Baladeva’s alarm clock went off at 1:00 A.M.,
and our cowbells followed.
He administered my wake-up rituals.
I went into the room
where the Deities are and bowed down.
I applied my precautionary measures
and began my japa.
I practiced “just hear,”
the method where
you just chant and hear
with no other meditation. There are
higher stages of perfection in japa,
but “just hear” is elevated in itself.
Anyone who understands that the Name
is non-different than Krishna Himself,
and who engages in the
transcendental sound vibration,
is achieving a rare stage of japa.
I met my quota after four rounds
with minutes to spare. Then I turned
to writing in the Japa Report.
I began the second set in the same way.
So far I had experienced
no tension of pain
in the eyes. I avoided merely
mechanical chanting by cultivating
thoughtfulness and devotional feelings.
For thoughtfulness, I adhered to “just hear.”
This enabled me to focus on
one bead at a time, with no
skipping or missing mantras.
For feeling, I contemplated the sweetness
of Radha-Govinda. I acknowledged that
Their Names are the heart of the
Hare Krishna mantra, uttered as a
prayer to be engaged in Their service.
I met my quota after eight rounds
with minutes to spare. I again
turned to writing in the Japa Report.
I began my third set
with priority of
speed over inner quality.
Yesterday I read
a statement by Srila Prabhupada
that we should
call to Krishna to enter our hearts
so that we can hear His names.
This is real chanting.
But I had chosen to do brisk, attentive
chanting because I had fallen behind.
Although I was going with speed
and silently in my mind, I heard the Names
clearly, attentively and with concern
to pronounce the words properly.
But I was distracted by planning what
to write in my Japa Report.
I was committing aparadha:
inattention to the Name,
so my chanting was faulty.
But the maha-mantra is so merciful and powerful
that it vanquishes sinful reactions,
ushers in liberation,
and brings us gradually to love of God,
even when chanted with imperfections
as I was doing.
(I like to repeat and recite
these lines about the power of the maha-mantra
because they encourage me
that I am doing right. Even if I
chant with offenses, I should
go on chanting constantly and they
will all clear up.)
I finished my twelfth round
with minutes to spare in meeting the quota.
For the fourth set
I went even speedier.
But I didn’t rush recklessly.
I held on to the bead until
the first mantra was finished before
moving on to the next bead. I kept
decent external attention and completed
my sixteen rounds with minutes to spare
on the overall quota.
I considered it a half-decent session,
with, thankfully, no physical
pain. There was too much
attention to speed, and not enough
to prayer, for me to rate
the session as “decent.”
At least I follow the process
of doing a prescribed number of rounds
in obedience to the order
of the spiritual master,
a sacred vow.