Posted by David on November 28, 2011 at 9:35pm in Japa
Please accept my humble obeisances.All glories to Srila Prabhupada, Sri Guru & Gauranga.Hare KrishnaI have been chanting Hare Krishna maha mantra, and I do feel the effect of this great mantra for deliverance.I do not plan on stopping this chanting, EVER.But I want to add the Yugal Maha Mantra to my rounds. I am very attracted to its beautiful sound. "Radhe Krsna Radhe Krsna, Krsna Krsna Radhe Radhe. Radhe Shyam Radhe Shyam, Shyam Shyam Radhe Radhe."Is this okay?Please forgive me if I am committing any offense in asking this question.Your Most Low ServantDavid
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We chant Hare Krishna mahamantra just because Sri Chaitnya Mahaprabhu himself chanted and asked every one else to chant. There is no other way no other way no other way than to chant Hare Krishna to perfect our life in Kaliyuga. This is the prescribed mantra the yuga dharma for Kaliyuga people.We learn from Srimad Bhagavatam that the people in Kaliyuga are short lived, less intelligent, short memory and very very unfortunate souls. There is no time for us to waste in doing experiment like chanting some other mantra than what is been told to us by aacharyas. I suggest you can chant more attentive Hare Krishna Mahamantra and try to get benefit. SP says, HK Mahamantra is Shyamsundar. When you chant HK, Shyamsundar is present there. Try to feel him and see him in your Japa.
I M SORRY TO SAY THat THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT PROCESS BELOW IS THE RIGHT PROCESS TO CHANT YOUR ROUNDS AND GET THE FULL BENEFIT
Complete concentration is necessary. Otherwise your rounds are done, but they aren't done well. You're just trying to get the job done, like a factory worker. You get the credit that "I chanted my rounds," but there will be far more credit if you chant with the right quality. Attentive doesn't mean only that you don't fall asleep or that you don't leave off a "Hare," but it means being attentive to how Krsna may reveal within your heart more understanding of the holy name. But you have to concentrate.
Anything that you want to do well, you have to think about it, and you have to put other things out of your mind in order to do it. That's very basic definition of concentration. Concentrated is only one thing, nothing diluted, nothing impure-just the essence. So when you concentrate on anything, it's like that-one thing.
The karmis concentrate so that they get the most out of sense gratification. Any worker has to concentrate to do something right. So a yogi, a bhakti-yogi, has to concentrate also with all his senses and his mind. We actually chant japa just a couple of hours, but it should be done like that-with concentration. Everybody knows this, but we have to do it. It's an easy process. It's not a hard process, it's an easy process-you just have to chant and hear. You don't have to sit in a certain place and control your breath and give up food. But it's an easy process for somebody who's not very austere-meaning the average soul in the Kali-yuga- but it's also the topmost process.
this was a nice article i read in the internet about chanting japa and the proper use of it ...though so many years have passed but still it is very imp to reming ourselves that 99.9 % of our devotional lives depends on chanting ....this will be useful to all of us...especially me ...so just for my purification i m writing this and passing this to all
Chanting a mantra or hymn softly and slowly is called japa and chanting the same mantra loudly is called kirtana.When japa is practiced it is for the personal benefit of the chanter, but when kirtana is performed it is for the benefit of all who may hear. Japa chanting is best done on a set of beads. The more attentively and sincerely you chant the names of God, the more spiritual progress, you will make. Japa beads consist of 108 beads strung together, plus one much larger bead known as the Krishna bead. Before chanting, we must first take shelter of Lord Caitanya by chanting the panca-tattva-mantra: jaya sri krishna caitanya, prabhu nityananda, sri advaita, gadadhara, srivasadi gaura bhakta vrinda Start at the first bead and chant one mantra; repeat until you reach the last bead. This is one round. Before each round, chant the panca-tattva-mantra again. Don't chant on or cross the larger bead (Krishna bead). Reverse the direction of your chanting at the end of ecah round. Pronunciation: 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 Krishna maha-mantra. The words “Hare Krishna” should be very distinctly pronounced and heard. Sometimes one mechanically produces a hissing sound instead of chanting with the proper pronunciation with the help of the lips and tongue. Chanting is very simple, but one must practice it seriously. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 7.32, purport) While different tongues pronounce the mantra a little differently and the sastra does state that the holy name is still effective even if improperly pronounced, it is still beneficial to concentrate and practice clear pronunciation. Typical problems "H" in Hare: sometimes dropped "A" in Hare: sometimes sounds like "O" as in Lorry; should be "uh" as in Hurry. "R" in Hare: sometimes sounds more like "D" "E" in Hare: sometimes sounds like "I" as in Bit; should be "ay" as in Ray. "K" in Krishna: sometimes sounds more like "G" in Grip. "R" in Krishna: sometimes dropped: "Kishna" "N" in Krishna: sometimes dropped: "Krisha" "A" in Krishna: is sometimes run together with the next Hare: "Krishna-ray" Rama: be careful not to call out for Rum! Sometimes with "Rama Rama Rama," you get the "revving-up-the-motorbike" effect: "manar-manar-manar-manarrrr!" (trying to chant too fast) Note: Both Ram and Rama are OK Result of poor pronunciation Odi gish-odi gisha gisha gish-odiyodi Odi rumma odi rummanar-manar-manar odiyodi ! (hint: try to chant the above quickly and you might recognise it!) Chanting speed In the beginning you may be slow (around 10 minutes per round) It is important to practice proper pronunciation, but in time you should naturally speed up (about 7–7½ min/round) Ultimately it is individual, but many devotees find that speeding up increases the intensity of their chanting and their concentration level. If your rounds are taking too long, it could mean that you are distracted. Try to maintain good, clear pronunciation with a good speed. Some devotees can chant a round in 5 – 5½ min, but be careful not to lose the clarity of the syllables! Posture One's mental and physical state is affected by one's bodily posture and can be altered by changing the posture. You can affect the mind's ability to concentrate by remaining peaceful and adopting a good posture. Perhaps you have already experienced the difference between chanting sitting in a conventional chair (legs down) and sitting cross-legged. Try sitting cross-legged with a little extra support under your bottom. The back and neck should be erect in a straight line, the head up. Breathing should be deep and rhythmic. Common pitfalls “Prajalpa-japa”: Unnecessarily talking while chanting. “Dive-bomb japa”: Falling asleep while chanting (head nodding off). “Radar japa”: constantly looking around. “Machine-gun japa”: much too fast while shaking the finger. “Jibber-japa”: it is just gibberish, no one can understand it. “Day-dreamy japa”: not concentrating, following the wandering mind. Attentiveness This is the most essential part of chanting: how attentive are you? Imagine you are driving a car and you have a passenger sitting next to you. The passenger is continually pointing things out and trying to draw your attention to them: “Oh, look there's a shoe sale on! Look at those nice shoes! Ah, look at that guy with the funny hat! Are those your gloves on the back seat? Look out, no, no, turn left! Oh, I thought we had to go left. Look at the TV shop — is that your favorite football team playing? Uh-oh, check this out: there's a guy getting arrested over there….” If you keep getting distracted by what your passenger is saying, you're going to crash the car. The passenger is like your mind, and driving the car is like chanting your rounds. However, if someone keeps talking to you and you continuously ignore them, eventually they are just going to shut up. That is the best way to deal with the mind: just ignore it and keep your attention on “the road”, the distractions will eventually shut up. An interesting exercise: Keep a list of all the subjects brought up by the mind during your japa and then review it at the end. Usually you can just throw away the whole list because you didn't need to think about any of these things at all. It is a very graphic way of proving to yourself that you don't always need to take the mind so seriously. Concentration exercises: There are some exercises you can try in order to strengthen your ability to concentrate. The mind is like a muscle that needs exercise. These exercises may give you a more constructive way to engage the mind. The big picture: Chanting is just not about getting the technique right. It is just as important