How to avoid Diversions and Yawning while chanting?
ACTUAL QUESTIONS FROM FOUR DEVOTEES:
(1) Krishna very much. i have lot of stress I don’t know I get lot of tension. so I go to astrologer he say to me l have moon time like that this time we get lot of tension . sincerely l love chanting I want to do Krishna consioncess but my mind every time they doing bad but I do my chanting 16 rounds and read bagavath Gita and also I do hear bhagvatham every day also but my mind is my problem I can’t get proper concentration . Pls give me a solution.
(2) A woman devotee who requested anonymity asked like this:
“Hare Krishna, Prabhu…. I have read your articles and felt that I too can get few replies to my problems, from You. I want to know why I become emotional while chanting Hari naam, or listening to His stories, singing bhajans, or listening to His bhajans/kirtans. Literally I start crying… And sometimes it also happens, that I get too much angry upon Him when something goes wrong and then cry again. Am I going wrong somewhere? Please help .. And Thank You ! (I want to remain anonymous)”
(3) A devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
Dandawat pranam prabhuji… I feel little uncomfortable while doing japa…like some time wrong things…or abusing language comes in my mind ….I complete 5rounds daily n during this I feel scary….nt comfortable at all always try to concentrate but failed…what will I do ….should I continue or I should leave because I think that thakurji will not accept my 5 rounds as they r nt pure contaminated with bad thoughts n abusive language… I m nt this kind of person …I never abuse anyone in my life…I m so humble n polite to others but don’t know why it comes in my mind during japa…plz guide me prabhuji what will I do ….either continue or leave. Plz help me prabhuji… I m so confused n sad…
(4) A male devotee (Name hidden):
“Hk prabu. I yawn while chanting and feel sleepy. Help me how chanting with brisk mind.”
REPLY:
How to avoid Tension, Anger, Thoughts while Chanting?
Many of us struggle to avoid Diversions and Yawning while chanting. All these problems are due to the absence (or) the deficiency of a TASTE in chanting the Harinam.
Tell me if you are requested to eat the food cooked without adding salt, how much food you will consume? You will become angry even if you eat a small quantity.
If you are forcibly married to a girl/ boy whom you don’t like at all, how long will you live with her/ him happily? You will become angry even to live for a day.
(CHANTING HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTHRA – IMPORTANCE, TIPS AND COMPLETE PROCEDURE! READ HERE!)
If you hate mathematics right from your elementary school days, but, your father forcibly admit you in B.Sc Mathematics in college since the fee is comparatively less for that subject, will you feel the studies interesting? You will become angry even for a day’s attendance in the class.
This is the cause for the tension, anger, etc, in chanting also and our fight truggle to avoid Diversions and Yawning while chanting. How?
When maya is showing all the INSTANT but short lived attractions colourfully, the scriptures are telling you to chant for the good status after death and also for the gradual decrease of problems.
If you find the short lived inducements and diversions induced by maya attractive, you will find the chanting difficult. Since it is irritating to do the difficult activity for long time, you feel tensed, angry and getting diverted while chanting.
Why do you find the inducements of maya more attractive?
It is because, you are deficient in trusting the Lord fully. Hence maya overtakes the Lord in your consciousness.
If you consider the eternal mercy given by Krishna as the Primary target of your life, you will find your penances for Krishna more interesting.
(Ten offences against chanting the Holy name of Krishna! READ HERE!)
If you consider your instant temporary happiness as Primary, you will find sadhanas for Krishna BORING.
Hope you have understood the above reason.
There is another reason for not showing full interest in chanting.
First, I was happy when I read the first few lines of the Question-(2) thinking that this devotee loves Krishna very much and that is why, she cries in ecstasy while chanting and singing. But, when I read further, I concluded that your love on Lord is CONDITIONAL.
Because, you become angry when something goes wrong in life that means Lord does not give anything as expected by you. This means that you don’t fully believe that Krishna will even stop giving something for His devotees IF IT WILL HARM THEM.
So, you are expecting that Krishna should always keep you materially happy and give whatever you want and He should not say NO. If He does not give something because it is harmful to your elevation, you become angry.
If you believe that everything, whether positive or negative that happens to the devotees is the mercy of Krishna, you won’t lament for the negatives and hence there is no place for frustration, tension, anger, etc.
(I am disturbed by NEGATIVE THOUGHTS while chanting. What to do? READ HERE!)
Or, if the things go in life against your expectations, you get angry and tension.
