I am not sure if this answers but what I think is that quantity helps to improve quality. When my driving lessons were bad, I used to take more and more lessons so that they can be improved. In the same way, when I notice more and more dirt in my heart, that means I need to step up cleansing process, more cleansing, more and more cleansing --- more chanting, more chanting and more and more chanting.
very good example, I heard that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura stated the same that quantity will improve quality. Not that let me just chant less but better rounds rather if I chant more my japa will also improve.
Here is something I just read from the Journey Home, after a man cleared one of his ears, he realized how dirty the ears had become, and he said:
"The dirty wax of egotism accumulated in the heart prevents us from clearly hearing the Lord's voice within. A guru, with the stick of knowledge, cleans our hearts. It's really ugly to see what may come out, but by following patiently, we keep cleaning."
From the perspective of a musician of 30 years, I can say with confidence that repetition does improve technique, but quality?
The young aspiring musician is awe struck by master players and wants to be just like them, so the tried and true route to getting there is years of repetition to build technique. But what one doesn't see in the beginning is that there is another element- for one to gain any sort of mastery there has to be a desire for total quality.
Its very common in the music field to see a player who has excellent technique and who is very knowledgeable, but is very mechanical and insensitive to the subtleties of composition - in almost every case of this, it can be traced back to a life of practicing with relentless repetition without demanding quality from themselves!
I think chanting is both the same to and different from this process- the same in the sense that reps will improve technique- different in the sense that there is the element of 'mercy from the lord' - So it seems its a matter of opinion whether mercy will come to us for reps or for the desire for quality?
I think it comes to us for applying both!
But I think the call for quality has to be a precursor along with reps- to think that quality will come on its own is wishful thinking.
The law of nature seems to say that - like with the master musician who inspires awe and who people feel they can connect with, has a balance technique (from years of reps) and sensitivity from the calling for quality from the beginning.
-
ps. A call for total quality while cleaning produces results! You get into all the nooks, you scrub a little harder, maybe even disinfect the unseen. And a commitment to quality even goes layers deeper if implemented, like total remediation and restoration- like removing permanently stained rugs and replacing with hardwood or tile- removing moldings and caulking any cracks and spaces that are unseen.
Even if the dirt numbs me, I know I have to keep cleaning or else more and more dirt will accumulate until it becomes completely helpless again. So just the cleaning effort will comfort me!
And I guess, Krishna will be moved by my efforts and eventually gives me courage to keep chanting, and the desire to improve it!
I found when I first started chanting that it seemed to act as sort of an instant karma machine - like I would chant for a while and then my life would turn upside down or inside out, and I would be like ??? what is happening.
I went through the usual inconsistencies in my chanting schedule in the beginning, and when I stopped for a few days I noticed that everything settled down a little. It wasn't all bad, it was like when I chanted it stirred everything up, and some of that was some unpleasant changes that I didn't realize at the time, but years later I could see that those things changed the course of my life.
There are many scriptural quotes and several opinions to explain these things but it still didn't make sense to me for a long time.
Then the explanation came from an unexpected place, and I realized that the chanting was exposing the alignment of my ego - as long as my ego was aligned with non-spiritual intent I would instantly experience the coarseness of nature.
One thing I learned is that ego reduction does not work- the biggest ego with a thread of ill intent, or the smallest ego with a thread of ill intent, is the same thread of ill intent, size doesn't matter. Its the intention that makes the difference-
so the more the ego became aligned with spiritual intention, the more pleasant the life experience became!
Increase the amount of cleansing
Haribol!
I am not sure if this answers but what I think is that quantity helps to improve quality. When my driving lessons were bad, I used to take more and more lessons so that they can be improved. In the same way, when I notice more and more dirt in my heart, that means I need to step up cleansing process, more cleansing, more and more cleansing --- more chanting, more chanting and more and more chanting.
Always at your lotus feet,
Durga
very good example, I heard
very good example, I heard that Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura stated the same that quantity will improve quality. Not that let me just chant less but better rounds rather if I chant more my japa will also improve.
Something I just read
Here is something I just read from the Journey Home, after a man cleared one of his ears, he realized how dirty the ears had become, and he said:
"The dirty wax of egotism accumulated in the heart prevents us from clearly hearing the Lord's voice within. A guru, with the stick of knowledge, cleans our hearts. It's really ugly to see what may come out, but by following patiently, we keep cleaning."
Yes
It is true that repetition will build technique-
From the perspective of a musician of 30 years, I can say with confidence that repetition does improve technique, but quality?
The young aspiring musician is awe struck by master players and wants to be just like them, so the tried and true route to getting there is years of repetition to build technique. But what one doesn't see in the beginning is that there is another element- for one to gain any sort of mastery there has to be a desire for total quality.
Its very common in the music field to see a player who has excellent technique and who is very knowledgeable, but is very mechanical and insensitive to the subtleties of composition - in almost every case of this, it can be traced back to a life of practicing with relentless repetition without demanding quality from themselves!
I think chanting is both the same to and different from this process- the same in the sense that reps will improve technique- different in the sense that there is the element of 'mercy from the lord' - So it seems its a matter of opinion whether mercy will come to us for reps or for the desire for quality?
I think it comes to us for applying both!
But I think the call for quality has to be a precursor along with reps- to think that quality will come on its own is wishful thinking.
The law of nature seems to say that - like with the master musician who inspires awe and who people feel they can connect with, has a balance technique (from years of reps) and sensitivity from the calling for quality from the beginning.
-
ps. A call for total quality while cleaning produces results! You get into all the nooks, you scrub a little harder, maybe even disinfect the unseen. And a commitment to quality even goes layers deeper if implemented, like total remediation and restoration- like removing permanently stained rugs and replacing with hardwood or tile- removing moldings and caulking any cracks and spaces that are unseen.
Haribol
Dirt
I am most afraid of...not chanting!
Even if the dirt numbs me, I know I have to keep cleaning or else more and more dirt will accumulate until it becomes completely helpless again. So just the cleaning effort will comfort me!
And I guess, Krishna will be moved by my efforts and eventually gives me courage to keep chanting, and the desire to improve it!
For me, this is the only hope!
Thanks, :)
Thanks, :)
Ego Alignment
I found when I first started chanting that it seemed to act as sort of an instant karma machine - like I would chant for a while and then my life would turn upside down or inside out, and I would be like ??? what is happening.
I went through the usual inconsistencies in my chanting schedule in the beginning, and when I stopped for a few days I noticed that everything settled down a little. It wasn't all bad, it was like when I chanted it stirred everything up, and some of that was some unpleasant changes that I didn't realize at the time, but years later I could see that those things changed the course of my life.
There are many scriptural quotes and several opinions to explain these things but it still didn't make sense to me for a long time.
Then the explanation came from an unexpected place, and I realized that the chanting was exposing the alignment of my ego - as long as my ego was aligned with non-spiritual intent I would instantly experience the coarseness of nature.
One thing I learned is that ego reduction does not work- the biggest ego with a thread of ill intent, or the smallest ego with a thread of ill intent, is the same thread of ill intent, size doesn't matter. Its the intention that makes the difference-
so the more the ego became aligned with spiritual intention, the more pleasant the life experience became!
Haribol