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Sit Properly: Yoga sastras proclaim that sitting straight facilitates concentration: “Right posture makes the mind calm” Tantra-raja-tantra 27.59
Chant Without Interruption: Once in Los Angeles, disciples asked Srila Prabhupada what would please him most. “Chant sixteen rounds of japa at one sitting without interruption!” said Srila Prabhupada.
Be Careful: To clearly and distinctly pronounce the Holy names.
From Art Of Chanting Hare Krsna
by Mahanidhi Swami
“Radharani is the most confidential servant of the Lord and Hladini Dasi means the servant of Radharani. So please always be engaged in chanting Hare Krsna mantra at least sixteen rounds daily and work sincerely and eagerly in the service of the Lord o…
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.
From Bhajan #228
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
“By chanting the Holy name of Krishna, one can actually purchase Krishna. Krishna had such faith in Haridas Thakura, that he was willing to put Himself in Haridas Thakur’s hand.”Jayapataka Swami MaharajaThursday May 6, 1982
“We should always be very grateful to Krishna for giving us the Hare Krishna mantra, and we should show our gratitude by chanting it as much as possible. That way we will bond with Him, which is our heart’s greatest desire. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
From Japa Transformations
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
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 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa
Just hear the sound vibration – that’s the best chanting of all. There are different levels of recommendations, but you will see as you advance that the best chanting is when you simply hear the holy name, which is Krsna. And that is service to Krsna.T…
trnâd api sunîcena, taror iva sahisnunâ
“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 Holy name is Krishna Himself and the Holy name is so merciful – Radha and Krishna make Themselves so available at every moment.Radhanath swami
“This is the test, how we are becoming free from these two concept of life. If there is still the concept that “I am this body, and anything belonging to this body is mine,” then you have to chant very cautiously to make progress. That’s all. These ten…
“The devotee who takes shelter of the pure name accepts the absolute authority of the Vedas, and quickly attains the nectar of the name, Krsnaprema. The sruti proclaims that by chanting the holy name of Hari, one experiences ecstatic bliss. Further, it…
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 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa
One of the best indicators for me is when I finish my rounds I want to keep chanting because I am getting a taste.If I am relieved to put my bead bag down after my last round, it’s an indicator that my chanting is not being done properly.Good chanting …
A very nice question and answer session with Mahatma dasa. Email subscribers please click the big blue link above.
I have found recently that if I continue to regularly chant attentively with determination, then the desire to taste a drop of Krsna’s mercy increases.When we have knowledge and trust in the Lord as our best friend….then He will reward us with tears …
“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 …
I like to remember Srila Prabhupada’s emphasis on the importance of chanting 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
“….when Hare Krishna mantra is vibrating on your tongue, and you are hearing attentively, then your consciousness becomes clear, or Krishna consciousness, and there is no question of Maya or hazy consciousness.”Letter to Haripuja dasi25th June, 1972
How does the mind distract us while chanting? It is a concern for those who wish to chant, those who want to chant, those who are convinced that one should be chanting. Those who do not chant, those who do not want to chant, for them no problem. [laugh…
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 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa
The Holy name is not a combination of material letters and syllables. The form of the Holy name is sat-cit-ananda, eternal blissful consciousness. Although in this world, the Holy name is not of this world. The divine name of the Lord is not a product …
“Try to please Radharani by chanting Her names clearly and with devotion. Krishna is never alone. He’s always with Radharani, and this is true also in the Hare Krishna mantra.”
From Japa Transformations
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
So while chanting, we don’t just sit there, we have to be alive and active, using the intelligence also and watch the mind. Where is my mind now? Is it here? Is the mind hearing now? If the mind goes away, then Krishna’s advice is yato yato niscalati manas cancalam asthiram – wherever the mind goes, from there tatas tato – you drag it back and again employ, engage in hearing of the Holy name.
Lokanatha Swami
ISKCON Nagpu
18th August 2015
I was thinking about the day when I decided to start the Japa Group, almost 10 years ago now. The reason I started the group was based on a desire to share my thoughts about this important spiritual activity of Japa – My struggles and small realisations.
I thought this would also encourage the realisations of other chanters from around the world.
I was reading Satsvarupa Maharaja’s writings on Japa recently and came across this quote that confirms my desire and reasons for starting this group:
“Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. Sincere chanters appreciate sincere expressions by fellow chanters. They want to hear the perfect sastric statements on the glories of the holy name and its blissful effects, but they also like to hear from one who takes his chanting seriously, even though he admits it’s a struggle and he hasn’t chanted with all the bliss “claimed” by the sastra.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
To reach offenseless chanting you have to chant much better than you’re doing now. You push on earnestly and hope for the best. You repeat the mantras every day and avoid sinful activities.
From Bhajan Kutir #447
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
Inattention while chanting is also considered an offense. In fact, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that distraction (inattention) or attraction to other things while chanting japa is the root cause of all offenses:”Distraction in chanting produces a ty…
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 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa
“So be fully alert, opening of the mouth and tongue vibrating, the ears are hearing. Get out all the stumbling blocks. Clear the mind, get all thoughts out. Yato yato niscalati, tatah tatah – wherever the mind goes, from there you drag the mind an…
Chanting with quality – part of a series of lectures by Sacinandana Swami on how to improve our Japa.Email subscribers please click the big blue link above to hear the audio.
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 was not distracted but stayed with the japa as my main occupation. It was very accessible and quietly joyful. This is how chanting should always be….”From Bhajan Kutir #332
Lokanatha Swami gives a very insightful lecture about chanting and how it impacts on the mind. Email subscribers please click the big blue link above to see the video.
“One must come to the understanding that the Holy name of the Lord and the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself are identical. One cannot reach this conclusion unless one is offenseless in chanting the Holy name.”Chaitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 8.16
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 ::_::{.at.}::_:: gmail dot comysRasa Rasika dasa
A wonderful Japa semiar by Vaisesika dasa who talks about the importance of attention.Email subscribers please click the big blue link above to see the video.
We express our devotion to Krsna through our chanting of the Holy names, and also through our dependence on the Lord. Krsna wants to see this from us, that we depend on Him for everything in our lives.
The Holy name can eliminate sins and obstacles. The name alleviates suffering and eliminates the deleterious effects of Kali Yuga.From Premavivarta 20th Chapterby Jagadananda Pandit
One who is a perfect chanter has repented all his misdeeds. Big one or small one, all his misdeeds get nullified. Lokanatha Swami
“….practically we see that as we sincerely try to improve our chanting for the pleasure of Krishna, Krishna reciprocates and we feel our greatest pleasure which is devotional service to the Lord. So, you may continue with this method, it is very nice…
When you are repeating 16 words the same way everyday for 2 hours, the mind may present a doubt – “Why do this? You could be doing so many other things!”The mind is a powerful force…make it your friend by using your intelligence to guide it towards t…