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The Ten Attractions
By Hadai Nityananda dasa
The law of attraction says: ‘when our minds focus on the things we don’t want we are actually not pushing it
away but we activate the very thought of what we don’t want’. In this context I like to consider the ‘ten offences’
or nama-apraradhas (things we want to avoid while chanting the Holy Names of the Lord) and approach them
from the position of what we want to attract.
The word aparadha is composed of two syllables: apa which means against, without, to take away, or give up;
and radha which means success, prosperity, to please, flow of affection. Some acharyas say that the word
aparadha means against or without Radha. Nama-aparadha is therefore the lowest type of chanting where
Krishna (nama) is without (apa) Radha (radha). Bhakti or devotion can only exist with the presence of Srimati
Radhika.
The ten offenses to the Holy Names of the Lord are described in the Padmapuranam. According to the dictionary
the definition of offense is: anger, hard feelings, insult, displeasure and violation. The antonyms are: happiness,
kindness, pleasure and obedience. The direct antonym for offense is defense. In the context of the ten offences
(the ten things we want to avoid) I like to use the indirect antonym ‘attraction’ because it is the law of attraction
that makes our thoughts, feelings and what manifests a match.
In the Harinama-cintamani we also find actions we can undertake as a defense against the ten offences. Some
of them are described hereunder after the word ‘defense’.
The Ten Attractions of the Holy Names
1) The first and most foremost attraction to the Holy Names is to give honor to the great saints who glorify the
chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord by example in their own lives and precepts. This is the best of all
attractions.
Defense: Serve the Vaisnavas and always see yourself as more fallen then others. Serve all living entities and
help them back to Godhead.
2) The second attraction is to consider Nityananda Gauranga Krishna as the Supreme Personalities of Godhead
and to consider all other gods as Their servitors. Those who consider our Lordships as the supreme cause of all
causes will attain perfection in chanting the Holy Names of the Lord.
Defense: Worship Sri Krishna (with Radhika) as the beautiful absolute, the sweet enjoyer and the merry-maker
of Vraja. A devotee is fully cognizant that all living entities, including the demigods, are eternal servants of Sri
Krishna and dependent upon Him.
3) The third attraction is to receive the Holy Names from the lips of the spiritual master and to have total faith in
the self-realized transcendental spiritual master. We recognize the guru by his activities which are always
performed to please our Lordships. The spiritual master does in practice what he speaks in theory and therefore
he is our bonafide connection to the guru parampara and to our Lordships.
Defense: One should show full respect to the spiritual master who initiates him into the Holy Name. The disciple
realizes that he can only attain Krishna via guru-krpa.
4) The fourth attraction is to respect the Vedas, Upanishads and all Bhakti-sastras which are all glorifying the
Holy Names. Devotees perform Hari Nama with full faith in the sastras.
Defense: One should sincerely praise the scriptures revealing the Holy name. Spiritual reality can only be seen
through the eyes of sastra. Understanding this, a devotee honors, studies, worships, and distributes the sacred
teachings.
5) The fifth attraction is to glorify the transcendental Holy Names of the Lord as the perfect provider of all
material and spiritual benefits and to consider the glorification of the Holy Names as the Absolute Truth.
Defense: One should be completely convinced that the Holy Names are eternally situated on the pure
transcendental platform. A devotee practically experiences the inconceivable potency of the Holy Names.
6) The sixth attraction is to understand Harinama as the eternal spiritual reality, the Absolute Truth, and to
understand the direct interpretation of the Holy Names of the Lord to be identical with His Form.
Defense: One should fully believe in the explanations of the Holy Name given by the saints and scripture. A
devotee is well-versed in nama-tattva.
7) The seventh attraction is the understanding that by chanting the Holy Names of the Lord with full faith all our
previous sinful reactions are destroyed. By continuing chanting the Holy Names with full faith our taste to commit
further sinful actions is destroyed as well.
Defense: A devotee has renounced his identification with his physical body and has only desire for spiritual
happiness.
8) The eighth attraction is to realize that Harinama is the Absolute Truth and is always above any other means of
material and spiritual realization. Likewise the results of chanting the Holy Names of the Lord is Absolute and is
transcendental to relative goodness.
Defense: A devotee fully realizes that serving the transcendental name of Nityananda Gauranga Krishna is his
only business.
9) The ninth attraction is to always preach and advise the transcendental nature of the Names of the Lord to
persons who are favorable and receptive to the Holy Names.
Defense: One should only preach the glories of the Holy Names to the faithful.
10) The tenth attraction is to become attached to the Holy Names of the Lord and feel pleasure in chanting His
Names and hearing His glories. In this way the devotee identifies himself with his spirit soul and remains on the
transcendental level relishing the Holy Names in Their full potential. A devotee is always attentive to all the
above attractions and continues chanting the Holy Names with full faith.
Defense: One should chant attentively with full surrender unto the Holy Names. A sincere devotee has full faith in
the Holy Names. He always tries to improve his chanting. The determined sadhaka enthusiastically moves on the
path of devotion by surrendering moment to moment to the Lord of attraction.
11) According Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura the fulfillment of all the above attractions to the Holy Names are fulfilled
when we chant the Holy Names with full attention. Full attention for the Holy Names means that we chant Them
constantly with enthusiasm, with a joyous mood and from our hearts.
As a conclusion I would like to end this article with the words of Lord Gauranga Himself who gives us the most
precious four qualities in the third verse of His Siksastaka which fulfills all the above attractions: “One who thinks
himself lower than grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is
always prepared to give all respect to others, can very easily always chant the Holy Names of the Lord”.
