Who Am I Chanting For

October 4, 2009

" I concentrated on the whispered mantras. I chanted quite quickly. I’ve done eleven rounds. I looked at Radha-Govinda while chanting and reminded myself whom I’m chanting for. "

From Bhajan Kutir #211

Make Japa The No.1 Priority

Today I was reflecting on this....the importance of Japa cannot be over-stated, it's the most important time of our spiritual day and it's everything in our spiritual life. Good Japa means good reading, hearing and service. If our Japa is concentrated and focused, it means the rest of our sadhana will be concentrated and focused. Srila Prabhupada writes about the importance of Japa in the following letter:

“You have to minimize your sleeping. If you cannot finish sixteen rounds, then you must not sleep on that day, you must not eat. Why don't you forget to eat, forget? Why do you forget chanting Hare Krsna? This is negligence, aparadha, offense. Rather, you should forget your sleeping and eating, and must finish sixteen rounds. This is called determination. This is called determined. So you are welcome to take initiation, but if you are neglectful, if you want to make it a farce, that is your business. I cannot give you any protection.”

Letter from Srila Prabhupada 28/1/74-- At the present moment our minds are polluted with the dirt accumulated over millions and millions of lifetimes of sense gratification. Even though our original pure nature is eternal, full of knowledge, and full of bliss, due to our mental contamination we are presently suffering in the realm of temporality, ignorance, and misery. By the purificatory process of chanting the holy names of God we can revive our original, pure nature and thus relish the sweetest happiness at every minute.

Chant:Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare