Dear Visitor

Please read the introduction before you proceed to learn how to meditate.

Thanks.

Introduction

Krishna Consciousness and chanting

The Maha Mantra

Pictures of Srila Prabhupada,   Srila Narayana Maharaja, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and

Sri Sri Radha Krishna for your home altar

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Introduction

The Hare Krishna Mantra explained

The Hare Krishna Mantra is millions of years old. It is said, that it has its origin not in this World but in the spiritual World. Everyone deep down in his subconscious mind sometimes wonders if there is a World other then this.  There is, in fact, there are many populated planets in this universe alone, where life is incredibly different from our planet earth. But lets not talk about the planets which are in this universe. The vedic scriptures inform us that there is indeed a self effulgent spiritual universe which is billions of times bigger then ours, filled with countless  spiritual planets. All these planets are the abode of the Supreme Lord Krishna, who is engaged forever in His eternal pastimes. The Supreme Lord Krishna is the only object of love for all the inhabitants which live there.

There the unconditioned living beings enjoy life in full freedom with the Lord, whereas the impersonalist jnanis and yogis enter into the impersonal glowing effulgence of the Vaikuntha planets. The Vaikuntha planets are all self-illuminating like the sun, and the rays of the Vaikuntha planets are called the brahmajyoti. The brahmajyoti is spread unlimitedly, and the material world is but a covered portion of an insignificant part of the same brahmajyoti. This covering is temporary, and therefore it is a sort of illusion. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

The Inhabitants of the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha love Krishna so much, that they can not stop thinking about Him. Everyone who lives on these spiritual planets is so captivated by Krishnas beauty and personality, that they constantly think of Him. The Hare Krishna mantra has its origin in the loving thoughts of the inhabitants of the spiritual World and therefore is eternal

The Brahma Samhita whose origin has been lost in cosmic antiquity speaks of the glorification of His Holy Name. In all the Vedas the Hare Krishna mantra is repeatedly mentioned as the King of all Mantras. The Vedas are known to be the oldest scriptures of the World.  The   Bhagavad Gita the oldest religious book of this World was re-spoken 5000 years ago and even so 5000 years is a very long time, Lord Krishna declares that He spoke the Bhagavad Gita for the first time .....120,400,000 years ago

At the present moment we have just passed through five thousand years of the Kali-yuga, which lasts 432,000 years. Before this there was the Dvapara-yuga ( 800,000 years), and before that there was Treta-yuga (1,200,000 years). Thus, some 2,005,000 years ago, Manu spoke the Bhagavad-gita to his disciple and son Maharaja Iksvaku, the king of this planet earth. The age of the current Manu is calculated to last some 305,300,000 years, of which 120,400,000 have passed. Accepting that before the birth of Manu the Gita was spoken by the Lord to His disciple the sun-god Vivasvan, a rough estimate is that the Gita was spoken at least 120,400,000 years ago; and in human society it has been extant for two million years. It was respoken by the Lord again to Arjuna about five thousand years ago. That is the rough estimate of the history of the Gita, according to the Gita itself and according to the version of the speaker, Lord Sri Krsna. It was spoken to the sun-god Vivasvan because he is also a ksatriya and is the father of all ksatriyas who are descendants of the sun-god, or the surya-vamsa ksatriyas. Because Bhagavad-gita is as good as the Vedas, being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this knowledge is apauruseya, superhuman. Since the Vedic instructions are accepted as they are, without human interpretation, the Gita must therefore be accepted without mundane interpretation. The mundane wranglers may speculate on the Gita in their own ways, but that is not Bhagavad-gita as it is. Therefore, Bhagavad-gita has to be accepted as it is, from the disciplic succession, and it is described herein that the Lord spoke to the sun-god, the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, and Manu spoke to his son Iksvaku.

But even before that the Hare Krishna Mantra was known

You might wonder how it is possible that some simple words as Hare Krishna and Rama have survived for such a long time. Many events or stories only 10   or 100 years old,  are forgotten already.

