HOW TO DO JAPA MEDITATION (SIMPLE METHOD)

 

HOW TO DO JAPA 

MEDITATION

                                    

• A ROSARY MALA IS USED TO RECITE THE MANTRA. ONE CAN USE A MALA OF 108 BEADS OF RUDRAKSHA SEED, TULSI (BASIL) OR CHANDAN (SANDAL) WODD. RUDRAKSHA MALA IS USED WITH SHIVA MANTRAS. IT CALMS THE MIND. TULSI MALA ENHANCES THE DEVOTION AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF THE USER. A SANDAL WOOD MALA HAS FRAGRANCE. IT REPELS NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND PURIFIES MIND AND SPIRIT.
• A MALA IS USED AS A WHIP TO GUARD THE MIND AS MIND IS VERY NAUGHTY. IT WILL START DISTRACTING DURING MEDITATION IF ONE IS FEELING ACTIVE OR WILL SLEEP IF ONE IS HAVING LOW ENERGY.
• THE MALA HELPS IN CONTROLLING THE MIND FROM WANDERING AND HELPS IN ACHIEVING SINGLE-MINDEDNESS.
• IN A MALA HELPS IN CONTROLLING AND MIND FROM WANDERING AND HELPS IN ACHIEVING SINGLE-MINDEDNESS.
• IN A MALA ALL BEADS ARE STRUNG TOGETHER AND WITH EACH BEAD MANTRA IS RECITED. THE CONTINUOUS RECITATION OF MANTRA ONE AFTER ANOTHER WITHOUT ANY BREAK KEEPS THE MIND OCCUPIED. IT ACTS LIKE AN ANCHOR.
• THE MALA BEADS ARE ROTATED IN RHTHYM WITH MANTRA AND BREATH WHICH SHUNS THE FASTASIES AS WELL AS SLEEP. WITH THE HELP OF RASARY, A LAZY PERSON CAN BECOME ACTIVE AND A DEVILISH MIND CAN BECOME DOCILE.
• BECAUSE OF CONTINUOUS EFFORTS MANTRA DOES NOT LEAVE THE MIND. AT THAT STAGE THE ROSARY MAY BE DROPPED. BUT FOR BEGINNERS IT IS THE BEST TOOL TO FOCUS THE MIND.
• HOLD THE ROSARY MALA IN HAND NEVER BELOW THE NAVEL BUT CLOSE TO HEART.
• ALWAYS COVER THE ROSARY MALA WITH A CLEAN OR HANDKERCHIEF SO THAT OTHERS CAN'T SEE IT.
• ONE SHOULD USE THE MIDDLE FINGER AND THE THUMB TO ROLL THE BEADS. THE INDEX FINGER SHOULD NOT BE USED IN ROLLING BEADS.

PREACAUTIONS AND OBSTACLES IN 

JAPA MEDITATION

THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES OF JAPA MEDITATION ARE MONOTONY, SLEEP, AND ANGER. MIND BECOMES BORED OF REPEATING THE SAME MANTRA AGAIN AND AGAIN. TO MAINTAIN INTEREST, A VARIETY CAN BE CREATED BY DOING AUDIBLE, WHISPERING, MENTAL AND WRITTEN JAPA OF MANTRA. VARIETY PRODUCED BY THE CHANGE IN VOLUME OF MANTRA WILL AVOID FATIGUE TO A GREAT EXTENT. REPETITION OF MANTRA TIRES THE MIND HENCE THE MIND ENTERS SLEEP VERY EASILY. ANGER IS ALSO ONE OF THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES THAT JAPA MEDITATION SADHAKA FACES. THE BEST SOLUTION TO OVERCOME ONE'S ANGER IS SURRENDER GOD "NOTHIG IS MINE, EVERYTHING IS YOURS! SURRENDER YOURSELF, YOUR BELONGINGS AND ALL YOUR ACTIONS AND THEIR OUTCOMES TO THE LOTUS FEET OF GOD.

SUCCESS IN MEDITATION

ONE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN OUTER WORLD BUT CAN BE DISATISFIED FROM INSIDE. IF ONE ACHIEVES WHAT ONE EXPECTS THEN ONE FEELS SATISFIED. THE UNFULFILLED EXPECTATIONS LEAD TO DISSATISFACTION. ACCORDING TO RYAN REYNOLDS, "WHEN YOU HAVE EXPECTATIONS, YOU ARE SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR DISSPOINTMENT".

LIKEWISE, BEGINNERS TOO ARE IN HURRY TO GET SUCCESS IN MEDITATION. A MISTAKE THAT ONE SHOULD ESCAPE FROM COMMITTING. SWAMI VISHNUDEVANANDA SAID, "MEDITATION DOES NOT COME EASILY. A BEAUTIFUL TREE GROWS SLOWLY. ONE MUST WAIT FOR THE BLOSSOM, THE RUPENING OF THE FRUIT AND THE ULTIMATE TASTE. THE BLOSSOM OF MEDITATION IS AN EXPRESSIBLE PEACE THAT PERMEATES THE ENTIRE BEING. ITS FRUIT... IS INDESCRIBABLE".

