Everyone should strictly follow the regulations of 16 rounds daily.

[Guest guest]

Otherwise they are NOT my disciplesSPL 76-0217 Raja LaksmiMy advise is always

chant 16 rounds minimum and follow the four regulative principles. All of my

disciples must agree on this point OTHERWISE THEY ARE NOT MY DISCIPLES.

 

Antya 11.23 The Passing of Haridasa Thakura If one cannot complete the

fixed number of rounds he is assigned, he should be considered to be in a

diseased condition of spiritual life. Srila Haridasa Thakura is called

namacarya. Of course, we cannot imitate Haridasa Thakura, but everyone must

chant a prescribed number of rounds. In our Krsna consciousness movement we

have fixed sixteen rounds as the minimum so that the Westerners will not feel

burdened. These sixteen rounds must be chanted, and chanted loudly, so that one

can hear himself and others.

 

NoI 5 "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 harinama, he is elevated step by step to the highest platform,

uttama-adhikari. The Krsna 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, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura 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 Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is famous as patita-pavana, the

deliverer of the fallen.

 

TQK 20 Full Surrender There is a verse in which Srila Rupa

Gosvami says, avyartha-kalatvam: a devotee should be very much careful to see

whether his time is being spent unnecessarily. He should ask himself, "Am I now

engaged in maya's service or Krsna's service?" This is a symptom of an advanced

devotee. Nama-gane sada rucih: such a devotee is never tired of chanting,

singing, or dancing. The word sada means "always," and ruci means "taste." A

devotee always has a taste for chanting Hare Krsna: "Oh, very nice. Hare Krsna,

Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare."

This is taste. Of course, this taste takes time to awaken, but when Rupa Gosvami

was chanting he was thinking, "I have only one tongue and two ears. What can I

appreciate of chanting? If I could have millions of tongues and trillions of

ears, then I could relish something by chanting and hearing." Of course, we

should not imitate him, but the devotees of the Krsna consciousness movement

must at least be very careful to complete their sixteen rounds, their minimum

amount of prescribed chanting. Nama-gane sada rucih: we have to increase our

taste for singing and chanting Hare Krsna.

 

750615SB.HON Lectures So at the present moment that is the

only atonement. Whatever we have done and whatever we are doing, the atonement

is chant Hare Krsna mantra. So we haven't got to go to Vrndavana. We have got

Vrndavana, Nabadvipa, here in Hawaii, in this temple. So you take this process

of atonement, but don't commit sinful life any more. Don't think that "Now I am

chanting and I can go on committing all sinful activities." That is aparadha.

That is offense. Namnad balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. If we think like that,

that "We have got an instrument, chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, which nullifies

or neutralizes all kinds of sinful activities. It is very good instrument. Then

I go on committing all kinds of sinful activities, and sometimes I go in the

temple and chant Hare Krsna and dance," no, don't take this policy. You must

stop your sinful activities. Hare Krsna mantra has got the power to neutralize

the resultant action of your all sinful activities. That's a fact. But don't

accumulate again the sinful activities. Then you are safe. If you take it as an

instrument: "Now let me commit sinful activities and chant Hare Krsna," then

that is very dangerous. You will never be excused. Just like sometimes the

Christians do. They go to the church, make some atonement, and again does the

same thing next week, and again goes to the church, again atonement. This is

not good. If you make atonement for your sinful activities by some

process--just like we are prescribing this process, chant Hare Krsna--surely

your sinful reaction is nullified. But don't commit it again. That is Caitanya

Mahaprabhu. He delivered Jagai-Madhai. They were very sinful. Sinful means they

were born in a respectable brahmana family, but by bad association they became

drunkard, woman-hunter, cheater, and plunderer, like that. That is sinful. So

Caitanya Mahaprabhu delivered them. Then how delivered them? Caitanya

Mahaprabhu made them promise that "You will not do any more all these things."

They said, "Yes, we promise. We shall not do.Then you are delivered."

Similarly, by chanting Hare Krsna mantra, all the sinful activities are

excused, but you don't commit it again. Therefore we are prescribing... Along

with chanting of Hare Krsna mantra, we are asking our disciples, "No illicit

sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling." If you save yourself from

these four pillars of sinful activities and chant Hare Krsna mantra--not very

much, only sixtgeen rounds minimum--then you are saved from the hellish

condition of life for which Pariksit Maharaja was so disturbed and he was

asking, "How to save these people from this hellish condition of life?"

 

721020ND.VRN Lectures Just like we have asked our students to

finish sixteen rounds chanting minimum. Sixteen rounds is nothing. In Vrndavana

there are many devotees, they chant 120 rounds. Like that. So sixteen rounds is

the minimum. Because I know in the Western countries it is difficult job to

finish sixty-four rounds or 120 rounds, like that. Minimum sixteen rounds. That

must be finished. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. This is the direction. Observing

the regulative principles. In this way, we must be abiding by the direction of

the spiritual master and the sastra. Then rest assured. Success if guaranteed.

Go on reading, next.

 

73-05-20.Tus Letter: Tusti Now, please always follow the four

regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds minimum every day without fail.

 

76-01-09. Letter: Abhirama Bhaktin Antoinette--Harestanu dasi Now you

must hold a fire ceremony. Everyone must vow to chant faithfully 16 rounds

minimum a day and follow strichtly the rules and regulations. This will insure

spiritual strength.

 

69-05-17. Letter: Rayarama Please accept my blessings. I am in due

receipt of your letter dated May 14, 1969, and I have received a similar letter

from Brahmananda also that you are finding some difficulty in keeping pace

regularly with the routine work. My advice to you under the circumstances is

that at least for one hour you must all go to have Sankirtana outside on the

streets or in the park. That is your life and soul, first business. The next

business is completing the chanting of 16 rounds every day. The next business

is your editing, and if you find extra time, then you can attend the temple

ceremonies. Otherwise you can stop these activities, but outdoor kirtana, your

editing work and chanting of 16 rounds must be done. Outdoor kirtana must be

done, even at the cost of suspending all editorial work. That is your first and

foremost business. Temple worship is not so important. If need be, the whole

temple can be locked, but the outdoor kirtana cannot be stopped.

 

69-10-11. Letter: Jagadisa Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very

much for your letter dated October 3, 1969, sent along with a maintenance check

of $15. Regarding the information you heard that it is all right to neglect

one's 16 rounds as a daily minimum, this is wrong. Everyone should strictly

follow the regulations of 16 rounds daily. If one is busy for other Krishna

Consciousness activities and cannot fulfill the regular routine of chanting, he

must compensate it the next day, curtailing his activities in the matter of

sleeping or eating or any other sense gratificatory process.