Mantra is a Sanskrit word meaning “that which frees the mind.” A mantra is therefore a sound vibration that frees the mind from stress and negative emotions like anger and envy. It prepares the mind to focus on positive emotions like forgiveness, tolerance, and humility.

Sound vibrations can change our mood. If someone is rude to us, we feel depressed. If someone speaks to us kindly, our mind becomes happy. If we hear our favourite song, our mind becomes relaxed. Great speeches have inspired people to create revolutions. These are all the effects of sound vibrations on the mind, and mantra meditation is based on this principle.

This transcendental vibration – the chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare – is the sublime method for reviving our Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more entangled in our complexities.

The word Hare is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord, Srimati Radharani. Both Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing the Lord directly, and they mean “the All Attractive Person that brings the highest eternal pleasure.”  

This chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy to give service and protection to the conditioned soul. The chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by a child for its mother. 

Lord Chaitanya taught that no other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of Kali (the iron age, or age of quarrel and hypocrisy), as chanting the maha-mantra:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare