In the present millennium, which lasts 430,000 years, only one method of achieving God consciousness is possible. That is the chanting of the holy names of God, specifically, the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. It is very easy to perform. It can be done by singing (even without musical instruments), or by chanting silently on beads (at least sixteen rounds a day), while avoiding offenses such as inattention to chanting and blaspheming devotees. By chanting Hare Krishna, the reactions to all your previous sinful activities are vanquished, and you can become liberated from birth and death. Who is such a fool that he will not take up this process of chanting Hare Krishna? The devotees of the Lord take up the mission of inducing people to chant. This makes them very dear to Krishna. But before inducing others to chant, one must chant himself under the instructions of the spiritual master. Srila Prabhupada has said that of all the instructions of the spiritual master, the instruction to chant sixteen rounds a day is essential. How about you, dear reader? Do you chant sixteen rounds? As a servant of my spiritual master and as your humble well-wisher, I beg you to do so.
(_Japa Transformations_)
JAPA POEM
In the present millennium, Kali-yuga,
only one method
of attaining love
of Krishna is recommended:
chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.
It can be done by congregational singing
or by chanting silently
on beads. The
devotees of the
Lord are very dear to Him
because they take up the mission
of introducing the chanting to everyone.
But first they must
take up
the order themselves
and chant Hare Krishna
sixteen rounds a day.
I began my chanting
with no Japa Report and
no darsana.
I practiced “just hear.”
I was a little confident that
I would meet my overall quota,
but I was also worried
that I would fail.
I continued chanting and
met my quota after four rounds
with minutes to spare.
I began the second set
at a brisk pace. I did not enter
a prayer state or an
inward attitude,
but I enunciated
with external attention.
On the final two sets
I fell far behind,
and it did not seem possible
that I would finish on time.
I calculated that I would be
100 mantras behind.
But on the final set
I increased my speeding pace
and met my overall quota
with no minutes to spare.
I considered it
a half-decent session because
there was so much
threat of finishing late.
But I was alert and wide awake
the whole time.
I felt no head pressure
for the entire session,
and I was grateful for that.
The maha-mantra is so merciful and powerful
that it vanquishes sinful reactions,
ushers in liberation,
and brings one gradually to the actual goal –
attainment of love of God,
even when chanting with imperfections
as I was doing.
(I like to remember the lines
about the power of the maha-mantra.
I use them as affirmations.
They give me confidence that
I am making progress, even when
I make mistakes.) 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.