Repetition of any Mantra or Name of the Lord is japa. It is an easy way for God realisation. Even practice of japa alone can give peace and bliss in Kaliyuga. When you are chanting, have a mental picture of whichever God you believe in. Imagine that he/she is listening to you, looking at you with loving eyes and hands in blessing posture.
Why
chanting?
The word mantra comes from the first syllable of Manana (Man) or thinking, and Tra comes from Trana or liberation from the bondage of this finite world. A mantra generates and accelerates creative force and produces harmony. Constant repetition of mantra awakens consciousness. If chanting is done with concentration on its meaning, one can attain God consciousness quickly. If there is no knowledge of the meaning of the mantra, it will take a little more time.
Sound is
vibration
Scientific experiments show that notes produced by musical instruments trace out definite geometrical shapes on a bed of sand. Every sound produces a form in the invisible world and combinations of sound create complicated shape. Repeated chanting of God’s name gradually builds up His/ Her form. This serves as a focus to concentrate the benign influence of the being which, radiating from the centre, penetrates the worshipper.
Repetition of God’s name
It is important to do Japa or Nama Smarana(remembering the name of the Lord) very seriously and with faith. The chanting of His/Her name is but serving Him/Her. Have full faith and belief in the eternity of the Name.
A Mantra is Divinity. The aspirant's individual Sakti is strengthened by Mantra-Sakti, and then the individual Sakti joins with the Mantra-Sakti to make it more powerful. The Mantra is awakened from its sleep through the Sadhana-Sakti of the aspirant. The Mantra of the Devata is that letter or combination of letters, which reveals the Deity to the consciousness of the aspirant who has evoked it by the Sadhana-Sakti. The Mantra is a mass of radiant Tejas or energy. Mantra awakens supernatural powers.
The Name of
God or any Mantra should be uttered regularly every day. The recital of a
Mantra destroys sins and brings everlasting peace, infinite bliss, prosperity
and immortality.
When should one start chanting?
When the child starts speaking, that’s a good time to introduce mantras. Start with simple ones like “Hari Om”. Along with training them to say ‘Good morning’, teach them to say Hari Om, Jai Srikrishna, Hare Rama Hare Krishna or anything like that. So the purification of their inner selves starts right from the beginning.
Which mantra should I start chanting
For a start, Gayatri mantra is great. Or ‘Om Shrim Namah Shivayah’ is also good. Then onwards, you will be guided to the mantra specific for you by the Universe. It is always better if you can resonate with the mantra you chant daily. The mantras are chanted for a specific number of times daily, like 11, 27, 54, or more commonly, 108. It is easier to keep the count if you use a japa mala, which can be tulsi mala, sphatik mala, navratna mala, or rudraksha mala.
Once you use it for chanting daily, it gets loaded with energy and on wearing it around your neck, you absorb that energy and you are protected.
So start chanting from today and after a period of time, you are sure to be surprised of the changes that happen in your attitude and life!
References:
https://japa-yoga.org/japa.pdf
