Japa Meditation
The Great Mantra
Meditation is a powerful path to happiness. It focuses and clears the mind, helping us to overcome restlessness, worry and anxiety. Meditation has been shown to significantly increase positivity and confidence, and to restore balance in overall mental outlook. Of all forms of meditation, the recitation of sacred syllables in the form of a mantra is highly recommended. The chanting of a mantra, when done with attention, produces a distinct feeling of inner peace.
The most powerful of all the ancient sounds is known as the Great Mantra and is composed of just three words:
Hare (pronounced Huh-ray), Krishna (pronounced Krish-na), and Rama (sounds like ‘drama’). Altogether they appear like this:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
(Oh Radharani! Oh Krishna! Please engage me in Your service)
How to chant
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Step 1
Align your body, take a few deep breaths and calm your mind
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Step 2
Recite the mantra, start slowly, paying close attention to every syllable until your chanting flows
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Step 3
Repeat the mantra until you’ve recited it 108 times, thus completing ‘one round’
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Step 4
Continue the process, focusing your attention further on the Holy Name. A simple prayer can be said to aid your chanting: ‘Please accept me’
Listen to Japa
To get a taste of how to recite the Maha-Mantra, listen to Srila Prabhupada chanting his japa via the video below.
Join us for a Japa session
Every morning, as part of our daily morning program, we have a set time for Japa, where we chant together as a group for two hours in the Temple Room at Bhaktivedanta Manor
Japa Session: 5am – 7am
Need Japa Beads & Bead Bag?
Our online store has a variety of bead bags and chanting beads to get you started on your japa journey!