Chanting Japa

When you are alone and chant the Hare Krishna maha mantra – a simple japa all by yourself (early in the morning) then you are confronted with the naked truth – the one who you really are, and the love that you really have for Krishna. Or the love that you don’t have for Krishna is going to be very obvious.
It is either Rupa Goswami:
‘Krishna is dancing on my tongue…………………… ‘
Or it is:
‘Oh my God. Oh my Lord these sixteen rounds that I have to chant, feel like millions of more. Every minute of chanting feels like a day of Brahma! Oh my Lord will I ever finish my rounds?’
And when we are not chanting our rounds then we are counting our rounds, and the most ecstatic moment is the magic moment….like the moment of:

‘Ping…sixteen done! Okay thank God I’ve finished my rounds.’
So there are different of levels for chanting. When we are in japa then we are thrown back on ourselves. No longer can we hide in the crowd! No longer can we borrow the enthusiasm of others! Now, we simply have to do it ourselves – alone, turn to Krishna. The mind freaks out:
‘Help! I can’t do this!’
But actually we go before Krishna. We glorify Krishna and in this way realising that actually there is nothing…..nothing as valuable as that….nothing in the world. This is it…..this is really it, the most important thing ; the most wonderful thing; the most desired thing. This is the one thing that we have been waiting for – the all in all now that we are chanting japa.

So in this way we can try and meditate and gradually realise this. So by anchoring ourselves deeply, in our own conviction. Then we can face the world….let the world crumble……let with everything we have let it go – what does it matter? We have Krishna. And what in this world that can capture us that is so wonderful! Then we have Krishna in this way by deep chanting name after name, again and again!

- HH Kadamba Kanana Swami