Author Archives: Rasa Rasika

TRANSLATION
With the destruction of dynasty, the eternal family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion.

PURPORT
In the system of the varṇāśrama institution there are many principles of religious traditions to help members of the family grow properly and attain spiritual values. The elder members are responsible for such purifying processes in the family, beginning from birth to death. But on the death of the elder members, such family traditions of purification may stop, and the remaining younger family members may develop irreligious habits and thereby lose their chance for spiritual salvation. Therefore, for no purpose should the elder members of the family be slain.

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1.39

“Chanting produces best results when we go deeper into chanting. Standing on the shores of the ocean one can’t access the precious gems and jewels on the bed of the ocean; one will be tossed away by the waves. However if we go deeper into the ocean, we can access the pearls. Similarly by chanting superficially or occasionally, we can’t avail the benefits; we’ll be thrown away by the waves of material energy.”

Radhanatha Swami

“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…

“Just keep chanting Hare Krishna and moving the beads and focus on listening to the syllables of the Holy Names. As the mind wanders, we shouldn’t get agitated. Just keep chanting; don’t give up the process and eventually the mind cooperates.”

Radhanatha Swami

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

“The Gosvamis, especially Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, strictly followed all the regulative principles. 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 …

“There is no question of your falldown. Chant 16 rounds regularly and no power in all three worlds will make you fall down. Krishna will save you always.”Letter to Himavati19 August, 1971

“I became determined to reform, to chant my japa pronouncing each word and syllable. My japa improved immediately. I then understood the chanting was most important and could not be neglected. I felt I was learning a crucial, confidential secret, alth…

Yesterday in the Japa Room we heard a summary of the Alachua Japa Workshop with Mahatma dasa. He also talks with Badaharidas dasa and answers questions on the Japa workshop.Emails subscribers please click the big blue link above to see the video.

Chanting should be enough in the forefront that we don’t chant our rounds while driving. It should be enough in the forefront that it gets prime time in the morning. If that’s what he meant by forefront, then yes, chanting should be in the forefront.

Japa Walks, Japa Talks
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

As long as we chant as we have been taught we will not com­mit the first type of disrupion, varna-vyvadhana. But a sub­tle form of this dis­rup­tion occurs when we don’t pro­nounce the mantra prop­erly. Srila Prab­hu­pada refers to a “hiss­ing sound” that is some­times pro­duced by a poor chanter and in a lec­ture he made a car­i­ca­ture of slurred chant­ing, and said “hurkr­ish hurkr­ish krishkr­ish” and said “Not like that. But with priti, with love.”

From Viraha Bhavan #140
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

“During the japa session, as the mind howls, don’t give up the chanting. However bad the mind’s demands, don’t give in; let’s keep chanting till we complete our daily quota. The lake of the mind will eventually settle down. But be rest assured, tomorrow as you sit for another japa session, the mind will once again agitate. Again the solution is the same; do not react.”

Radhanatha Swami

It’s simple, just hear the sound of the Lord’s Holy names. Not always easy to do but with a few simple guidelines it can become easier. When you chant, just chant – do nothing else and think of nothing else.

“To be attentive purification of the heart is required. This means keeping silence and avoiding unfavourable talking. While chanting, one must affectionately remember the meaning of the mantra. Steadiness, patience, and attachment to chanting are all t…

“Maya is very strong, and we are liable to fall down at any moment. We have to gather our strength by chanting the beads sixteen rounds regularly and praying to the lotus feet of Krsna for guidance.”Letter to Bali Mardan and UpendraLos Angeles 10 May, …

“It’s such a good thing when you chant your japa decently. It brightens your day. You feel hope for the ultimate goal. After all, chanting is the prime necessity, the easiest way to achieve love of God. In fact, it’s the only way in Kali-yuga.”

From Japa Transformations
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

This is also called a Sankalpa – it’s a determination to achieve something that you fix in your mind and is a very powerful tool.Before you start Japa you can make a determination to hear properly, to avoid doing other things or to place yourself …

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

It’s something we don’t often think about but our Japa environment is imperative if we want to avoid distractions.Our mind can be distracted in any environment and ultimately it comes down to how much we hear the sound of the mantra, having said that t…

“So if you neglectfully chant Hare Kṛṣṇa you become so benefited, then how much you will be benefited if you carefully chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That should be the ideal.”

