Author Archives: Rasa Rasika

The Lake Of The Mind
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“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

The Relationship Between Sound And Form
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“The relationship between sound and form is particularly relevant to chanting Japa. Just as material sound vibrations produce visible forms, similarly, the transcendental vibration of Krishna’s name produces the visible form of Krishna in the heart of a devotee. When chanting the holy name of Krishna, one will eventually see the form of Krishna. This is because the sound of Krishna’s name carries within it the trancendental form of Krishna as well as His abode, associates and pastimes.”

From The Art of chanting Hare Krishna
by Mahanidhi Swami

What Is The Situation
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arjuna uvāca
ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
teṣāḿ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa
sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ

TRANSLATION
Arjuna inquired: O Kṛṣṇa, what is the situation of those who do not follow the principles of scripture but worship according to their own imagination? Are they in goodness, in passion or in ignorance?

PURPORT
In the Fourth Chapter, thirty-ninth verse, it is said that a person faithful to a particular type of worship gradually becomes elevated to the stage of knowledge and attains the highest perfectional stage of peace and prosperity. In the Sixteenth Chapter, it is concluded that one who does not follow the principles laid down in the scriptures is called an asura, demon, and one who follows the scriptural injunctions faithfully is called a deva, or demigod. Now, if one, with faith, follows some rules which are not mentioned in the scriptural injunctions, what is his position? This doubt of Arjuna’s is to be cleared by Kṛṣṇa. Are those who create some sort of God by selecting a human being and placing their faith in him worshiping in goodness, passion or ignorance? Do such persons attain the perfectional stage of life? Is it possible for them to be situated in real knowledge and elevate themselves to the highest perfectional stage? Do those who do not follow the rules and regulations of the scriptures but who have faith in something and worship gods and demigods and men attain success in their effort? Arjuna is putting these questions to Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 17.1

Easier For One To Always Chant
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trnâd api sunîcena, taror iva sahisnunâ
amânina mânadena, kîrtanîyah sadâ harih

“One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others, can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.”

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura says that this verse teaches one how to chant without offences by mentioning the four qualities necessary for non-stop chanting. In other words, by possessing these four devotional traits it will be much easier for one to always chant the holy name. The sastras prescribe constant chanting as the way to remove all offences.

From Illuminations on Nama Aparadha
by Mahanidhi Swami

The Symptom Of Good Japa
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  • The symptom of good Japa is that we like to chant.
  • The symptom of poor Japa is lack of taste and a struggle to complete our rounds.
  • Lack of taste is reinforced by the mood of, “I have to do chant” rather than in proper mood of “I want to chant, I get to chant, I love to chant.”
  • I have to chant sends a message to Krsna in the form of Nama Prabhu that we don’t like spending time with Him.
by Mahatma dasa

Tremendous Positive Effect
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“You can’t minimize the importance you give your Japa (the essence of our philosophy, your link to Krsna, the most essential instruction of the spiritual master) without it having a negative effect on your spiritual life. And you can’t maximize the importance you give your Japa without it having a tremendously positive effect on your Krsna consciousness.”

From Your Japa Blueprint
by Mahatma dasa

This Is The Time To Fight
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“While chanting, your mind is bothering. Your mind must be dragging you here, there and so it’s not just sitting idle there. But you have to be very active. You should be sitting motionless, you are not moving. But your mind is going to be bothering you at the time of chanting. More botherations of the mind comes during chanting. Other times the mind is relaxed, absorbed. But when you are trying to bring your mind closer to the Lord, the conditioned mind [thinks],“No, no, no, don’t bring me closer to the Lord. No, I want to be there.” There’s a big tug of war during chanting. Chanting is not a peaceful time. It is a war time. This is the time to fight.”

Lokanatha Swami

This Is Actually Krsna
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“So while you are chanting, you don’t have to get to something else or go somewhere else or wait for “it” to happen, but you just have to realize that this is actually Krsna. Then, as you realize Krsña more, you get more into the chanting. You realize that the chanting is simply to chant Krsna’s name, and you want to do it more and more.”

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami