Re: Japa timing

Dear Mihir, Chanting in the morning, the first thing after bathing, results in a permanent impression and influence on our mind and heart during the day because our mind is relatively peaceful and free from material thoughts, impressions and flickerings due to sleeping for many hours in the night, which in turn makes concentration and meditation of the Mantras relatively easier. The first thing we do in the day, remains with us throughout the day. That is why Shrila Prabhupada said that if one chants in the morning, one will remain quite aloof from the all-prevading influence of Maya throughout the day. Once we get involved in the hustle and bustle of the day life, we start accumulating impressions and thoughts in our mind. This may make it difficult for us to suddenly cut off from these thoughts and activities and focus our minds on the Mantras during the busy times in the day.

That said, as Srinath pointed  out, there are no hard and fast rules for chanting Nityaananda, Gauraanga, and Hare Krishna because the Holy Names are always equally transcendental and powerful during any time in the day and night, even at midnight. Still I would recommend that you should try to complete your chanting as earlier in the day as possible and not leave it for the last thing you do before sleeping at night, which should be last option.

The most important arrangment which may be required in order to accomplish this is to sleep early, which I know is like reversing the trend of these present times. But as we know, no gain without pain. Most of the times, the activities which we do during the very late hours of the night are anyway not very spiritually and even materially meaningful. So we can sleep earlier, at the right time, if we have the desire to succeed quickly in spiritual realization, so that we can wake up early for Mantra Meditation, before leaving for work. This is perhaps the most important decision in the life of the working-class devotees because chanting is the cause of 99% advancement in Naama Bhakti Yoga. Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Jaya Shri Guru Parampara! Pranams!

Daaso'smi, BRS Swami Gaurangapada.

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