Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
A wonderful meditation technique you can use as part of your daily practice is japa or japa meditation.
Japa is the soft recitation of transcendental sound using a string of beads called a japa mala.
The string of beads usually has 108 beads plus a head beat,
But you can use any number of beads.
In this guided demonstration we'll be using a set of 54 beads plus a head beat.
This meditation technique uses three of the five senses to help bring the mind into focus upon the transcendental sound.
The tongue in vibrating the mantra,
The ear in hearing the sacred sound,
And the sense of touch while touching each of the beads in the string of beads while chanting.
Being focused on your chanting and the amount of time you commit to this practice is more important than the number of times that you chant a mantra.
One can sit,
Stand,
Lie down,
Or even walk while performing this meditation.
Traditionally the beads are held between the thumb and the middle finger and can be gently held or rolled while chanting a mantra.
When the mantra is finished we move to the next bead and repeat the process.
The index finger is not generally used.
Traditionally some say it represents the false identity or false ego which you,
The spirit,
Soul,
Or spiritual being,
Adopts when you take on a particular body.
You see people using the index finger to point at their own body when emphatically saying I as if I am this temporary body.
For example,
I know what I'm doing or in pointing to another person's body when stating or emphasizing the word you.
Why did you do that?
So not using the index finger is meant to help remind us of our eternal spiritual identity.
But if you are more comfortable using the thumb and index finger to chant Japa,
That's not a problem.
To start the meditation it is recommended that you hold the head bead and bring your mind into focus while contemplating upon the spiritual quality of humility and in humility softly say the mantra Haribol.
We then begin the process of reciting a mantra upon each bead.
In your own practice you can use any one of a number of suitable mantras such as Haribol Nithaigor or Om Hari Om or Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana or even the Maha mantra known as the Hare Krishna mantra.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hari Hari Hari Rama Hari Rama Rama Rama Hari Hari.
If you are going to chant more than one round on your beads then the traditional practice was that at the end of one round of chanting and upon reaching the head bead we would not cross over the bead but just simply return going backwards around the beads or alternatively you turn the set of beads around and continue chanting.
This of course was done after reciting the mantra Haribol upon the head bead in a mood of humility.
For the purpose of this demonstration I will be using the mantra Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana.
Please repeat with me Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana.
Let's begin.
Holding the head bead Haribol Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana Gopala Govindarama Madana Mohana Go pala Govinda Rama,
Madana moana.
Go pala Govinda Rama,
Madana moana.
Go pala Govinda Rama,
Madana moana.
Go pala Govinda Rama,
Madana moana.
Go pala Govinda Rama,
Madana moana.
Go pala Govinda Rama,
Madana moana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
Gopala Govinda Rama,
Madana Mohana.
