JAPA REPORT
Baladeva’s alarm clock went off at 1:00 A.M.,
and our cowbells followed.
He administered my wake-up rituals,
including a “pre-emptive strike” of
headache medicine before japa,
our new tactic.
I used the walker to go into the room
where the Deities are and bowed down.
I began my japa using all
the preventative measures.
I proceeded at a moderate pace,
silently and with my eyes closed.
I practiced “just hear.”
This method is much suited to me,
and I am capable of doing it.
You simply chant and hear with
no other meditation.
It is recommended by Srila Prabhupada.
There are higher states of perfection in japa,
but “just hear” is elevated in itself.
Anyone who understands that the Name
is non-different from Krishna Himself,
and absorbs himself
in the transcendental sound vibration,
is achieving a rare state of japa.
I was comfortable and peaceful
chanting in the early hours in
the sanctity of my bhajan-kutir.
I felt no tinge in my right eye
for the entire set. I estimated
that I met my new quota after four rounds
with minutes to spare.
Then I turned to writing
my experience in the Japa Report.
I did this as a change of pace
in an attempt to reduce the tension
of constant chanting.
I began the second set
in the same way.
Although I was chanting silently in the mind,
I heard the names clearly, with attention
and concern to pronounce the words properly.
I developed a slight twinge in the right eye,
but it was not great so I tried to ignore it.
I was distracted by planning what to write
in my Japa Report, but it was reduced
because I had already written about
my experience of the first set. Nevertheless,
I was committing aparadha:
inattention to the holy name.
So my chanting was faulty.
But the mercy and the power of the maha-mantra
is so great that it vanquishes sinful reactions,
ushers in liberation
and brings one gradually to love of God,
even when chanted with imperfections
as I was doing.
(I like to recite these lines
about the power of the maha-mantra.
Despite my inadequacy, they give me confidence
that I am making progress by the
Absolute nature of the Hare Krishna mantra.
So I repeat them daily as affirmations.)
With my eyes closed, I lost track of time.
I spaced out and said sixty extra mantras
before finishing the set. I
estimated that I met my new quota
after eight rounds with minutes to spare.
After this I turned to
writing in the Japa Report.
Then, as I began the third set,
the eye twinge went away by itself.
I tried to avoid mechanical chanting
by cultivating thoughtfulness
and devotional feelings.
For being thoughtful, I adhered to “just hear.”
Although I did not enter a
deeper inner state, this enabled
me to stay externally attentive and
make each mantra distinct.
For devotional feeling, I thought of the sweetness
of Radha-Govinda. Although I was denied
Their darsana, this increased my anticipation
to look at all the Deities later.
I acknowledged that Radha-Krishna are the
heart of the Hare Krishna mantra.
I spaced out again, this time
chanting two hundred extra mantras
before finishing the set. As a result,
I estimated that I failed to meet
my new quota after twelve rounds.
As I began the fourth set
the twinge in my right eye became persistent.
I took a second dose of headache medicine
and waited for relief as I went on
chanting at a moderate pace.
I called out to Krishna for His blessings,
because it is not possible for me to do good japa
on my own endeavor. I saw that
I was falling behind, so halfway through
I switched from moderate to speedy japa.
Still, I finished late, estimating that I failed
to meet my overall new quota.
I considered it a decent session
with some handicap requiring extra medicine.
I rated it “decent” because I stayed throughout
with “just hear.” Also, most of the japa was
non-intense, at a moderate pace.
When I finished writing the Japa Report,
my eye trouble was gone.
At least I followed the process
of doing a prescribed number of rounds
in obedience to the order of the spiritual master,
a sacred vow.