Can we chant Hare Krishna Loudly?

Can we chant Hare Krishna Loudly?

I usually recommend silent chanting within mind. 

You may ask: “Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura advised to chant loudly, but, you say that chanting within mind is the highest stage.”

The reason is very simple.

I have mentioned the highest standard one can follow while chanting as recommended by vedic tests and all other sampradhayas. 

However, I have also said that coming to that highest level of ‘chanting within mind’ needs more practice and hence, till we achieve that stage, we can follow chanting with voice.  Gradually, we can come to the stage of ‘chanting within mind’.

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada advised for  chanting with voice because they were preaching to the  foreigners and new devotees more.  If they advise to chant within mind, the starting level sathakas will find it difficult to chant within mind. 

Therefore, they did not advise to chant within mind.  They have been empowered to customize the way of following the devotional processes. 

Srila Prabhupada reduced the number of chantings per day from 64 to 16.  They do like that to make the new starters to atleast start chanting.  Then, they will automatically grow.

As a trial, you yourself can try chanting within mind.  If you come to that level, your whole mind will be involved in the thoughts of Krishna.  The above acharyas also know that.

However, their aim is to make the devotees chant.  Therefore, they guided them to chant with voice and sing the names of Lord in a louder voice.   It will be easy for them.  They believed that in due course of time, they will come to the stage of ‘chanting within mind’.  It is an automatic process. 

When we feel tired, we ourselves will start to chant within mind.  Later, we will start to enjoy that silent chanting within mind  because, it will be very effective since it directly originates from our mind and hence there will be no diversions.