The secret behind Japam...

The Supreme Reality is experienced through meditation alone. Japam is a very effective mental discipline for spiritual progress. In the
Gita, Lord Krishna says: among the Yogas, I am, the Japa yoga.

Why...

Japam is a training by which the ever-dancing rays of the mind are compelled to behave in some order and rhythm, and bring out of their co-operative effort, a single melody of repeated Mantra-Chanting. This makes the mind extremely single-pointed. A short period of meditation can take a Japa-conditioned mind to unimaginable heights in an impossibly short time.

How must one start...

* Have a special room for your prayers.

* Keep a charming picture or idol of your Ishta-Devata (Favourite Lord)

* When you sit in front of the picture, the Lord's feet should be at your eyes level.

* Spread a plain but firm seat - Aaasana - for your sitting.

* Keep a 'Maala' of 108 beads - made of rudraksha, crystals or commonly available ones

* Close the door of the room.

* Sit on the Aaasana, in any comfortable 'legs-folded-pose'.

* Start chanting your selected Mantra, using maala beads.

* Gaze at the Lord from head to toes and then from toes to head, repeatedly.

* Visualize the Lord exactly as in the picture.

* This visualization of the Lord should be done in your love-heart, on the right side of your physical heart This is the spiritual heart centre.

* Feel, feel----- feel His presence.

* Repeat the Mantra 108 times. When you reach the 'Meru'- the end bead of the japamaala, you have done one Maala.

Puraanic Mantras :

                          Om Namah Sivaaya.- 108 Times

                          Om Namo Naaraayanaaya- 108 Times

                          Om Sri Raam Jaya Raama Jaya Jaya Raama - 108 Times.


You can select any Mantra for chanting, according to your taste, faith and devotion. Please remember that the Japam is spiritual, even though the room, aasana, beads etc. are physical. Initially, you do Japa of only one Maala, that too only on a holiday. As you gain confidence, you can increase the maalas and days gradually. The japam must be done with utmost devotion. There is no use of doing anything just mechanically.

Bhakti is noting but pure love towards the Almighty. Such love is not generated, where sufficient thought is not bestowed. The more one thinks of a thing, the more he/she gets attached to it. Thus, the japam performed in a prayer-room performed in all intensity, and training oneself to repeat mentally His names constantly during the waking hours, are the sure ways of developing 'Bhakti'.