The Holy Name is non-different from the Person, Krishna ; realization of this fact is very important in order to improve our chanting. Thus, surrendering to Krishna is surrendering to the Holy Name, and visa versa. We can progressively surrender to the Holy Name by placing complete faith in the Holy Name as our only shelter and cultivating the habit of chanting diligently, attentively and in a mood of depend- ance upon the Lord. Mahaprabhu teaches that one should cultivate humility like that of a blade of grass, become more tolerant than a tree, always offer all respects to others, without expecting any honor in return. (Cf. Sikshashtaka 3)

Our acharyas have identified the six-fold process of surrender as follows: (1) becoming completely humble; (2) dedication of one's self, body, mind and words and all one possesses to the Lord's service; (3) accepting whatever is favorable & (4) rejecting unfavorable to please the Lord; (5) having complete confidence that Krishna will protect me and (6) seeing Krishna as one's sole maintainer.

We can conscientiously endeavor to cultivate these qualities in relation to chanting the Holy Name, such as seeing ourselves as tiny and helpless without the shelter of the Holy Name, accepting only that which enhances our attraction for the Holy Name, avoiding unfavorable habits and offenses, developing faith in the protection of the Holy Name, dedicating our body, mind and words and so on. In short, surrender is an ongoing process, not an event that happens in a moment, and it takes continuous cultivation and practice in the mood of surrender.

Srila Prabhupada personally addressed a similar dilemma in one funny instance. Sometimes Prabhupada's disciples would address him as `goru' instead of `guru'. Srila Prabhupada amusedly remarked about this mistake: "Goru means a cow; but even though you, my disciples, are calling me `goru' I do not consider it as an offense, because you do not know Sanskrit but you are all so sincere and dedicated and have such love for me."

Then he went on to explain how Krishna is famous as `bhava-grahi-Janardana', one who accepts only the mood of love and devotion of His devotees. When His devotee offers something, even if full of faults, Krishna ignores all the shortcomings and accepts the essence of their devotion and becomes fully satisfied. On the other hand, He does not care much for an elaborate, perfectly arranged offering (or for that matter perfectly enunciated mantras) by a non-devotee, who simply tries to make a show of religiousness for his or her own personal satisfaction.

This is not to say that one need not take care to properly chant the Holy Names. Krishna does look only for one's sincerity of purpose and devotion. But the sign of sincerity is that one must surely make the endeavor to properly enunciate the Holy Name, and must avoid chanting neglectfully or improperly. But if because of accent and other such unavoidable reasons, one's enunciation differs slightly, it is overlooked.

One of our twelve principle authorites, or mahajanas, Yamaraja, confirms this understanding directly in SB 6.3.24 "Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses."

Offensive chanting is not useless. However, through imperfect chanting flawed with offenses it takes a long time to purify the heart and to bear the fruit of chanting, i.e. developing a taste for chanting, and approaching the stage of love of God. Therefore, in addition to chanting one must make the endeavor to know what the offenses against the holy name are and diligently avoid them. It is only by striving to continue one's chanting that one can overcome one's lack of taste and also get the strength to ultimately overcome the offenses.

In other words, if one is committing offenses against the Holy Name, the solution is not to give up chanting, but to quantitatively and qualitatively increase one's chanting, by endeavoring with great care to remove one's offenses.

If someone thinks that it is okay to keep committing offenses, because by chanting all of one's offenses will be effortlessly neutralized, such a mentality is considered to be the greatest offense, and the Holy Name will never bestow His mercy upon one who has such an attitude.

The purification which comes from chanting 'in the clearing stage' brings one to the point where one can remove one's offenses; but if one carelessly and casually remains complacent towards the removal of offenses, then one will not get the full benefit of chanting. This is the implication of the first statement you have quoted. Therefore, there is no actual contradiction between the two statements.

The grhastha ashrama is an important part of the social structure and has been created by Krishna Himself. If by chanting Hare Krishna everyone will abandon their household life or the prescribed duties connected to it, that would be a great social disturbance and the scriptures would have prescribed that householders should not chant Hare Krishna! But that is not the case; rather, our vaishnava acaryas have sung: grihe thako vane thako sada hari bole dako - "whether you are a grhastha managing the responsibilities of household life, or a sannyasi, always chant Hare Krishna." Many of our vaishnava acaryas, including Bhaktivinode Thakur and even Srila Prabhupada had their families and were very responsible householders. Thus chanting Hare Krishna is not endangering to one's worldly duties.

Rather, by chanting the holy names, one gets spiritual motivation and strength, which is far greater than even the impetus of material motivation. By chanting the maha-mantra, one acknowledges the fact that it is ultimately the Supreme Lord who is maintaining us and providing for us. He is the source of all opulences, and the master of Lakshmiji. Then one sees oneself as the instrument through whom the Lord is protecting the other family members, and in that consciousness one can work very hard to serve one's family members and see them and all one's possessions as the Lord's property and mercy, which is the actual fact. Only by working in that consciousness, can one be free from facing the reactions to one's work. And Lakshmiji will automatically bless that person who has accepted Her Lord as his master also, just as when Sudama offered Krishna whatever he had, Rukmini was so much obliged that she made him prosperous without any endeavor.

In other words, the mahamantra purifies the heart of all material desires, but that does not necessarily mean that one has to abandon his family or duties connected to family life.

Regarding the consideration of offense in having material desires, Srimad Bhagavatam also mentions that whether one is full of material desires, desirous of liberation or has no desires, one who is broad-minded should worship the Supreme Lord, because He is ultimately the Supreme Master of all. (Cf. SB 2.3.2-10) That is the duty of all, and by worshiping the Supreme Lord, gradually the heart will be cleansed of all misconceptions.

Yes, practical realization of the Supreme Soul is attained when one becomes fully pure, free from the effects of passion and ignorance, and lust, greed and other attendant impurities of heart.

Chanting of any of the innumerable Holy Names of the Supreme Lord purifies the mind. The sixteen syllabled mantra, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare", which is called the mahamantra, is especially recommended in the Upanishads as the most effective mantra in this age of Kali, and chanting of this mantra can bring one to the highest platform of self-realization and God-realization.

The most important element of sadhana for a devotee in ISKCON is to chant at least sixteen rounds (each round consisting of chanting the mahamantra mentioned above 108 times on tulasi beads). One also must follow the four regulative principles, namely, no eating of non-vegetarian foods including fish, meat and eggs; no intoxication including coffee and tea; no gambling; and no illicit sex. Devotees eat only Krishna prasadam (food prepared and offered to Krishna ). In addition, devotees read and hear lectures on devotional books like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam everyday.

Another important part of the daily sadhana is to rise early during the brahma-muhurta (an hour and a half before sunrise) and worship and sing prayers in honor of the spiritual master and the Supreme Lord, and worship Tulasi. This morning worship is called mangala-arati, and can be done either at home or by participating in a regular temple program. Devotees generally chant most of their sixteen rounds early in the morning, before and after mangala-arati, prior to beginning their day's work. In addition to the above basic sadhana, one can do more according to one's availability of time and resources.