to not lose sight of the big picture. We are ultimately not independent of Krishna, and we must always humbly pray to Him and seek His shelter and guidance. We must always see that we have to get to the platform of taste in our chanting and ultimately attain love for Krishna. Attitude Your mood, attitude, or mentality is also very important while chanting. Chanting is not just a mechanical process. It must be accompanied with the appropriate feelings, performed for the right purpose, and with proper consciousness. Enthusiasm: One should realize that love for Krishna is the ultimate goal. He should have total eagerness to attain it, even to the point of crying for it, like a baby. That is the price one must pay. Prayer: Remember that the maha-mantra is a prayer. Remember the meaning of the prayer, and offer it in a prayerful mood: a communication between you and God — a very personal experience. Dependence: A devotee feels helpless without the Lord's mercy and dependent on the holy names. Humility and reverence: When we take darsana of the Deity, we must first take our shoes off, ring a bell, bow down, conch shells blow, the curtains are drawn — we are seeing the form of the Lord. The same respect and reverence should be given to the holy name. Service: Chanting is a kind of service. It should be performed in a serving mood, serving the holy name by uttering it. Not that we are the master of Krishna, causing Him to manifest. Gratitude: Be thankful to the Lord for the mercy that He is bestowing upon you and all the fallen souls in the form of His holy name Tolerance: All difficulties and obstacles of the mind must be tolerated. One may not have any taste for chanting or find the process hard to follow. All discomforts must be tolerated for Krishna's satisfaction. Patience: It may take a lot of practice before one gets better at chanting. One must patiently continue to endeavor. We are eternal, so there is no need to panic. Determination: Never become discouraged. Always continue with determination knowing that success is ultimately guaranteed. Remember the importance of chanting: Be conscious of the importance of this chanting process. Remember that it is essential to our spiritual advancement. Faithfulness: We must cultivate our faith in the holy name, put our trust in it. Please let me in: Ask Krishna to allow us to enter into the inner realisations of chanting the holy names.
1x3vzlr835o59 > Krishna Rupa Devi dasiDecember 7, 2011 at 2:07pm
Hare krishna Mataji,
wonderful reminder , thankyou for posting this wonderful details.
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
Replies
Thank you for your wonderful explanations of why we must chant constantly.
I pray for more Krishna prema.
Giriraj ki jay
Your Servant
Bhakta David
We chant Hare Krishna mahamantra just because Sri Chaitnya Mahaprabhu himself chanted and asked every one else to chant. There is no other way no other way no other way than to chant Hare Krishna to perfect our life in Kaliyuga. This is the prescribed mantra the yuga dharma for Kaliyuga people.We learn from Srimad Bhagavatam that the people in Kaliyuga are short lived, less intelligent, short memory and very very unfortunate souls. There is no time for us to waste in doing experiment like chanting some other mantra than what is been told to us by aacharyas. I suggest you can chant more attentive Hare Krishna Mahamantra and try to get benefit. SP says, HK Mahamantra is Shyamsundar. When you chant HK, Shyamsundar is present there. Try to feel him and see him in your Japa.
Hari bol!!!
HAre Krishna Prabhuji ,
I M SORRY TO SAY THat THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT PROCESS BELOW IS THE RIGHT PROCESS TO CHANT YOUR ROUNDS AND GET THE FULL BENEFIT
Complete concentration is necessary. Otherwise your rounds are done, but
they aren't done well. You're just trying to get the job done, like a
factory worker. You get the credit that "I chanted my rounds," but there
will be far more credit if you chant with the right quality. Attentive
doesn't mean only that you don't fall asleep or that you don't leave off a
"Hare," but it means being attentive to how Krsna may reveal within your
heart more understanding of the holy name. But you have to concentrate.
Anything that you want to do well, you have to think about it, and you
have to put other things out of your mind in order to do it. That's very
basic definition of concentration. Concentrated is only one thing, nothing
diluted, nothing impure-just the essence. So when you concentrate on
anything, it's like that-one thing.
The karmis concentrate so that they get the most out of sense
gratification. Any worker has to concentrate to do something right. So a
yogi, a bhakti-yogi, has to concentrate also with all his senses and his
mind. We actually chant japa just a couple of hours, but it should be done
like that-with concentration. Everybody knows this, but we have to do it.
It's an easy process. It's not a hard process, it's an easy process-you
just have to chant and hear. You don't have to sit in a certain place and
control your breath and give up food. But it's an easy process for
somebody who's not very austere-meaning the average soul in the Kali-yuga- but it's also the topmost process.
this was a nice article i read in the internet about chanting japa and the proper use of it ...though so many years have passed but still it is very imp to reming ourselves that 99.9 % of our devotional lives depends on chanting ....this will be useful to all of us...especially me ...so just for my purification i m writing this and passing this to all
Chanting a mantra or hymn softly and slowly is called japa and chanting the same mantra loudly is called kirtana.When japa is practiced it is for the personal benefit of the chanter, but when kirtana is performed it is for the benefit of all who may hear.
Japa chanting is best done on a set of beads. The more attentively and sincerely you chant the names of God, the more spiritual progress, you will make.
Japa beads consist of 108 beads strung together, plus one much larger bead known as the Krishna bead.
Before chanting, we must first take shelter of Lord Caitanya by chanting the panca-tattva-mantra: jaya sri krishna caitanya, prabhu nityananda, sri advaita, gadadhara, srivasadi gaura bhakta vrinda
Start at the first bead and chant one mantra; repeat until you reach the last bead. This is one round.
Before each round, chant the panca-tattva-mantra again.
Don't chant on or cross the larger bead (Krishna bead). Reverse the direction of your chanting at the end of ecah round.
Pronunciation:
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 Krishna maha-mantra. The words “Hare Krishna” should be very distinctly pronounced and heard. Sometimes one mechanically produces a hissing sound instead of chanting with the proper pronunciation with the help of the lips and tongue. Chanting is very simple, but one must practice it seriously. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 7.32, purport)
While different tongues pronounce the mantra a little differently and the sastra does state that the holy name is still effective even if improperly pronounced, it is still beneficial to concentrate and practice clear pronunciation.
Typical problems
"H" in Hare: sometimes dropped
"A" in Hare: sometimes sounds like "O" as in Lorry; should be "uh" as in Hurry.
"R" in Hare: sometimes sounds more like "D"
"E" in Hare: sometimes sounds like "I" as in Bit; should be "ay" as in Ray.
"K" in Krishna: sometimes sounds more like "G" in Grip.
"R" in Krishna: sometimes dropped: "Kishna"
"N" in Krishna: sometimes dropped: "Krisha"
"A" in Krishna: is sometimes run together with the next Hare: "Krishna-ray"
Rama: be careful not to call out for Rum!
Sometimes with "Rama Rama Rama," you get the "revving-up-the-motorbike" effect: "manar-manar-manar-manarrrr!" (trying to chant too fast)
Note: Both Ram and Rama are OK
Result of poor pronunciation
Odi gish-odi gisha gisha gish-odiyodi
Odi rumma odi rummanar-manar-manar odiyodi !
(hint: try to chant the above quickly and you might recognise it!)
Chanting speed
In the beginning you may be slow (around 10 minutes per round)
It is important to practice proper pronunciation, but in time you should naturally speed up (about 7–7½ min/round)
Ultimately it is individual, but many devotees find that speeding up increases the intensity of their chanting and their concentration level.
If your rounds are taking too long, it could mean that you are distracted.
Try to maintain good, clear pronunciation with a good speed.
Some devotees can chant a round in 5 – 5½ min, but be careful not to lose the clarity of the syllables!
Posture
One's mental and physical state is affected by one's bodily posture and can be altered by changing the posture. You can affect the mind's ability to concentrate by remaining peaceful and adopting a good posture.
Perhaps you have already experienced the difference between chanting sitting in a conventional chair (legs down) and sitting cross-legged. Try sitting cross-legged with a little extra support under your bottom. The back and neck should be erect in a straight line, the head up. Breathing should be deep and rhythmic.
