Japa Timings

Dear Prabhus,
The other day I was reading the life story of Srila Jagannath das Babaji Maharaja and I found his recommended timings for Japa as follows:

"The best time for chanting was from three o'clock in the morning until seven in the morning, and again from sunset until eleven o'clock at night. He declared that no serious-minded devotee should sleep during these hours, as Lord Siva comes to inspect the devotees of his guru, Lord Krsna, at those times."

http://www.isvara.org/manonatha/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1059

I have myself experienced that japa in the morning is extremely powerful and purifies one's heart for the whole day. If however I fail to complete my japa in the morning time for some reason, I do it in the eveing time as prescribed above but never at other times. Also, one gets extra benefits of chanting if it is done before a Tulasi tree - due to extra mercy bestowed by Bhakti Devi.These are some of my observations and would want to hear from other devotees in this respect.

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The Priceless Gift

Today I was reading an article from Urmila devi about giving the Holy Names to others. In this article she says that we tend to take care of the gifts we like most, we put it in the best place of the house, we protect it from others and we give alot of value to it...what to speak of the Maha Mantra which is the most precious gift.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was the most merciful incarnation who gave us this gift of the Holy Names just because He wanted to share His pure love of God with others. When we get in contact with these names we can feel bliss even from the beginning...when giving these names to others we feel more satisfied because we are sharing this sankirtan movement  and making other dormant devotees awaken their pure love of God through this chanting.
Taking advantage of this priceless gift by giving alot of attention, avoiding offenses,  treating these names as Krsna Himself and dedicating our time to this process with hearts opened in order to feel all the trancendental bliss the acharyas have already described .

Haribol.

Aruna dd

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Inner Dialogue

Inner dialogue of the mind is one of the main enemies of concentrated Japa. Even if you are in peaceful surroundings or in a temple, at the right time, and all the other external things are conducive for good chanting, prajalpa within your mind can create trouble for you.
Inner dialogue is very much connected to our false-ego, ego defends our false bodily identity and pride. Ego gets us into useless talks and quarrels and within our mind we recall or plan our external quarrels. Someone chastises us and in our mind we plan how to defend ourselves.
Ego is very hard and subtle but through attentive chanting one can gradually have some understanding how much we are controlled by it.
When we are strongly controlled by the lower modes of nature, we easily get into debates and start to quarrel with devotees due to some useless reason. Especially in the early morning in your Japa time, one should be very careful not to get into any unneccessary discussions or commenting on anything that can wait for later.
Instead one can pray to the Holy name, that one��s consicousness can rise above the bodily platform and that our diamond-like ego can be melted. One can try to follow a vow "For today, I am not going defend myself if
corrected, I will not get into any useless talks or comment other doings unnesserarily."
Recently I happened to look at a non-Krishna conscious esoteric book. Philosophically nothing important but there were some good points concerning the ego. The main character was trained towards spiritual elevation by smashing his pride repeatedly. There was a lesson, that one should try to keep his mind controlled even if ridiculed or chastised without reason.
It reminds me from a statement of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaja: "Those who critisize me are my friends, those who flatter me are my enemies." Often we think the opposite.

ys

Mrd

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The Importance of Prayer

In this next session of The Japa Room we will be discussing the importance of composing a personal prayer before chanting on our beads. It's has been said by great devotees there is a neccessity of chanting with the heart and not mechanically. By giving a 100% of ourselves to Japa time,  one can concentrate properly and certainly will be avoiding  offenses like inattention. When composing a prayer, we tend to focus more our hearts on it...we remember everything we need to be aware of before chanting. We have the example of Srila Prabhupada that before arriving in America made a very beautiful prayer:

"How will I make them understand this message of Krsna Counsciousness. I am very unfortunate, unqualified and the most fallen. Somehow or other, oh Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now my Lord it's up to You to make me a success or a failure as You like."
Onboard the Jaladuta 1965

Haribol

Aruna dd

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Feel Your Beads

One way to define attention is that the mind should be focused on our internal world instead of the external. Sitting still and becoming aware of small things - how we sit and how we breath can be helpful when we try to bring our mind from external things to internal. Simply hearing maha-mantra is the goal but these other ways to cultivate attentiveness may be helpful towards that goal. Being aware of our Japa beads is especially important. We noticed this morning that as long as we could be focused on holding our beads, the mind was somewhat focused on hearing maha-mantra.
When one is chanting in an inattentive way, we sometimes drop the beads from our hands, forgot how many rounds we chanted, or count too fast or too slow.

Your servant

Mrd

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The Importance of Avoiding Offenses

Without chanting offenselessly, one cannot properly advance in Krsna consciousness:
One should know for certain that without chanting the holy name of the Lord offenselessly, one cannot be a proper candidate for advancement in Krsna consciousness.

