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Post by gaurakeshava on Feb 11, 2013 2:02:28 GMT -5
In CB Mahaprabhu indicates that a person not chanting 1 lakh per day is fallen. In HNC BVT suggests chanting 3 lakhs per day in the before attained Sravana dasa. Many Gaudiya Acharyas have also agreed that 1 lakh per day is a pre-requisite for any Gaudiya bhakta.
What are the opinions for and against the necessity of chanting 1 lakh or more as a pre-requisite for Raganuga sadhana and/or simply being a Gaudiya Vaisnava?
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Post by Uttamasloka on Feb 12, 2013 12:54:37 GMT -5
Here are some considerations as I see them.
If we accept Lord Caitanya's statement as the base minimum, then practically no one will achieve success in this day and age, and even those who may accomplish this quantity of daily chanting may not, unless they are chanting suddha-nama - without offenses - not so easy to do for most.
So is that statement to be taken literally, without any other considerations? Is it an all or nothing proposition? Lord Caitanya distributed love of God freely without restrictions, yet here this appears to be an insurmountable impediment for 99% of practitioners. Not very encouraging to say the least. Is that what He wanted?
Chanting 64 rounds attentively will take the average person at least 8-9 hours per day. Realistically, who can do that consistently in this day and age? The fact is that only those who are retired and somewhat financially independent could do that, under the best of circumstances, which is hardly what life generally sends our way.
Raganuga-bhakti is not constrained by rules and regulations. In raganuga, one's sadhana and bhajana are customized and personalized according to one's preferences and desires. There are no rules about how many rounds to chant given by the acaryas in their books, other than a daily 'fixed count' of one's choice, as part of an overall program.
It's true that BVT said in HNC that one should start with a grantha - 4 rounds daily - and gradually work your way up to 1 lak or more. But that is his recommendation and not an absolute requirement for success. No other acarya has made a certain number of rounds a hard and fast prerequisite for practicing raganuga-bhakti or for success. Lobha is not tied to a certain number of rounds.
And the specific number of rounds one chants is not the key element of chanting. It's what's going on in your mind that really counts. Those sadhakas who are at the stage of ruci or asakti are not thinking about the 'number' of rounds they are chanting, they are immersed in lila-smaranam and the chanting is the nectar bathing their manasi-seva and nourishing it. That's the whole point of chanting in the first place. It's not a gymnastic feat or a numbers game.
The primary focus of raganuga-bhakti is one's desired relationship with Krsna and the development of one's identity and services in conjunction with that. All sadhana and bhajana are meant to nourish that alone to bring one to the stage of bhava, where it becomes one's eternal reality. The external and internal practices are for that purpose alone and these practices are not in and of themselves separate goals.
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Post by mahashaktidas on Feb 12, 2013 14:27:56 GMT -5
The pre-requisite for being a Gaudiya Vaishnava must necessarily depend on what the present Acharya states are the requirements of performance by a duly initiated disciple. My guru is Srila Prabhupada and he has ordered me to chant a minimum of 16 rounds daily and follow the regulative principles of vaidhi bhakti. If I do that, I am a practicing bhakta of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition under the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master.
I am only responding to the question of what is the pre-requisite for being considered a Gaudiya Vaishnava.
Radhe Radhe!
