
as you. Expose yourself to the influence of those people who have the
mindset you aspire for - read their books, listen to their lectures, etc.

6) Affirm your sañkalpa to yourself regularly by remembering and

reflecting upon it. Discuss with a trusted friend for encouragement and
support.

Inner resolve: I w>ant to change. ..

SANKALPA | 193
194| THE LIVING NAME

AFTERWORD

THE MATURE FRUIT OF CHANTING

Listen everyone, never abandon the chanting of the Holy Name.
Whether on the stage of practice or perfection, show the same
affection for the Holy Name knom ng its inherent power.

Therefore always sing the Holy Name.

Make the Holy Name the essence of your life and

thus experience the fullness of divine ecstatic love.

There is no need to consider any other spiritual practice.49

The ultimate purpose of chanting, and also the mature fruit of the process,
is to chant with love.

bhakti-yoga, bhakti-yoga, bhakti-yoga dhana

‘bhakti’ ei krsna nāma-smarana-krandana

Bhakti, bhakti, bhakti is the greatest treasure. Bhakti means

crying while remembering Lord Krsna’s Holy Names.
(Caitanya-bhāgavata, Madhya 2 4 .7 2 )

Iśvara Puri, the spiritual master of Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu, revealed

the essence of the Śrimad-Bhāgavatam: to chant the Holy Name with such
ecstatic love that the chanter is simply overvvhelmed with divine emotions.
To illustrate his point he quoted a verse that brings light to the emire
teachings of the ancient Vaisnava tradition just as the sun lights up the
emire universe:

49S rila Bhaktivinoda Thākura, śñ Bhajan Rahasya, last three verses.

 AFTERVVORD I 195

evam-vratah sva-priya-nāma-klrtyā
jātānurāgo druta-citta uccaih
hasaty atlio roditi muti gāyaty
unmāda-van nrtvati loka-bāhyah

By chanting the Holy Name oj the Supreme Lord, one comes to

the stage oj love oj Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vovv
as an etemal servant oj the Lord} and he gradually becomes very
miich attached to a particular name and form oj the Supreme
Personality oj Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he
laughs loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances
like a madman, Jor he is indijferent to public opinion.
(Śñmad-Bhāgavatam 1 1 .2 .4 0 )

Let us always remember that chanting is not just a technique that can be
improved by learning certain skills. No. It is an expression of our devotional
relationship with Krsna, and an expression of bhahti. That bhakti, vvhich is
the internal energy of the Lord, is always a divine gift for vvhich a devotee
needs to beg. Only chanting vvith bhahti can dravv the Lord in so he takes
His seat in the heart and finally cures the painful feeling of separation.

Bhakti brings one to the Supreme Personality oj Godhead.

Bhakti reveals the Supreme Personality oj Godhead.
Bhakti brings the Supreme Personality oj Godhead under control.
Bhakti is stronger than the Supreme Personality oj Godhead.
(Māthara-śruti, q u o t e d in Pñti-sandarbha, Anu 1)

In a Śñmad-Bhāgavatam purport, Śrlla Prabhupāda describes the amazing

povver of bhakti:

Bānah means arro\v. The bhakti-_yogn system is just like an

arrow aiming to the Supreme Personality oj Godhead. ..
This bānah, or arro\v, is so sharp and sm jt that it goes directly
to the Supreme Personality oj Godhead, penetrating the regions
oj impersonal Brahman and localised Paramātmā.
(Śñmad-Bhāgavatam 3 .2 5 .2 9 , p u r p o r t )
1 9 6 | THE LIVING NAME

These statements are striking as much as they are revealing. Chanting is

glorified as the ultimate process to bring about love of Godhead. Chanting
alone will gradually bring you to such an exalted State that it fulfils the
innermost craving of the soul.

Ifyou vvish to advance on the path of pure bhahti not many rules
are necessary. Simply begfor the complete shelter of the Holy
Name of Krsna and thus purify your heart and consciousness.
(Śri Prem azivana ch. 7)

Dear readers, I would like to conclude with Krsna’s own words on

His Holy Name. He shares these thoughts with His dear friend Arjuna.
The verses speak for themselves. Every line is saturated with depth and
meaning.