��The Nectar of Instruction Text 5

If one commits offenses against the holy name, he will not achieve attachment for chanting:
[Lord Caitanya to Svarupa Damodara and Ramananda Raya]:
"���My dear Lord, although You bestow such mercy upon the fallen conditioned souls by liberally teaching Your holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while chanting the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for chanting."
��Sri Caitanya���caritamrta Antya���lila 20.16

If one chants the holy name offensively, one does not achieve love for the Supreme Lord:
If one chants the exalted holy name of the Lord again and again and yet his love for the Supreme Lord does not develop and tears do not appear in his eyes, it is evident that because of his offenses in chanting, the seed of the holy name of Krsna does not sprout.
��Sri Caitanya���caritamrta Adi���lila 8.29���3

If one chants with offenses, even many lifetimes of chanting will not bring him love of Godhead:
If one is infested with the ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha���mantra, despite his endeavor to chant the holy name for many births, he will not get the love of Godhead which is the ultimate goal of this chanting.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati thakura says in this connection that unless one accepts Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, although one goes on chanting the Hare Krsna mantra for many, many years, there is no possibility of his attaining the platform of devotional service. One must follow strictly the instruction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu given in the Siksastaka:

trnad api sunicena taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih
[Cc. adi 17.31]

"One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and should be ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly." (Siksastaka 3)

One who follows this direction, being freed from the ten kinds of offenses, becomes successful in Krsna consciousness and ultimately reaches the platform of loving service to the Personality of Godhead.
��Sri Caitanya���caritamrta Adi 8.16

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Wandering Mind Syndrome

During Japa today I struggled with keeping my mind from wandering here, there and everywhere...it's a daily struggle and I usually close my eyes, cup my hand to my ear (so I can hear properly) and just focus on hearing the Mantra.
Sometimes this doesn't work though, so I use my last weapon to defeat the mind....reading the mantra whilst I chant. This works everytime and keeps my mind right on the Mantra...it's like a big stick or a slipper, beating the mind into submission "Stay on the Mantra...don't wander off you rascal".
The combination of hearing myself properly and reading along has helped greatly with improving my inattention and continues to save me from WMS (Wandering Mind Syndrome).

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Bhakti-yoga is Very Simple

Bhakti yoga is a very simple process as Srila Prabhupada states in a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, the person can just begin by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra. Another important topic I noticed is that the Lord helps the ones who perform devotional service without deviation. Krsna is merciful towards the ones who want to make advancement, who want to improve their devotional life, their chanting and their spiritual life.
Below is from the purport of the Bhagavd Gita saying this:

"A pure devotee always engages in devotional service to Kr��s��n��a in one of His various personal features. Kr��s��n��a, R��ma and Nr��sim��ha, and a devotee can choose to fix his mind in loving service to any of these transcendental forms of the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee meets with none of the problems that plague the practitioners of other yogas. Bhakti-yoga is very simple and pure and easy to perform. One can begin simply by chanting Hare Kr��s��n��a. The Lord is merciful to all, but as we have already explained, He is especially inclined toward those who always serve Him without deviation. The Lord helps such devotees in various ways. As stated in the Vedas (Kat��ha Upanis��ad 1.2.23 ), yam evais��a vr��n��utetena labhyas/ tasyais��a ��tm�� vivr��n��ute tanum�� sv��m: one who is fully surrendered and engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord can understand the Supreme Lord as He is. And as stated in Bhagavad-g��t�� (10.10), dad��mi buddhi-yogam�� tam: the Lord gives such a devotee sufficient intelligence so that ultimately the devotee can attain Him in His spiritual kingdom."

Haribol.

Aruna dd

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Re-apply the Basics

In the Japa Room this week we were talking about re-applying the basic guidelines as outlined by Srila Prabhupada...Srila Prabhupada mentions some useful tips here:

"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."
Chaitanya Charitamrta - Adi 17.32 purport

"Chanting japa should be done early in the morning with full concentration preferably during the Brahma Muhurta time. Concentrate fully on the sound vibration of the mantra, pronouncing each name distinctly and gradually your speed in chanting will increase naturally. Do not worry so much about chanting fast, most important is the hearing."
Letter from Srila Prabhupada 6/1/72

Devotee: "Srila Prabhup��da, it's very difficult to control my mind when I chant. It wanders."
Srila Prabhupada: "So what is the controlling of mind? You have to chant and hear. That is all. You have to chant with your tongue, and the sound you hear. What is the question of mind?"

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Chant Your Rounds

It was a fine and hot day in Chennai.  I was leaving for Srirangam Dham,  added to the excitement was the book called "Salted Bread"a true and painful story which will encourage everyone of us to take devotional service more seriously - I was excited to read it.
I gave the book a shot,  a mind blowing book and I couldn't keep it down for 6 hours. . . the whole journey. . . little did I realize, I was on the train and in the next 20 minutes I would be in Srirangam. I had a terrible feeling as I had chanted only 2 rounds that day but I continued reading. Immediately the lady next to me said "its Srirangam,  get down". I jumped out of the train with all my baggage. Little did I realize,  it was not Srirangam, a place 40 kms away from Srirangam! It was pitch dark. There were only 2 people who got down at the station. I got a call, little did I realize it was not Srirangam! I took my luggage, tried to remain calm, at that time,  I could remember the Lord. I thought the Lord was punishing me for not chanting my rounds. I chanted the Nrsimha Prayers and started chanting. The Lord was helping and guiding me. There was one last bus to Srirangam Dham���by Krishna's mercy,  I boarded it and reached Srirangam in an hour and a half.
In that journey, filled with fear at night, I chanted 18 rounds of the Maha Mantra and then I reached Srirangam. I thanked the Lord profusely. Without chanting I would have nearly died of fear. In the whole journey I was chanting, begging for the Lords mercy. I realized only one thing that only the Lords Holy names can save us from this Samsara.
I remembered a lecture of H.G. Govinda prabhu, where he was sharing his experience in a place where there were only scorpions and snakes and how he chanted with fear and hence could chant wonderfully. He used to concentrate on the Lotus feet of Krishna and his rounds were wonderful. When I get reminded of this - I sometimes think Krishna is being too merciful, hence, we tend to take chanting lightly. When we are placed in a difficult situation we tend to remember Him without fail because he is our only refuge as well as His Holy names. We have to believe that every moment in this Samsara is we are placed in prison and only chanting can help and deliver us and is our only refuge. This incident has helped me a lot in taking refuge only in the Holy names, whereas everything material is just temporary. I pray to the Lord, that he always makes me realize, that only the Holy Names are the only refuge! May all the Vaishnavas bless me!

