Author Archives: Rasa Rasika

Techniques For Good Japa
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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

It’s Our Sacred Time
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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

Our Heart’s Greatest Desire
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“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

The Four Qualities Necessary
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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

When Srila Prab­hu­pada Teaches
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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

Where Is My Mind Now?
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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

Confirms My Desire And Reasons
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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