THE NAME IS THE GREATEST

1) na nāma-sadrśam jñānam na nāma-sadrśam vratam

na nāma-sadrśam dhyānam na nāma-sadrśam phalam

[Krsna said to Arjuna:] There is no knowledge equal to my Holy

Name. No vovv is equal to my Holy Name. No meditation is like
my Holy Name. No result is like my Holy Name.

2) na nāma-sadrśas tyāgo na nāma-sadrśah śamah

na nāma-sadrśam punyam na nāma-sadrśi gatih

No renunciation is like my Holy Name. No peace is like my Holy

Name. No piety is like my Holy Name. No goal oflife is like my
Holy Name.

3) nāmaiva paramā muktir nāmaiva paramā gatih

nāmaiva paramā śāntir nāmaiva paramā sthitih

My Holy Name is the supreme liberation. My Holy Name is the

supreme goal. My Holy Name is the topmost peace. My Holy
Name is the supreme abode.
 AFTERWORD I 197

4) nāmaiva parama bhaktir nāmaiva parama matih

nāmaiva parama prltir nāmaiva parama smrtih

My Holy Name is the supreme devotion. My Holy Name is the

supreme thought. My Holy Name is the supreme happiness. My
Holy Name is the supreme meditation.

5) nāmaiva kāranam jantor nāmaiva prabhur eva ca

nāmaiva paramārādhyo nāmaiva paramo guruh

My Holy Name is the lije oj ali living entities. My Holy Name

is the supreme Lord and master. My Holy Name is the supreme
object oj worship. My Holy Name is the supreme guru.50

Thus, this book, another exposition on the Holy Name, comes to an end.
I cannot claim to be the author of The Living Name because I have only
brought together the insights of sacred scriptures, and the teachings of
Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His followers, my own spiritual master and the
saintly Vaisnavas. Like a grateful man who jubilantly opens his treasury to
show the jewels he collected, 1 have shared with you the gifts vvhich have
been given to me. I pray to ali my readers that they kindly bless me so that
1 can realise the inconceivable glory of the Holy Name more and more.

Wishing you ali the best!

Your servant, Śaclnandana Swami

50Adi Purana quoted in Hañ-bhakti-vilāsa 11.465-469.

198 I THE LIVING NAME

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This is the best part of writing a book - its genesis. There are many devotees
who helped create The Living Name and to vvhom I wish to express my
deepest gratitude.

My first thanks goes to Nityānanda-karl Devi Dāsl and her husband Veni
Mādhava Dāsa who compiled the first draft from their many transcriptions
of my japa retreats - paying special attention to the one given on the island
of Iž on the Adriatic coast, vvhere I first introduced the five keys to chanting
with absorption. They were assisted by a worldwide team of transcribers. I
thank every single one of you.

After that the manuscript went to New York where Hari Prasāda Dāsa did
the next stage of content editing. He did an amazing job - which convinced
me that the book could genuinely make a valuable contribulion to the life
and practice of chanters. Thereafter, the text čame to Bhānu-nandinI Devi
Dāsl who together with her team gave necessary suggestions for improving
the work and oversavv further production.

They collaborated with Bhaktin Anna who painted the amazing

illustrations. It had long since been my desire to add to the spiritual art
of Gaudlya Vaisnavism a dimension that would move away from the very
concrete to more subtle expression and evoke personal impressions for the
onlooker. W hen I discussed this with Anna - an accomplished artist - she
immediately understood and čame up with unique illustrations.

Along the way many accomplished Vaisnavas inspired me either vvith

their philosophical contributions or vvith their kirtan. They are too
numerous to be mentioned here, and some preferred to remain anonymous.
You ali knovv who you are! Thank you so much.

There remained hovvever one huge problem: my English language! I

sometimes vvarn my audience, ‘I will speak to you in a heavy German accent
and make inevitable grammatical mistakes - please try to make sense of
vvhat I say.’ So, this book desperately needed an expert English editor.