Chanting Lila ki Jaya.

Gaura Premanande Hari Hari Bol.

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You Can Attain Krsnaloka Without a Doubt

While reading the Bhagavad Gita verses today, I found a nice verse that talks about the importance of chanting in order to remember Krsna - to have the mind fixed on the Supreme so we can attain Him with no doubt.

"Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Kr��s��n��a and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt."

PURPORT
This instruction to Arjuna is very important for all men engaged in material activities. The Lord does not say that one should give up his prescribed duties or engagements. One can continue them and at the same time think of Kr��s��n��a by chanting Hare Kr��s��n��a. This will free one from material contamination and engage the mind and intelligence in Kr��s��n��a. By chanting Kr��s��n��a's names, one will be transferred to the supreme planet, Kr��s��n��aloka, without a doubt.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 8.7

Haribol

Aruna dd

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Separation from Krsna

Chanting properly can take us to a different stages of realization, even when we have not achieved prema we can experience love while chanting.
Krsna is so merciful that He gives His personal association through His Holy Names and a chanter whose at the stage of namabhasa can feel Him, His presence, sometimes crying and also missing the Lord just like a child crying for the father - lost somewhere. Someone who takes the Holy Names as Krsna Himself will never feel loneliness and if this person feels it, this can be called separation, which is not different from real love.

Hare Krsna.

Aruna Locana dd

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The Ten Offenses

This week we are going to study in the Japa Room about the Ten Offenses to be avoided while chanting the Hare Krsna maha mantra. I think it's valuable to remind myself and everyone about them:

1. To blaspheme devotees who have dedicated their lives to chanting the holy name of the Lord. The holy name, who is identical with Krishna, will never tolerate such blasphemous activities.

2. To consider the names of Lord Siva or Lord Brahma to be on an equal level with the holy name of Lord Vishnu.

3. To disobey the orders of the spiritual master or to consider him an ordinary person.

4. To blaspheme the Vedic literatures or literatures in pursuance of the Vedic version.

5. To give some interpretation on the holy name of the Lord.

6. To consider the glories of the holy name of the Lord as imagination.

7. To think that the Hare Krishna mantra can counteract all sinful reactions and one may therefore go on with his sinful activities and at the same time chant the Hare Krishna mantra to neutralise them is the greatest offense at the lotus feet of Hari-nama.

8. To consider the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra to be one of the auspicious ritualistic mantras mentioned in the Vedas as fruitive activity.

9. It is an offense to preach the glories of the holy name of the Lord to the faithless.

10. If one has heard the glories of the transcendental holy name of the Lord but nevertheless continues in a materialistic concept of life, thinking ���I am this body and everything belonging to this body is mine [aham mameti],��� and does not show respect and love for the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, that is an offense.

Api Pramadah: It is also an offense to be inattentive while chanting.

From the Padma Purana Brahma Khanda 25.15���18

Hare Krsna.

Aruna dd

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Feeling the Protection of Krsna

I was reading recently where Srila Prabhupada mentions that a devotee only requires to take shelter of Krsna and His Holy names in whatever situation he finds himself...even in the hellish planets.
It reminds me of a story of the devotees in Bosnia when the war was raging there, one young devotee was worshipping Lord Nrsimhadeva and chanting the Holy names very seriously...he said he was never afraid and felt the protection of Krsna...this was evident when hearing about how the area around their building was virtually untouched but the rest had been flattened by bombs and the war machines.
It was a good example of how Krsna protects His devotees according to the degree that the devotee surrenders and takes shelter.

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The Quality of Chanting Pt.2

Lord Chaitanya taught the philosophy of sankhya yoga through the chanting of the Holy names, saying that His names are the sound incarnation...since the Lord is the absolute whole there is no difference between His Holy name and His form. According to Teachings of Lord Chaitanya book...as one practices this sound vibration he passes through three stages of development: the offensive stage, the clearing stage and the transcedental stage. In the offensive stage the chanter desires all kinds of material happiness, in the second stage he becomes clear of all material contamination and in the third stage he attains the stage of loving God.
Everyone wants the ultimate goal of chanting...sometimes we may think that just by repeating like a tape in a mechanical way, we will attain it but  it's said that we need to chant with our hearts,  in a real pure serving mood and then Krsna will descend in the heart...and from the heart He comes to the tongue and dances there....but  first we need to be nama seva and be determined to pass through all stages to get to this point of transcendental chanting.