Common pitfalls
“Prajalpa-japa”: Unnecessarily talking while chanting.
“Dive-bomb japa”: Falling asleep while chanting (head nodding off).
“Radar japa”: constantly looking around.
“Machine-gun japa”: much too fast while shaking the finger.
“Jibber-japa”: it is just gibberish, no one can understand it.
“Day-dreamy japa”: not concentrating, following the wandering mind.
Attentiveness
This is the most essential part of chanting: how attentive are you?
Imagine you are driving a car and you have a passenger sitting next to you. The passenger is continually pointing things out and trying to draw your attention to them: “Oh, look there's a shoe sale on! Look at those nice shoes! Ah, look at that guy with the funny hat! Are those your gloves on the back seat? Look out, no, no, turn left! Oh, I thought we had to go left. Look at the TV shop — is that your favorite football team playing? Uh-oh, check this out: there's a guy getting arrested over there….”
If you keep getting distracted by what your passenger is saying, you're going to crash the car.
The passenger is like your mind, and driving the car is like chanting your rounds. However, if someone keeps talking to you and you continuously ignore them, eventually they are just going to shut up. That is the best way to deal with the mind: just ignore it and keep your attention on “the road”, the distractions will eventually shut up.
An interesting exercise: Keep a list of all the subjects brought up by the mind during your japa and then review it at the end. Usually you can just throw away the whole list because you didn't need to think about any of these things at all. It is a very graphic way of proving to yourself that you don't always need to take the mind so seriously.
Concentration exercises: There are some exercises you can try in order to strengthen your ability to concentrate. The mind is like a muscle that needs exercise. These exercises may give you a more constructive way to engage the mind.
The big picture: Chanting is just not about getting the technique right. It is just as important to not lose sight of the big picture. We are ultimately not independent of Krishna, and we must always humbly pray to Him and seek His shelter and guidance. We must always see that we have to get to the platform of taste in our chanting and ultimately attain love for Krishna.
Attitude
Your mood, attitude, or mentality is also very important while chanting. Chanting is not just a mechanical process. It must be accompanied with the appropriate feelings, performed for the right purpose, and with proper consciousness.
Enthusiasm: One should realize that love for Krishna is the ultimate goal. He should have total eagerness to attain it, even to the point of crying for it, like a baby. That is the price one must pay.
Prayer: Remember that the maha-mantra is a prayer. Remember the meaning of the prayer, and offer it in a prayerful mood: a communication between you and God — a very personal experience.
Dependence: A devotee feels helpless without the Lord's mercy and dependent on the holy names.
Humility and reverence: When we take darsana of the Deity, we must first take our shoes off, ring a bell, bow down, conch shells blow, the curtains are drawn — we are seeing the form of the Lord. The same respect and reverence should be given to the holy name.
Service: Chanting is a kind of service. It should be performed in a serving mood, serving the holy name by uttering it. Not that we are the master of Krishna, causing Him to manifest.
Gratitude: Be thankful to the Lord for the mercy that He is bestowing upon you and all the fallen souls in the form of His holy name
Tolerance: All difficulties and obstacles of the mind must be tolerated. One may not have any taste for chanting or find the process hard to follow. All discomforts must be tolerated for Krishna's satisfaction.
Patience: It may take a lot of practice before one gets better at chanting. One must patiently continue to endeavor. We are eternal, so there is no need to panic.
Determination: Never become discouraged. Always continue with determination knowing that success is ultimately guaranteed.
Remember the importance of chanting: Be conscious of the importance of this chanting process. Remember that it is essential to our spiritual advancement.
Faithfulness: We must cultivate our faith in the holy name, put our trust in it.
Please let me in: Ask Krishna to allow us to enter into the inner realisations of chanting the holy names.
Hare krishna Mataji,
wonderful reminder , thankyou for posting this wonderful details.
HARE KRISHNA, HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.
very good decision ji....
lord bless you