The Importance of Harinam: The Divine Power of Chanting the Holy Name

Hare Krishna!

In this material world, every living entity is searching for happiness. From morning until night, practically all our activities are meant for one purpose—to become happy. Someone searches for happiness in wealth, someone in relationships, someone in position, entertainment, travel, possessions, or different varieties of sense enjoyment. But however attractive these things may appear, the happiness derived from them is temporary because both the objects of enjoyment and the material body through which we try to enjoy them are temporary and limited.

Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly taught us that we are not this material body; we are eternal spirit souls, parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Krishna. Therefore, material arrangements alone can never fully satisfy us. A fish taken out of water may be placed on a beautiful golden plate, but it cannot become happy until it is returned to the water. Similarly, the living entity cannot become truly satisfied simply by improving material circumstances. Our real happiness begins when we revive our forgotten relationship with Krishna.

The material body is subject to the unavoidable miseries of birth, disease, old age, and death. No amount of scientific advancement, wealth, political power, or material comfort has been able to remove these four problems. Therefore, an intelligent person should inquire: “Is there happiness beyond this temporary material existence? Is there a way to become free from repeated suffering?”

The answer given by the Vedic scriptures is yes. Real happiness is spiritual happiness, and spiritual happiness begins when the living entity reconnects with the Supreme Lord.

The word yoga means “to connect.” Yoga is not simply a system of physical exercise. Its ultimate purpose is to connect our consciousness with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Different processes of yoga are described in the scriptures, but for this present age of Kali-yuga, the recommended and most practical process is Bhakti-yoga—the path of loving devotional service to Lord Krishna.

The special mercy of this age is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam declares:

“kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet”

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.3.51

Although Kali-yuga is described as an ocean of faults, there is one great blessing: simply by chanting the holy name of Krishna, one can become free from material bondage and attain the supreme destination.

Therefore, the chanting of Hare Krishna is not an ordinary religious ritual. It is the direct process of purification recommended for this age.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Every one of us has performed many activities in this life and in previous lives. According to the law of karma, every action produces a reaction. Pious activities may produce temporary material happiness, while sinful activities bring suffering. In this way, the conditioned living entity remains bound within the cycle of karma, repeatedly accepting birth and death.

But Krishna, being our eternal well-wisher and loving father, gives us the way out. At the conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā, He gives His most confidential instruction:

“sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ”

Bhagavad-gītā 18.66

Krishna tells us to surrender unto Him alone, and He personally promises to deliver us from all sinful reactions. He says, “Do not fear.”

This surrender is not artificial or sentimental. To surrender means to accept Krishna as our protector, our maintainer, our well-wisher and our Supreme Lord, and then sincerely try to live according to His instructions.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, out of his great compassion, gave us a very practical way of living such a surrendered life. Along with chanting the holy name, he instructed his followers to observe four regulative principles: no meat, fish or egg eating; no gambling; no intoxication; and no illicit sexual relationships.

Sometimes people may think that these principles are restrictions upon freedom. Actually, they give us real freedom.

Freedom does not mean becoming a slave of the tongue, stomach, mind and senses. If a person cannot control his desire for intoxication, gambling, unrestricted sex or violence toward other living beings, how can he be called truly free? He is being controlled by his senses.

The four regulative principles help free us from this material bondage. They give us the freedom to live peacefully, to think clearly, to serve Krishna, and gradually to experience the bliss of spiritual life.

A beautiful example can help us understand this. A river does not reach the ocean by rejecting its banks. It reaches the ocean because it flows steadily within the boundaries of its banks. If the river breaks all boundaries, it spreads everywhere, causes destruction, and may lose the force of its journey. Similarly, the regulative principles given by Guru, Sādhu and Śāstra are not meant to stop our progress; they protect our spiritual journey and help us reach our ultimate destination—Krishna.

These four principles also protect the four pillars of dharma: satyam, truthfulness; śaucam, cleanliness; tapas, austerity; and dayā, mercy.

Gambling destroys truthfulness because it cultivates greed, speculation and dishonesty. Illicit sexual activity destroys cleanliness and increases bodily identification and attachment. Intoxication destroys austerity and self-control by covering our intelligence and consciousness. Meat eating destroys mercy because it causes unnecessary suffering and killing of other living beings, who are also children of Krishna.

