View source for We are recommending that you chant the holy name of God. If you have got any holy name of God in your religion, you can chant that

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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG211EdinburghJuly161972_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="47" link="Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972">
<div class="heading">If you think that "Kṛṣṇa is the name of Hindu God, why shall I chant this?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No." If you have got a name, another alternative name of God, then you chant that. Our only request is that you chant the holy name of God. If you have got any name of God, you can chant. You'll be purified. That is our propaganda.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.11 -- Edinburgh, July 16, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Simply if you chant... Why do you not make an experiment and see by chanting? That is our request. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. One may object, "Why shall I chant your Hindu Kṛṣṇa's name?" So we don't say that Kṛṣṇa, or God. God has got many names. That we admit. It is not... God is unlimited. Therefore, He must have unlimited names. But this Kṛṣṇa word is very perfect because it means all-attractive. You can discuss, "God is great." That's all right. How He's great? That is another understanding. So if you think that "Kṛṣṇa is the name of Hindu God, why shall I chant this?" So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "No." If you have got a name, another alternative name of God, then you chant that. Our only request is that you chant the holy name of God. If you have got any name of God, you can chant. You'll be purified. That is our propaganda.</p>
:nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
:tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
:etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
:durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ
<p>Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that each and every name of God is as powerful as God. Because God is Absolute, therefore there is no difference between His name, form, pastimes. Nothing is different from God. That is absolute knowledge. Advaya-jñāna. So if you chant the holy name of God, that means you are directly in touch with God. Because the name is not different from God. Try to understand. Similarly, if you touch fire, it will act. If you do not know or know what is the quality of fire, it doesn't matter. If you touch fire, it will act. Similarly, if you actually chant the holy name of God, it will act.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG25969NewYorkApril291966_1" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="113" link="Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966">
<div class="heading">Simply by chanting the holy name of God—either this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, or any name of God in any language, that doesn't matter... But this is recommended because Lord Caitanya Himself chanted this holy name.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966|Lecture on BG 2.59-69 -- New York, April 29, 1966]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So spiritual perfection is not very easy thing, that simply by attending a, a, in either of the so many groups and hearing something, nice lectures from a person. No. It is practical. It is practical. If we are ac..., if we are actually serious about attaining, so we must be in a spirit of sacrifice. In this age, by the grace of Lord Caitanya, the matter has been simplified. Matter has been simplified. What is that? He prescribed that</p>
:harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
:kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
:([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.21|CC Adi 17.21]])
<p>Simply by chanting the holy name of God—either this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, or any name of God in any language, that doesn't matter... But this is recommended because Lord Caitanya Himself chanted this holy name. Therefore it is better recommended. But it doesn't matter. But if you think, "Oh, this holy names were chanted by the Hindus, so I, I wish to chant in my own way," that is also recommended. But how the matter has been simplified, that for attainment of spiritual life people have to undergo so many years under penance and regulation, and here is only, only thing is, that you simply chant the holy name of the Lord. Then everything will come to you automatically by and by.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG71SydneyFebruary161973_2" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="238" link="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973">
<div class="heading">We do not say that, if you think that Kṛṣṇa name is the Hindu name or Indian name, "Why should I chant that?" But if you have got any name, actually must be name of God, not a fiction or an idea.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973|Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Sydney, February 16, 1973]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So as we act under the leadership of a supreme person, similarly, if we act, if we live under the leadership of God, that is our perfection of life. This is called yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. Mad-āśrayaḥ means "under My direction." What is the direction of God? Just become His devotee, just think of Himself, always about Him, just offer Him obeisances. This is the process. It is not very difficult. And if you cannot do anything, simply if you chant the holy name of God. We do not say that you chant the name of Kṛṣṇa. If you have got any name, holy name of God, you can chant that also. But chant. This is the process recommended in this age.</p>
:harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam
:kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
