Title: Dusting a Room

User: Swami Gaurangapada Date: 2007-03-12 09:12:16

 

 

My ego seems to manifest and I get all sorts of idea's that I am great, which really bothers me. Like I think I am best devotee, etc. These thoughts are not good. But what can I do? If I had taste for chanting, then would these thoughts bother me?

 

 

Answer by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

When you enter a room which has not been cleaned for 20 years you will find all the dirt and dust settled. But when you start brooming all the dust and dirt will come out on it's way out and one may think that now there is more dirt than previously. But this is not the case.

 

Similarly when one starts chanting, one starts the cleansing process of the heart and mind and for some time one may feel the pangs of material desires even more than previously as they are coming out and going away. Only when an enemy becomes seen, we can shoot it. Similarly the Holy Names may first expose all the unwanted things in our heart and then throw them out forever. So understanding this, one should simply patiently chant the Holy Names without getting disturbed about this cleansing process. And one day, one will find oneself completely pure by the power of the Holy Names of Nityananda, Gauranga and Hare Krishna.

 

 

Dear Swami Gaurangapada, Dandavats.

 

Can chanting actually erase the impersonal mentality, or does such an obstacle have to be overcome philosophically by the mind BEFORE chanting in order for any cleansing that you speak of to take any effect, would chanting with such a mentality actually be considered chanting at all, or beneficial at all, as you said that like mayavadis who speak Bhagavatam produce a harmful effect, can chanting with such a mentality not be similar, could chanting with this thought in mind actually be like poison in the same way? So until the thought were eradicated by rational thinking, then no cleansing would occur by chanting anymore than if one were to hear Bhagavatam from mayavadis would do any cleansing? - Chandrika

 

 

Answer by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Yes, chanting in the proper consciousness of a servant of the Lord can completely erase the Mayavadi contamination from our heart of trying to become God which is present in the heart of every conditioned soul.

 

Proper philosophical understanding of this point is very important, but it has always to be accompanied by chanting the Holy Names to have the desired effect. Just like classroom theory without the lab practicals in the university are not complete, similarly philosophical understanding is not complete without the practical implementation of chanting.

 

Chanting Holy Names of Nityananda, Gauranga and Hare Krishna is the only panacea to all problems.