4 Tips Before Chanting Japa

Here are some handy tips before you start chanting Japa:

• First of all, make sure you are not tired.
• Make sure you have proper pronunciation.
• Make sure you are not being distracted by anything.
• Then fix on your concentration.

Taken from www.iskcon.com

The Five A's in Chanting - Affection

Affection

Affection means fond feelings, devotion and love. The goal of chanting Hare Krsna is to chant suddha-nama-the pure name enriched with krsna-prema and the presence of the Lord. May the following prayer awaken our love for beautiful Krsna standing before as Sri Nama Prabhu:

O Krsna! May I chant Your holy names with heartfelt emotion. When will I become charmed by the ambrosia of Your names and start chanting from the heart? O Krsna! Please help me to chant with sincere feelings of affection for You, for Radhika, and for Your holy names. Please show me the way to chant with genuine affection ripening in pure love."O Krsna! Please attract my mind and heart to Your holy names. May I chant with full attention. And may I quickly become absorbed in the nectarean taste of Your names. May the sweet charm of Your names drive out all distractions and fully enchant my heart. Please give me strong attachment to Your wonderful names. Please be merciful to me, and help me rise to the platform of genuine affection and pure love for You."

kabe ha'be bolo se-dina amar,
parddha ghuci, suddha name ruci,
krpa-bale ha'be hrdoye sancar

"Please tell me, when oh when will that day be mine? My offenses will come to an end, and a taste for the pure holy name will be infused within my heart by the power of divine grace."
Saranagati

prati-dina jadi, adara koriya,
se nama kirtana kori sitapala jeno,
nasi' roga-mula, krame swadu hoya, hari

"If I sing that holy name of Yours aloud every day with warm affection, then as sugar candy taken medicinally destroys the very disease which makes it taste bitter (jaundice), so Your holy name, O Lord Hari, will cure my spiritual disease and allow me to gradually taste Your sweetness..."
Saranagati

Taken from The Art of Chanting Hare Krsna by Mahanidhi Swami

The Five A's in Chanting - Attachment

Attachment

Attachment is a precursor to bhava or preliminary love of God. Upon reaching the threshold of bhava-bhakti, an advanced devotee becomes extremely attached to hearing and chanting about Krsna with great joy and enthusiasm. A prayer for developing attachment to chanting:

"O Krsna! By nature I am attached to so many wrong things. Please help me to transfer all my attachments to Your lotus feet. O my Lord! May chanting Hare Krsna become an inseparable part of my life. Please help me to chant Your holy names with pure attachment."

Taken from The Art of Chanting Hare Krsna by Mahanidhi Swami

The Five A's in Chanting - Absorption

Absorption

Absorption means to incorporate as part of oneself, to be obsessed, or to fully occupy and saturate the mind in something. Absorption is a feature of our lives. Everyday we become absorbed in sleeping, absorbed in eating a delicious meal, or absorbed in reading a wonderful book. But for some reason, it is very difficult to become absorbed in japa. Repeating the following prayer will help one get absorbed in chanting Hare Krsna:

"O Krsna! While chanting Your holy names may I enter the limitless land of consciousness. Oblivious to the body and its surroundings, may my soul become immersed in the primordial vibration of divine union. Let this maha-mantra of mahabhava surround and penetrate every aspect of my being. One with Your desires, one with Your love - O Krsna may I completely absorb my self in serving Your holy names. O Krsna! Please help me to become fully absorbed in chanting Your holy names!"

Taken from The Art of Chanting Hare Krsna by Mahanidhi Swami

Please Join the Japa Group

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108@gmail.com

ys

Rasa Rasika dasa

The Five A's in Chanting - Part 2

Attention

Attention means steady application of the mind, or focusing the consciousness on a particular subject. Whatever one focuses his attention on becomes deeply impressed in the mind. Although the mind can move from one object to another with fantastic speed, Vedic sastras and modern science concur that the mind can only do one thing at a time. This is called the "single idea" principle of the mind. For example, if one is reading an exciting book with full attention, he will not hear the sounds in the surrounding enviroment.

Attention is related to interest or attraction. There is full attention in a pleasing object, but little attention in a tasteless object. It is difficult for the mind to focus on an uninteresting object. For example, it is hard to pay attention, what to speak of stay awake, in a Bhagavatam class wherein the speaker sits like a statue with sealed eyes, mumbles in a monotone, and gives a "parrot recital" of a long list of Bhagavad-gita slokas to support some basic point. It is easy, however, to pay attention to a speaker who looks at the audience, uses vibrant phrases and dramatic tones, and tells exciting, animated stories with expressive hand gestures. It is often very difficult to keep one's attention on the holy name while chanting japa. This is because the mind is not trained to bear prolonged attention. It gets bored with the monotony of japa and runs to more pleasing things. By increasing one's interest or taste in japa, one will be able to chant attentively. This can be accomplished by practicing the various meditation techniques given in this book.


Try the following prayer:

"O Krsna! Thakura Bhaktivinoda has warned us that inattention is the main door into the house of aparadhas. O Krsna! Please let me taste some pleasure in Your names, so I can focus my full attention on chanting. May Your holy names become deeply impressed in my mind."

Taken from The Art of Chanting Hare Krsna by Mahanidhi Swami

The Five A's in Chanting - Part 1

Attraction

The inestimable power of Krsna's attraction acts everywhere in creation from the atoms to the cosmos. From the invisible movements of neutrons and electrons to the vast stellar orbits of huge planets and galaxies, Krsna exerts His influence through His powers of gravity and attraction. Krsna is the most beautiful and attractive person in all the worlds. In the spiritual realm every man, woman, child, bird, beast, insect, tree, plant, lake, river, valley, hill and mountain feels natural and spontaneous attraction to Krsna's ever fresh and sweet names, forms, qualities and pastimes.