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Post by gaurakeshava on Feb 13, 2013 5:42:52 GMT -5
Here are some considerations as I see them. If we accept Lord Caitanya's statement as the base minimum, then practically no one will achieve success in this day and age, Why, "if"? What is the instruction for if not to be accepted? Also would this not be in keeping with the rarity of Raganuga sadhana? Is Raganuga sadhana supposed to be easily attained by just anyone and everyone? Should it not be somewhat difficult to attain? Is not the idea given in HNC that by chanting 1 lakh ones chanting will become purified? Each chapter is about different offenses committed while chanting. If one does not chant how can he expect to clear those offenses? If it is not to be taken literally then it opens up the idea that other rules may also not be taken literally also. The Abhidhana vrtti or dictionary meaning or literary meaning is that one should chant 1 lakh. It is said Haridas chanted 3 lakhs, one manasic, one vacika (out loud) and one upamamsu (japa/murmuring). What is it that is the deal breaker then? Anything? Really? Or did he distribute the Holy Name without restrictions? Are you saying He distributed Krsna prema without restrictions? Then why so many restrictions? 10 offenses, 4 regs, etc. These are all restrictions too. So what is the deal breaker for Krsna prema? Not just chanting, nama aparadha, or nama bhasa, or even suddha nama, but Krsna prema, what is the deal breaker for that? We might also ask did He want Krsna prema to be had cheaply also? If He did then why any rules at all? If He wanted to give it freely then why so many strings attached? Of course manasika might be a quicker. I have observed the Late Visvambhara Goswamin of Radha Raman temple chanting manasika japa quite quickly. Upamamsu/japa chanting will naturally take 6-8 hours. Are you suggesting that Raganuga sadhana can be easily performed by those with 9-5 jobs? Naturally I considered it as something attainable only by those with the time to devote to it. Grhastha would seem to be disqualified due to the heavy time requirements. Yes, do we have any examples of people who were practicing Raganuga sadhana only a few hours a day successfully? My impression was that it was a pretty much full time endeavor. Obviously this can't be an absolute statement. There has got to be some deal breaking actions which one must restrict oneself from. What are they? Having a "fixed count" is a rule. Even if you say that that count can be fixed by oneself. I take it that you suggest that if one is so much absorbed in Lila Smarana then no chanting minimum would be required as the chanting is simply to gain an entrance to the Lila. Once you attain the Lila chanting becomes unnecessary. Is that not a matter of opinion. Mahaprabhu suggested 1 lakh, BVT 1-3 lakhs, BSST 1 lakh, Prabhupada 1/4 lakh. Seems like many of them did exactly that? This is granted. But if one has lobha would he not want to chant at least 1 lakh following all the above Acharyas instructions? Even Prabhupada did not say ONLY 16 rounds but he said minimum 16 rounds and then arguably he was speaking of for Vaidhi bhakti. Should it not be more for one with actual lobha? I'm not suggesting it is, only that one with lobha would naturally want to chant more than a simply Vaidhi bhakta without such lobha. So then chanting is a means to the goal and when the goal is achieved one can or will give up the chanting naturally. |
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Post by gaurakeshava on Feb 13, 2013 6:00:28 GMT -5
The pre-requisite for being a Gaudiya Vaishnava must necessarily depend on what the present Acharya states are the requirements of performance by a duly initiated disciple. My guru is Srila Prabhupada and he has ordered me to chant a minimum of 16 rounds daily and follow the regulative principles of vaidhi bhakti. If I do that, I am a practicing bhakta of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition under the shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. I am only responding to the question of what is the pre-requisite for being considered a Gaudiya Vaishnava. Radhe Radhe! No doubt! But this begs the question as to the requirements for Raganuga Bhakti which arguably was not taught, at least in detail, by Srila Prabhupada. I am not doubting 16 rounds, or even 4 rounds set by present day Acharyas as minimums for their disciples. What I am asking is should there not be some minimum initial number chanted by those aspiring for Raganuga sadhana specifically? Has any acharya even clearly stated that one who is aspiring to practice Raganuga sadhana bhakti need only chant less than one lakh daily? If not then it would seem this is clearly the minimum. At least until one transcends the need to chant entirely. |
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Post by mahashaktidas on Feb 14, 2013 10:31:00 GMT -5
Gaurakeshava prabhu...dandavats
Your point is well taken, namely that one would expect the number of rounds being chanted by those aspiring for raganuga bhakti would be greater than those on the vaidhi path because of the additional lobha or ruci. However, neither Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu or any other Acharya in His line have given instructions on a fixed number of rounds for raganuga bhakti. The absence of such instructions would therefore necessarily became the basis of the answer, namely there are no fixed number of rounds specifically denoted for those aspiring for raganuga bhakti.