Fortunately Vrndā Kumārl Devi Dāsl stepped in and in the process

improved the text significantly. She was joined by Hari-vallabhl Devi Dāsl,
our proofreader in the final phase. Thank you so much for your vvonderful
Service!
 ACKNOVVLEDGEMENTS I 199

From there everything moved very fast: BhāvinI Devi Dās! took charge
of the design work while Tusta Krsna Dāsa and Mañgala Devi Dāsl from the
Saranagati Publishing House managed the printing process.

1 would also like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to Gour Krsna
Dāsa - my personal assistant, kirtan partner, genius musician of many
instruments, secretary and the good špirit of Gaurabhavan. I also express
my appreciation to the many talented cooks who kept me going.

The greatest and most joyful expression of gratitude however goes to

my exalted spiritual master, Śrlla Prabhupāda, who continues to guide me
throughout ali these years and Śrl Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who revealed the
Holy Name and the particular way in which to chant it.

Last though certainly not least, 1 pay my prostrated obeisance in ever-

increasing gratitude to the Holy Name who has descended into my life as
the Lord Himself and who never tires to call back wayward conditioned
souls to His divine abode.
RETREATS, EVENTS & SEMINARS
7n every human being lies a tremendous spiritual power- the poweroftransformation.
Seeds grow intoflowers, caterpillars into butterjlies and we human beings can tuni into
self-realised souls.’

Śacinandana Swami’s retreats, events and seminars are designed in such a way
that they create an atmosphere in the heart vvhich furthers spiritual grovvth. He
and his team especially try to nurture experience-based transformations. As well
as philosophy and deeper insights, the presentations offer many practical tools to
help the participants apply what they have learned into their daily lives. The team
also maintains long-term contact after the events vvith free training nevvsletters
that help refresh specific themes and give tips and advice on how to deepen the
individual’s personal practice.

Events include: Japa and Kirtana Retreats

Sacred Space Retreats
Krsna Kathā Retreats
More details on www.sacinandanaswami.com

STAY IN TOUCH
ŚARANĀGATI NEWSLETTER
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Swami that is filled with useful and inspirational spiritual information.

You can subscribe on sacinandanasvvami.com or by sending a request to

saranagati@sacinandanaswami.com

WEBSITE
You may also stay in touch by visiting Śacinandana Svvami’s vvebsite. It is
regularly updated vvith articles and poems on bhakti and includes his travelling
schedule.
www.sacinandanaswami.com

AUDIO ARCHIVE
You can dovvnload and listen to Śacinandana Svvami’s recorded lectures on
saranagati-library.net
PROJECTS
Śacinandana Swami is involved in many projects around the globe.
Some of them are:

GOVARDHANA RETREAT CENTER

At the foot of Govardhana Hill, the Govardhana Retreat Center offers facilities for
concentrated spiritual practice in privacy. It also hosts guided retreats such as the
tvvo annual and internationally acclaimed Japa and Govardhana Retreats.
www.goyardhancenter.com

BRAJ CARE

Braj Care is a charitable organisation that provides humanitarian and poverty relief
programs in the area of Vraja, Northern India. The charity’s work is focused on
raising avvareness and funds in order to improve the conditions of life for the poor
and destitute, providing medical care, preserving monuments and environmental
programs.
www.brajcare.com

VEDIC ACADEMY

The Vedic Academy is an educational institution that offers courses and counselling
in Vedic Sciences such as vastu, ayurveda, astrology and more.
www.ycda-academy.com
SARANAGATI PUBLISHING
O r d e r s a t:

www.sacinandanaswatni.com/cshop

BROKEN NAMES
T h is book te liš th e e x c itin g s to r y a ro u n d th e
in n e r tr a n s f o r m a tio n of a young p ilg rim nam ed
V is h v a m b h a ra , w h o , in th e c o m p a n y o f b is g u r u a n d
o n e m y s te r io u s s a in t, re d is c o v e rs h is fa ith in c h a n tin g
th e D iv in e N a m e s. D e e p ly s p ir itu a l a n d a t th e sa m e
tim e re le v a m fo r m o d e m p r a c iitio n e r s o f bhakti.