Despite all these amazing truths, we have no attraction for chanting Krsna's holy names. Sri Caitanya depicted the plight of the struggling sadhaka in the Siksastaka: durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah, "Oh Lord! I am so unfortunate that I have no attachment for chanting Your holy names." The following prayer will help one increase his attraction for chanting Hare Krsna:"O Krsna! There is so much attraction within me, but why don't I have any attraction to Your holy names? I am attracted to so many sweet sounds, forms, tastes, smells and objects of touch. But all these material attractions pull me further and further away from You. My favorite attractions are in reality nothing but distractions from You. O Krsna! Please enchant my heart and captivate my restless mind. Please bless me with the matchless wealth of attraction to Your holy names."

Taken from The Art of Chanting Hare Krsna by Mahanidhi Swami

90% Depends on Quality Japa

Hare Krsna dear devotees. I hope your week has been blessed and your chanting peaceful, what does it mean to chant peacefully, maybe you should consider that your mind needs to be calm and let you hear the sound of the holy names, but this is not usually possible even though your life can be peaceful because you are a devotee and you have all the blessings coming from a pure devotee to develop this relationship with the Lord.

Today I was reading a reply from H.H. Sacinandana Swami to a question a devotee made about how he could make his Krsna consciousness successful, what was the secret and Maharaj gave this reply:

Three things only:

1. A never-dying fire of eagerness that has to be nourished with Krishna-katha.

2. The blessings of great devotees who have bhakti in their hearts.

3. The blessings of the Holy Name.

Srila Prabhupada once said that 90 percent of Krishna consciousness is dependent on the quality of chanting.

I may have posted this before but I didn't pay attention to the deep intention Maharaj gave here when he said these words. When we want success in any area of our lives we need to have this never dying fire of eagerness flowing all the time, for a course we may want to do, for a job we would like to have, for a relationship we may wish to have and even for a peaceful family. Something daily moves us forward and for that there is no doubt, that's why we are here. Another great thing here is that we do need the blessings of the vaisnavas, we need to serve them, and understand why we are here, without them our efforts aren't so effective.

The last thing Maharaj states here is the blessings of the Holy Names, this is so true because a devotee needs to constantly chant and serve the other vaisnavas. Our spiritual lives are, like Srila Prabhupada said, "90% dependent of the quality of our chanting".

A devotee is seen by the way he chants, everyone who constantly chants nicely can observe and see the Lord in many different ways in his life, is affected by this chanting in many ways, and is constantly blessed by the Lord. How can we observe the quality or level of our chanting, there is one good tip...if you feel like serving more, chanting more, making more bhajans and being more in association of devotees this means you have been blessed by the power of the holy names and that you are in the right path.
We are all so lucky to have this opportunity to taste the nectar of the maha mantra, so lets just make our daily japa an offering of gratitute to Krsna and our spiritual masters chanting with our hearts in it.

May your week be blessed and constantly engaged in savouring the sound of the holy names of the Lord.

your servant,

Aruna devi

Desire for Arguments

Jaya Srila Prabhupada. Yesterday I discussed with one devotee whom I didn´t see for some time. We often politely disagree with each other in our conversations. And this time was not different. It was some small things concerning preaching strategies, but still during my japa this morning, for the first 4 rounds I was still thinking about arguments against his viewpoints.

I then luckily realized that this is pretty ridiculous, it's just my false ego. If I'm wrong, I should humbly take the advice and even if I'm right, arguments are pretty useless anway, "opposing party" is still unlikely to change his viewpoint and I'm just wasting my energy. Just leave this thoughts and continue chanting...

Your servant,

Muniraja dasa

Tips For Concentration

Reading it:

• If the maha-mantra is written on the wall somewhere, try reading it while you are chanting it.
• With each word of the mantra that you are chanting, follow it on the wall with your eyes.
• This way, you are engaging one additional sense in helping you to concentrate.

Taken from Iskcon.com

Japa Poem

You’re chanting on cruise with no
impediments in sight. You’re happy and
content for a decent performance.
You try to catch up on your delayed
quota and don’t go very deep into
contemplation. But you’re satisfied,
not guilty, to be cruising down the road
of bhakti marga in japa high gear.
May the Lord accept me without
giving me a speeding ticket and
help me improve the balance of the quota

Taken from Bhajan Kutir #258

Please Join the Japa Group

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108@gmail.com

ys

Rasa Rasika dasa

Emphasizing Individual Words

Emphasizing individual words – gradually build up:

• At the beginning of each round, decide on a particular word or words in your mantra to emphasise, e.g. the first "Hare" of the first half, or every "Krishna", or the two "Ramas" in the last line.
• You will see how the words you emphasise start to stand out more.
• With each round, add to it: the double "Krishna" and the double "Rama".
• Again, these words in the mantra will stand out more.
• Keep adding to it, never take a step backwards, or allow an emphasis you have already established slip away, until finally you are emphasising every word of the mantra.

Taken from Iskcon.com

A Call Out For Krsna

Hare Krsna my dear devotees, I hope you have had a nice week and you can chant nicely this week. I brought something nice from H.H.Sacinandana Swami maharaja today, he mentions about how important is to have Krsna as our best friend and address Him while chanting, this also means being attentive and concentrated in japa because by doing that we will be developing a real relationship with the Lord.

Question: Why is it so difficult to call out for Krishna?

H.H. Sacinandana Swami: One can best call out for Krishna when not calling out for so many other things as well. Go to one address. Krishna wishes to see how we make ourselves more and more dependent on Him. We should try to become exclusively His devotee.
Srila Prabhupada writes: “The beginning of ecstatic love of Godhead is basically faith....” (NOD 19)

“Never expect any good from the so called society, friendship and love. Only Krishna is the genuine friend of all living beings and it is He only who can give us all benediction. The more you advance in Krishna Consciousness chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna the more you become spiritually advanced and happy in all respects.” (Letter to Balabhi, April 22, 1967)

“We should learn to depend on Krishna more and more. Actually, Krishna is always guiding us as Supersoul, but due to our forgetfulness, we do not understand that Krishna is friend everlasting. With advance of Krishna Consciousness one is able to realize that Krishna is always with His devotees—not only with His devotees, also with the non-devotees, but the devotees can recognize His Presence and the non-devotees cannot. The more you make advancement in Krishna Consciousness you will see Krishna everywhere. Not only on the bank of the river, but also on streets, trees, lampposts, and so on. The more you see like that you know you are making tangible advancement in Krishna Consciousness. Actually, there is nothing but Krishna all around us. This is explained in the Gita. He is the taste of water, light of the moon, the fragrance of the flower, light of the sun, sound of the sky, the power of the strong and so on. So one who is actually making progress in Krishna Consciousness, he can see Krishna everywhere. At every stage of life, who can avoid the sunlight, the moonlight, the fragrance of the flower, the taste of the water, the sound of the sky, and so on; but one has to learn it, that there is Krishna in all these varieties of existence. Without Krishna there is nothing. It is simply by the influence of Maya that we forget the relationship of Krishna with everything that be.” (Letter to Krsna devi, December 21, 1967)

“Anyone can understand that behind the beauty of nature, behind the succulent fruits and vegetables, and behind the wonderful heat and light of the sun, there is a friend. So we should contact that dearmost friend, Krsna. Any reasonable man will accept this argument. That is rational thinking.” (Letter to Vyasa, August 6, 1970)

In our everyday life of chanting we need to try to develop this individual relationship with the Lord through chanting and also become his best and exclusive servant in this way all our lives will be blessed in every area and we will feel Him closer to our heart

May you have a wonderful chanting and you be able to concentrate and feel the deep sound of the Lords names.

your servant,

Aruna devi

Japa Concentration Exercises

Each-mantra-of-each-round:

• You have to chant and hear each mantra. Right here and now.
• Focus on this bead you are now holding between your fingers, this mantra that is now being uttered from your lips and now entering into the ear.
• And then move onto the next mantra, which you must focus on in the same way… and the next… and the next.
• This may work for 10 or 15 mantras, maybe even 30, and the mind will become diverted again. Then you have to pull the mind back and set to it again.
• Continue to do this and you will succeed.
• At the end of each round, take stock of how well you did, and resolve to make the next round even better: "This time I am going to concentrate fully on each and every mantra of this round – all 108."
• The attitude is, “Right now, this is the only round that counts.”
• And so it goes on for each and every mantra of each and every round… You will see steady improvement… And if you practice this each and every day, your rounds in general will steadily improve.

Taken from Iskcon.com

The Shield of the Holy Name

I was reading Radha-Damodara Vilasa by Vaiyasaki Prabhu last night and came across this wonderful recollection of Vishnujana Maharaj that mother Manmohini shares:

"If you don't chant your sixteen rounds, it's like you've left the door open to your place. So when it's your turn for Maya to attack, when it's your turn to get bombarded by the modes of material nature, if you haven't closed your door properly, Maya will just walk right in and you'll be finished. And if you do chant your sixteen rounds, you have that protection, you have that shield. It's like you locked your door against Maya. So when it's your turn to get hit up by Maya, she'll say, ‘Forget this one; it's too much trouble,' and she'll move on to somebody weaker."

That made me chant all my rounds all these years. That lecture made me realize how important chanting sixteen rounds is. You have that shield that wards off Maya.

Breakdown Of The Maha Mantra

O Krsna! Please attract my mind by pulling it to You.

O Hari! Please capture my mind by Your unsurpassed sweetness.

O Krsna! Please purify my mind with knowledge about devotional service given to me by Your own devotee.

O Krsna! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

O Krsna! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

O Hari! Please make me fit to serve You.

O Hari! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

O Hari! Please direct me to do some particular service for You.

O Rama! Let me hear about Your most cherished pastimes in the company of Your dearest devotee.

O Hara (Radha)! Please reveal to me Your most cherished pastimes with Your beloved Sri Krsna.

O Rama! Please reveal to me Your most cherished pastimes with Your beloved Sri Radha.

O Rama! Please engage me in remembering Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

O Rama! Please make me fit to serve You while remembering Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

O Hari! Having accepted me as one of Your own servitors, please enjoy me as You please.

O Hari! Please enjoy with me in Your transcendental way.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur

With Reverence And Attention

I was behind on my schedule for chanting rounds. I began chanting to get them done, rather than to meditate on them carefully. I partially checked this and listened to the holy names and their syllables, but I was guilty of rushing. It’s foolish to do so because I can get them done later in the day, but I so much value this early morning time that I wanted to concentrate and get a quota done. As I exerted myself, my head began to hurt, but I do value the holy names and don’t consider them something to be rushed. They should be carefully passed through the mind with reverence and attention.

