Rounds

[mark 0]

What is considered a complete round in japa? Is it once around the 108 beads or once around and back? Thanks in advance.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[theist 1]

108 is one round. Most sets of beads are graduated from smaller to larger. One begins with the smaller bead and progresses till reaching the large head or Krsna bead. That's one round. Then you reverse the order and chant on the larger beads heading towards the smaller until again reaching the Krsna bead. That's two rounds. Reverse again etc.

 

Keep going in this way and we will find ourselves in love with the Supreme Person and very very satisfied.

 

Hare Krsna

[mark 0]

Hey, thanks for the quick reply. I appreciate that.

 

Mark

[paul108 0]

This is strange; I was taught to begin with the largest bead at the start of the day's chanting.

 

Anyone care to offer a tie-breaker?

 

Hare Krishna

 

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

I have heard from one devotee that Srila Prabhupada personally told him to start with the big bead when chanting.

 

Not really a major problem either way though.

[livingentity 0]

I was never told to start with the larger beads or the smaller beads but because of the thread after the 8th large bead (signifying the eight principle gopis)- I have always started with the large beads.

 

Now I need to know if I have been doing this wrong.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Another thing I have heard is that Srila Prabhupada was very particular that the beads have the thread tied after the eighth bead and he would not chant on the beads until this was rectified.

[theist 1]

I was taught to start with the small bead and approach the eight principle gopis from the lower position. It would be like me to be doing something backwards all these years.

[paul108 0]

What thread? I've never heard of this. Nor have I heard of anything regarding any distinction of certain beads representing the 8 principle gopis.

 

During a japa workshop that was held instead of the regular bhagavad-gita class one recent Sunday, I noticed that the instructor was passing the beads in a different direction than I was accustomed to doing. I asked him about it, and he said I was doing it wrong. The way I had been doing it, the beads were first passing over my little finger, then ring finger, then middle finger. I've since switched to comply with his instruction. It was a tough habit to break, taking about a week to get it right. Some rounds took a very long time as I was slipping back and forth into each method, sometimes ending up where I started, sometimes reaching the end.

 

A couple of years ago I was teaching my daughter how to count up to 108, and I thought to show her on my japa beads. I proceeded to count 109 beads (not including the Krsna bead). How weird! I bought a new set of japa beads.

 

When will I get it right?!?

 

At least I know how to chant Krishna Hare.

 

[theist 1]

I just went through through veda-base and could not find anything that would clear this up. I came upon one instance where Srila Prabhupada is showing someone how to chant. You read "start here" but can't see where that is. Very frustrating.

 

I would like this cleared up by someone. I also apologize for sowing the seeds of confusion. People should know that I am just a monkey who only knows imitation and not take whatever I say as any sort of fact. The gunas force me to speak and I can't control the urge.

[livingentity 0]

What is going on here?

[livingentity 0]

If it had not been you - then it would have been me because I was going to respond to the question and came back in to find that you had done so first. Actually, from the looks of the posts on this thread anyone of us would have started this same conversation.

 

It seems that a lot of valid info may be getting lost through the years. I wonder just how much else we are confused about.

 

I will also go through my lectures, videos, books etc etc and try to find out. I do remember some videos that show Srila Prabhupada chanting on new initiates beads. I will check for details if possible.

 

 

[livingentity 0]

Isn't just important that we chant? I was taught that there are no hard and fast rules to chanting.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

I remember in a book on Questions and Answers by Harikesh Swami. He mentioned that for 25 years he had been chanting wrong. For some reason when he first started chanting he did so by pushing the beads out after finishing a mantra and taking the next bead from within the hand (instead of pulling the next bead from outside the hand). He said that after doing it for so many years he couldn't switch to the proper method, the habit was too strong.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Just found this on a website about one ISKCON Maharaja's instructions on chanting japa:

 

 

He said that the way vaishnavas hold their japa (with the middle finger and the thumb) is a way to achieve perfection in devotional service. If you hold it with the forefinger and the thumb it is for cursing, and holding it with the thumb and the little finger is for achieving mystic powers. A bonafide japa starts with the big grains, and ends with the small ones. And the first eight grains should be separated with some cloth or thread. These 8 grains remind us of eight principal gopis.

 

 

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Here is something nice on Japa:

 

Srila Prabhupada On Chanting Japa

 

By Srutakirti Dasa

 

It is easy to understand that Srila Prabhupada enjoyed chanting japa. He always stressed to us the importance of chanting our 16 rounds. He told me that as a householder he used a simple process for completing 16 rounds that we could apply. He said, "When I was a householder I would chant 4 rounds before each meal and 4 rounds before retiring in the evening. In this way 16 rounds could be chanted without difficulty." He laughed and said, "If you don't take prasadam before chanting your 4 rounds then you will be sure to get them chanted."

 

In New Dwarka he said to me, "In the evening, if I get tired, I walk and chant." Looking at me he said, "If you are tired, then walk and chant like I do. Sometimes, if I am tired I pace back and forth in the room. Simply, in one room you can do everything. If you are tired, you can stand up and chant, like I do." It was very common to see Srila Prabhupada walking around in his quarters or sitting in his rocking chair, chanting rounds. Sometimes in the evening he would chant rounds while I was giving him massage in bed.