Therefore, following these principles is not simply a question of avoiding certain activities. It is a positive program for recovering our original spiritual consciousness.

We may understand the process in another simple way. Following the four regulative principles is like stopping new dirt from entering a room, while chanting the holy name is like cleaning the dirt that has already accumulated there.

For many lifetimes our hearts have become covered by lust, anger, greed, envy, pride, illusion, false ego and innumerable material desires. Simply stopping sinful activities is not enough; the heart must also be purified. And that purification takes place especially through the chanting and hearing of the holy name of Krishna.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught that the chanting of the holy name cleanses the mirror of the heart—ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam.

The holy name is Krishna Himself. There is no difference between Krishna and Krishna's name. Therefore, when we chant Hare Krishna sincerely, Krishna is personally present on our tongue in the form of His holy name.

How wonderful this mercy is! We may not be qualified to see Krishna with our present eyes, but Krishna has made Himself available to us through sound.

When we sincerely call His name, hear His name and try to remember Him, the Lord gradually cleanses our heart. Krishna sees our sincerity. He sees our struggle. He sees our effort to control the mind and senses and to come closer to Him. Even if our chanting is not yet perfect, we should never become discouraged. We should continue chanting with patience, faith and determination.

Śrīla Prabhupāda did not promise that all material desires would disappear overnight. He gave us a genuine process of purification. As we continue hearing and chanting, associating with devotees, taking Krishna-prasādam, reading Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and engaging ourselves in devotional service, our consciousness gradually changes.

The same things that once attracted us strongly begin to lose their power, and our attraction for Krishna begins to increase.

This is real advancement.

Material happiness generally depends upon conditions: “If I get this, I will be happy. If this person behaves according to my desire, I will be happy. If I earn more money, gain more recognition, or obtain more facilities, then I will be happy.”

But spiritual happiness is different. It arises from our relationship with Krishna.

When the heart becomes purified, one begins to experience happiness simply by hearing about Krishna, chanting His names, serving His devotees, honouring prasādam and doing something for Krishna's pleasure. This happiness does not depend upon external circumstances. It is the natural happiness of the soul.

And as love for Krishna grows, something beautiful happens: we naturally desire to share Krishna with others.

A person whose heart is filled with divine love does not wish to exploit others. He wishes to serve them. He wants others also to chant, become peaceful, become free from suffering and return to Krishna.

This was the compassion of Śrīla Prabhupāda.

At an advanced age, with practically no material resources, Śrīla Prabhupāda travelled across the ocean carrying the order of his spiritual master and the message of Lord Caitanya. He gave the world the holy name of Krishna, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Krishna-prasādam, temples, Deity worship, devotee association and a complete spiritual culture by which an ordinary conditioned soul can gradually become a lover of God.

Śrīla Prabhupāda did not manufacture a new philosophy. He faithfully presented the teachings of Krishna and the previous ācāryas.

His formula for happiness is wonderfully simple: chant Hare Krishna, follow the four regulative principles, hear about Krishna, read Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, associate with devotees, honour Krishna-prasādam and engage whatever abilities we have in the service of Krishna.

This human life is very valuable. We should not spend it only in eating, sleeping, mating, defending and trying to make temporary arrangements for material happiness. We have received this rare human form so that we can ask about the Absolute Truth and revive our eternal relationship with Krishna.

Therefore, let us sincerely accept the path that Śrīla Prabhupāda has so mercifully given us.

Let us follow the four regulative principles—not as burdensome restrictions, but as protective boundaries leading us toward real freedom.

Let us chant the holy names of Lord Hari—not mechanically, but with a sincere desire to come closer to Krishna.

Let us regularly hear Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Let us associate with devotees.

Let us take shelter of Guru, Sādhu and Śāstra.

And let us engage our life, our intelligence, our resources and our abilities in the loving service of Krishna.

Then gradually the unwanted things within our heart will be cleansed, our material bondage will become weaker, and our natural love for Krishna will awaken.

That love of Godhead is the real wealth of life.

That is real freedom.

That is real happiness.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama,
Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Hare Krishna!