From Bhajan Kutir #251

Please Join the Japa Group

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108@gmail.com

ys

Rasa Rasika dasa

I Stayed Alert For A Long Time

I stayed alert for a long time and paid attention to the syllables of the mantras. My chanting wasn’t so speedy, but it was steady. On the tenth round, I got a headache and took medication, and the headache went down. I just finished sixteen rounds. I’ll be able to chant some extra today.

Taken from Bhajan Kutir #250

Searching for Spiritual Energy

Hare Krsna my dear devotees. I hope your week has been blessed with lots of nectar and realisations from chanting. The Japa mediation process given for us by our merciful Srila Prabhupada is the salvation in this Age of Kali - bringing us shelter to our hearts that are full of contaminations of this material world, this makes us more and more inclined to present ourselves as bodies living in this world as if we belonged here. On the other hand when chanting the holy names of the Lord, we start seeing ourselves in our eternal position as servants and our qualities, the soul qualities come out and we see ourselves as spiritual souls, living in bodies in order to learn again how we can come back to Godhead using the process our spiritual master has been guiding us.

I have got from H.H. Sacinandana Swami's site this nice reply he gave to a devotees answer. I hope you like it and it shines in your heart like it did to me.

Question: What is the difference between the first (i.e. ceto-darpana-marjanam) and the second (i.e. sarvatma-snapanam) cleansing mentioned in the first verse of siksastaka?

Answer: The first cleansing refers to wiping the material dust from the mirror of the mind – almost a forceful purification of material concoctions. It is by the mind that we mistakenly think: O, I am drowning, o, I am happy, o I am distressed, o I am progressing, o I am dying. Yes, death only exists in the mind as the spiritual soul has no death. When the mind is sufficiently cleansed it can start to reflect spiritual knowledge and the quality and energy of the soul.

Sarvatma-svnapanam, the second cleansing, refers to a bath of the soul with the nectarean water of spiritual bliss, knowledge and love. In other words, the transcendental sound of the Holy Name totally overwhelms the soul with its sublime potencies – it doesn’t just wipe away material concoctions. No, it brings the spiritual energy down. In contact with this transcendental energy of the Holy Name a total transformation can be effected. A transformation like the transformation of bell-metal to gold. Srila Prabhupada referred to this transcendental transformation of the material energy when he said that our temples are not situated in London, Tokyo, Hamburg, etc., but they are in the spiritual world. He was indicating that by the chanting of the Holy Names the material energy had been changed to spiritual energy.

I liked very much this part that he gives Srila Prabhupada's example and says that by chanting the material energy is changed to spiritual energy. I always think of this when I am chanting and this also inspires me to chant because sometimes we have the feeling that we don't belong to a certain situation or to a place and we need to be in contact with the Lord to feel confortable in this material world so chanting makes me feel like that, connects me in such way that I don't feel lonely and feel more like a child looking for the father to protect me and this father is the Lord. This feeling of protection is amazing, I am sure you may have some feelings like that. Then you realise how close the Lord is to you.

May your week be blessed and you can feel Krsna while chanting.

your servant,

Aruna devi

I Grasp The Beads

Chanting nonalert, I have nothing much
to show: ten rounds ending with
a headache. Ashamed before Nama Prabhu,
I grasp the beads with new determination
to finish the quota better than
the first ten. Some days are not so good,
and you have to trust you’ll improve

From Bhajan Kutir #247

Concentrate Fully On The Sound

Overcoming obstacles in our Japa can be a daily battle....our mind is not fully absorbed in the sound of the Hare Krsna mantra so we allow it to wander on to other thoughts. We can get distracted by sounds and sights around us - this is the nature of the material world and Mayadevi, her service is to test us to see if we have strong determination and also if we are willing to make an effort to move towards the Lord, if we pass the test then we make great advancement, if not we continue in our illusion.

There a a few simple guidelines that Srila Prabhupada has revealed to us...firstly chanting early in the morning, concentration on the sound and pronouncing the words very clearly - there is a nice quote on this subject:

"Chanting japa should be done early in the morning with full concentration preferably during the Brahma Muhurta time. Concentrate fully on the sound vibration of the mantra, pronouncing each name distinctly and gradually your speed in chanting will increase naturally. Do not worry so much about chanting fast, most important is the hearing."

Letter from Srila Prabhupada 6/1/72

I Got Up Close To The Mahamantra

I got up close to the mahamantra despite the impairment. I accumulated my quota and was not sleepy. But I was distracted. I count the holy names in my favor and do not consider it an aparadha that I have pain. It is just something that comes with this material body. If it is up to me, I would chant better. I have the alternative of lying down in bed with the lights out, but I prefer to keep chanting quietly. I must keep it a priority and not abandon it completely. I have chanted nine rounds. I’m hoping the headache will go down, at least in time for my late-morning writing, because it seems to be a formidable one. There is some doubt.

From Bhajan Kutir #246

Fully Give Yourself

Hare Krsna dear devotees. Nice being with you again and I hope your week has been blessed by the Lord. Today I bring to you more nectar from H.H. Sacinandana Swami - he is always so precise in his replies to devotees doubts that you can't miss this one about chanting. I hope this causes the same or even a better effect on your chanting than it has caused on mine. Maybe we haven't achieved the mood of Srila Haridas Thakur for chanting, but we need to have it as a goal.

Here follows the quotes:

Question: What does it mean to fully give yourself to the Holy Name while chanting japa?