Hare Krsna

Aruna Locana dd

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Concentrate Everytime

This week in the Japa Room we mainly talked about the importance of remembering the Lord at the time of death...how can we concentrate on our chanting so much that we can be thinking of the mantra the whole day. Many things were discussed like hearing but not only when chanting also while doing arati, kirtan, classes of the Bhagavad Gita or Srimad Bhagavatam....by doing these with proper concentration we can be thinking of the Lord most of the time and our senses can be engaged in remembering Him at any time. It's really hard to remember that many people are dying in wars and we never know when our time will come but we have got a good advantage - we have taken part in a wonderful movement brought by Srila Prabhupada, which enables us to have contact with the process of chanting.
I myself feel completely protected when I chant the Holy Names, I feel connected to my Gurudev, Srila Prabhupada and Krsna.
It's something I can't live without, maybe not because I am having a taste because it's to early to say that but because I feel the necessity of this chanting in my life. I have improved a lot as a person and as a devotee and in all aspects of my life...so I really want to have more of those changes and become a better chanter.

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Avoiding Offenses to Attain the Supreme

Giving others the Holy Names and teaching how to chant properly is described by Krsna in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is 18.68 - as one practices that, it brings us to pure devotional service to Krsna.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is 18.68:

TRANSLATION
"For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me"

But besides chanting, it's really very important to be aware of offenses, otherwise we can't achieve this goal of pure devotional service. In the Nectar of Devotion Chapter 8: Offenses to Be Avoided it is described that among the offenses, the offense in relation to the Holy Names is the worst, it gives the offender no chance of being delivered:

"In the Padma Pur��n��a it is stated that even a person whose life is completely sinful will be completely protected by the Lord if he simply surrenders unto Him. So it is accepted that one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes free from all sinful reactions. And even when a person becomes an offender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, he can still be delivered simply by taking shelter of the holy names of the Lord: Hare Kr��s��n��a, Hare Kr��s��n��a, Kr��s��n��a Kr��s��n��a, Hare Hare/ Hare R��ma, Hare R��ma, R��ma R��ma, Hare Hare. In other words, the chanting of Hare Kr��s��n��a is beneficial for eradicating all sins, but if one becomes an offender to the holy names of the Lord, then he has no chance of being delivered."
Nectar of Devotion Chapter 8

May the Holy Names give us the mercy of chanting without offenses, so we can always be blessed and able to attain the Supreme Abode.

Haribol

Aruna dd

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Only way in the Age of Kali

"Therefore the essence of all religious principles in the age of Kali is the sacrifice of chanting of the Holy names of the Lord...one cannot be delivered by following any other religious principles."
Chaitanya Bhagavat - Madhya 1.148

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Reflecting on Offenses

I was reflecting on the 11 offences after talking with a devotee on the phone tonight.
The 11th offense we recite in the Temple morning program, inattention whilst chanting, is considered to be the root cause of all the other offenses. This is something I have tended to overlook but is nevertheless crucial for quality Japa.
I have done some experimenting with this, for example - I tried reading the mantra whilst I was chanting and noticed the difference when I stopped reading (the mind became defocused and started wandering).
I am sure there are other devotees with similar experiences and ways of dealing with inattention. I know one devotee who, if he thought he was being inattentive, would stop chanting - play a kirtan - then continue chanting.

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Nagara-Sankirtan and Japa

Chanting Japa is most essential, but like Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura says in the purport to Caitanya Bhagavata, one should not think that perfection can be achieved with only Japa, congregational chanting must also be there. Some months ago, Aindra prabhu was preaching to us about the importance of daily Harinama. We cannot fully follow that yet, but we have increased. Sometimes we manage to go 7 days in a row, but at least 3 times a week. I have noticed there is a direct connection to my Japa. When you are in a mood to distribute the Holy name, Holy name gives His mercy. Go more on Harinama, your Japa will get better also.

Your humble servant

Muniraja dasa

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Chanting in Nature

On our travelling sankirtana adventures we spent three nights in a summer place of one of our devotee friends from East Finland. There is no running water, nor other artificial comforts. At 3am the temperature was around 0c but rose to 5c by 7am.
But if you had some warm clothes and heavy woolen chadar, you could chant your Japa on the shore of the nearby lake. We got some realisations about the mode of goodness - at the same time it is very pleasant, no distractions, just some occasional distant sounds of birds, mind is peaceful, air is full of prana and you are very alert. But at the same time sattva doesn't mean spiritual, even if you are alert and in one sense you are absorbed in hearing, you are not necessarily really remembering Krsna.
I could see the difference for chanting in the temple or in the front of Tulasi devi, there was not that stimulation for remembering Krsna. The temple is the best place for chanting but if there is opportunity, one can try chanting japa in the nature too.

ys

Mrd

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The Process is Very Simple

Reading the BG 12.6-7, I found what I was  looking for...that only by chanting the Holy Names and engaging ourselves in our occupation we can achieve Krsna:

"As stated before, the Supreme Lord can be appreciated only by devotional service. Therefore, one should be fully devoted. One should fix his mind fully on Kr��s��n��a in order to achieve Him. One should work only for Kr��s��n��a. It does not matter in what kind of work one engages, but that work should be done only for Kr��s��n��a. That is the standard of devotional service. The devotee does not desire any achievement other than pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His life's mission is to please Kr��s��n��a, and he can sacrifice everything for Kr��s��n��a's satisfaction, just as Arjuna did in the Battle of Kuruks��etra. The process is very simple: one can devote himself in his occupation and engage at the same time in chanting Hare Kr��s��n��a, Hare Kr��s��n��a, Kr��s��n��a Kr��s��n��a, Hare Hare/ Hare R��ma, Hare R��ma, R��ma R��ma, Hare Hare. Such transcendental chanting attracts the devotee to the Personality of Godhead." From Bhagavad Gita As It Is 12.6-7 purport

Haribol

Aruna dd

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Chant At Every Step

We see that when we are facing some grave problem or when we are in some difficulty...at that time we really chant as if the Holy name is the only shelter.
In the  Srimad Bhagavatam it states that in this material world there is danger at every step. So guess what? we need to chant with full seriousness always. CHANT AT EVERY STEP.

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Respecting our Vaisnava Family

"To blaspheme devotees who have dedicated their lives to chanting the Holy name of the Lord. The holy name, who is identical with Krsna, will never tolerate such blasphemous activities."

In the Japa Room this week we are discussing  the ten offenses on the Holy Names, which are very important to anyone who wants to progress in spiritual life.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu couldn't stand an offense to Lord Nityananda and also Lord Narasimha couldn't accept someone offending his beloved devotee Pralada Maharaja - this means Krsna cares about His devotees.
If we follow Srila Prabhupada's example - being humble and tolerant, we can see that just by respecting one another we can achieve some of his qualities.
Good chanting makes us humble to the Holy names and at the same time to anyone else including our vaisnava family.

Hare Krsna.

Aruna Locana dd

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Increasing our Faith in the Holy Names

By seriously chanting the Hare Krsna mantra and avoiding offenses, especially inattention, our faith in the Holy names will increase. If we chant to our best ability, Krsna reciprocates with us and gives us purification which we can perceive...we get a taste and we can perceive that chanting the Hare Krsna mantra does actually work and does have an effect on our consciousness.
By experiencing this purification first hand, our faith in the Holy names naturally increases - the fact that the Holy names are potent.
From strong faith comes determination and we continue regularly chanting the Holy names in a serious manner.

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The Nectar of the Holy Names

I want to share something very auspicious that happened today while I was chanting on my beads.
My brother and I usually wake up at 5am to chant...today when I woke up he was already chanting and I felt more inspired to do it. When I was praying, I asked Krsna to give me association of the devotees and use me and my family as instruments for preaching. My brother never disturbs me while we are chanting but today I noticed he stopped his chanting and came to talk to me.
He said that he was chanting in the garden and a worker was passing on the street and asked him - "Are you praying? Is this a mantra? Everyday I go to work and I listen to this sound and I feel some peace...can you explain more about this mantra?"
That was all my brother wanted...to find an opportunity to preach and the Holy names gave him this chance. He got into the living room, picked a book from Srila Prabhupada and gave it to this man and told him - "The mantra is here on this page." The man took the book and went to work. I was amazed how the Holy names purify people just by listening.
In this case the Holy names made the preaching and  maybe a new devotee. This is how Krsna works and this is the purpose of this Sankirtan movement...preaching KC through chanting, hearing and distributing prasadam.

Haribol.

Aruna dd

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Become Serious

Srila Prabbhupada��s disciple H.G.Shyamasundara prabhu shares his realizations after recovering from a heavy car accident in 2006. The text is very helpful for developing seriousness in spiritual life http://www.dandavats.com/?p=5971

Some quotes from the text concerning chanting:

"AT THE TIME OF DEATH THE HOLY NAME OF KRSNA IS YOUR ONLY FRIEND. So you should make acquaintance with Him NOW."

"Every morning we say after the 10th offence "It is also an offensive to be inattentive while chanting"...all I can say to all of you is to be as attentive and focused on the Holy Name as you possibly can because this world is a dangerous place...and like me, you may suddenly find yourself face down in the dirt, covered in blood, unable to move, blinded by your own blood, body smashed and broken, in pain beyond description, struggling to breath - in that condition you have to chant. It was not easy...just thinking about it is disturbing (I re-live it) - So practice now for the inevitable."

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Avoiding the 10 Offenses Pt.1

We recite the 10 offenses to the Holy names in the temple morning program but what do they really mean? How does this relate to my own spiritual life?

Here is the first in a series of discussions on this very important aspect of chanting.

satam ninda namnah paramam aparadham vitanute

yatah khyatim yatam katham u sahate tad-vigarham

To blaspheme devotees who have dedicated their lives to chanting the holy name of the Lord. The holy name, who is identical with Krsna, will never tolerate such blasphemous activities.

1. Blaspheming devotees (sadhu-ninda)

A sadhu is anyone who is surrendering to Krishna. One who shows gross irreverence or disrespect to those devotees who have dedicated their lives to Krishna is compared to a mad elephant (hati mata), which comes and tramples the creeper of devotion.