THE PLACE TO DO MEDITATION 

TRYING TO CONTROL ONE'S MIND IS PRACTICE AND DOING IT REPEATEDLY IS REGULARITY. REGULARITY SHOULD BE MAINTAINED BY DOING MEDITATION DAILY. IT SHOULD BE DONE AT THE SAME PLACE AND SAME TIME. IRREGULARITY IN MEDITATION DOESN'T GIVE GOOD RESULTS SO NOT A SINGLE DAY SHOULD BE SKIPPED. DOING MEDITATION FOR 2-3 DAYS AND MISSING IF FOR NEXT TWO DAYS WILL NOT GIVE PROGRESS IN MEDITATION. EVERYDAY ONE SHOULD MEDITATE WITH OR WITHOUT SUCCESS. PRACTICE SHOULD BE DONE REGULARITY ONLY THEN ONE WILL BE ABLE TO PROCEED FURTHER ON MEDITATION PATH.

ONE SHOULD MAKE A HABIT TO DO EXERCISE DAILY. SET ASIDE TIME FOR REGULAR EXERCISE. BENEFITS MORED WHEN DONE OUTDOORS IN FRESH AIR. IF ONE CAN'T DO IT OUTDOORS IN A GARDEN OR PARK THEN ONE CAN DO IT IN BALCONY. COURTYARD OR A WELL-VENTILATED PLACE. YOGA EXERCISE DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY SPECIAL CLOTHES OR EQUIPMENTS, JUST A BIT OF SPACE AND A STRONG MOTIVATION TO DO EXERCISE. YOGA EXERCISE NOT ONLY TONES VOLUNTARY MUSCLES LIKE HANDS, LEGS, BACK, THIGHS, HIPS, NECKS, SHOULDER AND ETC. BUT ALSO STRENGTHEN VITAL ORGANS LIKE LUNGS, HEART, STOMACH, INTESTINE ETC. THE DAILY EXERCISE WILL INCREASE MUSLCLE STRENGTH, BODY SUPPLENESS AND MOTOR REACTION.

IT KEEPS THE GLANDS AND NERVOUS SYSTEM IN RADIANT HEALTH. IT IS MENTALLY AS WELL AS PHYSICALLY STIMULATING. IN THE BEGINNING ONE SHOULD DO THE EXERCISE FOR MINIMUM. SLOWLY AND GRADUALLY INCREASE IT. WHILE PRACTISING YOGA POSTURES HOLD THE POSTURE FOR MINIMUM TIME AND THEN GRADUALLY INCREASE IT TO THE MAXIMUM TIME. THE YOGIC EXERCISES AND POSTURES WILL HELP ONE TO MAINTAIN SAME POSTURE WHILE MEDITATING FOR LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.

PROPER RELAXATION

1. ONE SHOULD SLEEP NOT TOO MUCH NOR TOO LESS. THE MODERATE SLEEP IS GOOD.
2. AN OLD SAYING IS "EARLY TO BED AND EARLY TO RISE, MAKES A MAN HEALTHY, WEALTHY AND WISE. ONE SHOULD AVOID SLEEPING LATE AT NIGHT. MOREOVER, ONE SHOULD WAKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING.
3. MEDITATION SOOTHES BODY AND MIND. DOING MEDITATION OUTDOORS RELAXES BODY AND MIND AS ONE COMES IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH NATURE. ONE HILLS, THE OXYGEN IS LESS WHICH HELPS IN BETTER CONCENTRATION.
4. LISTENING TO CLASSICAL MUSIC, DEVOTIONAL SONGS AND LECTURES BY SAINTS HELPS IN KEEPING THE MIND CALM.
5. READING SCRIPTURES AND SACRED BOOK IS GOOD FOR MIND'S HEALTH.
6. DACING ON DEVOIONAL SONGS RELAXES BODY AND MIND.
7. PAINTING AND DRAWING LORD'S IMAGE HELPS IN KEEPING THE MIND SERENE IN EVEN TURBULENT SITUATIONS.

PROPER RELAXATION MEANS THAT ONE SHOULD BE PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND SPIRITUALLY RELAXED. MENTAL RELAXATION CAN ONLY BE COMPLETELY ACHIEVED IF THERE IS SPIRITUAL PEACE. ONE IDENTIFIES ONESELF WITH BODY AND MIND, ONE CAN'T BE COMPLETELY RELAXED AS HERE WILL BE EMOTIONS LIKE FEAR, ANGER, GREED, WORRY AND DOUBT. TO BE SPIRITUALLY RELAXED ONE HAS TO DETACH ONE SELF AND TO BE A MERE WITNESS OF BODY AND MIND. TO BE ONE WITH A SELF WILL GIVE SUPREME PEACE.