The Science of Self-Realization

Self-realization is the perfection of human existence. The person who attains self-realization perfectly understands his subordinate position in relation to the Lord as the Lord's eternal servant. When he is thus enlightened, he surrenders fully to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is completely liberated from the clutches of the material energy. In other words, unless one surrenders to the lotus feet of the Lord, the material energy in its many varieties will continue to control him. Therefore those who are wise take to the pathway of self-realization in order to become free from the clutches of the material energy and achieve unlimited eternal happiness in a perfect loving relationship with Krishna and all living beings.

Vyasadeva Become Self-Realized by Hearing from Narada Muni

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Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Opinion: I Feel That Chanting Is Very Boring

Hare Krishna Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to you and Srimati Gurumata!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I pray Krishna that you get this mail in good health.

I feel chanting very boring because its like repeating same mantra again and again. While chanting, I am not able to concentrate even on a single syllable and I start chanting in a wrong way. When my mother hears my wrong chanting she says to me I m doing offence against Krishna. This makes me scared and I think its better not to chant instead of wrong chanting.

Your servant,
Priti Lakshana
(12 years old girl)

Answer: You Don't Realize You Are Associating with Krishna

That you feel chanting is boring shows that you are forgetting that Lord Sri Krishna is fully present in His name. Surely you would not be bored if you could directly associate with Krishna in Goloka Vrindavan. But that's exactly what you are doing when you chant the Hare Krishna mantra. You are directly associating with the most beautiful sublime original person, Lord Sri Krishna, in the midst of His most amazing pastimes. Just as Krishna is an ever-fresh youth whose association is unlimitedly exciting at every minute, similarly associating with Krishna in the form of His name is equally as thrilling as being with Him personally in Goloka Vrindavana because that is exactly what you are doing when you chant His name with love.

We all begin our chanting from the platform of offensive chanting. That is normal. From this beginning stage, if we keep chanting regularly, we will progress to the clearing stage, and finally to the offenseless stage in which we will be able to see Krishna face-to-face, eye-to-eye and revive our original loving relationship with Him in any one of five primary rasas. That you are afraid of making offenses tells me that you are a very sincere and wonderful devotee. And I admire you for this. Kindly note in this connection that even more offensive than offensive chanting is not chanting at all. Not chanting at all with take you to an animal birth in your next life, while offensive chanting with the desire to improve will gradually transform into offenseless chanting and take you back to home, back to Godhead.

So my request to you is that you should regularly and carefully chant Hare Krishna japa every day as many rounds as possible. In this way gradually you will become steady in chanting at least 16 rounds of japa mala daily and I will initiate you as my disciple and take you back to Home, back to Godhead.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari