We are some weeks here in the holy land of Mayapur and tried to do extra effort for chanting japa. Along with chanting studied different scriptures dealing with chanting. We have also taken as a daily practice to chant some of the bhajans from Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Gitavali - Bhajan No. 3 starts as follows:
1) If your mind is always absorbed in chanting the glories of Lord Krsna with great care, then by that process of Sri-krsna-kirtana you will attain transcendental qualification.
2) You should give up all false pride and always consider yourself to be worthless, destitute, lower and more humble than a blade of grass.
3) You should practice forgiveness like that of a tree, and giving up violence toward other living beings, you should protect and maintain them.
http://kksongs.org/songs/s/srikrsnasankirtane.html
Process is effective but it takes surrender, like the first verse says: by the mercy of the holy name we will attain the good qualities required for good chanting, but we need to chant constantly with great care. Chanting constantly doesn't necessarily mean chanting japa constantly, but we should constantly serve the holy name in one way or another. If we chant only a little bit with very little care, we don't get so much out from our chanting and the progress is likely to be slow.
Srila Prabhupada and previous acaryas have given all that is needed, and for example these bhajans tell in very detailed way, how to do progress. Unfortunately under the material energy we don't have enough enthusiasm to really strat serious chanting.
Muniraja dasa
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