What is the difference between chanting Krishna's name & chanting word 'Relax'?

Question

Slowly and deeply chanting the word 'Relax' (and other related words) leaves me feel physically more relaxed and mentally more calmed & at ease, than chanting Krishna's (or any other God's) name.

Why should I still chant Krishna's name instead? What can it offer that is even more important or needed or desirable than chanting 'relax' offers to me?

Answer 1

Some excerpts from the teachings of Prabhupada.



Kṛṣṇa, being absolute, is not different from His words. The words of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself—they are the same. That is the meaning of Absolute Truth.



In the relative world, the word water and the substance water are different. When I am thirsty, if I simply chant "Water, water, water," my thirst will not be satisfied. I require the real water. That is the nature of the relative world and relative consciousness. But in the spiritual world or spiritual consciousness, the name is the same as the thing that is named. For instance, we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa were different from the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, then how could we be satisfied chanting the whole day and night? This is the proof. An ordinary name—if you chant "Mr. John, Mr. John," after chanting three times you'll cease. But this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra—if you go on chanting twenty-four hours a day, you'll never become tired. This is the spiritual nature of the Absolute Truth. This is practical. Anyone can perceive it.



The method is vibration of transcendental sound. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, this sound, is not material sound. It is descended from the spiritual world. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name—not different. Abhinnatvāṁ nāma-nāminoḥ. As in this material world there is difference between the name and the substance... If you are thirsty, then if you simply chant "water, water, water," your thirst will not be quenched. You have to get the substance water. But in the spiritual world it is, being absolute, the name and the person whose name we are chanting, they are the same. Therefore by chanting this holy name of God, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa... Hare is addressing the spiritual energy of the Lord, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So by being in touch with the Supreme Lord and His energy directly, we become purified. Exactly like if you take one iron rod, put into the fire, it becomes warner, warmer, and at last it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if you constantly become in touch with the Supreme Lord by chanting His holy name, which is not different from the Supreme Lord, then you become spiritually purified. And as soon as you are spiritually purified, then all misunderstandings of this material world immediately vanquished. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.



I have already explained that God and His name, the one, Absolute. In the material world your name and you, person, they are two different things. That is difference between God and you. So therefore, by chanting God's name, you actually contact with God. But in the material world that is not possible. Suppose I am thirsty; I want water. If I chant "water, water," it will not act. But in the case of chanting the holy name of God, it is as good as to associate with God.



nāma cintāmaṇiḥ kṛṣṇaś

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddhaḥ nitya-mukta

abhinnatvāt nāma-nāminoḥ

“‘The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from the Padma Purāṇa.

http://vedabase.net/cc/madhya/17/133/

Answer 2

According to His Holiness Visnujana Swami, in a lecture given in Laurel Hurst Park, Portland, Oregon o June 1, 1975-



But there is a type of pleasure that has no saturation point, and that can be experienced even by a child if he simply allows his consciousness to stop accepting, rejecting, accepting, rejecting, and fix on that unlimited pleasure within, Hare. Everyone can say that, Hare. [all repeat Hare!] That unlimited pleasure within.



And if we fix our mind on this unlimited pleasure then we'll become madmen; in the ordinary sense of the term, we'll become madmen because people will think, “Why is he doing that over and over again—Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Rama, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Rama, why doesn't he say Coca Cola, Coca Cola, Coca Cola, Coca Cola—why?” Try chanting Coca Cola for a while and you'll see why. For one thing you're going to get really thirsty and you'll find out that the word Coca Cola is not going to satisfy your thirst. You need the substance; but if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rama, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rama over and over again you'll find out that that name and the object, that unlimited reservoir of pleasure, are the same—and therefore whatever you could derive from the reservoir of unlimited pleasure, you can derive from this sound vibration, and therefore you'll be very illuminated as you chant. You'll think, “I can go on doing this forever!” and you'll become a madman going through the streets, Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Rama! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Rama!

Answer 3

Nobody is forcing you to chant Krushna's name. No one.



You use whatever words you want to relax and meditate.



It is only when you feel for Krushna that you will chant his name

The feeling or the need is not there so go ahead and use

whatever word makes you happy.

Answer 4

If you can relax with word relax then it is your krishna name as all words sprung from the primordial Aum only.

Answer 5

Mantra chanting is easily practiced anywhere, as when repeated mentally, no one can see what we are doing. It is one method for regaining and maintaining peace during stressful times. When we are feeling stress, a few moments of mantra meditation can clear away the dust obstructing the view of a good resolution. And, upon lying down for sleep, mantra repetition can calm the mind, letting the body relax.



The Vedas tell us that meditation on the Hare Krishna mantra is the most powerful.

The initial result of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is summarized by Srila Prabhupada in his commentary on the Bhagavad-gita: "We have practical experience that any person who is chanting the holy names of Krishna n course of time feels some transcendental pleasure and very quickly becomes purified of all material contamination."



Receiving the Hare Krishna mantra from a bona fide guru who is in complete harmony with Krishna's teachings in Bhagavad-gita is the single most important aspect of chanting Hare Krishna.



Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama,

Rama Rama, Hare Hare



There are no hard-and-fast rules for chanting. The most wonderful thing about mantra meditation is that one may chant anywhere -- at home, at work, driving in the car, or riding on the bus or subway. And one may chant at any time.

In order to chant one need not equip oneself with expensive props and paraphernalia, learn to stand on one's head, or perform other difficult postures or breathing exercises. The only equipment one needs is a tongue and ears. Everyone already has these. The tongue simply has to vibrate the words, and the ears must hear it. By this simple process alone, one can achieve all perfection.



There are two basic types of chanting. Personal meditation, where one chants alone on beads, is called japa. When one chants in responsive fashion with others, this is called kirtana. Kirtana is usually accompanied by musical instruments and clapping. Both forms of chanting are recommended and beneficial.



To perform the first type of meditation, one needs only a set of japa beads. To meditate with the beads, hold them in your right hand. Hold the first bead with your thumb and middle finger and chant the complete mantra. Then go to the next bead, holding it with the same two fingers, again chanting the entire mantra. Then go on to the next bead and then the next, continuing in this way until you have chanted on all 108 beads and have come to the main or krishna bead. You have now completed "one round" of chanting. Do not chant on the Krishna bead, but turn the beads around and chant on them in the opposite direction, one after another. Chanting on beads is especially helpful, for it engages the sense of touch in the meditative process and helps you concentrate even more on the sound of the mantra.

You may want to chant japa indoors, but you can chant just as comfortably walking along the beach or hiking in the mountains. Just bring your beads along with you. If you chant sitting down, you should assume a comfortable position (preferably not Iying down or slouching, for there's always the tendency to fall asleep). You can chant as loudly or as softly as you like, but it's important to pronounce the mantra clearly and loudly enough to hear yourself. The mind may have a tendency to wander off to other matters when you chant, for the mind is flickering and unsteady, always looking for something new and pleasurable to absorb itself in. If your mind wanders (to anything except God and things related to Him), gently bring it back to the transcendental sound vibration. It won't be difficult, because the mind is easily satisfied when absorbed in the divine sound of the mantra (unlike other meditationa practices, where one may be asked to fix his mind on "nothing" or "the void").

Answer 6

One is a deity and the other is from a Frankie Goes to Hollywood song.

Answer 7

Different words.

Answer 8

faith moves mountains . then why do you need a word at all