Radhe Radhe!
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Post by gaurakeshava on Feb 15, 2013 3:12:34 GMT -5
I just cast my vote also for NO MINIMUM. Of course voting in a poll does not prove anything. But I made the poll to see what the consensus was. Ultimately it seems Raganuga bhakti is a completely different path than Vaidhi bhakti. So most people will follow the Yuga Dharma of chanting and only a very very few will take to this other path.
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Post by Uttamasloka on Feb 16, 2013 15:49:06 GMT -5
Gaurakesava prabhu...
Your points are well argued. However, the fact remains that raganuga-bhakti is not bound by hard and fast rules and regulations, so it is in fact a matter of picking and choosing the various angas according to one's preferences, based on what nourishes one's chosen relationship. There are, of course, guidelines and principles, so it's not just whimsically applied.
Raganuga can't begin effectively until one is clear about one's desired relationship with Krsna. Once one has a clear understanding of that and has advanced to the stage of varana-dasa - acceptance of that identity - then one is in an entirely different situation. Everything related to sadhana and internal bhajan is molded to directly enhance the reality of that identity and its related services, etc, and it makes no sense that it would be constrained by numbers or quantities. The acaryas are clear on that point. That's the implied meaning of spontaneous.
It's not easy for devotees engaged in vaidhi-bhakti to understand that reality because most are not clear on their relationship with Krsna, other than dasa anu dasa. And the mindset of vaidhis is practically opposed to such concepts, due to immaturity and lack of knowledge and realizations.
The goal of bhakti for Gaudiya Vaisnavas is to have a relationship with Krsna in Vraja. Once you have established yourself properly in raganuga-bhakti, everything is done to enhance complete absorption in Krsna in the context of your desired rasa and with no other focus. To that end, one will hear, discuss, chant nama and mantras, remember and meditate, worship, pray, etc, directly related to that core desire.
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Post by niscala on Sept 25, 2014 5:12:43 GMT -5
The qualification for performing raganuga is not the number of rounds one can chant but whether one has lobha, greed:
That person who is greedy for attaining a bhāva similar to that of the inhabitants of Vraja – who
are fixed solely in rāgātmikā-bhakti – is qualified for rāgānugā-bhakti. BRS, 1.2.291
The appearance of that greed (lobha) is indicated when the intelligence does not depend on rules
of scripture and logic, after realizing to some degree the sweetness of their (the inhabitants of
Vraja) love through the process of hearing from the scriptures. BRS, 1.2.292
There are two causes for the appearance of greed:
(1) the mercy of Kṛṣṇa
(2) the mercy of another anurāgi devotee
There are again two kinds of mercy bestowed by a devotee:
(1) mercy bestowed by a rāgānugā devotee in a previous life – praktana
(2) mercy bestowed by a rāgānugā devotee in the present birth – adhunika
Thus it is mercy, not the number of rounds one can chant, that qualifies one to receive lobha, greed to attain "a bhāva similar to that of the inhabitants of Vraja" If one is thinking in terms of what one should or should not do- such as should chant 64 rounds, or a lakh- then one is motivated by rule-following (following the rule of 64 rounds). Here SP stresses the same thing- how by mercy one rises to the perfectional platform- even if by the actual external following of one's sadhana one is fallen:
"One whose faith is soft and pliable is called a neophyte, but by gradually following the process, he will rise to the platform of a first-class devotee." Everyone begins his devotional life from the neophyte stage, but if one properly finishes chanting the prescribed number of rounds of hari-nāma, he is elevated step by step to the highest platform, uttama-adhikārī. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement prescribes sixteen rounds daily because people in the Western countries cannot concentrate for long periods while chanting on beads. Therefore the minimum number of rounds is prescribed. However, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to say that unless one chants at least sixty-four rounds of japa (one hundred thousand names), he is considered fallen (patita). According to his calculation, practically every one of us is fallen, but because we are trying to serve the Supreme Lord with all seriousness and without duplicity, we can expect the mercy of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is famous as patita-pāvana, the deliverer of the fallen." (Upadesamrta)
