Generally, we want to get our rounds done. We are eager to complete and finish them as quickly as possible. Some even fix a time for their chanting, thinking, “My round should be completed in this much time. It should not take beyond four minutes, five minutes, or five and a half minutes.” Devotees often ask, “What is the minimum time in which one round can be completed?” And when we lock it at the minimum time, we become happy that our chanting is fast and efficient.
A few days ago, while chanting, my mobile was beside me. Again and again, my hand was going to check the time or notifications. Finally, I decided to keep the mobile aside, to keep the watch aside, and chant without seeing the time. That is when the thought of timeless chanting struck me.
Are we Chanting to GET DONE with Krishna?
Our goal is to go back to the spiritual world and engage in Krishna consciousness 24 hours a day. Even in this material world, our goal is kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, to always chant the Holy Name. Once, Śrīla Prabhupāda was asked, “What is the goal of chanting?” He replied, “To chant more.”
Because chanting is not only about numbers. Chanting is the time when we can develop a loving relationship with Krishna. It is the time when we free ourselves of all other engagements and focus our full attention on Him.
Imagine being with a person who is superior to us, who is also extremely gentle, calm, modest, and supremely merciful, and yet we try to cut the meeting short and run away to our other activities. How would that person feel? That person is eager to give his entire time only for us, yet, we want to run away from him. Similarly, when we try to finish our chanting as quickly as possible, we are indirectly telling Krishna, “Krishna, now You can leave. I am done with You.”
This is what we do most of the times in our chanting. My rounds are done, and then, I don’t even care where is my bead bag.
Entering the Zone of Timelessness
From confining ourselves to the stopwatch, we need to move to timeless chanting. We should chant in such a way that time does not matter. Not that we take 10 or 20 minutes to chant one round. The essence is focus. In those two hours of chanting, we should enter a zone of timelessness.
In fact, time itself is an objective manifestation of Krishna in this material world. But, time doesn’t always bring pleasing circumstances. Time withers, dwindles and destroys the body, relationships, and everything in this world.
But when we connect with Krishna directly through His Holy Name, time vanishes into oblivion. It is just Krishna and me. Just the Holy Name and myself.
When we chant in this manner, feelingly calling out to Krishna, that timeless chanting has the power to take us to the timeless abode. In the spiritual world, time does not bring about destruction; it only enhances the beauty of Krishna’s pastimes. Time there is ever-fresh and ever-enriching.
When we become eager to enter the zone of timeless chanting, Krishna becomes eager to take us to His timeless abode. There, every step is a dance, every word is a song, and the water tastes like nectar. All living beings live eternally and blissfully, serving Krishna together, where time only beautifies love and devotion.
That is the destination to which timeless chanting leads us.
We need to decide – Do I wish to keep on putting limits and time to my chanting, or do I wish to take a step ahead and go to the zone of timeless chanting?
