Quality in Chanting

Brahmananda, November 2, 1975, Nairobi: [...] The quality of the chanting he’s asking. How can we make the quality the best?


Prabhupada: Quality, you’ll understand first of all come to the quality. Without having quality, how he’ll understand the quality? You follow the instruction of your spiritual master, of the sastra.

That is your duty. Quality, no quality—it is not your position to understand. When the quality comes there is no force. You will have a taste for chanting. You will desire at that time, “Why sixteen round? Why not sixteen thousand rounds?”

That is quality. That is quality. It is by force. You’ll not do it; therefore at least sixteen rounds. But when you come to the quality, you will feel yourself, “Why sixteen? Why not sixteen thousand?” That is quality, automatically.

Just like Haridasa Thakura was doing. He was not forced to do. Even Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He requested, “Now you are old enough. You can reduce.” So he refused, “No. Up to the end of my life I shall go on.” That is quality. Have you got such tendency that you will go on chanting and nothing to do? That is quality.

Now you are forced to do. Where is the question of quality? That is given a chance so that one day you may come to the quality, not that you have come to the quality. Quality is different. Athasaktih. Asakti, attachment.

Just like Rupa Gosvami says that “How shall I chant with one tongue, and how shall I hear, two ears? Had it been millions of tongue and trillions of ear, then I could enjoy it.” This is quality. Quality is not so cheap. Maybe after many births.

For the time being you go on following the rules and regulations. It is being done by force. Where is the quality? So you wanted to understand quality. This is the quality. You’ll not be forced, but automatically you’ll desire. That is quality.

I am writing books. I am not being forced by anyone. Everyone can do that. Why one does not do it? Why I get up at night, one o’clock, and do this job? Because I cannot do without it. How one will do it artificially? This is quality. Therefore they like my purports.

That quality is shown by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda virahena me. “Oh, I do not see Govinda. The whole world is vacant.” Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda virahena me. This is quality. Just like we have got practical example. One man’s beloved has died, and he is seeing the whole universe vacant. Is it vacant?

So that is quality of love. So there is no formula of quality. It is to be understood by himself. Just like if after eating something you feel refreshed and get strength, that is quality. You haven’t got to take certificate: “Will you give me a certificate that I have eaten?”

You’ll understand whether eaten or not. That is quality. When you will feel so much ecstasy in chanting Hare Krsna, that is quality. Not artificially—”Chant. Chant. Otherwise get out.” This is not quality. This is in expectation that someday you may come to quality.

That requires time. That requires sincerity. But quality is there. Sravanadi suddha citte karaye… It will be awakened. Not by force. Just like love between two persons, it cannot be forced. “You must love him. You must love her.” Oh, that is no love. That is not love. When automatically you love one another, that is quality. Dora vede prema.