Answer: Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that there are two ways of chanting. First kevala, or just chanting, and sama sneha, or chanting with affection. When you chant with affection for Krishna, then while you chant you start giving your heart to the Holy Name (Krishna). Of course, there are varying degrees of doing so. Begin at your level and sometimes have the Haridas Thakura level in mind as a motivating example.
You can use the wonderful prayers from the Sanata Kumara Samhita to do this.

Padya-pancaka

samsara-sagaranatha putra-mitra-grhakulat
goptarau me yuvam eva prapanna-bhaya-bhanjanau

O Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, please rescue me from the ocean of births and deaths. Please rescue me from the troubles born from children, friends, and home. Please break into pieces the fears of Your surrendered devotee.

yo ‘ham mamasti yat kincid iha loke paratra ca
tat sravam bhavator adya caranesu mayarpitam

O Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, today I place myself and everything I possess both in this life and in the next at Your feet.

aham apy aparadhanam alayas tyakta-sadhanah
agatis ca tato n€thau bhavantau me bhavet gatih

I am so home of all offenses. I have abandoned all spiritual duties. I have no shelter. O Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, O my Lords, please become my shelter.

tavasti radhika-natha karmana manasa gira
krsna-kante tavaivasmi yuvam eva gatir mama

O master of Radha, I am Yours. O beloved of Lord Krishna, I am yours. I offer to both of You my thoughts, words, and deeds. You two are the goal of my life.

saranam vam prapanno ’smi karuna-nikarakarau
prasadam kurutam dasyam mayi duste ‘paradhini

O Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, You are like two great oceans of mercy. Please be merciful to me. I take shelter of You. I surrender to You. Please engage me, a sinner and an offender, in Your service.

Simply amazing! I hope you like it and may use it in your daily chanting. The mood of prayer has a great power in our lives and gives us the feeling of surrender and dependance on the Lord.

May your devotional path become even more powerful and focused on your aim to come back to Godhead.

your servant

Aruna devi

Please Join the Japa Group

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108@gmail.com

ys

Rasa Rasika dasa

Japa Poem

Trusting that Krishna will accept my
effort, I chant attentively in my mind.
I pray within and dutifully count
the quota. It’s close between us, me
and the mantras, a lifelong bond
continued in illness. I tell myself
the ardor isn’t dwindling, it’s just
the outer performance. My heart is still
with Him as good as in my vigorous
youth. I chant alone and like it that way
because I don’t like to expose
my weakness to others. Alone with Him,
I privately offer my best and trust
that Krishna will accept my effort.

From Bhajan Kutir #243

I’m Determined And Don’t Give Up

My rounds have been whispered, pleading to Krishna to please accept them. I can’t be an ideal japa reform instructor for my readers. I mostly tell them of my struggles and speak of my determination despite the impairment. I hope that will be of some help in its own way. At least I’m determined and don’t give up.

From Bhajan Kutir #241

Preparing To Chant

Hare Krsna dear devotees. I hope your week has been blessed with many realisations in your daily meditation on the holy names. Japa is our very important daily activity and we don't need to make many efforts to fall in love with this chanting and connection with Krsna, actually isn't He the one who is the most attractive?...how can a person not be attracted to His potent holy names and all the benedictions that are showered to the ones who dedicate their time to this relationship with Him.
My week has been busy - despite all tests and daily battles I have to face in this world, the chanting of the holy names reminds me of my eternal position as a devotee of the Lord....servant and an aspirant to His heart and affection. Who more than our queen of Vrindavana Srimate Radharani to teach us how to serve Krsna - by praying for Her daily protection we are able to understand how deep is this service and how potent it is when we spend some time with Krsna by chanting.

Before starting this writing, I was thinking of sharing my own preparation for chanting. I usually make this ritual every weekend when my japa can be more dedicated and not so in a hurry, like it is during the working days. Every Saturday, like today I get home and first I clean all the room....check on Tulasi Devi....put Her near the light....clean my altar, clean all the dust of the room and the floor too. After I wash my bathroom and take a shower, ahh it's important to remember that before starting, for this cleaning I usually turn on my computer and put Visvambhar Prabhu 24 hour kirtan which helps me a lot to clean my inside thoughts and remember my son in India. The importance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mission and also my own contribution to it. After my shower I offer an incense to Lord Nrsimhadeva and start saying some mantras before japa. I recite the following prayers:

My gurudeva's pranama
Srila Prabhupada pranama
Sri Vaisnava Pranama
Tulasi Devi prayer
Sri Gouranga pranama
Sri Radha Pranama
Sri Krsna Pranama
Panca Tattva Mantra

Then after all these mantras I start chanting the potent names of the Lord, the Hare Krsna maha mantra Hare Krsna....brought by our Founder-Acharya Srila Prabhupada with so much love and mercy to our life, with that came all benedictions that give us personal strength to serve Krsna with a pure heart and soul.
All these processes I followed for me brings me peacefulness to the heart and makes me calmer to chant. Everyone has a different process to be more focused, my brother turns on the stereo with Srila Prabhupada every day before chanting, this helps him and inspires him before and during his japa. Maybe you have your own way of focusing, the main thing is that you are able to use your intelligence and the right tools to make you more focused and concentrated...able to forget about everything and only meditate on the Lord.

I wish you have your personal relationship with the Lord developed in a very deep way more and more each day - it would be nice if you had the same desire too according to our Founder, this is the only way we can achieve pure devotional service. So use all the right tools to awaken these strong desires inside you, this is the key to success. Pure devotional service can't be bought but attained by really strong desires coming from the heart.

your servant,

Aruna devi

Turned Out To Be A Good Session

After eight rounds, my eyelids began feeling a little heavy, but I persisted and overcame it. I finished sixteen rounds by 4:15 A.M. It turned out to be a good session, with emphasis on mechanics, but good mechanics. I chanted all my rounds in a row, and felt good about overcoming the headache. I was not deeply into contemplation, but I was alert the whole time.

From Bhajan Kutir #239

Japa Seminar Part 2

Here is part 2 of Bhakti Caitanya Swami's Japa Seminar given in Mauritius - to download, right click the link and select "Save target as" or "Save link as" Bhakti Caitanya Swami Japa Seminar Part 2

Japa Seminar Part 1

Here is a very nice Japa seminar given by Bhakti Caitanya Swami....it gives very nice insights into chanting - to download, right click the link and select "Save target as" or "Save link as"

Bhakti Caitanya Japa Seminar Part 1

Please Join the Japa Group

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108@gmail.com

ys

Rasa Rasika dasa

Chanting With Good Mechanics

At about my fourth round, a headache began, and I took medication. I kept on chanting and separated the headache from the japa. Sometimes I say that I chant mechanically. But there’s a difference between good mechanics and poor mechanics. In baseball, sometimes they talk about a pitcher having poor mechanics. It means there’s something wrong with his basic delivery. In chanting, good mechanics means you’re uttering the mantras clearly at an efficient pace and methodically. Good mechanical chanting is not suddha-nama, but it’s important. It means you’re attentive, concentrated and conscientious. Today I’ve been chanting with good mechanics, and I’m gratified. Since I started a little late, I’ve only chanted eleven rounds, but I’m sure I’ll make them up later—with good mechanics.

Bhajan Kutir #233

The First Regulative Principle

"The first regulative principle is that one must chant the Hare Krsna maha−mantra loudly enough so that he can hear himself, and one must vow to chant a fixed number of rounds."

Sri Caitanya caritamrta Antya−lila 11.24

Offering of Love

Hare Krsna dear devotees. It's very nice being with your here again, I hope your week has been nice and you have been able to chant good rounds with love and devotion.

Last weekend in the Govardhana Puja day we planted the seeds of Tulasi devi here at home - I am not good at gardening and actually I have never grown Tulasi devi. When I lived in the temple I used to care but have never grown from the beginning.

Once my Guru Maharaj in one of his lectures he stated the importance of chanting in front of Tulasi devi and asking Her to bless our chanting - after that I wrote to the Vrindavan temple and asked for the seeds. A very nice devotee sent them to me and I planted the seeds....the book for caring of Tulasi helped me a lot. As I don't stay at home during the day the boys, Kesava and Advaita, have been watering the seed and putting near the sunlight, they offered flowers and chanted some mantras.

I have been chanting in front of the vase during the Brahma Muhurta time, after about a week there is a very small green sprout coming and she looks very nice. As I told you in the beginning I am not so good at growing but I feel very blessed because I have been praying for her, chanting Tulasi mantra during the week and asking Her to bless my house and my life.
I really need her mercy to chant better and to become a nice devotee, more dedicated and more enthusiastic to perform devotional service....sometimes my mind wanders and I forget I am here to spread the movement Srila Prabhupada gave us with so much love and care and I remain focused on my personal needs.
I am already blessed here at home, everyone is chanting the holy names every day and they are constantly making bhajans and I am sure this is due to our service to the Deities. Krsna is so merciful that He blesses us much more than we deserve with lots of spiritual advancement....service to His devotees and personal blessings just because of our small efforts, what to speak of the big ones.
This week let's chant thinking of how our Founder Acharya gave himself for us to be here and how much he protected us and shared all his perfect knowledge with us in a very genuine way. Let's give him as an offering from our hearts and efforts, even if they are small and for only 2 hours of your day, but make them with your heart and soul.

May your week be blessed with nice service and a blessed chanting.

your servant,

Aruna devi

In It's The Bag

My realisation for today is that chanting Japa is the most important part of our spiritual day....it affects everything we do in sadhana bhakti.

Fixed and concentrated rounds means fixed and concentrated reading and hearing (and also fixed on the Holy names in kirtan).

It's the cornerstone and when the cornerstone is strong, then everything else is strong. The answer lies within our bead bag....our Japa is always going to be the answer.

I’ve Chanted Ten Rounds

As I began my chanting, a slight headache began. Gradually it moved into the right eye, and I took migraine medicine. Narayana said that I had the choice of either going back to sleep or staying up and chanting quietly. I chose to stay up and chant. Fortunately, the pain went down. I’ve chanted ten rounds.

Bhajan Kutir #231

I Chanted At A Decent Pace

I got up at 2:15 A.M. and began my chanting. Surprisingly, my chanting went well, without any drowsiness or headache pains. I’ve chanted twelve rounds. I concentrated on accumulation and hearing the holy names. I chanted at a decent pace and kept my mind fixed on the syllables. I have time to chant some more rounds before taking my shower.

From Bhajan Kutir #229

Please Join the Japa Group

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108@gmail.com

ys

Rasa Rasika dasa

Chanting Is Out Of This World

I was a little disturbed by a conversation, and it distracted me from the finer mood of the chanting. I kept up my determination in counting the rounds and accumulating the numbers. I’ve chanted twelve rounds. One should lead one’s life in such a way that the mind is unagitated for chanting. It’s a whole art of living. A chanter is a person who has a peaceful mind and can go deep, savoring the mahamantra during his japa session. If we’re worried or disturbed by different agitations, we’re not with Radha and Krishna. Chanting is out of this world. You have to go there and leave the concerns of the material world, at least when we chant. It is our sacred time.

