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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
Sacinandana Swami’s Japa Retreat discusses the importance of focus and posture.
“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
“Chanting Hare Krsna is not the solution, attentive chanting is the solution.”Gopal Krsna Goswami16 November 2006
In this Japa retreat lecture, Sacinandana Swami takes us on a journey of the mind and all it’s ramblings and thoughts. This illustrated very well how important it is to ignore the mind during our chanting.Email subscribers please click the blue link ab…
“We have so many things to do just to survive that sometimes we feel we have to sacrifice Japa and prayer as mere luxuries. Here again a balance is required, but we owe it to ourselves not to be forced into a situation where we find “no time” for basic…
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 does no good to absentmindedly chant the name of Krishna while your thoughts are elsewhere. Chanting will bring our uncontrolled mind under control”Srila Prabhupada LectureFrom Back to Godhead 1966
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
“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
“I would also like to know if the initiated devotees are chanting regularly sixteen rounds and following the regulative principles rigidly. This is very essential.”Letter to Harer NamaFebruary 11, 1970
Simply our prayer should be:My dear Krishna, please remind me to always chant Your Holy Name; please do not put me into forgetfulness. You are sitting within me as Super soul, so you can put me into forgetfulness or into remembering You. So please do n…
Whenever I am chanting and feel my mind wandering there are two words that I use to bring it back to the sound of the Maha mantra….”Just focus!” – I say this loudly in my mind, each and every time my mind starts to wander and it works every time.Plea…
“Maya targets your chanting because it’s your most potent weapon against her. To the degree you allow her to distract you from chanting well, you become malleable to her will.”Mahatma dasa
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
“Whoever continuously chants Lord Krishna’s Holy name, even in his sleep, can easily realise that the name is a direct manifestation of Krishna Himself, in spite of the influences of Kali-yuga.”
From Harinama Cintamani
by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Part 2 of Lokanatha Swami’s wonderful Japa Seminar in Mauritius. Email subscribers please click the blue link above to hear the audio.
“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
I had this realisation today…..like a strong relationship there is good communication – we have this chance to connect with the Lord via the mercy of the spiritual master. That connection is through sound…..when we really hear the Maha mantra that’…
“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…
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 taste for chanting comes from the Lord and when he sees we are genuinely trying to chant the Holy names to our best ability, He bestow this mercy on us and we make progress by steady purification.
“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.”
A very nice Japa class from Mahatma dasa – he covers alot of subjects including avoiding distractions and how we can give good quality time to Krsna during chanting.Email subscribers please click the large blue link above to hear the audio.
You have been given 10 minutes before you have to leave your body…you have enough time to chant 1 round before leaving…how good would that last round be? How much concentration and attention would you invest in that last round?When I started my Jap…
Today I was thinking about a common problem that most devotees have….chanting Japa and doing other things at the same time.It reminded me of how our hands are an extension of our mind – if the mind wanders then the hands tend to wander and we find ou…
A very essential Japa retreat lecture by Sacinandana Swami where he discusses very powerful ways to improve chanting. Email subscribers click the blue link above to hear the audio.
“…in my Japa I tried to focus in on what I am doing, because of all the regulative principles, the most important principle given to us was to chant sixteen rounds of Japa. And I have been immersed for so many years in the offensive stage of chanting…
“How do I know if I have chanted my rounds attentively? I know because I am getting such a nice taste that when I finish my rounds I want to keep chanting.”Mahatma dasa
“One should chant attentively with full surrender unto the Holy name. A sincere devotee has full faith in the Holy name. He always tries to improve his chanting by pulling out the weeds of illicit desires. The determined sadhaka enthusiastically moves …
“I am so pleased to note that you are chanting nicely and that Krishna is encouraging you in so many ways. This is the actual position that if we are sincerely chanting our rounds, following the prescribed regulative principles, and avoiding the ten of…
When we chant because we have to, it’s because we’re not feeling the presence of the spiritual energy of Krsna – that is due to offenses to the Holy names, primarily inattention, and chanting has become dry for us.When we chant with attention to the so…
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
“You should understand this essential fact: Life is temporary and filled with various kinds of miseries. Therefore, carefully take shelter of the holy name and remain always engaged in His service as your eternal occupation.”Srila Bhaktivinoda ThakuraA…
“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
Very insightful realisations and comments from the Vaisnava Youth during an intense Japa Retreat at Sharanagati Village in British Columbia, Canada.
“The scriptures extol sraddha to be the one indispensible ingredient for proper chanting. Lord Krsna’s name is the jiva’s most valuable treasure. Faith means to have complete conviction that chanting Lord Krsna’s name will automatically fulfill a…
When you chant, feel the holy name as a gift of love coming to you from Mahaprabhu, and just receive it. Don’t try to manipulate it into a particular experience or taste, just graciously receive the gift as you chant, appreciate it and be happy with it…
There is always going to be room for improvement with our Japa – even when we make the decision to reform our Japa and chant good quality rounds. Even when we reach that stage of good quality chanting, we should never think we are there – our chanting …