Baladeva’s alarm clock went off at 1:00 A.M.,
and our cowbells followed.
He administered my wake-up rituals, including
my pre-emptive strike against headaches.
I applied all my precautionary measures
and began chanting.
I practiced “just hear.”
That is the method where you
chant and hear
with no other meditation required.
If one understands that the Name
is non-different from Krishna Himself,
he is in a rare stage of japa achievement.
I met my quota after four rounds
with minutes to spare.
I began my second set by speeding up.
But I did not rush recklessly.
I held on to the bead
for all sixteen sublime words
before moving on to the next bead.
I steadfastly continued in this way
to the end of the second set
and the third
and the fourth.
For all four sets,
I did not experience
any strain or headache.
I carried out the process
of chanting a prescribed number of rounds
in obedience to the order of the spiritual master,
a sacred vow.