How to Chant Japa

Japa is the soft, private chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra on a string of beads. It is the heart of a devotee's daily practice and the first thing Srila Prabhupada taught anyone who came to him. Kirtana is chanting together with instruments; japa is chanting alone, mantra after mantra, so that the mind can hear the holy name clearly. This page explains the mechanics. Srila Prabhupada's essay in Chapter 7 explains why it works.

What you need

• Japa beads. A string of 108 beads with one larger head bead, called the Krishna bead or Sumeru. Tulasi wood is traditional, and neem is used until Tulasi beads are available. You can buy them from any devotee supplier or from the Bangalore temple's online shop.
• A bead bag. A cloth bag with a hole for the right hand and a smaller one for the index finger. It keeps the beads clean and off the floor. Any clean cloth pouch will do to begin with.
• A counter. A small string of sixteen counting beads tied to the bag, or a knotted cord, to keep track of rounds.

How to chant one round

1. Hold the beads in your right hand, inside the bag. Start with the bead next to the head bead, held between the thumb and middle finger. The index finger is kept outside the bag and is not used to touch the beads.
2. Chant the full mantra once, clearly enough to hear yourself: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Then move to the next bead by pulling it toward you with the thumb.
3. Continue until you reach the head bead again. One hundred and eight mantras is one round.
4. Do not chant on the head bead or cross over it. Turn the string around and chant the next round back in the other direction.
5. Mark the round on your counter and begin again.

A round takes most devotees six to eight minutes. Chant at a steady pace: not so fast that the words blur, not so slow that the mind wanders off between mantras. Srila Prabhupada's standard was that every word should be pronounced distinctly and heard by the chanter.

The daily vow

Srila Prabhupada asked his initiated disciples to chant a minimum of sixteen rounds every day, without fail, for the rest of their lives, and he said this was the most important instruction he gave. Sixteen rounds takes about two hours. If you are beginning, fix a number you can chant every day with attention, such as one, four, or eight rounds, and keep that vow as seriously as a devotee keeps sixteen. Then raise it. The temples that follow Srila Prabhupada most strictly guide their home devotees in exactly these steps. The number must never go down once you have committed to it; that is what makes it a vow.

When and where

The best time is the early morning, after bathing and before breakfast, when the mind is quiet and the mode of goodness is strongest. Devotees in the temple chant their rounds between Mangala Arati and the Bhagavatam class. At home, chant before the altar if you can, sitting up straight, or pacing slowly. Chanting can also be done on a walk, on a train, or while doing simple chores, but rounds chanted with full attention are worth many chanted in distraction. Try to finish your rounds before the day's work begins, so they are never left undone at bedtime.

Attention

The secret of japa is hearing. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's third verse of the Siksastakam gives the mood: chant in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street, more tolerant than a tree, offering respect to all and expecting none. When the mind wanders, and it will, simply bring it back to the sound of the name. Do not become discouraged by inattentive chanting; keep chanting, and the holy name Himself will purify the mind that is trying to hear Him. Avoid the ten offenses, especially inattention and continuing to sin on the strength of chanting.

Caring for the beads

Japa beads are sacred. Keep them in their bag when not in use, never put them on the floor or take them into the bathroom, and do not touch them with the left hand or with unwashed hands. When you have finished your rounds, put the bag in a clean place near your altar.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare