Re: Mental Chanting

Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! It means that whatever way we chant, we should also try to chant Japa and Kirtana loudly or audibly for some time everyday so that we can also gradually hear and focus on the Name internally. Ultimately, every devotee is the best judge on what type of Japa is helping him or her to constantly remember the Lord and should focus on that. Of course, chanting on Tulasi beads and singing Naama Sankirtana remain irreplaceable and all other forms of chanting can be done in addition to them to help our remembrance of Lord Gauranga Krishna. Loud Kirtana is not only the means but it is the goal.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Mental Chanting

Dear Swamiji,

Nityananda ! Gauranga ! Hare Krishna !

Dandavats Pranaams.

Mental chanting is more powerful than loud chanting only when we can hear from within but in a neophyte stage when our heart is impure we cannot hear from within thus we do loud chanting instead of mental chanting. However in Praana Kriya we say Nitaai and Gaura with breadth and thus hear from within, then does this type of mental chanting become more powerful than the loud chanting we do in the morning.

Thanking you in advance.

Sincerely,

Mihir.

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Re: Kumbhaka pranayama and the Pastimes of the Lord

Thank you Matus. I was refering to this article by Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Prema Pradipa about Yogi Dasa Babaji using Kumbhaka for Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration on the desired object) and Dhyana (meditation), though Kumbhaka (breath retention) needs to be practiced only at an advanced stage of deep breathing and ideally under guidance from a yoga practictioner. When one retains the breath (kumbhaka) during anuloma and viloma, then the mind becomes extremely peaceful and free of thoughts and thus the full energy of the mind can be focussed on the extremely deep meditation of the Lord's Holy Name, Form and Pastimes in that kumbhaka stage. But this is a part of ashtanga yoga and I would not so much recommend kumbhaka or breath retention for normal practictioners because it has a big chance to cause lung and breathing problem if not done immaturely or excessively without sufficient practice in deep breathing. The NITAAI Praana Kriyaa is an optimum solution. I will be writing more on the NITAAI Praana Kriyaa soon.  And ultimately, the highest devotional activity is Naama Sankirtana. All other devotional process are a preparation for giving us taste in Naama Sankirtana.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: Buying Cheese

Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! Thank you Damodara Svarupa dasa for the input. Jagannatha Gauranga dasa, the normal consideration is that milk items like milk, yoghurt, butter, cheese etc. and ideally raw uncooked items like fruits, nuts, vegetables etc. can be purchased and then later offered to the Lord. Of course, it is best to make cheese at home but purchasing veg cheese with our money and preparing and offering it to the Lord is also ok.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: Buying Cheese

Nityananda, Gauranga, Hare Krishna.

Rennet is made from parts of the stomach of a dead calf and is used in parmesan. Acidic substances (like lemon juice) are used to make the curd for mozzarella and Cheddar. The difficulty is to find out how the cheese maker prepares his cheese. Does he really use lemon juice or will he mix it with some rennet, as this is much cheaper/easier?

If, like me, you live in a city, you'll always end up by buying food (tomatoes, potatoes, milk, whatever...) which is cultivated/made by non-devotees. Practically, you need to be the hard-working farmer yourself if you want to get the proper ingredients. And even if you're a farmer, you have absolutely no control over the medicines used by a vet. E.g. It is standard procedure to inject antibiotics into the body of a cow before a C-Section is to be done. So, the milk from that cow, which the newborn calf will drink, is no longer pure...    It is also standard procedure to spray the vegetables/fruits with specific chemicals to preserve them. We don't have any control over that either. So, if we offer food to the Lord, it will always be 'impure'. 

Have faith in God and offer everything to the Lord with an open yet humble heart. This way you don't need a set of really impractical and antiquated rules.

Sincerely,
Damodara Svarupa dasa

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Buying Cheese

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!

Dandavats and obeissances.

I have a question for Swami or anyone who may know. Is it acceptable to buy store bought cheeses and offer them to the Lord if they don't have any animal ingredients like rennet? I make paneer occasionally but sometimes I want to make a dish with parmesan, cheddar or mozzarella. I was thinking that it may not be good to offer the Lord cheese that was made by non devotees.
 

Sincerely

Jagannatha Gauranga dasa

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