:([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.21|CC Adi 17.21]])
<p>In this age it is very difficult to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. People are so downfallen. But there is only one method: if you can chant the holy name of God it will help you very quickly. So we do not say that, if you think that Kṛṣṇa name is the Hindu name or Indian name, "Why should I chant that?" But if you have got any name, actually must be name of God, not a fiction or an idea. Just like I've already explained this "Kṛṣṇa," Sanskrit word, means "all-attractive." But in the greatest. You say that God is great. Kṛṣṇa means the greatest all-attractive. Unless you become very great, you cannot be attractive. According to our material calculation, if one is very rich, he's attractive. If one is very influential, he's attractive. If one is very wise, he's attractive. If one is very beautiful, he's attractive. In this way, we attract. So God, Kṛṣṇa, has got all the six opulences of attraction; therefore He is called Kṛṣṇa.</p>
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<div id="LectureonBG71FijiMay241975_3" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="243" link="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975" link_text="Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975">
<div class="heading">This age, this age of differentiation, this age of fight, quarreling, misunderstanding, if I say, "This is the name of God," and you say, "No, this is the name of God," then there will be fight. So better, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives here, that whatever name you have got... But it must be God's name, harer nāma, not your manufactured name. It must be authorized God's name.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975|Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Fiji, May 24, 1975]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">So our request is to everyone—I think there should be any objection—that "You chant the holy name of God." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If you have got your own name of God, you chant that. If not, what is the objection? Take this name, "Kṛṣṇa," and chant. Why there should be objection? This is not dogmatism. We give freedom. We do not give. Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives that God has got many name. Why not? Just like one man in the family—somebody is calling him father; somebody calling him brother; somebody calling him by his name. There are so many ways to call the same man. Similarly, if you have got a name, holy name of the holy father, you chant that. This is our propaganda. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.21|CC Adi 17.21]]). This is the recommendation in the Vedic literature, that in this age, this age of differentiation, this age of fight, quarreling, misunderstanding, if I say, "This is the name of God," and you say, "No, this is the name of God," then there will be fight. So better, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives here, that whatever name you have got... But it must be God's name, harer nāma, not your manufactured name. It must be authorized God's name. You chant that.</p>
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<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonSB126MontrealAugust31968_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="32" link="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968" link_text="Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968">
<div class="heading">If you have got any other name of the Supreme Lord, you can chant. We are not insisting that you chant Kṛṣṇa. But if you have no specific name of God found in your authentic scripture, then what is the harm if you chant Kṛṣṇa? This is not very bad proposal.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968|Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Montreal, August 3, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Our proposal is the saṅkīrtanaiḥ, the chanting, chanting of the holy name. So if somebody takes this principles, that "Well, we have got our holy name of God. We shall chant that holy name of God," so we have no objection. So that is not our objection. Our objection... Our submission is that "You chant the holy name." Just like Lord Caitanya said, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam ([[Vanisource:CC Adi 17.21|CC Adi 17.21]]). The śāstra says. So it does not mean harer nāma is only Kṛṣṇa. If you have got any other name of Hari, the Supreme Personality of... But that name must be actually the name of the Supreme Personality of God, as it is recognized by scripture.</p>
<p>You may have our own scriptures, but if you have a name sanctioned by the scripture, that "This is the name of God," just like in Jewish scripture they say Jehovah... Similarly, in Christian scripture, if you have got name... Just like Buddhists, they have got God or the Supreme—they accept Lord Buddha. Similarly, if you have got any other name of the Supreme Lord, you can chant. We are not insisting that you chant Kṛṣṇa. But if you have no specific name of God found in your authentic scripture, then what is the harm if you chant Kṛṣṇa? This is not very bad proposal. Any intelligent man... If you have, you chant. Our Lord Caitanya says that nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktiḥ, bahudhā nija-sarva-śak..., tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe. There are many names. As there are many potencies, there are many names also. Just like take for Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is not understood simply by uttering this word "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa is understood if you call "Govinda." That is also Kṛṣṇa. If you call "Mādhava," He is also Kṛṣṇa. If you call "Vaṁśī-vadana," He's also Kṛṣṇa. So the aim should be that it is God's name or the Supreme Lord's name. If the name is different in vibration or form, it does not matter.</p>
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