H .H . Ś iv a rā m a S w a m i o n th is b o o k :

‘Yesterday l rcad Broken Names. I want to thank you

for that composition, a gift to the Vaisnava community
in c lu d in g myself. In a very captivating narrative you
havc passed on \vonderful capsules of advice on how vve
struggling sadhakas can raise the quality of our chanting
of the ali so svveet Names of the Divine Couple. I found
your teachings illuminating and shall apply them in my
own practices

ART OF TRANSFORMATION
S p iritu a l c u ltu r e s th e \v o rld o v e r h a v e a lw a y s trie d to
a s s is t h u m a n k in d ’s in n e r d e v e lo p m e n t. A t th e h e a rt o f
th is d e v e lo p m e n t is th e tr a n s f o r m a tio n o f c h a ra c te r.
E v en m odem p sy c h o lo g y and s e c u la r p e rs o n a lity -
d e v e lo p m e n t m o v e m e n ts h a v e b e c o m e avvare o f th e
tr e m e n d o u s p o tc n c y e n c a p s u la te d in tra d itio n a l
s p ir itu a l p ro c e s s e s . T h is s m a ll b o o k a t te m p ts to p re s e n t
th e e s s e n c e o f th e p h ilo s o p h y a n d p ra c tic a l te c h n iq u e s
u s e d in in n e r tr a n s f o r m a tio n g le a n e d fro m th e V edic
- a n d e s p e c ia lly V aisn av a - v ie w p o in t, a s it h a s b e e n
p r e s e n te d b y H is D iv in e G ra c e A. C . B h a k tiv e d a n ta
S w a m i P ra b h u p ā d a .
 I 203

THE GĀYATRI BOOK

T h e G ā y a tri B o o k is a c o m p re h e n s iv e m a n u a l a n d a
s o u r c e o f in s p ira lio n o n th e m y s te r y o f th e gāyatri-
maniras, th e ir m e a n in g a n d p ra c tic e . S u b je c ts s u c h
a s diksā, bhāgavata-mārga, pāftcarātrika-vidhi, th e
five samskđras, sđdhana, sambandha, abhideya, a n d
prayojana h a v e b e e n re s e a rc h e d th o r o u g h ly . A d e ta ile d
q u e s tio n a n d ansvver s e c tio n , a n a p p e n d ix w ith d iffe re m
mūla-mantras, gāyatri mantras fo r th e s e rv a n ts a n d
e x p a n s io n s o f K rsn a , a n d a fu ll in d e x m a k e th is b o o k
a n in v a lu a b le re fe re n c e . T h e b o o k a d d r e s s e s n o t o n Iy
in itia te d p r a c iitio n e r s b u t a ls o a s p irin g c a n d id a te s , a s
vvell a s in q u is itiv e n e c ta r s e e k e rs .

NĀMA RAHASYA
VVhile re c o v e rin g h ig h in th e m o u n ta in s o f B o sn ia fro m
a tr a u m a tic illn e s s a n d s u rg e rv , I re a d Śrl Caitanya
Siksāmrta b y Ś rila B h a k tiv in o d a T h ā k u r a . T h e re , in
th e s ix t h c h a p te r, w h ic h h e p o e tic a llv c a lls th e ‘sixth
rainfall,’ th e T h ā k u r a e x p la in s in a little m o r e th a n
th ir ty p a g e s th e c o m p le te s e c r e t o f c h a n tin g th e H oly
N a m e . A s I re a d o n a n d o n , I felt h is p r e s e n c e in m y
h e a rt a n d w a s r e m in d e d o f th o s e fe\v p r e c io u s m o m e n ts
th a t e v e ry c h a n te r k n o w s - th o s e m o m e n ts w h e n fro m
th e d e p t h s o f th e s o u l a little s p ir itu a l in s ig h t b u r s ts
fo rth a n d p e r v a d e s o n e ’s e m ir e b e in g . T h is b o o k h a s
b e e n v v ritte n to h e lp s in c e re p r a c titio n e r s o b ta in a c c e ss
to th e vvorld o f d iv in e m e rc y a n d to em p o v v er th e m to
c h a n t th e H o ly N a m e in p e rfe c tio n .

SPIRITUAL TONIC
K rs n a c o n s c io u s n e s s is m o r e th a n a p h v s ic a l c u l tu r e o r
a so c io lo g ic a l m o v e m e n t; it is a c u l tu r e o f a b s o rp tio n .
T h e e m ir e p o in t o f K rs n a c o n s c io u s n e s s is to a b s o rb
th e m in d . T h e m o re o n e k n o w s a b o u t th e p e r s o n a lity
o f th e L o rd , th e b e t te r o n e c a n a b s o rb o n e ’s m in d in
c h a n tin g h is H o ly N a m e . C o m e m p la tin g th e bhahti-
rasāyana v e rs e s is a w a y to in c re a s e o u r k n o w le d g e
a b o u t K rs n a , H is h o lv a b o d e . H is a s s o c ia te s , a n d H is
p a s tim e s in V rn d ā v a n a . W h ile m e d ita tin g o n th e v e rs e s
a n d s im u lta n e o u s ly c h a n tin g th e H o ly N a m e , o u r m in d s
a n d h e a r ts c a n b e c o m e c o m p le te ly im m e rs e d in th e
n e c ta r e a n o c e a n o f bhakti-rasa.
204 1

SACRED SPACE
Ś a c in a n d a n a Svvami re g u la rly o ffe rs m e d ita tio n s in
h is r e tr e a ts a n d s e m in a rs . M o st o f th e m a r e g u id e d
m e d ita tio n s d e s ig n e d to a llo w p a r tic ip a n ts to h a v e
a deep e x p e r ie n c e w ith th e ir in n e r se lv e s. T h is
S a c re d S p ace C D w a s b o r n fro m th e d e s ire o f re tre a t
p a r tic ip a n ts to in v ite a s m a n y p e o p le a s p o s s ib le to h a v e
th e s a m e d e e p e x p e rie n c e s .

J u s i a s e a c h o f u s h a s to fin d o u r o w n r h y th m in
b r e a th in g , so \v e e a c h h a v e to fin d o u r o w n in n e r
g u id a n c e in m e d ita tio n . T h e m e d ita tio n s o n th is C D
a re th e re fo re m e a n t to h e lp y o u g e t in to u c h w ith y o u r
in n a te a b ility to g o w ith in . E a c h m e d ita tio n is p re c e d e d
b y a s h o r t in tr o d u c tio n a n d c o n c lu d e s vvith a vvisdom
te x t fro m a n a n c ie n t In d ia n s c rip tu re . Be p r e p a re d to
d is c o v e r y o u r in n e r w o rld .

SACRED LONGING
Ś a c in a n d a n a S w a m i c o m m e n ts o n th is r e c o rd in g :

‘These CDs are different from other recordings in that

the klrtanas are imbued with deep and sacred longing.
We recorded them a day after Janmāstami, the amazing
festival of Krsna’s appearance in this world. The altar had
becn converted into a boat, and \vhen the curtains opened,
ali \vho \vere present felt as if Rādhā and Krsna had come
on a river of love f1o\ving directly into our hearts. The next
day we sang through the night, slili being carried on the
vvave of that inspiration. We ivanted only Krsna, nothing
else. Nothing in this whole wide world could match the
s\vectness o f the Supreme, and \ve poured those feelings
into the kirtanas on these CDs.’
SARANAGATI
 THE LIFE-FORCE
OF CHANTING
Just as the five life airs animate the body with life,
the five povverful practices in The Living Name can
enliven the chanting of the Holy Name and turn
it into a dynamic and transformative experience.

In this guidebook one will first learn how to

align body, mind and heart (yojana) to overcome
distraction and thus embark on the path of full
absorption. From here chanting in deep connection
(sambandha) can be easily practiced, vvhich brings
one to the essence of bhakti: chanting in the mood
of Service (sevā). Hereafter, one learns to imbibe
their chanting with the right mood (vipralambha)
and with surrender (śaranāgati). The chanter
can either go systematically through these five
practices or apply vvhichever he feels attracted to.

The Living Name has been churned from the

teachings of our great ācāryas, sacred śāstra and
the experiences of exalted sādhus. The result is a
comprehensive guidebook that takes you to the
heart of the most accessible form of the Lord - His
Holy Name.