about the glories of hearing and chanting from the prayers of the personified Vedas (Krsna book)

[Paramananda das]

The great authority Bhismadeva has also given the opinion that this process of chanting and hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the essence of all Vedic ritualistic performances. Dear Lord, the devotee who wants to elevate himself simply by this process of devotional activities, especially by hearing and chanting, very soon comes out of the clutches of the dualities of material existence. By this simple process of penance and austerity the Supersoul within the devotee's heart becomes very pleased and gives the devotee directions so that he may go back to home, back to Godhead. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita that one who engages all his activities and senses in the devotional service of the Lord becomes completely pacified because the Supersoul is satisfied with him; thus the devotee becomes transcendental to all kinds of dualities, such as heat and cold, honor and dishonor. Being freed from all dualities, he feels transcendental bliss, and he no longer suffers cares and anxieties due to material existence. Bhagavad-gita confirms that the devotee who is always absorbed in Krsna consciousness has no anxieties for his maintenance or protection. Being constantly absorbed in Krsna consciousness, he ultimately achieves the highest perfection. While in the material existence, he lives very peacefully and blissfully without any cares and anxieties, and after quitting this body he goes back to home, back to Godhead. The Lord confirms in the Bhagavad-gita, 'My supreme abode is a transcendental place where going no one returns to this material world. Anyone who attains the supreme perfection, being engaged in My personal devotional service in the eternal abode, reaches the highest perfection of human life and doesn't have to come back again to the miserable material world.'
"My dear Lord, it is imperative that the living entities be engaged in Krsna consciousness, always rendering devotional service by prescribed methods such as hearing and chanting and executing Your orders. If a person is not engaged in Krsna consciousness and devotional service, it is useless for him to exhibit the symptoms of life. Generally it is accepted that if a person is breathing he is alive. But a person without Krsna consciousness may be compared to a bellows in a blacksmith's shop. The big bellows is a bag of skin which exhales and inhales air, and a human being who is simply living within the bag of skin and bones without taking to Krsna consciousness and loving devotional service is no better than the bellows. Similarly, a nondevotee's long duration of life is compared to the long existence of a tree, his voracious eating capacity is compared to the eating of dogs and hogs, and his enjoyment in sex life is compared to that of hogs and goats.

PAMHO
AGTSP

What is this hearing and chanting? It starts with chanting 64 rounds daily without fail and hearing such books as the Krsna book.
We Should take the instruction of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada seriously:
Sarasvati Thakura on Sixty-four Rounds

"Everyone living in the Gaudiya Math must make an effort to chant one lakh (sixty-four rounds) of holy names daily. Otherwise, different types of material attachments may creep in one's heart that will hamper one's devotional service. In fact, the Lord does not accept food offerings from one who does not daily chant one lakh of holy names. One should balance his time so that he can finish one lakh of holy names per day and also perform his other allotted duties." (Art of Pure Devotion)"The name should be chanted keeping a careful count. One should try to increase this to one lakh of holy names daily. Not being able to do so means one is simply 'fallen' One should rise up from this State by Chanting Seriously." (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura)
your servant
Payonidhi das

from http://nitaaiveda.com/All_Scriptures_By_Acharyas/Mahanidhi_Swami/Art_of_Chanting_Hare_Krishna/Chp_19_The_Magic_of_Sixty-four_Rounds/64_Rounds-The_ISKCON_Standard.htm

64 Rounds-The ISKCON Standard

Following the perfect example of his predecessors, Srila Prabhupada tried to introduce a daily standard of 64 rounds for his initiated disciples in the early days of ISKCON. The disciples responded to Prabhupada's order with silence and astonishment. They argued about the shortage of time, and some flatly rejected saying, "impossible." Perhaps, this is the time when Srila Prabhupada uttered his famous quote, "Impossible is a word in a fool's dictionary." Out of compassion for his struggling followers, Srila Prabhupada relented, and reduced the minumum daily quota to sixteen rounds. And that became the standard for initiation in ISKCON. But why should we just chant sixteen rounds of japa and stop? Who wants to be considered "fallen" in the eyes of his grandfather? Stand up and fight. Maintain the high standard of our exalted spiritual tradition coming down from Lord Caitanya. The merciful Lord of love, prema purusottama Sri Caitanya, is so easily offering all perfections for a mere few rounds in trade. By the movement of a few fingers one can achieve the most valuable treasure in creation.

