Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 17.08.2017 morning, Ludasto)

(continues from the previous Friday)

Chanting is a great art. It’s a science actually – how to establish a connection with the Superior reality through sound vibration. If you put it in this way, in a scientific manner, you feel the value and the depth of this whole issue.

There is one temple in South India where they have a mechanical structure outside. It is called shabda-brahman. From time to time it is working with all its chains and clutches and so many other stuff and gives out some sound. This is called shabda-brahman – a machine. But actually we are also instruments like this. You give out sound, you have some parts that are working and finally you produce a sound. But what is the quality of that sound? Is that a mechanical sound? Is that a natural sound like belching? Or something more? Is there some meaning behind it, like an intelligent person does it? Or is there some feeling behind it, which is according to a real devotee? This is important!

In my humble understanding, the real chanting is surcharged with spiritual and affectionate feelings. And this is supported by the shastras, Brahma Samhita for example. When deeper understanding and emotions surcharge our meditation, our chanting, then it will bring full results.

But where to start? Can we start this process at the end? At the depth and the intensity of Haridas Thakur, for example? I doubt it. But due to the blessings of this chintamani feature  of the holy name, we can achieve the deeper nature of the holy name, which is the amrita of the name – nama-amrita. So we can start only with our consciousness a little disturbed, with the picture not quite clear for us. But we have to start. And all this is possible by the grace of the Supreme, bhagavad-prasad. Therefore we need to practice bhakti. Because then all these stages and all these steps will happen in our life.

You might say that the holy name is a slow process. But I say the holy name is a very fast and a very effective process. It brings a profound and strong change. Slowly-slowly it will start to bring a profound change in our life. And this you can perceive when you forget your chanting, when you give up your chanting. Sometimes it happens that you want it so much and then other times you say: ‘Oh, no. I cannot do it. I don’t feel any results. I’d better give it up. It’s a waste of time.’ Then immediately you will feel how it was when you were doing it nicely and how is it when you don’t do anything.

Of course I don’t support that ‘Let’s take that experiment. How is it when I don’t chant.’ It’s better if you chant, you try your best, and a little bit more.

(to be continued)