Fallacy of Promis “Meeting Kṛṣṇa” Through Chanting

Alongside premature discussions of Rādhā–Kṛṣṇa’s intimate līlās, another increasingly common tendency is the casual invitation to “meet Kṛṣṇa,” "feel Kṛṣṇa," “see Kṛṣṇa,” or “experience Kṛṣṇa directly” through chanting the Mahāmantra—often addressed to beginners or mixed public audiences. Rather than chanting, it becomes cheating.

At first glance, this sounds inspiring. After all, the Holy Name is non-different from Kṛṣṇa. But when this truth is presented without qualification, and without qualifying, it can become spiritually dangerous.

Ontological Truth vs. Psychological Expectation

Yes, in tattva, the Holy Name is Kṛṣṇa. But the experience of the Holy Name depends on consciousness, purification, and offense-free chanting. Śrīla Prabhupāda was extremely precise on this point. He never promised visions or encounters as a starting incentive. Instead, he emphasized:

• cleansing of the heart

• freedom from sinful reactions

• gradual awakening of taste

• and steadiness in service

... summed up by saying: "Work now, samadhi later!"

When speakers invite neophytes to “meet Kṛṣṇa” through chanting, they unintentionally shift the listener’s focus from service and purification to the experience, expectation, and imagination, forgetting the very basic fact that Kṛṣṇa is non-different from His name. Kṛṣṇa is the name. He is not in the name, or a via media, on how to get to Him; He is the name—’bhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ.

This subtly transforms chanting from an act of surrender into a technique for spiritual sensation.

When Expectation Replaces Bhakti

A beginner who is told, “Chant and you will meet Kṛṣṇa,” may naturally begin to:

• look for emotional highs,

• imagine forms or voices,

• measure chanting by feeling,

• or become disappointed when “nothing happens.”

When the expected encounter does not occur, one of two things often follows:

1. Fabrication – imagining experiences and mistaking them for realization.

2. Disillusionment – concluding that chanting “doesn’t work” and drifting away.

In both cases, the result is spiritual instability, not growth.

The Holy Name Is Not a Vision Machine

The Mahāmantra is not meant to produce immediate mystical experiences on demand. It is meant to reshape the heart. Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently framed chanting as an act of obedience and service, a cleansing process, a humble call for mercy, and certainly not a shortcut to direct perception of the Lord. To invite beginners to “meet Kṛṣṇa” through chanting risks turning the Holy Name into a means of gratification, even if subtle and spiritualized.

Meeting Kṛṣṇa Is the Concomitant Result, Not the Sales Pitch

In the Gaudiya tradition, meeting Kṛṣṇa is not denied — it is postponed until the soul is ready and qualified. The safer, truer framing is:

• Chant sincerely, and your heart will be purified.

• Chant to serve, not to see.

• Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself when He chooses, not when we demand.

Anything beyond that belongs to advanced realization, not introductory session instruction.

The Open Window

When intimacy is promised prematurely—whether through līlā-kathā or through chanting—the open window problem reappears.

The neophyte is encouraged to look outward toward Goloka before they have a solid footing in humility, discipline, philosophical understanding, and realized sādhana. When the promised encounter does not materialize, the fall can be severe—into doubt, offense, or material distraction. The window to Goloka is open, but instead of reaching it, you fall out of the window hard onto the pavement.

Responsible Invitation

The most responsible invitation to chant is not: “Come meet Kṛṣṇa.” It is: “Come serve through sound. Come to cleanse your heart. Come call out like a baby for its mother, even if all you feel is dryness.” This protects the beginner while honoring the depth of the Holy Name.

The Holy Name is supremely merciful, but mercy does not negate maturity. Inviting neophytes to see and meet Kṛṣṇa through chanting may sound attractive, but without sambandha and realistic framing, it creates expectation without preparation, qualification, and invitation. Any uninvited guest to the party is thrown out. True teachers do not promise encounters. They teach faithfulness and humility. And when faithfulness matures, Kṛṣṇa comes on His own terms — quietly, unmistakably, without illusion and false promises.