Taken from Bhajan #228

Heartfelt Activities- Spiritual Growth

Hare Krsna dear devotees. It's very nice to be with you again talking about japa meditation, such an amazing topic that makes us more focused in our spiritual growth.
We have many concerns or maybe goals in our lives, some of us want more knowledge in order to understand the Supreme, others want material development, physical and healthy balance and also the control of the senses and behavior. If we make sure all these pillars are ok in our lives we will have better chanting.

On the other hand, if we don't have any of these areas well developed we still can achieve any of them by chanting properly because Krsna always sees our efforts to depend on Him. The Lord knows what we need to develop a better spiritual life, He knows we need to have nice prasadam, a good quality life and our health needs to be strong so we can serve Him much better.

Being concerned about that is making our body a temple to accept Krsna and when we think like this we treat ourselves well in all aspects.

We feed our thoughts and mind with good and healthy things like engaging in service, associating with devotees, sharing our problems and achievements with them and dedicating our efforts to focus on our goals aligned with Guru and Krsna's desire. Faith that the holy names and spiritual life can supply our needs is difficult because we think material and spiritual life are apart but when we engage everything in service they become spiritualised and purified.
Taking care of our physical body helps us in service and to have a better and focused japa, eating properly, having a mental cleaning. Sometimes we think about so many things that affect our life in a negative way and working on patience and dependance on the Lord brings us peacefulness and strength to solve all obstacles to achieve our spiritual aims. Being positive and trusting our japa will fulfill our life with everything we need, this takes some responsability and practice but when we see the results we become even more dependant on the names.
It's common for us complaining more than being grateful, criticizing more than forgiving but when we decide to change because these feelings don't match our spiritual desires we learn it maybe through the hard way but we do.
It's only a matter of exercising - I challenge you to start exercising this, train your mind to follow your guidelines...chanting at a certain time everyday, eating properly, taking some physical exercise, avoiding negative thoughts and complaints. Always see the good side of each bad thing, which is not always bad but the good for us to lear....see a lesson and opportunity to grow with every situation and this will lead you to a mature and focused spiritual growth that will make every single devotional activity sound deep and efficient.

Remember to use your heart, feelings and emotions when you chant so they will stick to your mind and soul everyday you do it.

your servant,

Aruna devi

The Gayatri & Hare Krsna Mantras

The Hare Krsna Maha mantra has three aspects:

(1) Concentration or meditation upon it
(2) Kirtan or chanting
(3) Sankirtan or chanting in the congregation of devotees

The Gayatri mantra is only for meditating upon and never recommended to be chanted. Lord Brahma got the whole meaning of the Vedas revealed in his heart by meditating upon the Gayatri mantra. That is why Gayatri mantra is called Veda-mata or mother of the Vedas .

By accepting the Gayatri mantra from a bonafide Guru one becomes a Brahmana, while by getting the Hare Krsna mantra from a bonafide Guru one becomes a Vaisnava. Just as a Vaisnava is much more exalted than a Brahmana, similarly the Hare Krsna mantra is much more potent than the Gayatri mantra .
The question may arise why then did Srila Prabhupada introduce the Brahman initiation system to create new Brahmanas in ISKCON. There are two reasons behind it.
Firstly, by meditating upon the Gayatri mantra, the deeper meaning of the Hare Krsna mantra gets revealed in one's heart, in due course of time, as by this process of concentration during Japa increases.
Secondly, according to the Vaidhi Bhakti system, Deity worship in the temple or at home can be performed only by a qualified Brahmana. So new Brahmanas must be created to continue temple worship .

One may argue that Vaisnavas are in the bhava-bhakti stage which is much higher than the vaidhi-bhakti stage and in the bhava-bhakti stage there is no discrimination between a Brahmana or a Sudra or anything else. Even Mahaprabhu has said:

Kiba Bipro kiba Nyasi Shudra kene noy
Jei Krsna tattva-bettva sei Guru hoy

Meaning that whoever is qualified in Krsna cosciousness is fit to be a Guru irrespective of his being a Brahmana, Sannyasi or a Sudra . In other words Mahaprabhu made the caste system redundant. We have to understand what Mahaprabhu has said is meant for the bhava-bhakti stage only because He Himself observed vaidhi-bhakti principles while performing temple worship.
In order to go to the bhava-bhakti stage we have to go through the vaidhi-bhakti stage, and in the vaidhi-bhakti stage Varnasrama Dharma is applicable.

For example an aircraft needs a runway on the ground to be airbourne, but once in the air it does not need the runway. The vaidhi-bhakti stage is like the runway and bhava-bhati stage is like the airbourne state of an aircraft.
However, for mass preaching, even greatly exalted devotees who are normally in the bhava-bhakti stage (like Srila Prabhupada) had to come down to the vaidhi-bhakti platform and observe the vaidhi-bhakti principles for temple worship etc.

Therefore vaidhi-bhakti system and the Varnasrama Dharma cannot be totally dispensed with. Srila Prabhupada understood this and hence he tried to create more qualified Brahmanas by proper education, training and initiation .

This is my understanding and I am ready to hear comments and stand corrected if found wrong by other devotees.