 

Sometimes, he would say, "There, I'm finished." Once in New Dwarka I was in his sitting room cleaning around his desk. He was sitting behind his desk chanting japa. As he pulled down a counter bead he looked at me with a beautiful smile and said humorously, "There, I have finished my 16 rounds. Now I can do any damn thing I want."

 

Sometimes devotees would ask Srila Prabhupada about following certain rules in regards to Ekadasi or following Catur mas. Srila Prabhupada responded, "My disciples, they cannot even chant 16 rounds and follow the principles.

 

What is the use of these other rules and regulations. First, just do these things. Do the simple things that I ask you to do. Don't concern yourself with all these rituals. First, chant your 16 rounds and follow the principles."

 

One day a brahmacari entered Srila Prabhupada's room and told him that he had fallen down with a woman. He told Srila Prabhupada that perhaps he should get married. Srila Prabhupada answered, "Marriage. Why do you think marriage is going to solve your difficulties? You should chant. Just chant Hare Krishna. Chant your 16 rounds." There were so many times that devotees went into Srila Prabhupada's room with a problem they were hoping he would solve with some particular arrangement. His solution was always the same. "Chant Hare Krishna, chant your 16 rounds." He developed the phrase, "Just do it" long before Nike.

 

He once told a disciple, "If there is some difficulty, you chant loudly. If there is some agitation, chant out loud." One time is was brought to his attention that a senior devotee was not attending Mangal Arati or chanting rounds, at least with the other devotees. Srila Prabhupada said, "Do it to set the example for the other devotees. You, yourself are very advanced. You do not need to attend Mangal Arati but you should set the example for those that require it."

 

Thank you Srila Prabhupda for being the Acarya. You always taught by example. You chanted rounds. You said three Gayatri mantras a day, rose early in the morning and put tilaka on your transcendental body. You never asked any disciple to do something you were not doing yourself. You always practiced what you preached. You showed us practically how a pure devotee conducts himself. I have been in illusion since time immemorial but I pray that I am never deluded into thinking that this process of devotional service is only for the neophyte.

 

YS, Srutakirti dasa

 

 

[paul108 0]

 

So to come up to par with having a string tied around my japa beads, is ther anything else I should know? Any specific length, thickness, material, or type of knot?

 

Hare Krishna

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Sorry for missing to answer your question. The string is very simple.

 

Take a thick string two inches in length. Loop it around after the eighth big bead and tie a knot in it. It is there to remind us of the eight principle gopis whom we worship to attain Lord Krishna.

 

Generally Rama and Vishnu Bhaktas will chant on Malas without this thread.

 

Cotton is a good material for the thread, otherwise nylon. The thickness is something like the thickness of yarn, but a solid thread like you might use for a kite string.

 

[vsdprasad 0]

Sometimes if you don't have beads, you can chant using the divisions on the fingers of right palm. Heres the procedure:

<p align="center"></p>

Use your thumb to point to the divisions...

Start counting from 1 and continue till it reaches the last division on the forefinger (10). Continue from 11 and reach the starting point in a reverse way. This way, you will be covering 20 in a single loop. You can count the number of loops using fingers of your left hand. After 5 loops, you can cover 8 divisions and then you will be completing a full round (108).

One should not cross over lower divisions of middle finger.

[livingentity 0]

Does anyone else agree that this is a very nice thread? Wonderful association!! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[livingentity 0]

Thanks vsdprasad! I have been looking for that info!

[Mxyzptlk 0]

I would like this cleared up by someone. I also apologize for sowing the seeds of confusion.

 

No need to apologize. Actually, it is rather interesting to discover that the proper method of chanting japa has become slightly obscured with the passage of time. Also, it is my own fault as well, being that I misread your original reply, otherwise I would have offered a correction at that time. (Not that I'm qualified to correct anyone here, of course.)

 

JNdas prabhu is correct when he quotes from an Iskcon Maharaja: A bonafide japa starts with the big grains, and ends with the small ones. And the first eight grains should be separated with some cloth or thread. These 8 grains remind us of eight principal gopis. I had always assumed that there were some written instructions on how to chant japa, a pamphlet or leaflet or something, (written by Srila Prabhupada's disciples), but maybe they are out of print, I don't know. Probably in the Krishna Culture catalogue there are some introductory books written which explains these things. I just now checked their site, and there is a 24 page booklet entitled On Chanting. I don't have a copy, but I suspect that directions for chanting japa are included. By the way, if anyone needs japa beads, they can be obtained there as well.

[mark 0]

Thank you jndas for posting the article on Srila Prabhupada chanting japa. It was nice to read and showed a side of Prabhupada that I was unaware of.

 

YS,

Mark

[theist 1]

Mark sorry for the false info. this morning. One of the dangers of the internet I'm afraid.

 

Hare Krsna

[Gauracandra 1]

Great diagram vsdprasad /images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

Also, this one had me in stitches /images/graemlins/smile.gif