Clean the heart

Ananda Vrindavan Devi

“Glory to the Sri-Krishna-sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.”

Sri Sri Siksastaka #1

In this first of eight verses, written by Lord Caitanya, we hear of the power of the maha mantra. Just by reciting it, with care and attention, it can clean our heart. And why is that important? Well, the heart holds the key to understanding love, and love is the only way to understand Krishna. Currently our heart is covered by dust, layers of it, from lifetimes of searching for love and happiness in all the wrong places. When we chant, the dust begins to move away, and we get glimpses of a sense of self that exists within the body. This self is the pure soul, our very self, that is already in love with Krishna, but has long forgotten. The chanting is a process of recovering our lost love. 

This practice is a ‘benediction for humanity at large’. What a gift! There is no qualification needed. One can at any time or place pick up the chanting and immediately feel relief, shelter, and inspiration. It’s a life line that pulls us into the ‘ocean of transcendental bliss’. And it shines a light on why we tend to be anxious in this world - we are really missing our relationship with Krishna. If we accept this simple fact we can turn our lives around. And that’s something worth considering.