The alarm clocks went off at 1:00 A.M.,
and our cowbells followed.
Baladeva administered my wake-up rituals.
I walked into the room
where the Deities are and bowed down.
I began my japa at a moderate pace,
taking darsana of Radha-Govinda.
I practiced “just hear,”
the method where you chant and hear
with no other meditation.
I am capable of this
and comfortable with it.
There are higher stages of perfection in japa,
but “just hear” is elevated in itself.
Anyone who understands that the Name
is non-different from Krishna Himself,
and who absorbs himself in
the transcendental sound vibration,
is achieving a rare state of japa.
I could not attain that rare state,
but I tried.
I met my quota after four rounds
with minutes to spare. Then I
turned to writing in my Japa Report.

I began my second set at a moderate pace.
I heard Baladeva’s vocal chanting in the other room.
He was going at a brisk pace,
and I tuned into him, gaining
support for my mental japa.
Although I was chanting silently in the mind
I heard the Names clearly, with attention
and concern to pronounce the words properly.
But I was distracted by planning
what to write in my next Japa Report.
I was committing aparadha:
inattention to the Name.
So my japa was faulty.
But the maha-mantra is so merciful and powerful
that it vanquishes past sinful reactions,
ushers in liberation,
and brings one gradually to the actual goal –
attainment of love of God,
even when chanted with imperfections
as I was doing.
I met my quota after eight rounds
with minutes to spare. So far
the session was going well.

I began the third set at a moderate pace.
I continued the darsana, but
intermittently, not with a steady gaze,
lest I incur eyestrain. So far, I felt no
head pain, and I was grateful for that.
In order to avoid mere mechanical chanting,
I cultivated thoughtfulness and devotional feeling.
For thoughtfulness, I adhered to “just hear.”
This enabled me to keep the mantras separate,
without mixing or merging them.
For feeling, I glanced at Radha-Govinda
and imbibed Their sweetness.
I acknowledged that Radha-Krishna are
the heart of the Hare Krishna mantra,
composed exclusively of Their Names
and uttered as a prayer to be engaged
in Their service. I tried to enter an
inward state and a prayerful attitude.
I partly succeeded. Mostly I chanted
externally, taking care to enunciate
the mantras with attention.
I finished my twelfth round
with time to spare.

After three sets at a moderate pace
I was behind by the clock, so I switched
to a brisk pace on the fourth set.
I emphasized speed as a priority
over quality. I watched the beads
move quickly through my hand.
But I didn’t rush recklessly. I
held on to the bead until each mantra
was finished before moving on to
the next bead. I called out to Krishna
for His blessings, because it is not
possible for me to do good japa
on my own endeavor. Despite going
fast I enunciated the mantras clearly,
without merging them.
I completed sixteen rounds
with a few minutes to spare.
I was a little late finishing
the writing of my Japa Report.

I considered it a decent session.
I was alert and wide awake the whole time.
I experienced no head pain.
I said all my rounds with attention,
although with some distraction.
I follow the process
of doing a prescribed number of rounds
in obedience to the order of the spiritual master,
a sacred vow.