Answer
It is a mistake, but it is also a very common one.
Many people believe that attentive hearing is extremely difficult, but the real issue is that they are not practicing the process correctly. If you walk in the wrong direction, you will never reach the temple, no matter how sincerely you try. Similarly, if the mind is allowed to wander freely during japa, attentive chanting will remain difficult.
The mind is constantly pushed by kala (time) and karma, and it naturally moves toward worldly thoughts. To counter this force, you need a counter-force, and that counter-force comes from the shabda (the transcendental sound) of the holy name.
The practical method is:
Especially in the first mala, deliberately lock your attention on the holy name.
Through tapasya, force yourself to hear each mantra.
Early morning japa is especially helpful because the mind is relatively empty.
After several beads, attention begins to lock onto the sound naturally.
Once the attention becomes fixed on the holy name, a flow of spiritual energy begins from the shabda, and other thoughts lose their strength.
The first round should be practiced as sankalpa-japa or vidhi-purvaka japa—a deliberate, disciplined attempt to hear. Make a sankalpa (positive determination): “I will hear the holy name.” Also make a vikalpa (negative determination): “I will not allow other thoughts to enter during my japa.”
These determinations become powerful when supported by faith. The faith is that the holy name is not ordinary sound; it is Krishna Himself, an ocean of unlimited consciousness and sat-cit-ananda. If I hear attentively, that divine consciousness enters my heart. If I do not hear, I am blocking that mercy.
In the beginning, do not struggle to hear every individual syllable. Hear the continuous stream of the maha-mantra. As the mind becomes purified through repeated attentive chanting, it naturally becomes capable of hearing each word distinctly.
The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is a single transcendental manifestation composed of sixteen names, and each bead is one complete mantra. As hearing deepens, you begin to taste the spiritual energy within the sound itself. Then worldly thoughts are recognized as distractions because you can actually feel that they are pulling you away from Krishna.
Gradually, chanting and hearing become unified, and the holy name begins to draw the mind toward Krishna naturally. This is the beginning of real attraction to the holy name, from which devotion develops.
