Not at all. In fact, repeated chanting of mantras is a valid and valuable investment of time for personal growth.

Let’s imagine a group of people who don’t know how to read, who, in fact, don’t even know the concept of a language that utilizes symbols called letters to represent objects and concepts. How would these people see a book? As a random collection of papers bound together and having a certain weight and dimensions. Is their perception correct? Yes, it is. But is it complete? Obviously it isn’t.

Now let’s imagine those with this imbalanced perception visiting a library. When they see readers sitting for hours staring at books, they are likely to censure the readers as time wasters. But are the readers wasting their time? Assuming there is some value in what they are reading, we would say they aren’t wasting their time. For the illiterate to understand this would require education in the concept of language and training in the technique of reading. Through the education, they will discover that the collection of papers is a gateway to a whole new universe of meaning, excitement, and fulfillment. Through the training, when they themselves enter into that universe they will appreciate that the book readers, far from wasting time, are rejoicing in that universe and equipping themselves with knowledge and skills for life in this universe.

Now let’s apply this analogy to the chanting of mantras. Most of us lead our lives seeking material pleasures and never receive education about the higher, spiritual realities of life: the soul, God, and their joyful relationship. Nor do we receive training in meditation by which we can perceive and relish the refined delights of devotional remembrance of God. If we are fortunate enough to receive this spiritual education, then we will comprehend that a whole new universe of higher spiritual reality permeated with meaning, excitement, and fulfillment exists parallel to our universe of daily experience. And by spiritual training, we will discover that the repeated chanting of specified sound vibrations given in the Vedic wisdom literature is a sophisticated spiritual technique to enter this higher universe and equip ourselves with a broader perspective and a greater composure for living daily in our universe. The Bhagavad-gita says that this higher perception is opened by philosophical education and devotional training, an important part of which is the chanting of mantras.

Therefore, let’s cast aside the misunderstanding that chanters are engaging in a colossal waste of time and instead end the colossal lacking in the education and training by which we can open our eye of wisdom.

Is There Any Practical Use In knowing About The Soul?

Yes, there is immense, immediate use. Knowledge about the soul is not like knowledge about some abstract theoretical concept like a quark that has no bearing on our practical lives. Knowledge about the soul, being knowledge about our own selves, has immediate bearing on our lives. The answer to the seemingly abstract question “Who am I?” also determines the answer to the eminently practical question “How should I live?”

Aldous Huxley put it well: “It is because we do not know who we are . . . that we behave in the generally silly, the often insane and the sometimes criminal ways that are so characteristically human.”

Suppose a group of children identify themselves with a humorous cartoon character and spend their time imitating the antics of that character. We would call that silly.

Suppose a group of teenagers identify themselves with a movie hero and spend their time imitating the dangerous stunts of that hero. We would call that insane.

Suppose a group of youths identify themselves with a villainous character portrayed as a hero in a movie depicting perverse values and spend their time imitating the sadistic, murderous ways of that villain. We would call that criminal.

In all these cases, the individuals, by misidentifying themselves, miss out on the potentials of real life and harm themselves and others.

The same holds true when we forget our spiritual identity as souls and misidentify ourselves with our material bodies. We miss out on the spiritual potential of life: the opportunity to experience everlasting divine happiness that is our eternal birthright. And by seeking pleasure in selfdefeating indulgences like smoking and drinking, we injure our bodies, or by seeking pleasure in exploitative or abusive indulgences, we harm others and our ecosystem.

Children misidentify with an entertainment character because that character’s life seems more exciting and adventurous than theirs. Similarly, we identify with our material bodies because material enjoyment available through the body seems promising. Sadly, however this promise turns out to be treacherous. Material pleasures even the most glamorized among them – turn out to be disappointingly brief. Our material bodies, far from being sources of pleasure, turn out to be vulnerable to injury, disease, and destruction. Misidentifying with these fragile and doomed bodies turns out to be a painful illusion.

When we become aware of our identity as souls and accordingly modify our way of life, then we become liberated from the painful illusion of bodily misidentification and reinstated in our true glory as indestructible, blissful souls – not only in the next world, but in this one as well.