What is so special about chanting these words, why do devotees repeat them over and over, why does it seem to make them happy? Well the words might seem to be material, but there is absolutely nothing material to them at all and everyone who has sincerely began chanting and listening to this Mantra will confirm this.  As this holy Mantra has its origin in the Kingdom of God or Krishna, the sound we hear when we chant is also spiritual and purifying. God His Name, His pastimes, His personal form are all completely spiritual and not material. His Name therefore is all powerful and extremely purifying. This is not a theoretical idea, but can be practically experienced by any sincere person who is willing to give it a try. In the beginning  a little faith is needed, but as one studies the books written by Srila Prabhupada, combined with the chanting of Sri Krishnas Names he will soon realize the great value of the Hare Krishna Mantra.

Please chant Hare Krishna and be happy

The Mantra

Krishna Consciousness and chanting

Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original natural energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. This simplest method of meditation is recommended for this age. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel a transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum. In the material concept of life we are busy in the matter of sense gratification as if we were in the lower animal stage. A little elevated from this status of sense gratification, one is engaged in mental speculation for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches. A little elevated from this speculative status, when one is intelligent enough, one tries to find out the supreme cause of all causes--within and without. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, he is then on the transcendental plane. This chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness--namely sensual, mental and intellectual. There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need for mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It is automatic, from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in vibrating this transcendental sound without any previous qualification. In a more advanced stage, of course, one is not expected to commit offences on grounds of spiritual understanding. In the beginning, there may not be the presence of all transcendental ecstasies, which are eight in number. These are: (1) Being stopped as though dumb, (2) perspiration, (3) standing up of hairs on the body, (4) dislocation of voice, (5) trembling, (6) fading of the body, (7) crying in ecstasy, and (8) trance. But there is no doubt that chanting for a while takes one immediately to the spiritual platform, and one shows the first symptom of this in the urge to dance along with the chanting of the mantra. We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting and dancing. Of course, for one who is too entangled in material life, it takes a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially engrossed man is raised to the spiritual platform very quickly. When it is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord in love, it has the greatest efficacy on hearers, and as such this chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects. The word Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krsna and Rama are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Both Krsna and Rama mean the supreme pleasure, and Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare (Hah-ray) in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord. The material energy, called maya, is also one of the multi-energies of the Lord. And we the living entities are also the energy, marginal energy, of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, called Hara, it is established in its happy, normal condition. These three words, namely Hara, Krsna and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His energy, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother's presence. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father's grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely. No other means of spiritual realisation is as effective in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

    Srila Prabhupada         Srila Narayana Maharaja        Sri Sri Gaura Nitai                    Sri Sri Radha Krishna

Meditation

Everyone meditates, the whole World meditates. We think about so many things and our minds are totally concentrated and absorbed in so many ways. That is meditation, unfortunately its not the proper one. Others try to relax and get peace of mind, or they fix their minds on a point or a white space. Some chant mantras, to receive power over others so they can dominate, or they pray for economic development, a good education, money, and sense enjoyment. All this has nothing to do really with chanting Hare Krishna.

"Man" means mind and "Tra" means deliverance, "Maha" means the greatest. Maha Mantra.   The Hare Krishna Mantra is considered the greatest mantra, because it purifies in a very mystical way our heart and understanding from all material misconceptions and brings out total and complete understanding of who we are. 

Please before you begin to chant put the above pictures unto your screen or print them out and find a nice and suitable place for them in your home. This shall be your altar. Always offer your respects. Begin to chant...

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Its okay to walk around or to sit down, to chant loud or not so loud. There are no restrictions at all. The best chanting is when you can hear your chanting very clearly.  There should be no disturbances around you.   Chant every day for 10 to 15 minutes. I like chanting so much that i chant for 2 hours sometimes.  These are the basics of chanting, please write to me, tell me how you go on.  I  can explain to you how to chant like experienced devotees do. There are many ways to improve our chanting and to get the best results, but for now this will be enough.

Devarsirat

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