Some Important Doubts & Replies on Chanting Holy names of the Lord!
You will find these Important Doubts & Replies on Chanting the Holy names of the Lord very useful for you.
(1) Can we chant using left hand?
Kiran Krishna asked like this: Hare Krishna pr Dandavats pranam can I ask you something. Can we chant in our left hand as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Said there is no hard & fast rules for chanting.
REPLY:
When we chant, usually we use Tulasi mala. This Tulasi devi is very PURE and SENSITIVE. Even if we touch the tulasi plant without bathing or during monthly periods the plant dies. Even if a goat eats a few leaves in a plant, the plant dies.
Our fore finger is considered as impure even in our right hand because we use that finger even for scrubbing the nose, mouth, skin,etc. That is why, we have been advised not to use our fore finger to touch tulasi mala while chanting and we keep our fore finger out of the chanting bag through an opening in the bag.
(ALSO READ : 32 WAYS OF HOW NOT TO CHANT! READ HERE!)
If this is the case for a finger even in our right hand, you are asking whether we can use our left hand for chanting. In our left hand, all the fingers are impure because we use all the fingers for cleaning the stool also. Therefore, it is not advisable to use left hand for chanting.
EXCEMPTIONS:
(1) If a person has no right hand.
(2) If he has no fingers in his right hand.
(3) If his right hand has serious burns temporarily.
Otherwise, use only the right hand for chanting. This is just a mark of respect for Krishna and Tulasi devi.
Will you eat using left hand? Then why do you think of left hand for chanting?
Chant Hare Krsna and Be Happy!
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
ALSO READ: Will chanting change the basic nature of a person?
(2) Can chanting be done while working, driving, cooking, etc?
Yes. Chanting can be done while doing some works that do not need our attention. However, while driving, working on system, doing some technical works, you can avoid it. Because, your attention can not be spared for both the activities. However, we can chant while doing other simple works that do not need much attention.
As far as counting of chanting rounds are considered, consider only those rounds that were done as exclusive activity. Let other casual chantings be extra. OK?
(ALSO READ THIS POST: Should we have good karma to chant properly?)
(3) What if I find it really difficult to chant more than 6 rounds?
REPLY:
Most of the people have time to chat, watch T.V, talk to friends, spend time in FB, to sleep more than 8 hours, etc. But, they say that they find it difficult to chant more than a certain minutes. If a wife loves her husband much, she does not feel boring or tired to spend time for cooking as her husband will appreciate her preparation. Similarly, they should also remember that Krishna too feels very happy and appreciates you if you spend more and more time for Him by chanting His Name. More chanting, faster purification from material contaminations. So, faster will be our elevation to Lord’s kingdom.
Therefore, take just 10 minutes from every other activity you do daily and spare that time for chanting. And, if you get up one hour earlier in the morning, you will have more time for chanting.
(How to follow chanting amidst tight schedules in daily life? READ HERE!)
And, unless you develop a taste in chanting, even one round will be difficult. If you truly trust Krishna, you will get a taste in chanting.
Show your love on Krishna by sparing more time for chanting. He will reciprocate it that you can feel one day.
(4) Can we chant in a loud voice?
Question asked by a devotee:
Hare Krishna Prabhu. I have a confusion. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura advised for loud chanting & with attachment. Please say something about loud chanting.
REPLY:
(1) About Loud chanting. You have asked: . “Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura advised to chant loudly, but, you said in a post that chanting within mind is the highest stage.”
(THREE STAGES OF ATTAINING THE PERFECTION IN CHANTING! READ HERE!)
I have mentioned the highest standard one can follow while chanting as recommended by vedic tests and al other sampradhayas. However, I have also said that coming to that highest level of ‘chanting within mind’ needs more practice and hence, till we achieve that stage, we can follow chanting with voice. Gradually, we can come to the stage of ‘chanting within mind’.
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada advised for chanting with voice because they were preaching to the foreigners and new devotees more. If they advise to chant within mind, the starting level sathakas will find it difficult to chant within mind. Therefore, they did not advise to chant within mind. They have been empowered to customize the way of following the devotional processes. Another example was, Srila Prabhupada reduced the number of chantings per day from 64 to 16. They do like that to make the new starters to atleast start chanting. Then, they will automatically grow.
(TEN OFFENCES AGAINST CHANTING THE HOLY NAME OF KRISHNA! READ HERE!)
As a trial, you yourself can try chanting within mind. If you come to that level, your whole mind will be involved in the thoughts of Krishna. The above acharyas also know that.
However, their aim is to make the devotees chant. Therefore, they guided them to chant with voice and sing the names of Lord in a louder voice. It will be easy for them. They believed that in due course of time, they will come to the stage of ‘chanting within mind’. It is an automatic process. When we feel tired, we ourselves will start to chant within mind. Later, we will start to enjoy that silent chanting within mind because, it will be very effective since it directly originates from our mind and hence there will be no diversions.
(How to avoid Tension, Anger, Abusive Thoughts and Yawning while chanting? READ HERE!)
(5)Will chanting change the basic nature/character of a person?
Milli Sahni asked:
Hare Krishna prabhu ji my name is Milli sahni hope u r well. Firstly I thank u for sharing good counseling it help me in day to day life. Now my query is is chanting change person basic nature like every zodiac sign has some peculiar specification about there sunsign Is this change is we continuously chant Hari Na’am and follow four regulative principle?? Thanks and regards prabhu ji Hari bol.
REPLY:
Sure.
If you are short tempered as per horoscope, your sincere chanting can make you calm and stable.
If you are going to face troubles in marriage life, your sincere chanting may even alter your karma and keep you a bachelor all the time to protect you from the troubles in marriage life.
If you are going to fail in the exams as per your horoscope, your sincere chanting may give you fame in another field that does not require education.
(How to chant without diversions? Do we need a guru to start chanting? READ HERE!)
If you are destined to face an accident, your sincere chanting may even stop you from travel and save you.
Thus, chanting Lord’s names keeps our past karma under suspension. Until you are chanting sincerely, you will be under the protection of Krishna.
We know very well that most of the devotees of present age were performing many sinful activities in their past. Even Valmiki, the compiler of Valmiki Ramayana was a thief in his past.
I was a materialistic guy in my past. Chanting made me a devotee and changed my mindset.
Therefore, chanting can make wonders by changing our nature itself, because when we start to chant, we are taking new birth with new characters and suspended karma.
Hope you have found these Doubts & Replies on Chanting Holy names of the Lord useful! There will be more Doubts & Replies on Chanting in different posts of this site! Search in Our site.
(CHANTING HARE KRISHNA MAHA MANTHRA – IMPORTANCE, TIPS AND COMPLETE PROCEDURE! READ HERE!)