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anadi
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Post by anadi on Nov 28, 2014 7:53:48 GMT -5
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement prescribes sixteen rounds daily because people in the Western countries cannot concentrate for long periods while chanting on beads. It is a pleasure to read your posts. I would like only to say, and I hope, I may be apologized for my words, that to equal gaudiya vaishnavism with "The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement (ISKCON)" is not only improper but also deluding, if one takes into account that even that what the founder acarya of gaudiya vaishnavism, Sri Caitanya, has come to give - raga marga - is utterly conspicuous by its absence in "The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement (ISKCON)". What I was trying to say, is that in my opinion "The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement (ISKCON)" has no authority to say something which may be linked with raganuga bhakti, you were talking about in your post.. Also the correlation of concentration with the number of 16 rounds, I would say that is not so proper. Most of the "people in the Western countries" cannot concentrate even on a minimum of 16 beads. |
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Post by anadi on Nov 28, 2014 8:10:21 GMT -5
In CB Mahaprabhu indicates that a person not chanting 1 lakh per day is fallen. This is just another indication for us to understand the level we are on or better said, the degree of mercy we have got. We may deceive our selves in thinking this indication would be meaningless. Whatever we do we do by more or less by mercy as Krishna wishes. |
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Post by niscala on Dec 3, 2014 22:51:44 GMT -5
My understanding is that we (sadhakas) are all fallen, it is just a question of degree. Being not in our constitutional position of loving Krsna, heart and soul- 24/7, we are am practising being that, or specifically engaging in activities that give rise to that.
The lakh recommendation is to encourage the sadhaka to always keep the name in his mouth, 24/7, for bhakti should be as much as possible, "uninterrupted and *unmotivated by material desire*". This means that even if we do a lakh, or three, we are fallen if we don't get prema from it, which will happen if we are doing it for ulterior motivation.
Knowledge given by the acaryas in regard to raganuga bhakti (which is summarized in this book) helps us overcome ulterior motivation, wihout losing heart. We need some kind of motivation- for how can we be enthused to chant always without any motivation at all? It provides us with good reasons to begin the process and eventually it provides us with a thirst for a relationship with Krsna. Reading books written by Rupa Goswami and the other acaryas is non-different from getting their association and taking their mercy.
Having received their mercy, we begin raganuga, not because we are not fallen, but because we *are* fallen. Ragunuga is the imperfect state of bhakti. Ragatmika is the perfect state. The only qualification for starting raganuga is having lobha- strong desire for a raltionship with Krsna. Having this desire while we chant, and combining chanting with the practice of raganuga bhakti- or loving Krsna in a certain mood, following after that mood of a Vraja inhabitant, allows us to rise to the platform of ruci, then asakti, where the chanting is constant and effortless.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 6:39:18 GMT -5
Dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, Sri Guru and Gauranga.
To answer the above question in short: yes, it appears it is. There are actually two important parts to raganuga bhajan and they must both be performed for success. Here is some evidence...
Me: From Prema Vivarta:
"Day and night, chant krsna-nama incessantly like Srila Haridasa Thakura. In your heart be absorbed in the asta kaliya-lila service of Sri Sri Radha Krsna in the bowers of Vrndavana.
The instructions of Sri Gauranga are for the grhastha as well as for the vairagi devotees. He said, ‘Take great care not to let a moment pass without uttering krsna-nama.'
If you want to advance on the path of suddha-bhakti, not many rules and spiritual practices are necessary. Simply beg for the complete shelter of krsna-nama and thus purify your heart and consciousness.
Therefore, discard your lamentation and illusion and chant the holy names of Krsna incessantly.
