Question 1

What are the main rituals and traditions of Bhakti yoga?

Accepted Answer

Learning to live our everyday life in a way that supports our spiritual growth and devotion to God is the premise of Bhakti Yoga's rituals and traditions.

Bhakti is about making our whole life a ceremony, an offering, in hopes of catching the attention of Krishna. Coming to that place takes time, as the soul rehabilitates from its long and habituated tendency to serve the material energy. On that journey, there are 4 practices that act as pillars to support our growth. They are:

1. Meditating on Krishna’s names
2. Spending time with serious spiritual practitioners
3. Studying and discussing the sastra (sacred texts)
4. Preparing and eating prasada (sacred food)

These four elements are easy to incorporate into everyday life because we have already established habits of listening to music, spending time with friends, reading and hearing stories and eating.

Question 2

Why the chanting/singing of “Hare Krishna” on repeat? What do the words mean?

Accepted Answer

Mantra as Relief from the Anxieties of Life
The word mantra comes from the Sanskrit language and literally means to “free the mind,” in particular from mental anxieties. The mind, especially in our modern world, is filled with endless distractions. Mantra meditation helps engage the mind and can free one from anxiety and stress through its repetition. The practice of mantra meditation consists of chanting a mantra out loud and listening. By focusing on the transcendental sound vibration, the chanter’s mind becomes naturally cleansed and one experiences bliss and satisfaction.

Why the Maha Mantra (The Hare Krishna Mantra)
While there are thousands of mantras, there is one that is recommended by the ancient yoga texts that has the greatest benefit: The Maha Mantra or Hare Krishna mantra:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, 
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. 
This is the most effective mantra in this age to chant because its effects are quick and powerful, with the practitioner experiences positive results within the first few sessions of chanting.

"Krishna is the real controller; we can never really renounce anything because it’s not ours to begin with; he’s the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities. Anyone who understands this—a person in full consciousness of Krishna—attains peace from the pains of material existence. How do we put this idea into practice? It’s simple, one just has to chant: 'Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.'”
—Bala Gopal Prabhu, Sunday Feast Class, 6/25/23

The Meaning of the Chant's Individual Words
Composed of just three words, Hare, Krishna, and Rama, the Maha Mantra’s meaning is quite profound. Each word is a name for the Divine. "Hare" refers to the compassionate energy of the Divine. We appeal to the kind nature of the Divine for grace to be able to connect to Krishna, or the all-attractive, possessing all qualities in full. "Krishna" is all-good, all-playful, all-loving, all-everything, and as parts of Krishna we, too, possess these qualities in small amounts. By chanting the Maha Mantra, we can realize our true potential in context with our unique relationship with Krishna. The third word, "Rama," is the reservoir of all spiritual happiness. Through meditation on this mantra, we make a prayer to the Divine to deliver us from material existence and place us into spiritual existence, where our activities are full of eternal bliss and knowledge.

The Science of Chanting 
This form of chanting meditation is a timeless and powerful method of meditation that has been practiced for thousands of years. It helps the practitioner control the mind by tuning into transcendental sound vibration created by the verbal sound of chanting itself. The transcendental sound vibration is unlike ordinary sound vibrations, because it has the potency to connect the practitioner to the Divine and allows the individual to obtain higher states of consciousness.

To do this form of meditation is to practice the science of self-realization. As in any science experiment, there is a hypothesis. In this case, our hypothesis is simple: mantra meditation will help you feel happier. Then, the scientific method applied is chanting the mantra daily. The experiment has been tested internationally and found to be true. Try it for just a few minutes every day and see how you feel. If you feel some effect, try chanting more every day and again, see how that continues to improve your feeling and sense of peace and happiness.

Who Can Chant and Why Some Use Beads
Anyone can chant the Hare Krishna mantra because it is non-sectarian and thus is not limited to any race, culture, religion, etc. Mantra meditation can be practiced by oneself or in a group and can be used to engage all the senses. The personal, private practice is called "japa" which consists of chanting on meditation beads, usually with a commitment to a certain amount of chants. Advanced spiritual practitioners of Bhakti yoga practice mantra meditation for about two hours daily. To practice in a group is called "kirtan," and is often accompanied by musical instruments in a call-and-response style. Most people who practice mantra meditation practice both japa and kirtan and both are equally potent meditation practices.

Question 3

Why is your food blessed/offered and is that why it tastes so good?

Accepted Answer

What’s the secret ingredient that makes Hare Krishna food so delicious?
The yoga of food is an essential element in the Bhakti Yoga practice. Every aspect of our cooking is a meditation on the divine. Beginning from shopping for the ingredients, to cutting, to stirring and finishing the preparations—all is done in a meditative state. We never taste what we prepare while we are cooking, and even try our best not to smell it during the process. We are cooking as though we are cooking for the divine Himself, and want Him to enjoy. Imagine an esteemed guest is coming to your home. You prepare what you know they like and offer them the food first before eating yourself. Therefore, once finished preparing sacred food in this meditative state, we offer it to Krishna.

Krishna accepts all nice vegetarian dishes that are prepared with love. We simply place a special plate before a picture or a deity of the Lord, say a little prayer, and wait for Krishna to eat. After just a few minutes, the food placed before Him is now sacred food, or prasadam. Prasadam literally means “mercy,” and after offering our food, we have the honor of literally consuming Krishna’s mercy.

Even though we are spirit souls, we are contained in bodies that require sustenance. However, if we simply offer all vegetarian food to Krishna before eating, then we can spiritualize ourselves physically from the inside out.

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