Examples of criticising a devotee:

     * He has a lower social status
* His manners are not yet so polished
* He eats too much prasadam
* He had previously had very bad habits
* He has been weak and temporarily gave up devotional service

A devotee should be like the honey bee that always looks for the nectar and not like the fly that always looks for stool or open sores. One associates with whatever qualities he focuses on, and thus he cultivates those qualities.

How to counter-act the offence - Humbly approach that devotee, offer obeisances, and ask forgiveness.

From http://www.iskcon.com/basics/tenoffences.html

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I Better Chant Really Good Rounds

During the eighties out at O'Hare in Chicago, the airport book distribution party had an hour and a half after mangal artik and tulasi worship to do our rounds and then it was into the vans and out to the airport. At that time there was a concerted effort under way to get the devotees out of the airport.
Teams had been organized by both the USO and one angry family - squadrons of navy enlistees and friends of the angry family would surround a book distributor and using clickers and even obscene and aggravating comments, they would break up any sales. They would tear up books and throw them in our faces. Sometimes people would even threaten to kill us. During the hour and a half Japa session I would have two thoughts chasing each other around in my head.
One thought would be..."I don't have time to chant these damn rounds, I might get killed today." That would immediately be chased away and replaced with the thought..."I might get killed today. I better chant really good rounds."
In this way my rounds had a real sense of urgency and so it is that insofar as I can recapture that mood and feeling as I do my rounds each day, I find that it's easier for me to be attentive and sincere in my effort to chant good rounds.

Posted on behalf of Sarvo

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Chanting With the Right Consciousness

We need to chant our Japa in the right consciousness. It means totally getting absorbed in the sound vibration...thinking of nothing else. We need to hear it with full concentration so we can see how important it is to focus. Being inattentive is also an offence to chanting Japa...so to chant with the right consciousness we should chant with full concentration and awareness.

Hare Krsna

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Swami Speaks

"Krsna is most compassionate and one day He will shower His mercy upon us. We have to pray to the Holy name, and He will certainly bestow His mercy on us."

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Meditations on the Holy Name: Death

The following I posted on my blog, but it completes my series on the holy name and wanted to share it with this group:

I feel surrounded by death. I have attended more memorials in the past eight or nine months than in my entire life. And Radhanath Swami's class on Mother's Day about the young woman, Yamunangi, who left her body in a car crash a half an hour after her initiation impacted me deeply. She was 22. I'm 21.

And so yesterday as I underwent surgery, I vowed to share the experience here. It was a simple procedure on my left foot, but as I was hooked up to an IV, monitors placed on my chest and I stared at the screen with sharp lines that signified my heartbeat, I felt so fragile. In those moments I felt as though I was approaching death.

For the past several months I have had serious faith issues with the holy name. But in those moments, as I cast around for anything to take shelter of - anything - my mouth formed the holy name. I didn't even speak it out loud, just formed the syllables with my mouth. And I realized, the holy name will never abandon me. Moments before the anesthesia took over, I relished the holy name in my mind. I felt at peace to know that if my last cognizant thought was of the holy name, my life was - and is - complete.

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4 Ways to Avoid Inattention

Over the years I have discovered some effective ways to overcome inattention:

1. Don't do anything else whilst chanting Japa

2. Listen very carefully to the sound coming out your mouth...choose a quiet place to chant so that you are able to hear your own chanting properly

3. Pronounce each word very clearly...even if it means slowing down your chanting

4. Read the Mantra whilst you chant (in Temples this was a common addition to the Temple room...the Maha Mantra on the wall)...I personally found this, along with hearing, to be a very effective way to keep the mind from wandering.

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Devotional Mood When Chanting

Recently I was asking Mahatma prabhu a question about chanting with the heart and not like a tape - repeating the words mechanically...he gave me a newsletter link to read and while reading I got into a very important point again inattentive Japa - what he calls "Courtesy Japa".
It's a really bad habit and if we keep on going it gets harder and harder to fix. Attentive Japa requires faith, determination and love for our spiritual master. There is also something very important that my Gurudev used to say - pure devotional service requires strong desire to attain...eagerness. This is the only way. Getting advanced in Krsna consciousnesss depends on good chanting...its the basis of everything we want to get and then everything is pure devotional service.

"It���s all about fighting apathy in our japa.  As Lord Caitanya said, playing the part of a conditioned soul, ���I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for chanting Your Holy Names.��� So we have two choices during japa. One is to go with the flow and just let the mind wander.  The other is to go against the flow and make a valiant effort to focus on the holy name and chant in a prayerful, devotional mood. That���s not so easy. It takes effort. It goes against everything ���courtesy japa��� stands for.  And this is not much fun for lazy japa chanters like me.  After all, concentrating is hard work."

Putting an End to Courtesy Japa by Mahatma Das

Haribol

Aruna dd

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Nastyeva! Nastyeva! Nastyeva!

