1. Answers to questions about offensive chanting

    Devotee: Is it offensive if you are not chanting with the mind [indistinct] spiritual master?

    Prabhupada: The chanting process is that you chant with your tongue Hare Krsna and hear. That’s all. Then you are saved. Hare Krsna must be chanted by the use of tongue, and you hear it, that’s all. Where is the difficulty?

    Devotee: [indistinct]

    Prabhupada: Yes. Everything may come, but this is the process. This is the process. Chant Hare Krsna and become happy.

    Devotee: [indistinct]

    Prabhupada: Nothing is difficult in Krsna consciousness movement. One has to execute it very seriously and sincerely. Then it will come. Nothing is difficult, not at all.

    harer nama harer nama
    harer namaiva kevalam
    kalau nasty eva nasty eva
    nasty eva gatir anyatha
    [Cc. Adi 17.21]

    Chant Hare Krsna and hear, and everything will come. Krsna’s… By chanting purely, without any offense this Hare Krsna mantra, then you will understand Krsna’s form, Krsna’s qualities, Krsna’s pastimes, Krsna’s entourage — everything. Vidya-vadhu-jivanam. Sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. Simply by chanting you get all such. Iha haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomara, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You get all siddhis. The greatest siddhi is to understand Krsna as the Supreme Personality, that’s all. [laughter] That’s all. If you simply admit this, that Krsna is… Just like Krsna says,

    bahunam janmanam ante
    jnanavan mam prapadyate
    [Bg. 7.19]

    So why should you wait for bahunam janma? We accept Krsna, “My Lord Krsna, You are the Supreme. So, so long I was forgotten. Now I accept You. I surrender,” and your life is successful. Of course, it is not very easy to do that; therefore there are sastra, sadhu and guru to take their help. But the real thing is this: accept Krsna the Supreme Absolute Truth and surrender unto Him — this is a basic principle — and stay in that position. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given so nice and easy for the fallen souls in this Kali-yuga. They cannot do anything, so-called yoga, so-called austerity. This is not possible. Not possible.

    prayenalpayusah sabhya
    kalav asmin yuge janah
    mandah sumanda-matayo
    manda-bhagya hy upadrutah
    [SB 1.1.10]

    It is not possible to proceed according to the ways of sacrifices, yajna, or mental speculations, yogic siddhis. Nobody can perform perfectly. And even one performs perfectly, that is not ways to understand Krsna. Krsna says personally, bhaktya mam abhijanati  [Bg. 18.55]. That is the only way; there is no other way. They say there are many ways, and any way you accept that will lead you to Absolute Truth. But that is not a fact. To understand the Absolute Truth you have to accept the absolute path. That is bhakti-yoga. And Krsna says,

    bhaktya mam abhijanati
    yavan yas casmi tattvatah
    [Bg. 18.55]

    If you want understand Krsna superficially, that is another thing. But if you want to know Krsna as He is, then only this devotional service:

    sevonmukhe hi jihvadau
    svayam eva sphuraty adah
    [Cc. Madhya 17.136]

    Krsna is revealed. He is so kind. If you simply sincerely engage in devotional service to Krsna, then you will see Krsna everywhere. Krsna is everywhere. So chant Hare Krsna mantra, purify your heart which is full of dirty things.

    srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
    punya-sravana-kirtanah
    [SB 1.2.17]

    Even if you do not understand anything, simply hear Hare Krsna and Krsna’s katha; then you will become pious. In this way, as you become more and more pious, you, your path to understand Krsna is clear.

    From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture, February 12, 1974