Author Archives: Rasa Rasika

One Can Be Freed
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“….one can be freed from all sinful reactions simply by remembering His holy name. The Lord is therefore as good as the holy places of pilgrimage. One can be free from all sinful reactions after reaching a place of pilgrimage, but one can have the same benefit at home or at any place simply by chanting the holy name of the Lord.”

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.7.15 purport

I Don’t Want To Chant Mechan­i­cally
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“I don’t want to chant mechan­i­cally. I want to feel the mean­ing of the Hare Krishna mantras as I repeat them. Please engage me in your ser­vice. Please reveal the essence of Nama to me. This seek­ing and cry­ing has to be there, beyond the accu­mum­la­tion of num­bers of rounds.”

From Japa Transformations
Satsvarupa das Goswami

From A Japa Group Subscriber
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Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!!

Like others, I always look forward to quotes and inspirational words regarding japa. Today I thought to share.

I realized that sometimes its hard to chant so attentively because the holy names are so powerful. Perhaps because we’re conditioned to want to be self sufficient, as soon as the nectar and focus becomes too much about about Sri Krsna, I shy away.
For example, I know that I have terrible days when I chant late, this is a practical realization of my dependence on the holy name.

This is also another reason why we are so thankful for Sri Krsnas pure devotee Srila Prabhupada, because he shared his life with us, he won our trust and facilitied our surrender to Sri Krsna.

If you would like a quote, I also like this one:

maharṣīṇāṁ bhṛgur ahaṁ
girām asmy ekam akṣaram
yajñānāṁ japa-yajño ‘smi
sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ

Of the great sages I am Bhṛgu; of vibrations I am the transcendental oṁ. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [ japa], and of immovable things I am the Himālayas.

BG 10.25

Hare Krsna,
Your aspiring servant,
Bhakta D*****

One Is Blessed
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“Strictly speaking, when chanting the names of the Pañca-tattva, one should fully offer his obeisances: śrī-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. By such chanting one is blessed with the competency to chant the Hare Krsna mahā-mantra without offense. When chanting the Hare Krsna mahā-mantra, one should also chant it fully: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.”

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmrta Ādi 7.168

Never Decrease
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Once I was asked whether we should reduce our chanting if we are committing offenses to the Holy names and in this way avoiding or reducing our offenses.

We should always look to increase our Japa and never decrease….the aim is 16 rounds and beyond – in the first stage of chanting we commit offenses but we should never decrease Japa in the hope that we reduce those offenses – actually by reducing our Japa is defeating the purpose of sadhana.
Here is an important statement from Srila Prabhupada:

“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 purport

Message From Brazil
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Haribol!

All glories to Sri Sri Guru & Gauranga!
Jay Sri Krsna! Jay Srila Prabhupada!

Thank you for inviting me to this group.
I´m alreading reading the japa group messages since about two months and it´s being really enlightful. The messages are always helping me to think better and try to improve the process of chanting the Holy Names.

Thank you!

And I hope I can be inspired to never let this determination wane and keep chanting and begging fot the mercy to serve the Lord.

Your friend from Brazil,

D******* Das

Faithfully Performed With Enthusiasm
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“Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī therefore recommends, tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt: “One must strictly follow the regulative principles of vaidhī bhakti.” 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.”

Nectar Of Instruction – Verse 3 purport

The First Regulative Principle
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This week’s Japa Room brought some nice realisations from those attending – one devotee mentioned when their chanting is becoming hard and his mind is becoming strong and he can’t concentrate on the sound….then he increases the volume of his voice and thus he is able to concentrate again and forget the mind.

It reminded me of a nice quote from Srila Prabhupada on this subject.

“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