Leadership for a Troubled World
The reason our current slate of world leaders are not capable of leading the world out of chaos is that they are imperfect men and women who are still entrapped on the platform of indriya-seva, service to their senses.
The senses are like a blazing fire. No matter how much fuel we feed to them, they still demand more and more fuel. In other words sensual desires are insatiable. A person who is on this platform cannot avoid serving his senses. He has an uncontrollable desire to scratch the itch of his material desires. He is not qualified to even lead himself, what to speak of leading anyone else.
The only person who is qualified to lead us is that person who has conquered over his sensual desires. This is explained as follows by Srila Rupa Goswami:
vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam
jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
"A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world."
---Upadeshamrita 1
The secret of conquering the senses is to engage them in the service of the master of the senses, Hrisikesha, Lord Krishna. In the Lord's service the senses become fully satisfied, one becomes fully joyful, and he can teach others how to become fully joyful. If a class of such sense-controlled men and women can become widespread on this planet, the entire world will become joyful. There will be no more problems.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Is it that chanting with offense has no benefits and therefore we should chant only if we are able to do so in the pure mode of goodness? How does one get to the stage of chanting the Holy Name without any offense - Trinad api sunicena, Taror api sahisnuna? It is hard to be 100% attentive. The mind wanders sometimes although as much as possible we try and chant in the early morning. Please show your mercy upon us so that we could chant in the pure mode of goodness.
Your humble servant,
Jayanthi
1. Offensive chanting
2. Clearing stage
3. Offenseless chanting.
We all start at the offensive stage but as we sincerely chant trying to avoid the offenses we enter into the clearing stage and then gradually, gradually as we become solid in avoiding all of the offenses we enter into the perfectional stage, the offenseless stage.
The ten offenses are as follows:
(1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.
(2) To consider the names of demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be equal to, or independent of, the name of Lord Vishnu. (Sometimes the atheistic class of men take it that any demigod is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu. But one who is a devotee knows that no demigod, however great he may be, is independently as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, if someone thinks that he can chant "Kali, Kali!" or "Durga, Durga!" and it is the same as Hare Krishna, that is the greatest offense.)
(3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master.
(4) To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic version.
(5) To consider the glories of chanting Hare Krishna to be imagination.
(6) To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.
(7) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name of the Lord. (It should not be taken that because by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can be freed from all kinds of sinful reaction, one may continue to act sinfully and after that chant Hare Krishna to neutralize his sins. Such a dangerous mentality is very offensive and should be avoided.)
(8) To consider the chanting of Hare Krishna one of the auspicious ritualistic activities offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities (karma-kanda).
(9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name. (Anyone can take part in chanting the holy name of the Lord, but in the beginning one should not be instructed about the transcendental potency of the Lord. Those who are too sinful cannot appreciate the transcendental glories of the Lord, and therefore it is better not to instruct them in this matter.)
(10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter.
It's also offensive to be inattentive while chanting. Anyone who claims to be a devotee of the Lord must carefully guard against the above offenses in order to quickly achieve the supreme success, pure love of Krishna, Krishna prema.
In the beginning it is impossible to chant in a completely pure state of mind. Therefore we must chant, even though we do so offensively. Then gradually, gradually by the unlimited power of the Lord's sweet holy names all of offenses will melt away into oblivion.
The simple formula for achieving the pure stage of offenseless chanting is practice, practice, practice. The tongue must work. Try to clearly pronounce and hear each and every syllable of the mahamantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Chant in the mood of small child calling out for help to his parents. This mood will attract the mercy of the Lord and his energy to quickly deliver us from the ocean of birth and death.
The key for perfect chanting is to always chant in a humble state of mind thinking yourself lower than the straw in the street, being more tolerant than a tree, offering all respects to others without desiring any respect for yourself. Chanting in this mood will quickly bring you to pure goodness, the offenseless stage in which you will relish the holy names of the Lord unlimitedly. In this connection Srila Rupa has written as follows:
"I do not know how much nectar the two syllables 'Krish-na' have produced. When the holy name of Krishna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert."
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
The senses are like a blazing fire. No matter how much fuel we feed to them, they still demand more and more fuel. In other words sensual desires are insatiable. A person who is on this platform cannot avoid serving his senses. He has an uncontrollable desire to scratch the itch of his material desires. He is not qualified to even lead himself, what to speak of leading anyone else.
