Author Archives: Rasa Rasika

“In this connection, in order to remain fixed in spiritual strength, always be sure to chant the prescribed sixteen rounds of beads daily without fail. This is essential for insuring your spiritual progress.”Letter to Rudra dasMarch 9, 1970

Devotee: Sometimes we are so enthusiastic in service that while chanting we are also thinking of service.Radhanath Swami: It is better to think of service than of sense gratification, no doubt. But when you do service, you should be thinking of service…

“The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Kṛiṣhṇa are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidya [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.”

Nectar of Instruction Text 7

“….we should be certain that we will face a constant battle with many other thoughts that might pour in. However, we should chant and hear the name through all this noise and not break down thinking why am i not able to chant properly. Slowly but ste…

“Indistinct chanting means you are not chanting with devotion. If you chant distinctly during your life, it is quite possi­ble that even at the time of death you’ll be able to chant with faith and love.”

From Viraha Bhavan #109
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

When I was chanting today. I remember this advice given in many Japa Seminars.The advice is very sound – just hear the present mantra you are chanting….focus on one mantra at a time and be in the present with it – absorb the sound into yourself and f…

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world…simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa

“My chanting has been calm and peaceful. I whispered the holy names and tried to stay close to them. They are the main reason for rising early, so that I can feel the special quality of the early hours for chanting without disturbances.”From Bhajan Kut…

“Even if our japa is filled with distractions, Krishna is pleased with our repeated attempts to bring the mind back under the control of the holy name.”From Vandanam: A Krishna Conscious Handbook on Prayerby Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

It’s vital that our Japa is as good as we can make it….with this effort, the Lord reciprocates and we can taste of devotional pleasure in our spiritual lives. Here is a nice quote by Srila Prabhupada about this very aspect:”….Practically we see tha…

“Please know that by chanting the holy name all anarthas will be removed. When our heart is cleansed from all this anartha dust, the form, qualities and pastimes of the Lord will automatically manifest themselves on the clear mirror of the purified he…

“One can cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness anywhere and everywhere, provided he can always think of Kṛṣṇa. The mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, can be chanted even within the abdomen of one’s mother.”

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.31.21

“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 impr…

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world…simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa

“Chanting japa brings a mood of peace to the mind and quells all your anxieties when you do it nicely.”From Bhajan Kutir #484by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

“Japa is an important part of devotional life. If your japa is not up to standard, this is serious. You must reform. That is, out of your regret may come success. Prabhupada used to say, ‘Failure is the pillar of success.’ Assess yourself, and try to improve your chanting of Hare Krishna.”

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

“Of the nine processes of devotional service, the most important is to always chant the holy name. If one does so, avoiding the ten kinds of offenses, one very easily obtains the most valuable love of Godhead.”

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Antya 4.71

“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 impr…

What to do is more than just chanting with the lips. Bhaktivinod Thakur says that Hare Krishna mantra does not appear simply by chanting with the lips, moving the vocal cords but one has to chant with one’s heart. One has to hear with one’s heart and t…

The cornerstone of our spiritual life is chanting attentive rounds each day.It’s what inspires us on the spiritual platform and gives us the spiritual nourishment we need to face the front-line of the war on Maya.

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world…simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa

“Also inform Jayananda that I have received his letter and the difficulties of life may come as seasonal changes but we should not be disturbed by all those difficulties. Our process is to chant and that process will gradually clear everything in due c…

“The introspective devotee must first discard all the ten offenses and simply meditate on the holy name trying to chant constantly. He should distinctly pronounce the holy name and meditate upon the transcendental sound vibration.”From Harinama Cintamani

“Do not give up chanting the Hare Krsna mantra simply due to some external difficulties. Under all circumstances you should always chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This will protect you from al…

“My japa was good in fighting all the way although it was a strange way to go about it. I listened to the syllables of the holy names and punched out all the obsta­cles that come to good chanting such as pramada inattention, the great difficulty, and blasphemy of a pure devotee and not having faith in the scriptures and so on.”

From Bhajan #450
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

“Whichever seva we have done in spiritual life like reading or distributing books, bringing up temple, making & offering Prasad – if we want the fruit of that seva, we should request Lord that “Let my japa be attentive japa.”

Lokanatha Swami
Lecture on Suddha Nama 2008

Distraction is the enemy of the Japa chanter. By concentrating on the sound and focusing on the Holy names we can defeat this enemy with the sound of Krsna’s names.

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world…simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa

TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: O killer of enemies, O killer of Madhu, how can I counterattack with arrows in battle men like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, who are worthy of my worship?

PURPORT
Respectable superiors like Bhīṣma the grandfather and Droṇācārya the teacher are always worshipable. Even if they attack, they should not be counterattacked. It is general etiquette that superiors are not to be offered even a verbal fight. Even if they are sometimes harsh in behavior, they should not be harshly treated. Then, how is it possible for Arjuna to counterattack them? Would Kṛṣṇa ever attack His own grandfather, Ugrasena, or His teacher, Sāndīpani Muni? These were some of the arguments offered by Arjuna to Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.4

“I have been chanting with steady attention to the syllables and though I have not realized my direct relationship with the Lord as indicated in the Namamrta, I am striving for that goal. By vaidhi-bhakti the raganuga stage will evolve. I pray for that…

When discussing the correct method of chanting japa, Srila Prabhupada generally advised his disciples to “just hear the name.” In Bhagavad-gita, Sri Krsna orders Arjuna to do the same, tat srnu, “Just hear Me.” Once a disciple told Srila Prabhupada th…

“Everyone of you should be thoroughly convinced of the power of the Hare Krsna mantra to protect you in all circumstances and chant accordingly at all times without offense. Then advancement will be swift and you will gradually come to see everything c…

“As you chant Hare Krsna, your dormant love of God will come out, just as butter comes out when we churn milk. Butter is already there in milk, but it has to be brought out by the process of churning. So your love of God is there, it just has to be bro…

The cornerstone of our spiritual life is chanting attentive rounds each day….it’s what inspires us on the spiritual platform and gives us the spiritual nourishment we need to face the frontline of the war on Maya.

“I like to remem­ber Srila Prabhupada’s empha­sis on the impor­tance of chant­ing the Hare Krishna mantra. When Srila Prab­hu­pada teaches that the top­most stage of God real­iza­tion can be attained sim­ply by chant­ing the holy names, we are pleased and con­vinced. Even though I can’t take up the chant­ing prop­erly, still it is a solace and inspi­ra­tion to hear Prab­hu­pada tell us about it.”

From Viraha Bhavan #169
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Please share your realisations with other devotees from around the world…simply send me an introduction message and I will be happy to make you a member:rasa108 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa

“He chants as a watchman does his rounds, guarding the property, happy in his duties, guarding to make sure his voice utters only the name. And with his watchman’s searchlight he constantly pierces into the darkness of the wandering mind. As a watchman, he does his rounds.”

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

When we wake up in the morning, our thoughts should turn to Japa – it’s the beginning of our spiritual day and the most important.You may remember the times when your Japa was focused and concentrated and you felt the purification of the Holy names – i…

Today was a struggle with the mind. There are so many things that Maya sends for our mind’s to latch on to. Even if we are in a peaceful place from from the usual city sounds, still there are the sights and sounds of birds, insects etc.In whatever situ…

Today was a struggle with the mind. There are so many things that Maya sends for our mind’s to latch on to. Even if we are in a peaceful place from from the usual city sounds, still there are the sights and sounds of birds, insects etc.In whatever situ…