Chanting Challenges.
By Vraja Bihari Dasa
“For humankind, the mind is the cause of bondage and the mind is the cause of liberation. The mind absorbed in sense objects is the cause of bondage, and the mind detached from sense objects is the cause of liberation.” (Amrta Bindu Upanishad)
Yoga literally means “to connect.” A bhakti-yogi seeks to connect to Krishna, the personal aspect of the Absolute Truth, through a variety of devotional practices. These include chanting Krishna’s names congregationally (kirtana) and serving the Lord in various ways according to the yogi’s capacity. However, the foundation of all a bhakti-yogi’s attempts to connect is his or her daily japa session. Bhakti-yogis chant a prescribed number of rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra on their chanting beads while trying to focus their minds on remembering Krishna. But although the Vedic scriptures recommend mantra meditation as the best way to achieve this remembrance, chanters face a formidable challenge: the wandering, restless mind.
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