Question: How to control the mind while chanting?

Jayapataka Swami: When I was a bhakta in Montreal, Canada, at that time we didn’t have many books, only Bhagavad-gita. So Srila Prabhupada said we should read the books on Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. So I read that Haridas Thakur controlled his mind by chanting loud. So I being a new devotee, my mind was always wandering. So I was just two months old. So I would chant louder, LOUDER, LOUDER! HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE, HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE. The devotees went and complained to Srila Prabhupada, this devotee screams all the time! We cannot chant! He is screaming Hare Krsna! So Srila Prabhupada told me that everyone is complaining, what are you doing? I explained to him that I was trying to control my mind. Following Haridas Thakur. Prabhupada said, oh, that is not too bad. But you are disturbing other devotees. So I give you permission, chant your japa in the park! I would chant and the chipmunks and birds would hear me. HARE KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE, HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE! Now if someone is chanting can they think anything else? Anyone chanting our mind goes there. So we can see this change, to draw my mind I have to chant loudly. Now even if someone is chanting outside, my mind is fixed. This is my practical experience. So you can chant loudly and bring your mind back to chanting of Hare Krsna. Or you can time yourself how long you take to chant a round. But not very fast. You should see how fast, sometimes fast sometimes slow. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! Sometimes fast. Keep your mind on the chanting. So these are some tips. You can fix your mind on Radha Govinda, Balaji Deities. I was a bhakta with Gopalakrsna Goswami Maharaj. He would chant in front of the different pictures. Then he would chant. So I remember him meditating on the photos. Chanting in front of the deity and fixing your mind and eyes on the deity. Chanting the holy names. This way the mind can concentrate on the chanting. Then gradually the mind will be naturally drawn to the chanting, don’t have to try all these tricks.
06-OCTOBER-2019 ISKCON TIRUPATI, INDIA