Arunava Mukerji

(Arun Krsna Das)

Japa Seminar Part 1

Here is a very nice seminar on how to avoid inattention given by Sudama dasa in Mauritius (right click and "save target as" or "save link as")

http://ia311009.us.archive.org/2/items/AttentiveChantingSeminarSudamaPrHklMru20.08.09Day1/Day1.mp3

Concentrate Fully On The Sound

"Chanting japa should be done early in the morning with full concentration preferably during the Brahma Muhurta time. Concentrate fully on the sound vibration of the mantra, pronouncing each name distinctly and gradually your speed in chanting will increase naturally.Do not worry so much about chanting fast, most important is the hearing."

Letter from Srila Prabhupada 6/1/72

I’d Like To Always Chant In That Way

As I chanted, I thought of the words “tender” and “tenderness.” I wanted to chant with care in my moral or spiritual feelings towards Nama Prabhu. Seeing Radha-Govinda helped because They are tenderness personified. I want to chant like a lover. I chanted in a subdued way, because I had to because of my head. But it also lent itself toward feelings of warmth and sympathy, gentle and delicate. One should handle the holy name in that way. It was a nice feeling. I’d like to always chant in that way.

From Bhajan Kutir #224

Please Join the Japa Group

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world...simply send me an introduction email and I will be happy to make you a member:

rasa108@gmail.com

ys

Rasa Rasika dasa

On The Deck Of A Ship

Hare Krsna my dear devotees. Today is holiday here in Brazil so I am again with you for more nectar of chanting. I was in H.H. Sacinandana Swami 's site and read a very nice question and an answer given by him to a devotee that may add a lot to our chanting, I hope you can get a lot from it.

Question: I have seen several unsuccessful attempts by devotees, who in the end did not get encouraging results from their chanting and later left their practice dissatisfied. How can we chant in such a way, that our chanting will quickly pass through the stages of offensive practice and quickly yield Krsna conscious realization?

Answer: This is a very good question. It is also my main question. How can we make substantial advancement? There are a couple of things which come to my mind in answer to your question: First, I really feel one has to become a scientist in one’s spiritual life. Give your best and let Krsna do the rest. Especially one should become a scientist in regarding to chanting the Holy Name and apply himself totally to a process.
Also one should be sure about the goal of one’s spiritual life – the sadhya – and connect one’s practices with that goal. In my answer I prefer to not speak so much in detail about perfecting one’s practice and one’s orientation though. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there are two ways of looking on advancement. One is from our perspective and the other from Krsna’s. From our perspective it may seem that we are not making much advancement. However, Krsna sees things differently.
A pure devotee who has a transcendental perspective also sees things differently. In this regard I remember an answer of Srila Prabhupada to a question of a newly initiated disciple who wondered if with that initiation a substantial change had been made.

Prabhupada answered: “By the initiation you have been saved from the drowning in the ocean. You are now on deck of a ship. But due to the traumatic drowning experience you are still unconscious. As a matter of fact your situation has substantially changed – you are no longer drowning in the ocean. But from your perspective everything looks still the same.”

I like this answer very much, because a pure devotee and Krsna see the facts, whereas many of us are still under the influence of the mind. Could it be that we as devotees are in a different situation than we perceive ourselves to be in?
I believe that is the real picture and I have seen many devotees who could recognize the tremendous amount of blessings on them during the time of death when they had extraordinary spiritual realizations.

H.H. Sacinandana Swami 4/09

It's very nice to hear from senior devotees like maharaj and get all these realisations of chanting, they give us a lot of inspiration to chant and to overcome any obstacle that may come to our spiritual life.

May your week be blessed by the Lord in many different ways.

your servant,

Aruna devi

Strong Desires For Service

Hare Krsna my dear devotees. It's nice to be with you again talking about the glories of Nama Prabhu. A devotee is nothing without the holy names, they are our constant shelter and support. This week here at home devotees are chanting in the morning and at night, the boys and my brother's family. It's 4am in the morning when I first listen to Srila Prabhupada's bhajans and then the sound of the holy names being chanted. That's the very auspicious way of waking up, I normally wake up at 4:20 then I chant and go to work everyday - it's a very special effort that brings me too much joy and strength in spiritual terms.

I am pretty sure that this mood has developed because of the mercy of the Deities, we worship Them every weekend with so much care and love and for this reason we can get the reciprocation in the form of more service, which is the best and fills our hearts with more devotion and service.

This is the importance of always being dedicated to Krsna and worshiping Him the best we can, always increasing the service and the standard of it. We are all here to develop a deeper relationship with the Lord through our service, so if we have strong desires to increase it and maintain a good standard, He will bless us with more and more abilities to develop a better service.
Japa needs to be the number 1 priority in our lives, so the service goes well and Krsna takes control of it....meaning He is able to engage us in our propensities as our wish. I am very happy to say I have the protection of Nama Prabhu at home and the potency of our Sri Sri Gaura Nitai deities to bless us in service.

My desires are that everyday I can make my service better and achieve pure love of Krsna, chanting the holy names in a very pure state of mind.
And you, do you have strong desires to have your service increased or chant better? If so engage your mind in these thoughts and ask Krsna to bless your life with that and for sure your strong desires will become your present bliss.

May your week be blessed with more devotional service and your senses engaged in attentive chanting.

your servant,

Aruna devi

Best When You Do It That Way

"I chanted sixteen rounds in a row. It’s best when you do it that way, just going on and pushing and not stopping. I chanted them quickly and with attention to the holy names. My mind did not wander much but stayed concentrated on the accumulation, the addition of numerical strength. I should find time to chant some more rounds today and not leave it at this bare minimum. The best part was staying alert and attentive without getting sleepy."

From Bhajan Kutir #218