that in this present age of Kali (quarrel and disturbance), when mental distraction is
high and almost no one is serious about spiritual perfection, chanting alone is the
most effective means of God realization. Following the sankirtana process chalked
out by Lord Caitanya, the Hare Krsna movement of today takes parties of from five
to thirty devotees, men wearing saffron robes and women wearing colorful saris. And
they celebrate the holy name with dancing and melodious chanting.

The sankirtana singing is accompanied with mrdanga drum and pairs of kartals
(hand cymbals). The devotees experience that this joyous singing of the names of
God produces immediate feelings of ecstasy coming from the spiritual stratum. The
effect is a clearing away of the dirt from the mind engrossed in the gloom of material
existence. Under the instruction of the spiritual master, they gladly spread this
chanting, and in reciprocation Sri Krsna allows all to taste the nectar for which
everyone is always anxious. Because the Personality of Godhead is absolute, His
name is nondifferent from Himself. Therefore the Supreme Person, Krsna, the
reservoir of pleasure, dances on the tongue of the chanter of His name; to chant and
hear fixes the mind, in meditation, in direct contact with God. The mantra is not to
be mistaken for an ordinary song or anything tinged with the mundane; it is a pure
transcendental sound vibration of the absolute and has been upheld as such since
time immemorial by the great sages and Vedic scriptures. Lord Caitanya prays to the
Supreme: “My dear Lord, You are so kind that You have invested all potency in Your
holy name.” This absolute presence of God in His name holds true not only for the
members of the sankirtana party, but for any living entity who hears the chanting;
anyone will benefit if he simply likes the sound of the chanting, or if he appreciates
the presence of the sankirtana party in any way. That is the mercy of the Absolute.
The holy name is compared to a fire; whether one is scientifically conversant with
all the properties of fire or knows nothing about it, if one puts his hand in fire he
will be burnt. Sincere chanting and hearing of the mahamantra will cleanse the
mind and elevate one and all to the natural original position of spirit soul. Therefore
there is no hesitancy on the devotees’ part in going to the largest and most public
gatherings of people and broadcasting, wherever possible, the sound of the
transcendental names: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Chanting takes place regularly in the main streets of cities like New York, Los
Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Berkeley, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington B.C.,
Honolulu, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, etc., with new ISKCON centers being
regularly established. The expansion of Krsna consciousness is realization of the
