Chanting Loudly - The Supreme Welfare Work for All Living Entities
In many spiritual traditions, meditation is viewed as a silent, solitary practice performed in a secluded place. However, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement introduced by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is revolutionary. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that in this age of distraction, silent meditation is nearly impossible. The supreme, authorized method for self-realization is the loud, jubilant chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, which not only perfects the chanter but acts as the ultimate welfare work for the entire world.
Kīrtana: The Benefit for Others
There is a distinct difference between japa (soft chanting) and kīrtana (loud chanting). While both are powerful, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that loud chanting is far superior because of its magnanimity. When a devotee chants loudly, they are not only purifying themselves, but they are forcing the minds of everyone in the vicinity to focus on the Absolute Truth.
- When a mantra or hymn is chanted softly and slowly, that is called japa. The same mantra, when chanted loudly, is called kirtana.
- The same mantra, when chanted loudly for being heard by all others, is called kirtana. The maha-mantra can be used for japa and kirtana also.
- It is better to chant the Hare Krsna mantra as loud as possible. So that others can hear and take benefit of it. There is no secret.
- Meditation, if you meditate individually, you will have to try so many things, but when I loudly chant Hare Krsna, your meditation immediately attracted. This is the easiest method of meditation in this age. Chant.
- This concentration of mind is very difficult in this age, because mind is so agitated. Therefore force them to hear Hare Krsna. Even they have no mind to hear, you chant loudly Hare Krsna, they will hear. Their mind will be dragged. It is so nice thing.
Delivering the Lower Species
Human beings have the intelligence to read philosophy and deliberately engage in devotional service, but what about the animals, insects, and trees? Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals a profound transcendental secret: the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa's name is purely spiritual. If it is chanted loudly, it automatically delivers any living entity whose ears it enters, regardless of their bodily form.
- When Caitanya inquired from Haridasa Thakura how he was to benefit living entities other than humans, Haridasa Thakura replied that the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is so potent that if it is chanted loudly, everyone will benefit, including the lower species of life.
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu once asked Haridasa Thakura how trees and plants could be delivered, and Haridasa Thakura replied that the loud chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra would benefit not only trees and plants but insects and all other living beings.
- The loud chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is so powerful that it can even penetrate the ears of trees and creepers, what to speak of those of animals and human beings.
- If you chant loudly Hare Krsna, even the ants and insect who is hearing, he'll be delivered, because it is spiritual vibration. It will act for everyone.
Symptom of Ecstatic Love
Loud chanting is not an artificial performance; it is the natural symptom of a highly advanced devotee. When a person actually develops deep, unalloyed love for Kṛṣṇa, they can no longer contain it. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that such a person becomes agitated with spiritual joy, forgetting all social conventions, and naturally begins to chant loudly, cry, and dance like a madman.
- When a person is actually advanced and takes pleasure in chanting God's holy name, who is very dear to him, he is agitated and loudly chants the holy name. He laughs, cries, becomes agitated and chants like a madman, not caring for outsiders - CC Adi 7.94.
- A devotee, in the course of executing the regulative principles of devotional service, develops his natural Krsna consciousness, and being thus softened at heart he chants and dances like a madman.
- Constantly breathing very heavily, he becomes careless of social etiquette and loudly chants like a madman, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna! O my Lord, O master of the universe."
- Haridasa Thakura, he was chanting very loudly; Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted very loudly. So what more evidence you want? My Guru Maharaja chanted loudly, we are chanting loudly.
Supreme Remedy for All Ills
Beyond its ability to grant the highest liberation, loud chanting has profound immediate effects on the practitioner. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently prescribed loud chanting as the ultimate, practical remedy for everything from a morose, depressed mind to physical ailments, and even for driving away ghosts and inauspicious entities.
- When you may feel morose, chant Hare Krsna Mantra loudly and hear it. That will reestablish you on the platform of transcendental bliss.
- You mention ghosts. So far I have experience, the best way to remove them is to chant Hare Krishna very loudly and have jubilant kirtana until they leave.
- The Ayurvedic medicine which I could recommend is probably not available in London, but if there is any Ayurvedic shop let me know and I shall recommend some medicine. The best thing is to chant Hare Krishna loudly.
- The first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds.
Conclusion
There is no need for secrecy or silent, secluded meditation in the process of bhakti-yoga. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that by casting aside our shyness and loudly vibrating the holy names—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—we not only secure our own path to Goloka Vṛndāvana, but we perform the greatest possible welfare work for every living entity in the universe.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Chanting Loudly. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.