I woke up at 11:00 P.M.
and couldn’t get back to sleep again.
I rang my cowbell at 12:30 A.M.
and woke Baladeva up early.
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 japa. I practiced “just hear”
at a slow to moderate pace,
since I had begun so early.
Prabhupada once raised his voice
to a temple room full of japa chanters
and said, “Just hear!” He meant
they should control their minds
and simply concentrate on
chanting and hearing
the Hare Krishna mantra.
It was a lesson to be
applied at all times.
No complex meditation
is necessary, just sravanam-
kirtanam, with attention on
the Absolute sound vibration.
That will gradually bring you
to the higher stages of perfection.
I met my quota after four rounds
with minutes to spare on the quota.
Then I turned to writing in my Japa Report.
I began the second set
at a moderate pace.
I had a slight twinge
in my right eye, but it was not
anything serious yet. Although
I was chanting silently in the mind,
I heard the mantras clearly,
with attention and concern
to pronounce the words properly.
But I was distracted by planning
what to write in the next 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 one gradually to love of God,
even when chanted with imperfections
as I was doing.
(I repeat the lines daily
about the power
of the maha-mantra.
I use them as affirmations.
The lines give me confidence
that I am making progress
by uttering the Absolute Names,
even while making mistakes.)
I met my quota after eight rounds
with minutes to spare.
I began the third set
at a moderate to brisk pace.
I held on to the bead until
the mantra was finished
before moving on to the next bead.
I avoided merely mechanical chanting
by cultivating thoughtfulness
and devotional feeling. For
thoughtfulness, I adhered to “just hear.”
This enables me to keep the mantras
separate, without mixing them
or missing them. For feelings, I
took darsana of Radha-Govinda
and absorbed Their sweetness.
I recognize Them as the heart
of the Hare Krishna mantra,
composed exclusively of Their names
and uttered as a prayer for
engagement in Their service.
I finished my twelfth round
with minutes to spare on the quota.
On the fourth set, I emphasized
speed over quality. Still,
I kept the mantras separate
and enunciated with external
attention. I didn’t enter an
internal prayer state. I didn’t
call out to Krishna for His blessings,
even though it is not possible for me
to chant good japa on my own endeavor.
I considered it a half-decent session.
My early eyestrain faded away.
Because I started early,
I didn’t have to rush.
But because my consciousness
was mostly external, I couldn’t
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.