Advice on Japa meditation

Hare Krishna,I have been trying to take Krishna Consciousness seriously for some time now with a little bit of wavering in my faith. My introduction to KC started when a devotee gave me a copy of the Bhagavad Gita at my University a couple of years ago. At first I only accepted things as truth from a philosophical perspective and never believed in the divinity of Krishna. After chanting his name once it changed me in a way I can't explain. I now see him as the Absolute Truth. I have never been around any devotees since that moment, but a month ago I met another traveling through campus and have established a contact. I have never been to a temple but may be visiting one soon.I have started to chant full rounds of the Maha-mantra but am not sure how much is enough. What should be thinking? In what position should my body be in?

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  • E-Counselor

    Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

    PAMHO.

    Wonderful. Pls chant mahamantra. Ideally we have beads on which we chant. We say 108 times the mahamantra to complete one cycle of beads. THat is called doing 1 round of mahamantra japa. Then we reverse the beads and start all over again. This way we chant a minimum of 4 rounds in the beginnning - it will take half an hour of your time. 

    Pls visit the temple fast and get your own beads.

    While chanting, you should concentrate on hearing your own voice chant the mahamantra clearly.

    Haribol,
    Your servant,

    Radha Rasamayi DD

  • E-Counselor

    sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih kalavasani-kritau
    nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau catyanta-dinau ca yau
    radha-krishna-guna-smriter madhurimanandena sammohitau
    vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau

    (6) I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvamis, namely Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami,
    Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta
    Gosvami, who were engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord and bowing down in a
    scheduled measurement. In this way they utilized their valuable lives and in executing these devotional
    activities they conquered over eating and sleeping and were always meek and humble enchanted by
    remembering the transcendental qualities of the Lord.
    Yes,you should keep counting the number of rounds you chant Mahamantra daily. This way it will keep you focussed in your concentration on chanting.
    Also, my Guru Maharaj H.H. Nava Yogindra Swami Maharaj of ISKCON, very often quotes in His class:
    itina jap kar,Yamraj apna khata rad kar de....
    It means, you chant so much so that continuously by which Yamaraj the Superintendence of death will wipe out your name from His diary.
    Yes, we do not know when will be our death at what time? So we should keep chanting all the time to remember Krishna at the time of death to go back to God Head Sri Krishna.
    When you chant,keep your thought in hearing what you chant. Thus you can achieve siddhi or wonderful perfection.
    Your body may be in any positions--sitting postures with two eyes concentrated on middle of two eye brows as mentioned in B.G, while walking, while working in your prescribed duties,or even while evacuating in rest room.Lord Caitanya made it so simple for this age.
    Hope this will answer right to your questions.
    Thank you,
    Hare Krisna!

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