Page 15 - THE FOURTH DIMENSION

“By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one immediately acquires causeless
knowledge and detachment from the world.” (SB 1.2.7)

Devotional service rendered purely by the devotee is so powerful that one need not go through all the standard
processes for spiritual enlightenment such as performance of sacrifices, austerity, knowledge, mystic powers,
etc. With one stroke, by engaging in devotional service, one can surpass all the rituals of the different orders of
life. This is the special benediction of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Benefactor of humanity.

When Lord Krishna appeared in His most magnanimous incarnation known as Lord Caitanya five hundred years
ago, He descended from the spiritual world to instruct the holy mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna
Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This mantra (man means mind and tra means
deliverance) can deliver anyone from the mire of material illusion, purify the mind, intelligence and false ego,
situate a person in their real identity as the eternal servant of Lord Krishna and liberate the sincere devotee
from the world of death to eternal life in the spiritual world. There is no benediction greater than this
Mahamantra or the great mantra for deliverance. Lord Caitanya gave the following prayer:

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha--davagni-nirvapanam
shreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritaswadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam

“Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the
heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that
spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting
of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone
and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.” (CC Antya 20.12)

In the present age, Kali yuga – the age of hypocrisy and quarrel - it is very difficult to persuade people to
undertake the many Vedic ritualistic ceremonies necessary for purification of sinful desires and activities. These
ritual performances require time and sacrifice. The Vedic scriptures and Lord Caitanya, the incarnation of Lord
Krishna in this age, have both recommended the constant chanting of the Mahamantra, Hare Krishna / Hare
Rama as the most practical and auspicious means for purification of the materialistic way of life. The present
age is fraught with many diversions and obstacles to the practice of spiritual life. The Mahamantra is the special
benediction because by constant chanting one quickly becomes purified.

There are sequential advantages to chanting Hare Krishna that follow:

1-ceto-darpana-marjanam means cleansing the heart of all unclean desires and thoughts acquired over many
lifetimes in different bodies in the material world preoccupied by obsessive eating, sleeping, mating and
defending. These are tendencies that have corrupted our heart and mind. The heart is the seat of emotions and
yearnings. Sensual pleasures are experienced in the subtle mind which receives all the impressions of the other
five senses.

The contaminated mind bealeaguered by material desires is compared to a dusty and dirty mirror which reflects
unclear images experienced by the material senses. When a person tries to understand spiritual knowledge, the
unclean mirror of the mind cannot comprehend the spiritual wisdom in the Bhagavad-gita. The layers of dust
covering the mirror of the mind are the innumerable lusty desires acquired in this mundane world.

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