Some time ago I read a very nice book entitled Legacy of Love: A Servant's Quest that speaks about the life of a very wonderful devotee of Lord Krishna named Hladini devi dasi, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. I found the following letter from her to be really inspirational. And that's her on the picture together with Lord Jagannatha:

"I received your wonderful letter it was so nice to hear from you. But I am going to VERY INFACTICALLY AND LOUDLY PROCLAIM ... NASTYEVA! NASTYEVA! NASTYEVA! There's NOTHING more important than chanting those rounds VERY DEEPLY! So many wonderful devotees became prey to illusion simply because they let down their guard. If you maintain 16 rounds and the regulative principles you are completely protected by Guru and Krishna, but any lack is most dangerous. It's like coming to Africa with no vaccinations! (This place is HEAVY DUTY). All our Enthusiasm, Determination and Patience and Perseverance is in those glorious Names. Don't chant inattentively. The earlier you chant the sweeter it is- no static in the air. It's like tuning a radio, there's one fine point without any static. So we have to practice and search for Krishna in His name. Ultimately it's not a mechanical method. When Krishna is pleased by your struggle and perseverance to contact Him He reveals. This process is SO PERSONAL. Krishna wants to give us everything but we are so slow. That's why association is everything. You must BECOME the association. One small candle can burn down an entire fortress. One enthusiastic devotee can inspire masses. This process is so powerful, so dynamic, but the devotees aren't going deep into it. Then when Maya comes with her army of obstacles and allurements there is no higher taste to combat."

Letter from Hladini to Yamuna, February 23, 1989

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Chanting and Driving

This is something I used to do when travelling to work early each morning....at the time I saw no harm in chanting and driving - it was the only time that was practical for me to chant.....and boy was I wrong!

I found out the hard way about inattentive chanting.....it is offensive to the Holy Name and severely reduces your chances of making any progress in spritiual life.  After this realisation, I arranged to chant after I came home from work and after attending to family dealings....I would go for a Japa walk to avoid household distractions and was able to properly chant the Holy Name in peace.

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Being Grateful To The Holy Names

Being grateful is a way of recognizing how precious is to have this human form of life and also having met devotees. Sometimes we are so comfortable in our devotional service and positions that we forget that we are very lucky, just by having the chance of hearing  this transcendental knowledge from an authorized source.  It is stated in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is 10.8:

"I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts."

We depend on Krsna for everything. Even to chant the Holy Names, we depend on our voice, tongue, hands, health, air etc. Thanking our Lord for having all these in perfect condition is important, another thing is taking advantage of these abilities to perform devotional service. We never know how much time we still have for chanting, why don't we chant on our beads as if it were the last day, the last minute of our lives. We never expect to die but we should perform our service as if it were the last time given instead of putting off taking it seriously.Srila Prabhupada once said that no money can pay a single second of life if you are dying, thats why every moment of our lives are precious and must be used in the best way, connecting us to the Supreme and awakening our constitutional position in this life.

Haribol

Aruna dd

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Practical Solutions for Wandering Minds

Here are some testimonies about how some devotees could fix the wandering mind problems, including myself. Krsna says in the Bhagavad Gita 10.10 that for those who serve Him with love He gives the understanding by which they can go to Him. It means that Krsna sees our service, sees our determination when chanting....He also sees our wish to improve in order to please Him and because He is very merciful we can find out the best way to become better devotees.

There was a mataji friend who used to run an ashram of about 25 girls of all ages in the farm temple gurukul, she used to chant her rounds always thinking of what she had to buy, what she had to do, who she had to talk with and so on. Never concentrated on chanting - nowadays she says her chanting has improved, she lives in her family's house and takes care of her grandson...after she does all housework she takes 2 hours in the afternoon and dedicates that to chanting when nobody will disturb her...she said she is getting good results on her problem of the wandering mind.

Another devotee who runs a big company nowadays said that when he wants to chant his rounds, he takes off his watch, his shoes and turns off the mobile and sits in a comfortable place and dedicates that time to Krsna.

In both cases we can see that improvement comes when we surrender, when we think we need Krsna even to serve him better, we need to dedicate, be determined, pray and ask Krsna to bless us with His association.

Srila Prabhupada says in a lecture that we will only understand that Krsna is the controller by chanting. Sometimes when we are chanting we try to control the mind by ourselves but we forget that we need Krsna for that also...so in my case I try to surrender, make a good prayer before and tell everyone at home this is my Japa time and they respect me. So when my mind is wandering I first understand this is common cause I am improving and second I try to commit more, thanking Krsna for this opportunity of chanting and always be very positive that one day I will do a perfect Japa...not because of my own techniques but cause Krsna has answered my prayer and has also accepted my service.

Hare Krsna,

Aruna Locana DD

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Early Morning Japa

Today I got up early at 3.30 am and wow! The experiance of Japa Chanting was great. I slept the previous night at 8.15 pm ...this was too early for me, but i thought to give it a try and to my surprise it worked!!
First thing I did not feel sleepy, secondly I could concentrate on chanting...so it was a good thing to complete my rounds in morning.  I hope to keep this early morning Sadhana steady.

Hare Krsna

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Success in Chanting

Success in chanting of the holy name depends fully upon humility:

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "O Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Ramananda Raya, hear from Me the symptoms of how one should chant the Hare Krsna maha���mantra to awaken very easily one's dormant love for Krsna. One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor but is always prepared to give all respect to others, can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord. These are the symptoms of one who chants the Hare Krsna maha���mantra. Although he is very exalted, he thinks himself lower than the grass on the ground, and like a tree, he tolerates everything in two ways. When a tree is cut down, it does not protest, and even when drying up, it does not ask anyone for water. The tree delivers its fruits, flowers and whatever it possesses to anyone and everyone. It tolerates scorching heat and torrents of rain, yet it still gives shelter to others. Although a Vaisnava is the most exalted person, he is priceless and gives all respect to everyone, knowing everyone to be the resting place of Krsna. If one chants the holy name of Lord Krsna in this manner, he will certainly awaken his dormant love for Krsna's lotus feet."

Sri Caitanya���caritamrta Antya���lila 20.20���26

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Japa - The Selfless Service

Although I have no qualification of speaking about Japa, I do however have the qualification of speaking about my disqualifications.  I had a small realization last night.  It was about 12.10 am and the baby was still awake, so I thought to myself what should I do occupy my time as Visakha Anjali was being nursed to sleep.
Immediately I thought of reading...there is that wonderful book Saratha Varshani Tika from which Srila Prabhupada quotes from regularly in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is.   Then I thought to myself why not Japa...when Japa is not done with love and attention there is often no observable spiritual or material result.  However this may not be the case with other devotional practices.
With bhajan, even without love and attention, one gains musical aptitude by which one can use to impress others.   With reading sastra without love and attention one can gain knowledge by which one can feel themselves superior to others and impose themselves as authority, but with Japa materially there is not much gained.  However this same Japa, done with love and attention, will enable us to perform all other devotion practices in pure a manner, also with love and attention.

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The Chanting is a Spiritual Call

In the Vaishnava Songbook Srila Prabhupada gives an amazing explanation of the Maha Mantra which may be very valuable to our chanting...I would like to share it with you:

"The word Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing directly the Lord, and they mean "the highest pleasure, eternal." Hara is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, when addressed are Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.
  The material energy, called as maya, is also one of the multipotencies of the Lord, as much as we are also marginal potency of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior energy than matter.
  When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Hara, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.
  The three words, namely Hara, Krishna and Rama, are transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra, and the chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned soul. The chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by the child for the mother.
  Mother Hara helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father, Hari, or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to such a sincere devotee.
  No other means, therefore, of spiritual realization is as effective in this Age, as chanting the maha-mantra,
  Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare."

Haribol.

Aruna dd

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Japa Default Setting

In a recent krishna.com live video broadcast, Mahatma dasa was talking about the default setting for our Japa...what level we chant on - whether that is on a low setting (inattentive, doing other things, not pronouncing properly etc.) or a higher level (focusing on the sound, pronouncing properly etc.)
The point was that whatever level we set during our Japa one day will determine the level for the next. If we raise the default level of our chanting, then this will become the new default level for our minds - if we try to raise the level of our Japa quality, then we will be able to reach a default setting of 10.

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Chanting the Holy Name of the Lord

The importance of chanting the Holy Names of the Lord is stressed in the Second Canto, First Chapter verse 11 of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Sukadeva Gosvami tells Maharaja Pariksit, "My dear King, if one is spontaneously attached to the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha mantra, it is to be understood that he has attained the highest perfectional stage."

This is also confirmed in the Adi Purana by Sri Krsna. While addressing Arjuna he says, "Anyone who is engaged in chanting My transcendental name must be considered to be always associating with Me. And I may tell you frankly that for such a devotee I become easily purchased."

In the Padma Purana also it is stated, "The chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is present only on the lips of a person who has for many births worshipped Vasudeva." It is also stated, "There is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord himself. As such, the holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity. The holy name is not a material sound vibration, nor has it any material contamination."

Hare Krsna

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Technology News Posting

Dear Devotees, Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! We have found that many visitors come to our site via the technology and health pages and then they like the site and become interested in the spiritual content and visit regularly. So occasionally we will try to post some technology and health news and tips, only those news which is very relevant and can be useful to devotees.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.
 

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QlipMedia.com - Simple Presentations

What it does

QlipBoard is a sort of kitschy throwback to slideshows and show and tell.  The site lets users create presentations with voice over narration on top of Flickr photos or even YouTube videos.  Users can easily narrate their vacation pics, create clip shows with comedic asides thrown in, or even collaborate on a homework assignment.  The possibilities are many with this flexible app.  You’ve got three basic tools to work with: a pencil,  a highlighter and a text cursor.  You can add narration while you’re drawing over your slides or videos. Editing is done via drag and drop.  There are a succession of frames at the bottom of your QulipBoard screen which represent your content; simply move back and forward to edit your work.  When you’re finished you can send your presentation to anyone in the world for free.  Different packages are available.

In their own words

“Talk faster than you type? Want to post fun stuff on Photobucket or YouTube? Want an easy tool (did we tell you it is free!) that lets you express your creative self? Then QlipBoard is for you!

What can you do with QlipBoardTM? Make narrated slide shows of your vacation. Show off your home for sale. Get help with your homework. Invite someone to a party. Talk to your friends in other countries without having to wake up at odd hours. The possibilities are endless!â€

Why it might be a killer

This is a cool little app.  It’s user friendly and pretty intuitive. Although simple, it’s fun to use and it does work quite well.

Some questions

How is this site going to market itself?  Will users find the features too limited?  How easy is it to pull in content from other sites (e.g. Flickr)?

Source: Killerstartups.com

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/killerstartups/BkQV/~3/343656812/qlipmedia-comsimple-presentations

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