TOP
The law of attraction says: ‘when our minds focus on the things we don’t want we are actually not pushing it
away but we activate the very thought of what we don’t want’. In this context I like to consider the ‘ten offences’
or nama-apraradhas (things we want to avoid while chanting the Holy Names of the Lord) and approach them
from the position of what we want to attract.
The word aparadha is composed of two syllables: apa which means against, without, to take away, or give up;
and radha which means success, prosperity, to please, flow of affection. Some acharyas say that the word
aparadha means against or without Radha. Nama-aparadha is therefore the lowest type of chanting where
Krishna (nama) is without (apa) Radha (radha). Bhakti or devotion can only exist with the presence of Srimati
Radhika.
The ten offenses to the Holy Names of the Lord are described in the Padmapuranam. According to the dictionary
the definition of offense is: anger, hard feelings, insult, displeasure and violation. The antonyms are: happiness,
kindness, pleasure and obedience. The direct antonym for offense is defense. In the context of the ten offences
(the ten things we want to avoid) I like to use the indirect antonym ‘attraction’ because it is the law of attraction
that makes our thoughts, feelings and what manifests a match.
In the Harinama-cintamani we also find actions we can undertake as a defense against the ten offences. Some
of them are described hereunder after the word ‘defense’.
The Ten Attractions of the Holy Names
1) The first and most foremost attraction to the Holy Names is to give honor to the great saints who glorify the
chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord by example in their own lives and precepts. This is the best of all
attractions.
Defense: Serve the Vaisnavas and always see yourself as more fallen then others. Serve all living entities and
help them back to Godhead.
2) The second attraction is to consider Nityananda Gauranga Krishna as the Supreme Personalities of Godhead
and to consider all other gods as Their servitors. Those who consider our Lordships as the supreme cause of all
causes will attain perfection in chanting the Holy Names of the Lord.
Defense: Worship Sri Krishna (with Radhika) as the beautiful absolute, the sweet enjoyer and the merry-maker
of Vraja. A devotee is fully cognizant that all living entities, including the demigods, are eternal servants of Sri
Krishna and dependent upon Him.
3) The third attraction is to receive the Holy Names from the lips of the spiritual master and to have total faith in
the self-realized transcendental spiritual master. We recognize the guru by his activities which are always
performed to please our Lordships. The spiritual master does in practice what he speaks in theory and therefore
he is our bonafide connection to the guru parampara and to our Lordships.
Defense: One should show full respect to the spiritual master who initiates him into the Holy Name. The disciple
realizes that he can only attain Krishna via guru-krpa.
4) The fourth attraction is to respect the Vedas, Upanishads and all Bhakti-sastras which are all glorifying the
Holy Names. Devotees perform Hari Nama with full faith in the sastras.
Defense: One should sincerely praise the scriptures revealing the Holy name. Spiritual reality can only be seen
through the eyes of sastra. Understanding this, a devotee honors, studies, worships, and distributes the sacred
teachings.
5) The fifth attraction is to glorify the transcendental Holy Names of the Lord as the perfect provider of all
material and spiritual benefits and to consider the glorification of the Holy Names as the Absolute Truth.
Defense: One should be completely convinced that the Holy Names are eternally situated on the pure
transcendental platform. A devotee practically experiences the inconceivable potency of the Holy Names.
6) The sixth attraction is to understand Harinama as the eternal spiritual reality, the Absolute Truth, and to
understand the direct interpretation of the Holy Names of the Lord to be identical with His Form.
Defense: One should fully believe in the explanations of the Holy Name given by the saints and scripture. A
devotee is well-versed in nama-tattva.
7) The seventh attraction is the understanding that by chanting the Holy Names of the Lord with full faith all our
previous sinful reactions are destroyed. By continuing chanting the Holy Names with full faith our taste to commit
further sinful actions is destroyed as well.
Defense: A devotee has renounced his identification with his physical body and has only desire for spiritual
happiness.
8) The eighth attraction is to realize that Harinama is the Absolute Truth and is always above any other means of
material and spiritual realization. Likewise the results of chanting the Holy Names of the Lord is Absolute and is
transcendental to relative goodness.
Defense: A devotee fully realizes that serving the transcendental name of Nityananda Gauranga Krishna is his
only business.
9) The ninth attraction is to always preach and advise the transcendental nature of the Names of the Lord to
persons who are favorable and receptive to the Holy Names.
Defense: One should only preach the glories of the Holy Names to the faithful.
10) The tenth attraction is to become attached to the Holy Names of the Lord and feel pleasure in chanting His
Names and hearing His glories. In this way the devotee identifies himself with his spirit soul and remains on the
transcendental level relishing the Holy Names in Their full potential. A devotee is always attentive to all the
above attractions and continues chanting the Holy Names with full faith.
Defense: One should chant attentively with full surrender unto the Holy Names. A sincere devotee has full faith in
the Holy Names. He always tries to improve his chanting. The determined sadhaka enthusiastically moves on the
path of devotion by surrendering moment to moment to the Lord of attraction.
11) According Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura the fulfillment of all the above attractions to the Holy Names are fulfilled
when we chant the Holy Names with full attention. Full attention for the Holy Names means that we chant Them
constantly with enthusiasm, with a joyous mood and from our hearts.
As a conclusion I would like to end this article with the words of Lord Gauranga Himself who gives us the most
precious four qualities in the third verse of His Siksastaka which fulfills all the above attractions: “One who thinks
himself lower than grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is
always prepared to give all respect to others, can very easily always chant the Holy Names of the Lord”.
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