On Chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mantra
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness
This transcendental vibration by chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is the sublime method for reviving our Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. As living spiritual soul, we are all originally Kṛṣṇa Conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. This illusion is called māyā, or hard struggle for existence for winning over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
Kṛṣṇa Consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration this consciousness is revived, and the process is recommended by authorities for this age. By practical experience also we can perceive that by chanting this mahāmantra or the great chanting for deliverance, one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum. When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on transcendental plane. This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform surpassing all lower status of consciousness namely sensual, mental and intellectual. There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor there is any need of mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this mahāmantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform and as such anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen it practically, even a child can take part in the chanting or even a dog can take part in it. The chanting should be heard however from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible chanting from the lips of non-devotee should be avoided, as much as milk touched by the lips of a serpent causes poisonous effect.
The word Harā is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Kṛṣṇa and Rāma are form of addressing directly the Lord, and they mean the highest pleasure eternal. Harā is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency when addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.
The material energy called as māyā, is also one of the multi-potencies of the Lord, as much as we are also marginal potency of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior energy than matter. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy it becomes an incompatible situation, but when the Supreme marginal potency is in contact with spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy normal condition of living entity.
The three words, namely Harā, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, are transcendental seeds of the mahāmantra and the chanting is spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy Harā, for giving protection to the conditioned soul. The chanting is exactly like genuine crying by the child for mother. Mother Harā helps in achieving the grace of the Supreme father Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord reveals Himself to such sincere devotee.
No other means therefore of spiritual realization is as effective in this age as chanting the mahāmantra:
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare,
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma,
Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.