"
Externally, your devotional service is to always chant the name of Lord Krsna, AND internally, constantly engage in serving Sri Sri Radha-Krsna with your spiritual body." Lord Caitanya, quoted in Prema Vivarta.
Me: From Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura:
The path for attaining rasa is as follows: The jiva who has attained faith in bhakti receives a pure Vaisnava guru. That guru gives the maha-mantra. The jiva will take the mantra, either in the form of smarana (remembering the name) or kirtana (chanting the name), regulating himself by counting on Tulasi beads. Gradually, as his craving for the name increases, he will increase to 3 x 64 rounds. Of the two forms of taking the name, kirtana is the more powerful, for in that process are combined sravana, kirtana and smarana, and by it the senses of the jiva dance in joy. By taking shelter of any of the nine processes of bhakti, one progresses in devotion, but of the nine processes, chanting is the best. Those who have an attraction for Deity worship will reach perfection only by also engaging in hearing and chanting the name. But those who have exclusive attraction for the name need only engage in hearing, chanting and remembering the name. If one executes these three processes nicely, all the other nine processes of bhakti -- serving the lotus feet, praying, servitude, and complete self-surrender -- can also be easily accomplished. HC: Chapter 15 - Bhajana-pranali
These prema-ruruksu devotees chant and tell their beads three lacs (3 x 64 rounds) in every twenty-four hours, and they find such happiness in the holy name that they cannot spare a moment without Him; then, when no time can be kept in sleep, etc., they become incessant in their bhajana. HC: Nama-bhajana
Only incessant chanting of harinama can effect the purification of one who is infected with namaparadha. Indeed, the incessant chanting of harinama is the only way to achieve the prayojana of human life, krsna-prema. Harinama Cintamani
Me: So without becoming free from nama apradha can we perfect our raganuga bhajan? Also then let us look at the number of names chanted by our acaryas:
Lord Caitanya 300000+
Haridasa Thakura 300000+
Jaghai and Madhai 200000+
Raghunatha das Gosvami 100000+
Rupa Gosvami 100000+
Lokanatha Gosvami 100000+
Srinivasa Acarya 100000+
Sri Rasikananda 100000+
Srila Narottama das Thakura 100000+
Srila Gaura Kisora das Babaji 200000+
Srila Jagannatha das Babaji 200000+
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura 300000 for 9 years from 1931. Then, 100000+
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, unlimited
Srila Prabhupada, 64 during grhastha lila (from Sripada Nayanananda dasa Babaji Maharaja). Preaching lila, Srila Prabhupada was constantly chanting japa.
From Jaiva Dharma:
Sri Premadasa Paramahamsa Babaji 100000+
Lahiri Mahasaya 200000+
Nityananda das 100000+
Vijaya and Vrajanatha 50000+ min BEFORE rasa-tattva instruction
Me: Then, in Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Antya Khanda 9.121-122, the Lord instructed everyone on whose worship and service He will accept:
Do you know who is a laksesvara? He is someone who chants one laksa or 100,000 holy names (64 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra) everyday.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts service only in the home of those who chant one hundred thousand names daily.
The Lord accepts bhoga (foodstuffs) and other ingredients only from such personalities.
Me: And in the purport by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
It is well-known that Namacharya Shrila Haridasa Thakura used to chant 300,000 names daily. Jagai-Madhai also used to chant 200,000 names daily after being delivered by the Lord. Lord Chaitanyadeva does not accept any kind of offering (or vastu) from those who don't chant 100,000 names of Krishna daily, The followers surrendered to the lotus of Lord Chaitanya compulsorily chant a bare minimum of 100,000 names daily. If they don't do so Lord Shri Krishna will not accept any of their offerings and thus they will be obstructed or remain unsuccessful in their attempt to obtain the transcendental remanants (prasadam) of the Lord.
Me: And also in Sri Caitanya-bhagavata Madhya Khanda 23.77, Mahaprabhu instructed all the people of Navadvipa:
Please hear this Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Everyone please chant this maha-mantra daily in 'nirbandha' (64 rounds). Then you will surely achieve all perfection.
