There was a very interesting article posted on the Japa Group recently....some tips given by Sankarsana dasa Adhikari - I thought I would share this here:
1. Serve those who serve the Lord, don't criticize them out of envy or false ego.
2. Worship Krishna as the "source of all spiritual and material worlds", "the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities." Show respect to demigods like Lord Siva or Ganesh and personalities like Hanuman as exalted devotees of Lord Krishna.
3. Show full respect to the spiritual master in thoughts, words and actions, considering him to be a representative of the Lord. Carry out the orders of the spiritual master with enthusiasm and attention to detail.
4. Honor (and study) the scriptures as the instructions of the Supreme Lord (dharmam tu saksad bhagavat pranitam) with the desire to understand how they are correct (not if they are correct).
5. Have faith that the Holy Name is not a mundane sound vibration, but is in fact transcendental sound, descending from the (pure) spiritual platform.
6. Have faith in the explanations and glorification of the Holy Name given by guru, sadhu and sastra. This knowledge is given by those who have experienced the glories of the Holy Name, and who have "seen the truth."
7. Root out the desire to commit sins. A sin is an action that is not connected to the Supreme Lord; something done for the gratification of the senses. Acting only for the pleasure of the material body brings you further from practical realization of your factual identity as an eternal spirit soul (separate from the temporary material body).
8. Give up ritualistic pious activities. Transcend feelings of duty and obligation and perform all activities for the pleasure of Krishna.
9. Discuss the glories of the Holy Name with servants of the Lord who will relish hearing about it.
10. Chant attentively, absorbing your full consciousness in the transcendental vibration of the Holy Name.
If you can seriously follow the above ten guidelines your chanting will improve by leaps and bounds.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Comments
Based on the 10 offenses
In case anyone hadn't realised, this list of tips is based on the 10 offenses :-)
More Tips
In answer to a request, here are some of the things I do to help me concentrate on my japa (chanting on beads). I can't say they all come from Srila Prabhupada or the scriptures, but Srila Prabhupada said you can judge a thing by the result.
First of all, do not think of japa as drudgery: "Whew! It seems like I've been chanting for hours and hours, and I only have three rounds done. Will it never end?"
Well yes. It really will never end. That's what we want, isn't it? to be calling out Lord Krsna's name forever? So think of japa as eternal, and you will become peaceful and attentive.
Do not think about all the things you will have to do when at long last you finish your japa. If your mind wanders off to your work, remind yourself that thinking about work while chanting does not help either the work or the chanting. And again, remind yourself that japa never finishes.
Sometimes I find it helps to read scripture or meditate intensely on a verse before starting japa. Your mind will become clear, and you will be able to hear your chanting. When your mind does eventually wander, bring it back to the verse and then to the chanting.
Whatever your case, be of good cheer. Japa does become easier as time goes by, and eventually, you won't even think about techniques.
I once asked Srila Prabhupada about chanting and driving, as one cannot chant attentively at the wheel.
"You should always be chanting," Srila Prabhupada answered, "but you should chant sixteen good rounds every day."
I don't chant my sixteen rounds on japa walks. There are too many distractions. You know the old saying: "Japa walk means japa talk."
Nor do I like it when the rounds just zip by like lightning. At the end I realize that I have gone through sixteen rounds without hearing any of it.
It can be painful at first, trying hard to concentrate on a repetitious sound, so we may look for excuses to chant in a distracting environment, where we can go through the motions without really listening.
I prefer to chant sixteen rounds in a sheltered environment where I do not have to look out for cars and traffic lights and dogs running in front of me.
But japa really does become easy and pleasant. I promise! I promise!
From http://www.umapati.net/node/9
Transcendental Sound Vibration.
" Oh my Lord, your Holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krsna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. Oh my Lord, out of kindness, You enable us to easily approach You by Your Holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them. " ( Siksastaka)
Krsna's name is a transcendental vibration and its not a mundane sound, once you start pronoucing His names you get a taste for chanting more and more. Krsna's association is there and you can develop a relationship with His names just by hearing the sound and pronoucing each words properly. Srila Prabhupada gave us this gift left from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, so let s make this valuable for this life and go back to Godhead.
Haribol,
Aruna Locana dd
Transcendental Vibration
Very nice what you say Aruna Locana dd....this verse from Siksastakam is very relavant to remind us that the Lord's transcendental energies are contained in the Holy names and that the Holy names are Krsna himself....we are associating with Krsna directly and if we seriously chant the Holy names....from this we become purified from the bodily concept of life and avoid the offenses to the Holy names and also to devotees and other living entities.
Question
Is it possible to avoid one of the offenses and be free from the others, I mean if I follow the attentive chanting, can I be succesfull on the others..
Haribol
Aruna Locana dd
Avoiding Offenses
Hare Krsna Aruna Locana dd.....if we are able to avoid the offense of inattention it is much easier to avoid the other offenses, this is because we will be focused on the sound vibration and become purified, being able to see beyond the bodily concept for example....our intelligence will become sharp and our mind controlled.
Inspiring
In number eight: perform all activities for the pleasure of Krishna.
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Visit the Food Channel @ Krishna.com
Krsna's Pleasure
Thanks Anthony this is inspiring....the ultimate goal is to dovetail everything for Krsna's pleasure :-)