If you have not reached Anuraga, you should chant the Name with great care
Anuraga na haoya paryanta nama-grahane yatnera avasyakata
With some good fortune, if a Jiva reaches sraddha, then he can chant Hari-nama.
By carefully remembering the Name and keeping a count of It, anuraga[1] for the Name will grow.
Until anuraga has appeared, one should strive to chant the Name constantly.
The negligent Sadhaka cannot stabilize the mind
Yatnabhave sadhakera citta sthira haya na
People are naturally attracted to sense objects. The moment one remembers them, the internal senses attach themselves to them[2].
Having a taste for other things, one becomes indifferent to the Name. Even by chanting japa every day, the mind does not become absorbed in the Holy Name.
The mind will go in one direction, the Name in another. O Abode of all good qualities, how can such a person achieve anything positive?
O Jewel who has all good qualities, one may complete the chanting of 100,000 Names[3] on their beads, but not even a drop of rasa appears in the heart.
This is the fault of this kind of inattention: it is extremely difficult to remove from the hearts of those who are attached to sense objects.
The rules for being careful
Yatna karibara vidhi
One can give up sense objects in a short time through sadhu-sanga. The offense of carelessness is canceled by chanting the Name in a secluded place.
Gradually, the mind will become fixed on Krishna-nama, then when one finds the everlasting pleasure of nama-rasa one loses all composure.
In the satvata-vidhana[4] we find that one should reside near Tulasi, in a place of Krishna’s pastimes and in the company of sadhus.
Gradually, one increases one’s time meditating on the Name, and very quickly one transcends the desire for sense objects.
[1] Attraction.
[2] Bhagavad-gita verses 2.62 and 2.63 give a precise analysis of how attraction to material objects develops in the human mind.
[3] 64 turns of the mala, or beads.
[4] Method prescribed by sadhus. According to some, first one chants for half an hour, then one hour, then gradually increases his chanting to two hours, then gradually increases his chanting to 64 rounds, and then to 192 rounds. This increase develops naturally.
This is a section of the book “Harinama Cintamani (English)”.
To buy the complete book, click above
Post view 33 times
