Fw: Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Srila Prabhupada on Chanting Japa

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Srila Prabhupada on Chanting JapaIt is easy to understand that Srila Prabhupada

enjoyed chanting japa. He always stressed to us the importance of chanting our

16 rounds. He told me that as a householder he used a simple process for

completing 16 rounds that we could apply. He said, "When I was a householder I

would chant 4 rounds before each meal and 4 rounds before retiring in the

evening. In this way 16 rounds could be chanted without difficulty." He laughed

and said, "If you don't take prasadam before chanting your 4 rounds then you

will be sure to get them chanted."In New Dwarka he said to me, "In the evening,

if I get tired, I walk and chant." Looking at me he said, "If you are tired,

then walk and chant like I do. Sometimes, if I am tired I pace back and forth

in the room. Simply, in one room you can do everything. If you are tired, you

can stand up and chant, like I do." It was very common to see Srila Prabhupada

walking around in his quarters or sitting in his rocking chair, chanting

rounds. Sometimes in the evening he would chant rounds while I was giving him

massage in bed. Sometimes, he would say, "There, I'm finished." Once in New

Dwarka I was in his sitting room cleaning around his desk. He was sitting

behind his desk chanting japa. As he pulled down a counter bead he looked at me

with a beautiful smile and said humorously, "There, I have finished my 16

rounds. Now I can do any damn thing I want." Sometimes devotees would ask Srila

Prabhupada about following certain rules in regards to Ekadasi or following

Catur mas. Srila Prabhupada responded, "My disciples, they cannot even chant 16

rounds and follow the principles. What is the use of these other rules and

regulations.First, just do these things. Do the simple things that I ask you to

do. Don't concern yourself with all these rituals. First, chant your 16 rounds

and follow the principles."One day a brahmacari entered Srila Prabhupada's room

and told him that he had fallen down with a woman. He told Srila Prabhupada that

perhaps he should get married. Srila Prabhupada answered, "Marriage. Why do you

think marriage is going to solve your difficulties? You should chant. Just

chant Hare Krishna. Chant your 16 rounds." There were so many times that

devotees went into Srila Prabhupada's room with a problem they were hoping he

would solve with some particular arrangement. His solution was always the same.

"Chant Hare Krishna, chant your 16 rounds." He developed the phrase, "Just do

it" long before Nike. He once told a disciple, "If there is some difficulty,

you chant loudly. If there is some agitation, chant out loud." One time it was

brought to his attention that a senior devotee was not attending Mangal Arati

or chanting rounds, at least with the other devotees. Srila Prabhupada said,

"Do it to set the example for the other devotees. You, yourself are very

advanced. You do not need to attend Mangal Arati but you should set the example

for those that require it."Thank you Srila Prabhupada for being the Acarya. You

always taught by example. You chanted rounds. You said three Gayatri mantras a

day, rose early in the morning and put tilak on your transcendental body. You

never asked any disciple to do something you were not doing yourself. You

always practiced what you preached. You showed us practically how a pure

devotee conducts himself. I have been in illusion since time immemorial but I

pray that I am never deluded into thinking that this process of devotional

service is only for the neophyte.- From the Srila Prabhupada Uvaca by HG

Srutakirti Dasa= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

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