How can we increase nama-ruchi?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Question is how can we increase Nama Guruji? First of all, I am struggling with my chanting also.
So, that is the struggle that I think all of us have. But there are some broad principles. I will talk about three main things here with respect to improving our chanting or increasing our taste for chanting.
First is that at our stage, our mind, when we say we want to increase our taste in chanting, the way the taste will increase is if we expose ourselves to the holy name more and more. Rupa Goswami gives an example that just as a jaundiced person cannot taste sugarcane juice as sweet. Similarly, our consciousness because of being diseased and impure cannot taste the sweetness of the holy name.
But just as if a person keeps drinking sugarcane juice, gradually jaundice will be cured and we will be able to taste. The jaundiced person will be able to taste sugarcane juice. Similarly, by chanting gradually the disease will go away and the taste will awaken.
So, the question of increasing Nama Guruji is primarily a question of how to persevere in exposing ourselves to the holy name. So, one is through buddhi. It is very important that we periodically remind ourselves about the glory of the holy name.
If we don’t, because chanting is one activity which can be very easily done mechanically. Very easily. There are other activities.
For example, if you start preaching. If you start teaching Krishna Goswami, you cannot do it very mechanically. You have to really think what I am going to speak.
So, chanting means go on doing unthinking. Now, if our consciousness is to be purified through chanting, there has to be a contact between our consciousness and Krishna. I will give you the example of weight lifting.
Now, weight lifting leads to the development of muscles. But somebody thinks that this lifting, this weight is very heavy. Somebody goes to a gym, he just starts moving the hands up and down.
That is also an exercise. That will also benefit. That will definitely not benefit as much as lifting weights in terms of developing muscles.
So, sometimes if we are not philosophic, do not philosophically remind ourselves of the glory of the holy name, then our chanting becomes mechanical. That means the mouth is uttering the Mahavantra, but there is no thought of Krishna at all. So, that becomes like just lifting the hands up and down, up and down without any weight in the hands.
That will also lead to purification. We have a very minimal purification. But the more detrimental consequence of that is because we do not get, we are not really connecting with Krishna while chanting.
So, we do not get any taste in chanting. And then chanting starts feeling like a boredom and a burden. Because imagine if somebody is told, you know, every day you go to gym and just lift your hands half an hour every day.
There are so many better things to do with that. If the person is actually lifting weight, then the person can see over time some effect. I can see my body getting shaped, my muscles developing.
So, what happens? If we are not striving to think of Krishna, to hear the sound of the holy name, then chanting becomes a burden. Now, of course, when we are trying to think of Krishna, it is not that chanting is easy or relishable. Then also it is a struggle.
But at least it is a fruitful struggle. Because we are contacting with Krishna, we do get some taste through that. And as we are getting purified, the taste will come afterwards.
The first thing is, it is important to periodically remind ourselves of the glory of the holy name. So, maybe memorizing some verses about the glory of the holy name. Or even before we start chanting, reading a few minutes about the glory of the holy name.
Or as I said, Shikshashtak is also very good prayers about the glory of the holy name. So, we recite that in the temples also. But often we have to meditate on that.
So, that way we give an intellectual impetus for our chanting. Which will ensure that it doesn’t stay mechanical. It becomes transformation.
Secondly, even within chanting, we can find out the way we can chant with the least physical exertion. That means, as I said, we want to chant spiritually purified. But sometimes we may chant too loudly, too fast, too slow.
Or we may put too much effort on the throat and on the lungs. And that can tire us. And then that also creates a negative attitude towards chanting.
This is too burdensome. This is too troublesome. So, we will evolve ourselves.
Some people will chant loudly and that is the best way for them to chant. Some people will chant softly and that is the best way I can concentrate. So, there is no mandatory rule that this is the only way to chant.
So, there is definitely a certain amount of individuality. We have to find out how best we can chant in a way that helps us to absorb ourselves. And another thing is within that also things may change.
Because our mind goes to different modes. So, sometimes we may find that chanting loudly is better, chanting softly is better. But we have to have that sort of optimization that we do ourselves.
And third is that, actually I have a full seminar on chanting. I can’t go into that. But I will say simply this point.
That there is a point of concentration and there is a circle of concentration. The best chanting is where we simply focus on the sound of the Holy Name. That is best at our stage.
But it is very difficult to do that. To just hear the sound of the Holy Name and to focus on that. And when we are unable to do that, then we just let the mind wander all over the universe.
And rather than letting that happen, we can create around the point of concentration, a circle of concentration. That means, have additional devotional stimuli around this. For example, some devotees may keep the written Hare Krishna Mahamantra in front of them.
Or some devotees may keep a picture of Radha Krishna. Or some devotees may chant in the some verse that inspires us very much for our chanting. We may keep that.
Or some devotees may like to keep the picture of their initiation. I took a vow to chant 16 rounds every day. So whatever inspires us.
That means, if my mind doesn’t, as a point of concentration, if my mind can’t stay on that, then let it stay within a circle which is connected with that point. So even if it wanders, let it wander to the verses glorifying the Holy Name. Let it wander to a picture of Krishna.
And look at how beautiful Krishna is. Oh, Krishna is so beautiful. I am chanting Krishna.
Let me chant. So if we create a circle, it’s like if we try to absolutely control the mind, it’s a very exhausting effort. And often the mind rebels so forcefully that then we don’t even try to control the mind at all.
Okay, I’ll go on chanting. Mind, you can go wherever you want. So rather than trying to have this absolute control throughout all our rounds, we can try to strive for that point of control whenever possible.
But create a circle of control around it. And circle of concentration. So create a circle of concentration.
And what will be that circle of concentration? That will vary depending on each of us. Because all of us are individuals and we have particular things in Bhakti that attract us. So keeping our consciousness within the circle of concentration will at least keep our consciousness devotional even if it is not directly devotionally focused on the Holy Name.
It will stay focused in some way connected with Krishna. And gradually from that connection, we can keep bringing it back to Krishna with greater ease. So three things broadly.
Using intellectual impetus to remind us of the glory of the Holy Name. To find out the best way we can chant. And to create our own customized circle of concentration around the point of concentration.
And letting the mind when it wanders go within that. That way we can gradually persevere in the process of chanting. And by persevering, the taste will naturally awaken.