We must remember to avoid the ten nama offenses.
1. Speaking ill of those who strive to spread the glories of Sri Bhagavan in their lives.
People must be educated to understand the glories of the Supreme Being, so one should never speak ill of devotees who are engaged in propagating the glories of Sri Bhagavan. This is the gravest offense.
2. The holy name of Lord Sri Vishnu is the most auspicious name, and His pastimes are also inseparable from His holy name. There are many fools who say that whether one chants Hare Krishna, or the names of Kali, Durga, or Shiva, they are all the same.
If someone thinks that the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the names and activities of the demigods are the same, or if someone considers the holy name of Sri Vishnu to be a physical sound, this is also an offense.
3. The third offense is mistaking a guru who spreads the glories of Lord Shri Krishna for an ordinary human being.
4. The fourth offense is treating Vedic texts, such as the Puranas, or other divine scriptures as books of common knowledge.
5. The fifth offense is thinking that devotees have artificially elevated the holy name of Lord Shri Krishna. The truth is that Lord Shri Krishna is inseparable from His name, meaning there is no difference between God and His name.
The highest spiritual experience is chanting the name of God – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare – which is said to be most important for this age.
6. The sixth offense is interpreting the holy name of Lord Shri Krishna in any way.
7. The seventh offense is committing sinful acts under the guise of chanting the name of God. It is known that a person can be freed from all sins simply by chanting the Lord's name, but if someone thinks that they are free to commit all kinds of sinful acts, then this is a sin.
8. The eighth sin is equating the chanting of Hare Krishna with other spiritual practices, such as meditation, austerities, or sacrifices. They cannot be equated at any level.
9. The ninth sin is extolling the importance of the holy name before people who have no interest in it.
10. The tenth sin is clinging to the false notion of owning something while engaged in spiritual practice, or considering the body to be the soul.
When a person is freed from these ten sins while chanting the Lord's name, physical symptoms called pulakaṣṇas (tears) arise. Pulakaṣṇa means a sign of happiness, and ashruṣṇa means tears in the eyes.
The person who has chanted the holy name without any guilt should show signs of happiness and tears. This verse of Bhagavad Gita states that those who have truly developed signs of happiness and tears through chanting the glories of Lord Shri Krishna are eligible to enter the abode of God.