The golden avatara of unlimited compassion, Lord Gauranga, is extending His soft sweet hand to eat from ours-purified by Tulasi's touch and a count of sixty-four. Are we so lazy, fallen and foolish that we will let the divine magic pass us by while mumbling to ourselves, "Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!" Take strength from Sri Guru and Gaurahari and kick out the word "impossible" from your dictionary. The number of rounds "should be increased" from 16 a day, to 20, to 32 and then 64 per day. But never decrease the number of daily rounds. Sixty-four rounds is Mahaprabhu's magic number for peace, happiness and all spiritual perfection in love of God. We should cry out to Krsna for mercy, and with great determination try to chant more and more and more. The instructions of Srila Prabhupada are eternal. At any time or place, or in any circumstance one can sincerely surrender and become spiritually empowered to fulfill Prabhupada's order: "You must chant 64 rounds a day on your beads."

Here is a brief history of the transition from sixty-four rounds a day to sixteen: "In 1967 at San Francisco, Srila Prabhupada asked me [Mukunda dasa], 'What is your definition of Krsna?' I said, 'Krsna is God. He is the Supreme Being. Our duty is to worship and serve Him.' Swamiji [Srila Prabhupada] seemed fairly satisfied, and then he said, 'You must chant sixty-four rounds per day on your beads.'

"I was shocked at this and could not answer. I did not know if there was any need to answer. I just kept looking at Swamiji, and he looked at me. After some time he said, 'Or at least you can chant thirty-two rounds a day.' Still silence. I considered it to be very difficult to chant even sixteen rounds. I was wondering how I could possibly chant thirty-two rounds. After some time, Swamiji said, At the very least you must chant sixteen rounds every day.' " (Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta)

Hayagriva dasa describes the same incident in Hare Krishna Explosion: "Now that you have beads," Swamiji says the next morning, "you should chant sixty-four rounds every day." "Sixty-four rounds?" To pronounce every word of the mantra distinctly, we require five minutes to chant a round. Sixty-four rounds would take over five hours. "Impossible!" we say. "We'll never have the time." "All right," Swamiji says, "Thirty-two rounds." "Impossible," we say. "We'll never be able to do it. It's way too much." "All right," Swamiji says. "Sixteen rounds. No less.""We have asked our students to finish sixteen rounds chanting minimum. Sixteen rounds is nothing. In Vrndavana there are many devotees that chant 120 rounds. So sixteen rounds is the minimum. Because I know in the Western countries it is a difficult job to finish sixty-four rounds or 120 rounds. The minimum of sixteen rounds must be finished." (NOD lecture 20/10/72)

Some years later in 1975, Srila Prabhupada again mentioned sixty-four rounds while explaining the need to increase the daily quota of Hare Krsna japa.

Srila Prabhupada: "Just like cure of the disease means diminishing the fever. This is the test."
Devotee: "What if that fever is not being diminished?"
Prabhupada: "Then he should try to chant Hare Krsna mantra, instead of sixteen rounds, sixty-four rounds. That is the way. Sixteen rounds is the minimum. Otherwise, Haridasa Thakura was chanting 300,000 names daily. So you have to increase. That is the only remedy. If one has got determination, he will make progress without any trouble. That determination is very difficult, that "I must be Krsna conscious fully." (SPC 14/5/75)
Lokanatha: Some devotees have fixed a different number than sixteen. Some are chanting twenty minimum or twenty-five. Prabhupada: Yes. It should be increased. But don't decrease; increase. Therefore one number is fixed. "At least this much I shall do." That is sixteen rounds. Lokanatha: But you are recommending sixteen as a minimum, and some devotees are choosing twenty as a minimum.Prabhupada: So who forbids? Who says that "Don't do it"? That is wanted. But because you cannot do it, therefore we have fixed up this minimum. Sahkhyata asahkhyata. Sahkhyata means with a vow, numerical strength. And asahkhyata means there is no limit. (SPC 10/11/75)

"The Krsna consciousness movement prescribes sixteen rounds daily because people in the Western countries cannot concentrate for long periods while chanting on beads. Therefore the minimum number of rounds is prescribed. However, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to say that unless one chants at least sixty-four rounds of japa (100,000 names), he is considered fallen (patita). According to his calculation, practically every one of us is fallen, but because we are trying to serve the Supreme Lord with all seriousness and without duplicity, we can expect the mercy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is famous aspatita-pavana, the deliverer Of the fallen." (NOI mantra 5 p.)