If initiated in another sampradhaya, should we chant Hare Krishna?
A male devotee asked like this: “Hare Krishna Prabhu ji.. I have taken ‘Diksha’ from vrindavan and my whole maternal family follows them and i am from kumar sampradaya (shri nibhankachari).. And i used to go iskcon preaching centres.. They say do “Hare Krishna mahamantra” chanting and i also do chant mantra which my spiritual guru gave me.. if i do rounds of mantra which is given by my spiritual guru and not doing hare krishna mahamantra .. i am landing myself in pell mell situation and am i doing some sin ? A request – please keep me anonymous!! waiting for your reply! Hare Krishna ..”
REPLY:
You have not written which manthra you have been given already in Vrindavan by the guru of Kumara Sampradhaya. However, you have no need to worry for that. Let me guide you whether the initiated devotees of other sampradhaya can chant Hare Krishna now.
You are also following an bonafied sampradhaya. So, you need not confuse yourself about switching to other sampradhayas.
However, being in one sampradhaya does not stop you from chanting ANOTHER NAME of Krishna. All the names of Krishna are equally powerful. You can even chant Vishnu Saharsra Nama, if you are comfortable with that. You have to chant the Lord’s Name. That’s all.
(How to follow chanting amidst tight schedules in daily life? READ HERE!)
However, there are some special reasons to chant Hare Krishna Maha Manthra that you should know.
If the manthra given by your guru is the name of Krishna or His any other forms and names like Vasudeva, Narayana, Vishnu, etc, you can continue to do that.
But, do not skip Hare Krishna Maha Manthra. Because, it is the manthra recommended by Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu, who is non-different from Lord Krishna, particularly for kaliyuga.
The formalities in chanting Hare Krishna are less. So, chant Hare Krishna Maha manthra atleast a few rounds in addition to the manthra given by your guru. Don’t stop it.
Hare Krishna Maha Manthra can be chanted by anyone from any sampradhaya and there is no barrier for that.
By chanting Hare Krishna Maha Manthra, you are inviting both Krishna and His internal energy Radharani. The word HARE in this manthra denotes the energy of Lord, who is Radharani. So, you invite both Krishna and Radharani that is very powerful one.
(If a Sick Patient is unclean while chanting, will it be forgiven? READ HERE!)
As already said, the formalities during the initial stage for chanting Hare Krishna Maha manthra are very less and everyone can chant it. For example, Gayathri Manthra should be chanted only after getting Brahmana diksha from a guru. But, Hare Krishna Maha Manthra can be chanted even without getting diksha from any guru, because, Hare Krishna Maha Manthra itself is independent and it does not depend on any person, or sampradhaya, or social or regional barriers. Anyone from anywhere, any status and any other sampradhaya can chant Hare krishna Maha Manthra.
You have asked if you chant the manthra given by your guru, but, does not chant Hare Krishna, is it a sin? It is not like that. If you are following any of the four bonafied sampradhaya and are following the instructions of your guru who come in that guru parampara, you will definitely get elevated, no doubt.
So, my advice to you is: Do not confuse with the sampradhayas, as you are already in a bonafied sampradhaya only and you are already initiated.
It is not advisable to change your diksha guru if he is not a fallen guru. There should be only one diksha guru unless the previous diksha guru has fallen down.
So, just add Hare Krishna Maha Manthra in your daily routine. Chant Hare Krishna atleast a few rounds in addition to the diksha manthra given by your guru.
And, follow the 4 regulative principles by avoiding meat eating, Gambling, Intoxication and Illicit relations. That is very important.
Hope you are clear about whether the initiated devotees of other sampradhaya can chant Hare Krishna now.
(Is chanting many manthras of other sampradhayas correct? READ HERE!)