The word nirbandha means that a practitioner should chant sixteen names thirty two syllables mahamantra on a Tulasi bead for one hundred and eight times. Chanting four rounds is called one grantha. One should start with one grantha and gradually increase the number to sixteen granthas or sixty four rounds. That will make a prescribed numbers of one hundred thousand holy names. By gradually increasing the number of chanting the holy name to three hundred thousand times, one will spend his entire time simply in chanting the holy names. All previous acaryas have attained perfections by following this order of the Lord. SBVT
Me: So, at least according to the Lord Himself, as well as Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, if we want to be considered a ‘surrendered follower of Lord Caitanya’ we must compulsorily chant 64 rounds minimum.
Now let us look at what other ‘ragaunga acaryas’ say on this subject of numerical strength:
Vrindavan Das Thakura:
Day and night, twenty-four hours, in all conditions, both sleeping and waking, even while taking food, simply utter the name of Krishna. CB
Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji:
If you want to achieve perfection in Krishna consciousness, you must take a vow to chant a minimum of two hundred thousand or otherwise one hundred thousand of holy names every day, and you must execute that without fail. Before you retire at night you must finish this specific number of rounds, then you can achieve perfection in Krishna consciousness.
Sri Jagadananda Pandita:
Day and night, chant krsna-nama incessantly like Srila Haridasa Thakura. Prema Vivarta
Srila Narottama das Thakura
: Rupamala, the queen of a distant country became so happy on getting initiation from Shrila Narottama dasa Thakura that she took a vow to take 100,000 Harinama (64 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra) daily.
Sri Rasikananda
: When Shri Rasikananda was a child, he did not waste time playing games like other children. Rather, he would meditate on the maha-mantra. His daily practice was to chant 100,000 Holy Names (64 rounds). He would refuse to accept his mother’s foodstuffs until he completed his above chanting.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
: In any case, one must chant krsna-nama continuously. (Raghunatha dasa babji in Jaiva Dharma)
Also, one should certainly chant Harinama japa at all times.
Only those devotees are sad-grihasthas (true and ideal householders) who chant 1,00,000 names of Krishna (64 rounds) daily. The pure devotees should accept prasada (foodstuffs) only in the homes of these sad-grihasthas and nowhere else. Sadhu-vritti, Sajjana Toshani 11/12
The fortunate ones who earnestly long to ascend the terrace of prema, do sincerely and incessantly chant the name of Krsna in the company of sadhus. They do not have any appetite for any other feature of devotion. HC: Nama-bhajana
The devotee attains the blessed stage of prema vowing to incessantly chant the holy name of His dearmost Lord. The ecstacy of prema melts his heart and he laughs, cries, becomes restless, sings and danceslike a madman, oblivious of everything and everyone around him. Beyond Prema -- the Loftier Regions of Bhakti
If one chants with a sluggish mind, or after chanting a little, one has to stop before finishing his round, it is called laziness. From this, one's taste for the name cannot develop. The remedy for this is to take association of Vaisnavas who do not waste time in material activity, but constantly chant and remember the holy name, being absorbed only in the name. One should follow in their footsteps. When one sees how the true Vaisnava or sadhu does not waste time in useless pursuits, he will develop a taste to do likewise. In his mind he will think, "very good." By this, enthusiasm will come to the lazy mind and he will overcome the offense of laziness or inertia. One will become determined to increase his chanting everyday. By this eagerness in his rounds and by the mercy of the devotees, the offense of inertia will quickly go away. HC: Chapter 12 - Inattention While Chanting
When one’s mind desires to chant and remember one hundred thousand holy names (64 rounds) daily and furthur desires to slowly increase it to three hundred thousand and when one’s mind becomes very attached and eager to complete the fixed number of rounds daily and pushes one to complete the sankhya everyday, then it is understood that very soon the laziness or apathy in chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra will vanish by the mercy of the devotees and one’s chanting will bring one the desired fruit of pure love for Krishna.
