Author Archives: Rasa Rasika

Distinctly Pronounced And Heard
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Recently I have had to remind myself of this basic truth….when chanting only listen to the mantra and not to the mind. The mind will always fill us with unnecessary thoughts – past, present and future. During Japa we don’t have to entertain the mind’s ramblings – we simply need to hear the Hare Krsna mantra and that’s all.

Here is a nice quote from Srila Prabhupada about this.

“One should note in this connection that chanting involves the activities of the upper and lower lips as well as the tongue. All three must be engaged in chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. The words “Hare Krsna” should be very distinctly pronounced and heard.”

Caitanya Caritmrta Adi 17.32

Just Pray To The Holy Name
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“The best thing is that you just pray to the holy name and hear the sound. The stage of thinking of Radha and Krsna and Their forms will come automatically. It cannot be so much forced. When the mind wanders, bring it back in a mood of prayer and supplication, thinking, “O Holy name, I want to chant, I want to hear, I want to be engaged in Your service by chanting and hearing.” Then simply practice the mantra-yoga of vibrating with the tongue and hearing with the ear.”

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Atten­tive Chant­ing Is Very Impor­tant
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“I do appre­ci­ate that I per­sist patiently and that I’m able to con­trol my mind even when there is no nectarean taste in chant­ing. I’m just sug­gest­ing that if I could be alert and bring the mind back to hear­ing, then why not try to go fur­ther. All the author­i­ties say that atten­tive chant­ing is very impor­tant and leads to think­ing about Krishna’s form, activ­i­ties, qual­i­ties and pas­times. They must be right.”

From Japa Transformations
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

It Is A Relationship
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“Sometimes we think of chanting as a process, which it is. But more than a process, it is a relationship — our relationship with Krishna. We are in the material world because we have turned away from Krishna. We have come here to try to enjoy in imitation of Him, or in competition with Him. And when we realize that we cannot be happy trying to imitate God or take His place — when we realize that we have turned away from Krishna, who is our best friend and well-wisher, and we actually regret having turned away from Him and want to rectify our relationship with Him, the first — and best — thing we can do is to make the effort to chant His holy names with attention. So, it is really our relationship with Krishna in the form of His holy name that we are trying to develop.”

From Reviving our relationship with Krsna
by Srila Giriraj Swami
Lecture 14 May 2013

Enter The Kṛṣṇa Planet
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So if one quits his body at the end of life chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, he certainly reaches one of the spiritual planets, according to the mode of his practice. The devotees of Kṛṣṇa enter the Kṛṣṇa planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana.

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 8.13

I Wanted To Chant Like A Lover
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“I wanted to chant with care in my moral and spiritual feelings toward Nama Prabhu. Seeing Radha-Govinda helped because They are tenderness personified. I wanted to chant like a lover. I chanted in a subdued way, because I had to because of my head. But it also lent itself towards feelings of warmth and sympathy, gentle and delicate. One should handle the holy name in that way. It was a nice feeling. I’d like to always chant in that way.”

From Japa Transformations
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Loudly Chanted The Holy Name
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vidikṣu dikṣūrdhvam adhaḥ samantād
antar bahir bhagavān nārasiḿhaḥ
prahāpayan loka-bhayaḿ svanena
sva-tejasā grasta-samasta-tejāḥ

“Prahlāda Mahārāja loudly chanted the holy name of Lord Nṛsiḿhadeva. May Lord Nṛsiḿhadeva, roaring for His devotee Prahlāda Mahārāja, protect us from all fear of dangers created by stalwart leaders in all directions through poison, weapons, water, fire, air and so on. May the Lord cover their influence by His own transcendental influence. May Nṛsiḿhadeva protect us in all directions and in all corners, above, below, within and without.”

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.8.34

Without Conscious Effort
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This morning is stood on the little bridge and looked down into the rushing creek. I heard the water over the rocks chanting and I thought, “Should I really try to answer more questions about japa?” I felt reluctant to go to the discursive level, and I was also afraid of presumption. I wanted to stay a simple villager, or even as simple as water running over rocks. I wanted to chant unconsciously, the way water flows down rocks or the way breath goes in and out without conscious effort.

Japa Walks, Japa Talks
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Without Conscious Effort
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This morning is stood on the little bridge and looked down into the rushing creek. I heard the water over the rocks chanting and I thought, “Should I really try to answer more questions about japa?” I felt reluctant to go to the discursive level, and I was also afraid of presumption. I wanted to stay a simple villager, or even as simple as water running over rocks. I wanted to chant unconsciously, the way water flows down rocks or the way breath goes in and out without conscious effort.

Japa Walks, Japa Talks
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Even The Shadow Of The Name
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Even the shadow of the name brings liberation, just as the first rays of the dawn chase away the ghosts and thieves of the night. “Yet still I live in the shadow of the name,” he thinks. “Should I even aspire to rise? Let me try first to stay awake, free of illicit desire, properly pronouncing Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Even I can be transformed.

From Japa Reform Notebook
by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami

Sweet Like Sugar Candy
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“The holy name, char­ac­ter, pas­times and activ­i­ties of Krishna are all tran­scen­den­tally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaun­dice of avidya (igno­rance) can­not taste any­thing sweet, it is won­der­ful that sim­ply by care­fully chant­ing these sweet names every day, a nat­ural rel­ish awak­ens within his tongue, and his dis­ease is grad­u­ally destroyed at the root.”

Rupa Gos­vami
Nec­tar of Instruc­tion #7