Srila Prabhupada Japa tape

[Guest guest]

Dear devotees,

Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

I was wondering about the history of the Srila Prabhupada Japa tape.

 

Did Prabhupada ever make any comments on it being played in the temples, or

rather just for personal use, or whether he made no comment on it at all?

 

I seem to recall that it was compiled before Srila prabhupada passed away,

and I also recall someone saying that Srila Prabhupada said it was a

concoction that we 'should' play this tape while we are chanting japa.

 

The tape, as you know, is a 10 or 12 minute recording of Prabhupada chanting

on initiates' beads at a yajna somewhere, with the famous 'sit properly'

order punctuating the event.

 

I visit many temples where this japa tape is played in the temple during

japa time, and it is religiously turned on, (often loudly) for the full

duration of Japa time. Some temples even have a devotee rostered to put it

on, and turn the cassette over. Some devotees explain that it is put on as a

meditation as the Prabhupada murti is 'chanting japa', and to accompany and

sanctify our chanting.

 

Personally, I find it distracting to play this tape while I am trying to

hear my own japa. This is especially if there are only a few devotees in the

temple at the time, and the tape is booming out through the sound system.

 

Sometimes, other like-minded devotees turn the tape down to barely audible,

but then this begs the question as to why it needs to be on at all.

 

My comments on this phenomena have aroused surprise and even horror amongst

some (usually younger) devotees - how could I suggest that Prabhupada's japa

tape could possibly be a distraction! But I am sure you get my drift. The

tape contains a lot of other ambient sound (the whole assembly at the

yajna), and I find this a challenge on my concentration to hear my own

chanting.

 

Since I have done a fair bit of research for my own book on Srila Prabhupada

in Australia, I am interested in finding out more on this subject, since I

have traced quite a few bogus devotee 'habits' - albeit fairly innocuous

ones - over the years.

 

Any comments?

 

Hoping you don't find this letter too self-indulgent.

 

Your servant,

kurma dasa

[Guest guest]

> I was wondering about the history of the Srila Prabhupada Japa tape.

 

I never heard any comment at all, either directly or indirectly,

from Srila Prabhupada and the use of his japa tape.

 

From a personal perspective I find it a great help to hear it in the

background while I chant my own japa. Its something I grew up in Krsna

consciousness with and I love to hear the sound vibration of Srila

Prabhupada in the background while I chant myself. If my mind wanders from

the sound of my own voice (which is about every other second) it meets

another transcendental sound barrier in the form of Srila Prabhupada's

chanting before dwelling on all the mundane noises. Thus I find Srila

Prabhupada's chanting tape a great support. The more transcendental sounds

fill the air the more I like it and this is especially helpful in japa.

 

Your humble servant,

Hari-sauri dasa