Is My Chanting Pure? Free Will and the Power of Choice

Question: Prabhujī, how will I know if I am chanting purely?

Answer: When it comes to chanting the Holy Name purely, it will not come all at once in a flash. Chanting śuddha-nāma naturally means that any attachment to mundane things must be absent. Chanting the Holy Name requires our full sincerity, but at the same time, śuddha-nāma cannot be manufactured by us through any effort of our own. The Name descends to the qualified heart of His own accord. Kṛṣṇa is an autocrat; He does as He pleases – He is not bound by any of the rules of this world.

You should read the Śikṣāṣṭakam of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and meditate on the first four verses, especially in relation to your chanting. We are simply trying to cleanse the heart of all unwanted desires first and remain humble. On one hand, we want to know that we are making some progress, but ultimately, we must accept whatever comes to us, and however long it takes, with full sincerity. Paramātmā is within and knows what is there in our heart. If you are really sincere you will never be cheated.

Do not worry – when śuddha-nāma appears, it will not be hard to detect. Śuddha-nāma is undeniable, but it is also very, very rare. Our only business is to make a sincere effort for that which is genuine and not to ask for anything quickly or cheaply – otherwise, we may get something, but it won’t be the real thing.

Question: Please explain the purpose of Paramātma and material nature, because the more I see this world, the more I see only unlimited, unending suffering and quarrel. As Paramātmā, Kṛṣṇa is the witness and neutral in both the good and bad desires of the jīva. Why does he sanction bad actions when he knows the result will be bad?

Answer: This is a very subtle point and ultimately it all has to do with free will. We are all individual conscious units (jīvas). Qualitatively, we have many qualities like Kṛṣṇa, but we are not unlimited; thus quantitatively, we are very small. Endowed with free will in its initial stages of existence, the jīva soul has free choice to go from the taṭasthā (the marginal space between the spiritual and material worlds) and move in either direction. Ultimately, we must realise that just as we used our free will in previous lives, we have also used our free will in this life to arrive where we are now. Our current condition is a product of separate interest from Kṛṣṇa. We are curious and desire to become kings of our own kingdom. Thus, we are given the facility, but we are also competing with unlimited other jīvas – sometimes rising to the position of a Deva and sometimes falling to the lowest position in the universe. We are riding the wheel of karma, constantly going up and down.

Paramātmā is the neutral observer who has come with us to this world, entering each and every living entity. When we are engaged in material activities, He is not judging, but simply observing. Whether someone believes in Kṛṣṇa or not, whether one is a man, dog, ant or a Deva, Paramātmā is always present.

In Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda’s purport to Bhagavad-gītā 2.22, he says:

The Vedas, like the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, as well as the Śvetasvatāra Upaniṣad, compare the soul and the Supersoul to two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic soul) is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird (Kṛṣṇa) is simply watching His friend. Of these two birds–although they are the same in quality–one is captivated by the fruits of the material tree, while the other is simply witnessing the activities of His friend…although they are friends, one is still the master and the other is the servant. Forgetfulness of this relationship by the atomic soul is the cause of one’s changing his position from one tree to another or from one body to another. The jīva soul is struggling very hard on the tree of the material body, but as soon as he agrees to accept the other bird as the supreme spiritual master– as Arjuna agreed to do by voluntary surrender unto Kṛṣṇa for instruction–the subordinate bird immediately becomes free from all lamentations…although the two birds are in the same tree, the eating bird is fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the Lord and knows His glories – at once the suffering bird becomes free from all anxieties.

As soon as we show a little sincere interest to discover why we have come here, what is our purpose for existence, and how to get out, then Paramātmā immediately inspires us from within. At that stage, guru, sādhu, and so many positive elements enter our life. The point is that our free will should not be disturbed, otherwise, if Kṛṣṇa forced everyone to love Him, then how would it be possible to engage in a natural loving relationship? The jīvas would become like robots. Without free will, there is no rasa, there is no choice, there is no love. Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja explained this by stating that in relation to free will, many feel that we are suffering so much because of it. But if you consider what is possible with free will from the negative side, then you find that it is actually limited – our suffering can be terrible due to our own bad actions, but it is not unlimited. On the other hand, what is possible if we come in connection with Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. It is a loving relationship with the Supreme that is not limited in any dimension by time, space, or quality. Thus, the potential positive coming from the minute free will of the jīva is so great that it is not even comparable to any possible negative.

We should try to develop the quality to blame ourselves first. This will be the best mindset in our journey towards that infinite world. We cannot begin by blaming God because then we will turn away and once again enter into the wheel of saṁsāra. I wrote one article in relationship to this:

The Blame Game

This book by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja gives a detailed explanation of the subject of the jīvātmā and its entrance into this material world, especially from page 111 onwards:

http://scsmath.com/books/Subjective_Evolution.pdf

I also asked these same questions to my Gurudeva, Śrīla B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja, and he told me that we should try to understand as much as possible with our limited intelligence where we have come from, and once we are satisfied, we should move on to the real mission – how to get out! In other words, it is good to understand how you came to the prison, but ultimately the point is to get out of it, regardless of how you entered. We do this by association with saintly people, by inquiring into the Absolute Truth, as Arjuna has done with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and by following the Kali-yuga dharma given by Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

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

The age of Kali, the repository of all evils, has but one glorious characteristic; in this age, those who simply chant the Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa are liberated and reach the Supreme Lord. (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 12.3.51)

I hope this has answered your questions, Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Gaura Gopāla Dāsa

Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja speaks on free will in this short video answering a similar question:

• The Insanity of Inquiry by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• Anādi (For Advanced Philosophers) by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
• Inconceivable Topics by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Love of God is Dormant in the Heart of the Jīva by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• Jīvas and the Marginal Plane by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
• The Blame Game by Gaura Gopāla Dāsa
• Jivera Dayā (Mercy to the Living Entities) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura