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Japa
Swami Tathagatananda
Japa is repetition of a mantra, holy word or words, according to prescribed rules, with concentration, devotion, and the sole intention of realizing the truth embodied in the mantra. Sri Ramakrishna says: Japa means silently repeating Gods name in solitude. When you chant His name with single minded devotion you can see Gods form and realize Him. Suppose there is a piece of timber sunk in the water of the Ganges and fastened with a chain to the bank. You proceed link by link,holding to the chain, and you dive into the water and follow the chain. Finally, you are able to reach the timber. In the same way, by repeating Gods name you become absorbed in Him and finally realize Him.[1] The mantra is a mass of effulgent energy, the sound body symbolizing the supreme Truth. Om is shabda-brahman, Brahman in the form of sound: The Veda says, C reation is out of the Supreme Sound. Om is the Supreme Sound, the sound-symbol of God. Patanjali refers to Om as the symbol of Ishvara or personal God: Tasya vcakah pranavah, His manifesting word is Om. [2] Swami Vivekananda says: Ishvara is the Atman as seen or grasped by the mind. His highest name is Om; so repeat it, meditate on it, and think of all its wonderful nature and attributes. Repeating the Om continually is the only true worship. It is not a word, it is God Himself.[3] Japa is a means to Self-realization: Repetition of the mantra awakens the potency contained within the mantra. According to Patanjali, regular repetition of Om leads to the awakening of the Self: Tajjapas-tad-artha-bhvanam; The repetition of this (Om) and meditating on its meaning (is the way).[4] Therefore, the mental and emotional components of japa are equally significant. Japa gradually advances to meditation, which unfolds deeper layers of consciousness. The emphasis is on bhvanam, dwelling upon in the mind. When the mind dwells upon God with devotion, japa draws the individual soul to the Paramatman naturally. The power of the mantra manifests when the guru is competent, when the mantra is correctly articulated, and when the aspirant reflects deeply on its meaning. Swami Vivekananda says: Mantra is a special word, or sacred text, or name of God chosen by the Guru for repetition and reflection by the disciple. The disciple must concentrate on a personality for prayer and praise, and that is his Ishta. These words are not sounds of words but God Himself, and we have them within us. Think of Him, speak of Him. No desire for the world! Buddhas Sermon on the Mount was, As thou thinkest, so art thou.[5] The spiritual vibrations generated by repeating the holy name whole heartedly with faith evoke spiritual emotion that purifies the mind and heart. They reveal to us the vision of our ishta devat and our indivisible unity with God and his name. Vivekananda says, Each Ishta has a Mantra. The Ishta is the ideal peculiar to the individual worshipper; the Mantra is the external word to express it. C onstant repetition of the word helps to fix the ideal firmly in the mind.[6] Mantra-akti, the liberating power of the mantra: When sincerely reflected upon, the mantra has the sacred power, the mantraakti, to liberate. The literal meaning of mantra is manant tryate iti, that which frees the soul when reflected upon. The mantra protects us from psychophysical, moral, and spiritual dangers. Salvation is certain for one who meditates on the mantra with burning faith in mantra-akti. Japa is done on a ml, or rosary, which is often made of sacred rudraksha or tulasi beads. Japa is prescribed as a valuable spiritual practice. In the Bhagavadgita, Sri Krishna says to Arjuna, Yajnnh japayajosmi; Among all the yajnas or sacrifices, I am the yajna of japa, the repetition of the Holy names.[7] The holy name enshrined in the divinely-charged mantra, when uttered with devotion, brings forth spiritual sensitivity through its calming influence. With the lower nature subdued and the higher consciousness reached, all nature is seen as Divine C onsciousness.
Contents [hide]
1 2 3 4 5 6 Japa in the Lives of the Holy Ones The Practice of Japa Japa Leads to Deeper Meditation Japa of the Sacred Scriptures Repeating the Holy Name in the Kaliyuga References
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One must be completely absorbed in whatever mantra one selects. One should not mind if other thoughts disturb one during the japa (recitation). I am confident that one who still goes on with the japa in faith will conquer in the end. The mantra becomes ones staff of life and carries one through every ordeal. One should not seek worldly profit from such sacred mantras. The characteristic power of these mantras lies in their standing guard over personal purity, and every diligent seeker will realize this at once. Each repetition has a new meaning, each repetition carries you nearer and nearer to God. This is a concrete fact, and I may tell you that you are here talking to no theorist, but to one who has experienced what he says every minute of his life, so much so that it is easier for the life to stop than for this incessant process to stop. It is a definite need of the soul. --Mahatma Gandhi
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Japa is meditation with breaks, as it were. Meditation is the natural, spontaneous expansion of japa in the heartthe result of japa correctly practiced with devotion and dedication. In other words, japa certainly strengthens devotion, but it is only when japa occurs together with true dhyana, or meditation, that the mind spontaneously turns inward, away from outer things. After practicing japa along with meditation for some time, japa ceases by itself and the aspirant becomes established in meditation alone. Holy Mother says: The mind naturally dwells on ones daily activities. If you dont succeed in meditation, practice Japa. If a meditative mood sets in, well and good. If not, dont force your mind to meditate.[19] Real meditation is spontaneous. True meditation is never forced or artificial; it is a natural consequence of intense attraction or love for the object of meditation. This idea is easily grasped when we consider that our intense longing for someone or something far away inevitably brings it clearly to our mind and we are delighted to think about it. Even so, Holy Mother says: If you cannot meditate, repeat the Name. Japt SiddhihRealization will come through Japa. Spiritual practices open the physical centers of power, which increases energy and restlessness. The attempt to control lower urges results in some nervous symptoms. There are reasons for this phenomenon. Japa and meditation awaken the kundalini, the spiritual energy that is coiled up like a snake in a dormant state at the base of the spine. The awakened kundalini, passing through the centers of consciousness in the body, manifests in the form of mystical experiences culminating in illumination. Swami Brahmananda says: According to some yogis, there are special forms of meditation and practices which awaken it [the kundalini], but I believe it can best be done through japa and meditation. The practice of japa is specially suited to Kaliyuga. There is no other spiritual practice easier than this. But meditation must accompany the repetition of the mantra.[20] Regular japa is a very important aspect of deeper meditation. C orrect practice with self-control and self-discipline gradually brings all mental activity under control. The subtle, silent vibrations of japa pacify gross vibrations in the mind. When a little experience of the mantra comes, an aspirant becomes calm and peaceful, elevated by a concentrated mind, and gradually convinced about the efficacy of the holy name of God.
References
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
M, The Gospel of Sri Ram ak rishna, trans. Swam i Nik hilananda (Chennai: Ram ak rishna Math, 2002), 8789. Yoga Sutra, 1.27. The Com plete Work s of Swam i Vivek ananda, 9 vols. (Calcutta: Advaita Ashram a, 18, 1989; 9, 1997), 7.62. Yoga Sutra, 1.28. Com plete Work s of Swam i Vivek ananda, 6.90. Com plete Work s of Swam i Vivek ananda, 7.63 Bhagavadgita, 10.25. Swam i Saradananda, Sri Ram ak rishna the Great Master, trans. Swam i Jagadananda (Madras: Ram ak rishna Math, 1995), 643
4. Swam i Nik hilananda, Holy Mother (New York : Ram ak rishna-Vivek ananda Center, 1997), 220. The Mind of Mahatm a Gandhi, com p. R K Prabhu and U R Rao (Madras: O x ford, 1946), 20. Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi the Holy Mother (Chennai: Ram ak rishna Math, 2001), 46. Her Devotee Children, The Gospel of the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi (Chennai: Ram ak rishna Math,2000), 91. Com plete Work s, 1.190. Swam i Gam bhirananda, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi (Madras: Ram ak rishna Math, 1986), 4067. Swam i Gam bhirananda, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi (Madras: Ram ak rishna Math, 1986), 110. Gospel of Holy Mother, 176. Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi, 501. Swam i Prabhavananda, The Eternal Com panion: Brahm ananda, His Life and Teachings (Hollywood: Vedanta Press, 1970), 162. 19. Gospel of Holy Mother, 213.
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Eternal Com panion (Chennai:Ram ak rishna Math, 2001), 276. Gita, 18.63. Nalini Kanta Brahm a, Philosophy of Hindu Sadhana (London: Kegan Paul, 1932), 272. Great Master, 2.938. . Reprinted
Originally published as "Japa: Instrument of Love for Gods Name" by Prabhuddha Bharata January 2007 edition with permission.
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