The only person who is qualified to lead us is that person who has conquered over his sensual desires. This is explained as follows by Srila Rupa Goswami:
vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam
jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
"A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world."
---Upadeshamrita 1
The secret of conquering the senses is to engage them in the service of the master of the senses, Hrisikesha, Lord Krishna. In the Lord's service the senses become fully satisfied, one becomes fully joyful, and he can teach others how to become fully joyful. If a class of such sense-controlled men and women can become widespread on this planet, the entire world will become joyful. There will be no more problems.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Answers According to the Vedic Version:
Question: How to Perfect our Chanting?
Would you explain what are the stages in chanting and how it all works? I note that there are 10 offenses that one should not commit while chanting the Holy Name. Should we achieve this at the first stroke or it happens gradually?Is it that chanting with offense has no benefits and therefore we should chant only if we are able to do so in the pure mode of goodness? How does one get to the stage of chanting the Holy Name without any offense - Trinad api sunicena, Taror api sahisnuna? It is hard to be 100% attentive. The mind wanders sometimes although as much as possible we try and chant in the early morning. Please show your mercy upon us so that we could chant in the pure mode of goodness.
Your humble servant,
Jayanthi
Answer: Chant in a Humble State of Mind
I will be most happy to answer your sincere inquiry. There are three stages of chanting:1. Offensive chanting
2. Clearing stage
3. Offenseless chanting.
We all start at the offensive stage but as we sincerely chant trying to avoid the offenses we enter into the clearing stage and then gradually, gradually as we become solid in avoiding all of the offenses we enter into the perfectional stage, the offenseless stage.
The ten offenses are as follows:
(1) To blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives for propagating the holy name of the Lord.
(2) To consider the names of demigods like Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be equal to, or independent of, the name of Lord Vishnu. (Sometimes the atheistic class of men take it that any demigod is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu. But one who is a devotee knows that no demigod, however great he may be, is independently as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, if someone thinks that he can chant "Kali, Kali!" or "Durga, Durga!" and it is the same as Hare Krishna, that is the greatest offense.)
(3) To disobey the orders of the spiritual master.
(4) To blaspheme the Vedic literature or literature in pursuance of the Vedic version.
(5) To consider the glories of chanting Hare Krishna to be imagination.
(6) To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.
(7) To commit sinful activities on the strength of the holy name of the Lord. (It should not be taken that because by chanting the holy name of the Lord one can be freed from all kinds of sinful reaction, one may continue to act sinfully and after that chant Hare Krishna to neutralize his sins. Such a dangerous mentality is very offensive and should be avoided.)
(8) To consider the chanting of Hare Krishna one of the auspicious ritualistic activities offered in the Vedas as fruitive activities (karma-kanda).
(9) To instruct a faithless person about the glories of the holy name. (Anyone can take part in chanting the holy name of the Lord, but in the beginning one should not be instructed about the transcendental potency of the Lord. Those who are too sinful cannot appreciate the transcendental glories of the Lord, and therefore it is better not to instruct them in this matter.)
(10) To not have complete faith in the chanting of the holy names and to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions on this matter.
It's also offensive to be inattentive while chanting. Anyone who claims to be a devotee of the Lord must carefully guard against the above offenses in order to quickly achieve the supreme success, pure love of Krishna, Krishna prema.
In the beginning it is impossible to chant in a completely pure state of mind. Therefore we must chant, even though we do so offensively. Then gradually, gradually by the unlimited power of the Lord's sweet holy names all of offenses will melt away into oblivion.
The simple formula for achieving the pure stage of offenseless chanting is practice, practice, practice. The tongue must work. Try to clearly pronounce and hear each and every syllable of the mahamantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Chant in the mood of small child calling out for help to his parents. This mood will attract the mercy of the Lord and his energy to quickly deliver us from the ocean of birth and death.
The key for perfect chanting is to always chant in a humble state of mind thinking yourself lower than the straw in the street, being more tolerant than a tree, offering all respects to others without desiring any respect for yourself. Chanting in this mood will quickly bring you to pure goodness, the offenseless stage in which you will relish the holy names of the Lord unlimitedly. In this connection Srila Rupa has written as follows:
"I do not know how much nectar the two syllables 'Krish-na' have produced. When the holy name of Krishna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert."
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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