This is wrong on your part. This is NOT PURE LOVE. This is conditional love.
If your husband says “Dear, I love you so much. However, whatever I say, you should never refuse to do.”, how will you feel? Will you do if the same husband asks you to catch a cockroach with fingers and throw it out? You will say NO only.
So, all the wishes of others can not be fulfilled by a person.
So, a devotee should not expect that Krishna SHOULD DO this or that. They even have no need to pray to Krishna for their needs. Krishna is within your heart as Paramathma. So, He is watching what you do, what your problems are, etc. So, He will automatically do whichever is good to you. He will not give whichever will do harm to your life.
See this example also:
If you pray for a rascal to be your husband without knowing that he is a rascal, how Krishna will give? Since He knows everything about him, He will not give him to you.
So, just perform your saadhanas as advised by the acharyas. Love Krishna without any expectations. Respect other vaishnavas. Be balanced, non-violent and moderate in your character.
(THREE STAGES OF ATTAINING THE PERFECTION IN CHANTING! READ HERE!)
That’s all. Don’t worry about other things. Accept whatever happens in life as the Lord’s mercy.
Chant with the full faith that you are speaking to Krishna through chanting and Krishna is hearing you. Also believe that Krishna will give whatever you need for the elevation in devotion in due course of time.
If you have this faith, you will not become angry or diverted while chanting.
HOW TO AVOID YAWNING WHILE CHANTING?
When a person sees a favourite movie, he does not yawn, and in fact, he forgets himself in the movie. Why? Because, he puts his full involvement in seeing his favourite movie.
When a person meets his close friends or relatives, he forgets his surroundings. Why? Because, he is much attached to them and he expects that he will get some entertainment or benefit or pleasure from them.
Similarly, do you truly believe that you will get Krishna Himself if you chant? If you truly believe that Chanting is very effective and gives you eternal pleasure in the Kingdom of Krishna, you will find that chanting assignment interesting and blissful and you will also avoid Diversions and Yawning while chanting.
(Why should we chant Hare Krishna Maha Manthra instead of Gayathri Manthra? READ HERE!)
One must develop a taste in chanting. Unless there is a taste, there will be no involvement in chanting. So, believe that all other pleasures in this world is temporary that is followed by pain. All our pleasures on earth will be for a certain period only. After that, we have to vacate this house (world). Only those who do not know that there is an eternal pleasure after death of this body at the Kingdom of Krishna, cry while leaving this world.
So, first, aim for that eternal pleasure. To get that eternal pleasure, you MUST CHANT the Holy Name of Krishna. So, Chanting is not just uttering some words. It is a spiritual vibration of the holy sound that purifies us and takes us to Krishna’s world.
If you are aware of the above facts, you will develop a taste in chanting. When you develop taste, you will involve in it with focused mind, like you see your favourite movie. In due course of time, you will consider this material world as Dhukkalayam and asasvatham. After that, you can not remain without chanting.
And, as I already said, when you involve in chanting consistently with the desire of becoming pure, all our anarthas will automatically go as I explained with this example that is reproduced below:
Place a bucket of soiled dirty water under a running water pump for minutes. See all the dirty water disappears & the water in bucket becomes clear after some time.
Thus, Every one of us have anarthaas. Nobody is 100% perfect! Don’t fight with situations/ anarthaas (Soiled water). Just practice Devotion to Krishna (Add pure water) sincerely. All the anarthas will disappear soon!
(Using intoxicants or other Violations while chanting – Will Krishna accept? READ HERE!)
When you come to this stage, there will be no difficulty to avoid Diversions and Yawning while chanting and also sleepiness. You will love chanting.
In a nutshell: Before finishing this article, let me remind you:
Chanting is the PRIMARY DUTY of a person who has been blessed with the human birth.
When we chant Hare Krishna, we are directly connected with Krishna. If possible, you may chant in the company of vaishnavas. Or, Chant in a temple. Or, chant in the Brahma Muhurtha time, ie, between 4-6 in the morning.
If we miss this birth, we will have to take birth again and again and feel the pains of material world. So, WE MUST CHANT well.
Don’t think of material worries and material benefits while chanting. Dedicate 1-2 hrs for Krishna ALONE every day.
Make this your habit.
Hope you a re clear about how to avoid Diversions and Yawning while chanting.
(ACHARYAS ON CHANTING THE HOLY NAMES OF KRISHNA! READ HERE!)