Srila Prabhupada Lecture on SB 6.2.4
Vrndavana, September 8, 1975

“And practically we see, those who are chanting, they’re becoming free from the contamination. If you follow the rules and regulations, very simple thing, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā mantra. That is our only request. Then, in spite of this contaminated age of Kali, you’ll be saved. You’ll be saved.”

Lecture SB 1.16.19 Hawaii
January 15, 1974

This week in the Japa Room we heard a nice video with Mahatma dasa and his daughter Vraja Sundari. They both share many nice realisations in relation to focusing on the Holy names.Email subscribers please click the big blue link to see the video.

“My advice to you is that you associate always with Krishna through chanting the Holy Name. If you are always with Krishna there is no question of moroseness or anxiety.”Letter to Aradhana22 January 1974, Honolulu

“…his name is not different from Him. The name and the form and the quality of God, they are all Absolute. Therefore chanting His name means associating with God. So when one associates with God, gradually He becomes godly. And when he is fully purif…

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

“In addition to these four prohibitions (yama), there are positive regulative principles (niyama), such as the daily chanting of sixteen rounds on japa-mālā beads. These regulative activities must be faithfully performed with enthusiasm. This is called tat-tat-karma-pravartana, or varied engagement in devotional service.”

From Nectar Of Instruction
Verse 3 purport

“Our strength is in following the regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds japa. Then Krsna will give you protection.”Letter to Visvadharini dasi12th January, 1977

The mind says “Can’t can’t can’t” – it’s the nature of the mind to accept and reject and sometimes we find our mind will reject the idea of chanting the Holy names.Each day the mind may come up with many excuses and reasons not to chant or to put it of…

Chanting attentive Japa opens one’s heart to higher and higher stages of loving God, just as natural forces make a lotus unfold or the moon seem to wax.We Japa chanters often begin a japa session dull, anxious, or bewildered. We leave it strong and foc…

“Krsna I will do this. From now on I will chant my rounds with great concentration and great attention. I won’t let my mind be distracted. I won’t listen to my mind.”

And that is our determination and then we say:

“But actually Krsna please help. Krsna please help me do this. I am very confident; I am very bold that I can do this. But actually I can’t do this without Your help, without Your mercy.”

From Process Of Improving Habits
by Mahanidhi Swami

Whatever our situation – whatever the material energy conjures up in our lives, we need to keep on chanting regardless. It’s something I was meditating on today after I finished my last 2 rounds – Maya may make so many disturbances in our lives, and it…

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

“The important thing is not to worry about speed but just be peaceful and keep going for the quality. You’ll surely get your rounds done, there’s no doubt about it.”

From Bhajan Kutir #419
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

I have a good method on how to focus – it requires a spot to stare at and to not move your gaze from that place. It requires great determination, but when you see the effects and feel the benefits of total focus on the sound of the Maha mantra, it’s al…

“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

TRANSLATION
For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.

PURPORT
Generally it is advised that Bhagavad-gītā be discussed amongst the devotees only, for those who are not devotees will understand neither Kṛṣṇa nor Bhagavad-gītā. Those who do not accept Kṛṣṇa as He is and Bhagavad-gītā as it is should not try to explain Bhagavad-gītā whimsically and become offenders. Bhagavad-gītā should be explained to persons who are ready to accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

It is a subject matter for the devotees only and not for philosophical speculators. Anyone, however, who tries sincerely to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is will advance in devotional activities and reach the pure devotional state of life. As a result of such pure devotion, he is sure to go back home, back to Godhead.

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 18.68

Hareagatya duhkha-harta yo sarvesam vraja-vasinamsri radha-hari-carito harih sri nandanandanahWhen the son of Maharaja Nanda returned to Vraja, He took away the suffering of all the Vrajavasis. By His wonderful exploits, He steals the heart of Sri Radh…

Sri Krsna went to Mathurapuri in order to destroy the demons. However, due to being captivated by the love of Radha, He later returned. Therefore She is known as Hara.

Ramarodanair gokule davanalam asayati hyasauvisosayati tenokto ramo bhakta-sukhavahahWhen the residents of Gokula were crying due to fear of the forest fire, Krsna immediately swallowed it and gave His devotees great joy. In this way, He is known as Ra…