(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2004)

It is so hard to be focusd. We have such little ability to focus. The mind is so uncontrolled and so strong – its everywhere and anywhere. It's very difficult. But we are going through emotions, kind of. If you record yourself….. I don't know if you have ever recorded yourself chanting, but I've recorded myself chanting:

"Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, Hare, Hare".

There were extra few 'Hare Hare'. I don't know how it happened….obviously the mind was somewhere else for a moment, where there were an extra 'Hare Hare…..Ram Ram Hare Hare' – there are all the other varieties: We don't pronounce properly; miss syllables; we add syllables; we skip beads; chant a round and finish in 3 minutes – that was quick! That means probably the beads and the mantra not being synchronised. It happens, which is a bit of a problem when we are not fully attentive, than the beads will be at one speed and the mantras will be at another speed…..and that's one of the problems in chanting.

We have to really try to make it a habit to change exactly on the point where the one mantra ends and the other mantra begins, because the tendency can develop after a while to already change a little before. A round can even change….it can happen, if we have to change exactly on the proper points. So the similar amount of energy should also go to the bead also – to properly move around the beads. Otherwise we develop bad counting habits, and we are chanting 16 rounds in 1 hour and 20 mins…..so good…and yes I skip beads!

So if the rounds stay less than 2 hours than the possibility of skipping beads is certainly there and something to look at. If you finish one round in 5 minutes that means that you got to like chant very concentrated rounds. So it's possible to chant 5 minutes rounds but it's a serious business. Its like driving in 200km an hour and there is not a moment to be looking at the sides….the eyes are on the road. That's how it is. If you chant casual 5 minutes round, then either you are swallowing mantras or skipping beads……or both!