Is the tendency to not chant more than sixteen rounds good?

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Transcript

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To not chant more than 16 rounds. So, is that desirable? See, there are two different aspects over here.
One is the process of chanting and the second is the purpose of absorbing ourselves in Krishna. Chanting is the primary means for absorbing ourselves in Krishna. At the same time, that is not the only means.
So, in this, there has to be some amount of individuality. I have to find out how I can absorb myself in Krishna the best. And, some devotees may find studying shastra is a very good way to absorb ourselves in Krishna.
Some devotees may find deity worship as a way to absorb themselves in Krishna. Some devotees may find preaching as a way to absorb themselves in Krishna. And some devotees may find chanting as a way to absorb themselves in Krishna.
So, the important thing is that bhakti, there is austerity in bhakti, but it is not that austerity becomes the only thing in bhakti. So, if we make it that, oh, all sages, devotees should chant 64 rounds. But then, not everybody will find that so absorbing.
Or we may just be counting and sometimes what happens if we decide that, oh, I will chant 64 rounds. And then afterwards we find, I am not getting any taste in this. Then we chant and chant and internally actually we are resenting, why do I have to chant so much? Then that is not that is not that is not joyfully done bhakti.
So, if we feel inspired to chant more, then definitely we should chant more. But, it is not that chanting more is the only way to absorb ourselves in Krishna, nor is it that chanting more is the only sign of seriousness. So, chanting more is one way in which we can absorb ourselves in Krishna.
At the same time, there are different ways. And as far as the tendency to not chant anything more after 16 rounds, yes, there is that tendency because at our stage we don’t get so much taste in chanting. That’s why quite often we feel as if what is the next thing I can do? I feel the next thing is more important.
That’s why to some extent while chanting also or along with chanting, it is good to hear hear the holy name sorry, hear the glories of the holy name regularly. That gives us some inspiration for absorbing ourselves in chanting. In one of my books, there is a whole article about I find chanting boring.
So, what should I do? So, explain. Three, four metaphors again. But one metaphor I said is now suppose somebody goes for weight lifting.
And then they have made it a ritual that every day for one minute I am going for weight training. But then after that what happens? Okay, this lifting, this weight is very difficult. And after that I have to go here.
I have to go to this meeting, I have to go to this party, I have to go here. So, while they are doing the weight lifting, they are thinking when will I just finish this and go out? And after sometime they think they are so eager to do the next thing that they go through the motions, they have the dumbbells, but they don’t put any weight in the dumbbell only. So, all that is happening is these hands are moving up and down.
Now, if I just keep the hands moving up and down, that is also exercise, but that is not really exercise. So, then I will not get any benefit from that. And then I feel why am I spending one hour just moving my hands up and down? So, when the whole thing begins by first is I am eager to do something next after the weight lifting.
Second is I try to do it as shortcut as possible. And then I stop lifting the weight only. When I stop lifting the weight, then I don’t get any benefit from weight lifting.
Then I think why am I doing this at all? So, like that, when we are chanting, we are meant to remember Krishna. And if we don’t remember Krishna and we are just uttering the holy names, that is like moving the hands up and down without putting any weight on the dumbbell. So, then it doesn’t serve much purpose.
Certainly, any kind of chanting is good. But when we are not actually connecting with Krishna, then we start feeling why am I wasting my time like this? And then we may either stop chanting or just rush through the chanting. So, what has to be done is if we hear the glories of the holy name, then we are able to absorb ourselves.
Why is this important? It’s not just that I have to come one hour for doing weight lifting. There is a purpose why I am chanting, why I am doing this exercise. Similarly, if we remind ourselves of the glories of the holy name, then when our consciousness contacts with Krishna while chanting, sukhena brahma samsparsham atyantam sukhmah smriti, when the contact comes, then we feel strengthened, we feel purified, we feel a higher satisfaction.
And then we feel inspired to chant. Now, it may not be possible to do this for all 16 rounds. But at least some rounds, we need to make a determination.
I am going to be attentive. And at least that contact will give us conviction. Okay, I don’t have the capacity to concentrate attentively on all 16 rounds.
But this process has power. And this process purifies, this process gives me strength. And it’s worth it.
It’s like in weight lifting, I have to exert to get the benefit of strengthened muscles. Similarly, in chanting, we have to exert to put in concentration. Then we get the benefit of purification.
So to the extent we do that, to that extent, to that extent we absorb ourselves in chanting and feel the fruit of chanting in terms of purification and spiritual strength. To that extent we will become eager to chant more. So, without this experience, if we just make it a mandate that as you chant more, often we might just be counting the beads but we may not be absorbing ourselves.
So we have to see individually. Yesterday I talked about uddhipaninam, what inspires, what is the spiritual stimulus that takes us towards Krishna. So if chanting is the spiritual stimulus that takes us towards Krishna, that’s wonderful.
If something else is there, we have to find out whatever it is and do that. Any other questions? Yes, Dimash.