mental chanting

[krist 0]

i have heard that you can chant metally and its the same as verbally chanting. i would like to know if anyone has thoughts on this topic. a few people say it is not proper but everything i know is that it makes no diffance how, just do it. every argument against it i notice only is srila prabhupada says this and that but i never seen him say anything against it. i would love to see referances to direct quotes that i can look up and see the proof for my self. i know he does perfer it to be said aloud, but for practial reasons i have difficulty in chanting outloud as my thoat gets very dry and horse and hurts after 5 minutes or less.

 

 

[sumedh 0]

Hare Krishna and dandavat pranam

 

I do not have any quotes from Srila Prabhupada at hand -- will search them if you really need that. Yes, it has been said that chanting aloud is better because in that process the tongue, the ears and the mind are all engaged in devotional service (actually in higher realizations all the 9 processes of devotional service are satisfied in it) while in mental chanting only the mind is. For very advanced devotees the two would not matter, but still as a matter of setting example and due to humility even they would not chant mentally.

 

Maybe you can chant very softly, or halt for a few seconds when the throat gets dry. The main thing is that we must have complete focus on chanting, so if it not possible for you to chant aloud then in between you may chant mentally and try to keep focus on that.

[krist 0]

in older mayavati hinduism books and of mayavati gurus they give this order of chanting from lowest to highest, loudly being lowest lest powerful to softer and finally mental chanting to be the highest most powerfull form of chanting.

 

this is opposite of our tradition.

 

personally i find that very strange that traditionally mental chanting to be the most powerful.

 

as sankiratan is our way it would seem that louder is more pleasing to the lord and it fills the air with his most holy names for all to hear.

[sumedh 0]

Hare Krishna and dandavats

 

The vaishnava philosophy is to serve the Lord and not yourself. So loud sankartin is considered the best so that all the living entities who hear the Holy Name also derive the benefit. The advaitin (and some others) view is that when you are able to concentrate on only mental chanting then your concentration has improved and so you are elevated. Vaishnava view is that one employ whatever we have in the service of the Lord so concentration is not the aim, though it may help in Krsna Consciousness. Moreover, humility is the cornerstone and so a pure devotee will never show that he/she is elevated by not following the principles laid down for all.

[sumedh 0]

Hare Krishna

 

May i add one thing. That we must chant aloud is not hard-and-fast in all circumstances; we must do our best but if there are some problems then adjustments to our best judgement can be made -- main thing is sincerity.

[BruzWayne 0]

No comments. Hare Krishna.

[bowdownmr 0]

I have begun chanting as much as I can throughout the day. Oftentimes I will find myself chanting mentally, but I also chant verbally as well. I feel results with both, a peaceful feeling that fills me with love.

 

I do have difficulty focusing when chanting for meditation though. I try to focus on the sound of the maha-mantra as I chant it and exclude all other thoughts, but my mind "multitasks" and several chains of thought pull at me while I chant.

 

I am still very new to this practice. I would appreciate any suggestions that more experienced devotees would care to share.

 

Hare Krishna.

 

 

[sumedh 0]

Hare Krishna and dandavat pranam

 

Prabhu wonderful that you have taken to it so seriously, hope i could find such sincerity.

 

 

I try to focus on the sound of the maha-mantra as I chant it and exclude all other thoughts, but my mind "multitasks" and several chains of thought pull at me while I chant.

 

 

 

This is very normal, in fact i have not known anyone who does not experience it. From my experience when we take to it seriously then in some periods we may experience increase in hunger, or increase in drowsiness etc.; other devotees may share more of their experiences. The example given is that when we clean the dust with a broom then the dust fills the whole room in the beginning; one may understand it as a "backlash" of our material nature.

The crux of the matter is that the way forward is only one: that of being steadfast in chanting with regularity, associating with devotees and reading the transcendental books. Sometimes we may take to some temporary measures (to the best of our understanding) to help us to divert our mind which is very fickle by nature so that it does not give up the basic principles. So the Lord has said that we should control our mind by our intellect.