Me: These are a just a very, very few references. The words repeatedly used here by some of our raganuga acaryas are WILL, MUST, SHOULD, CONTINUOUSLY, etc.
Of course, chanting a large number of rounds does not mean one is practicing raganuga bhakti, or has krsna-prema. Similarly, chanting a large number of rounds does not mean one is even practicing vaidhi bhakti. Neither am I intending to minimise smaranam of nitya lila or any other limb of raganuga sadhana. But, at least according to the acaryas’ personal example and instructions here, NOT chanting 64 rounds is a sure sign one is not doing what these raganuga bhaktas were doing.
So there are really TWO parts to the raganuga equation as far as I can see - chant incessantly (or at least 64 rounds) AND do your smaranam. This is corroborated in Prema Vivarta:
Day and night, chant krsna-nama incessantly like Srila Haridasa Thakura. In your heart be absorbed in the asta-kaliya-lila service of Sri Sri Radha Krsna in the bowers of Vrndavana.
Me: And Srila Prabhupada confirms this:
Sada means "always." Haridasa Thakura says, nirantara nama lao: "Chant the Hare Krsna mantra without stopping."Antya 3.137
That is the instruction given by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka 3. Kirtaniyah sada harih: [Cc. adi 17.31] "The holy name of the Lord should be chanted twenty-four hours daily."
Actually one has to chant twenty-four hours daily, just like Thakura Haridasa, who was chanting the Hare Krsna mantra three hundred thousand times daily. Indeed, he had no other business. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.70 purport)
If one wants to achieve success at the end of his life, the process of remembering Krsna is essential. Therefore one should constantly, incessantly chant the maha-mantra Bg 8.5
Therefore, the chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare should be continued without stoppage. Bg 9.31
Similarly, when we hear any sound we can remember Krishna because sound is Krishna, and the most perfect sound, transcendental, is Hare Krishna, WHICH WE HAVE TO CHANT 24 HOURS. Los Angeles 15 January, 1968
The conclusion is that one should learn the art of chanting the Holy name of Krishna 24 HOURS A DAY and THAT ALONE is the remedy for all problems of material existence. Letter to: Susan Beckman -- Herts, England August 29, 1973
Caitanya Mahaprabhu advises that the devotee should chant always, 24 HOURS. Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.28.18 -- October 27, 1975, Nairobi
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Hope this helps.
Your servant,
Vraja Vilasa dasa
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 6:54:21 GMT -5
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
Those who don't accept this vow of chanting 100,000 names daily, fall down even more although they were fallen in the first place (due to the contamination of Kali-yuga). Thus their propensity for enjoying the senses and sense-objects continually and steadily increases and ultimately they are not able to render any kind of service even to the most merciful Lord Gaurasundera.
This is the precise reason why the real Gaudiya-bhaktas do not accept any other ideal (adarsa) in Gaura-bhakti or Krishna-bhakti except the process of chanting 100,000 names of the maha-mantra daily.
Those spiritual aspirants who are already fallen or will fall down from spiritual life in the future are averse to this sole means of deliverance called nama-bhajana, which is the worship of the sound incarnation of God in the form of chanting 100,000 names of the the Holy Names daily. Coming under the sway of their averseness to chant laksha-nama daily, they duplicitously invent (chalana) other means of devotional service (bhajana) to justify their not chanting 100,000 names daily but it is to be clearly understood that by this action they will not achieve anything auspicious (mangala) in their spiritual life.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2015 7:10:43 GMT -5
And in Raga Vartma Candrika:
Statements such as “always do japa with a fixed mind” indicate nitya krtya, or perpetual duties. Those who follow the order of the Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika to “always do japa of Krsna’s holy name, which is related to the desired mood” in their mentally conceived spiritual bodies, are also called “related to the desired mood” which is a direct cause for attainment of their goal.
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