Japa

Japa or chanting the name of God is given great importance in all the religions of the world. It is not only an integral part of all devotional spiritual practices, even Sage Patanjali has  given an important place to it in his Yoga system. Patanjali recommends repetition of Om with thinking of its meaning as an effective means of control of mind: Tajjapah tadartha bhavanam (1.28)

Relation between God and His Name

After describing the characteristics of Ishvara in three sutras, Patanjali  mentions Om as  the indicator, vaachaka, or name  of Ishvara. Tasya vaachakah pranavah.(1.27) In Katha Upanishad too, Om is mentioned as supreme or best alambana or support or means.(1.2.17). However, in the just preceding shloka it is equated with akshara brahma or the Supreme Spirit. In the Mandukya Kaarika, it is said that Om is no other than the Lower as well as the Supreme Brahman, without beginning; and also the beginning, middle and the end of all,  unique and changeless. (I,12, 27-29)  We also get the proof of this attitude in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna in Sri Ramakrishna’s conversation with a devotee from Dakshineshwar village. Initially Sri Ramakrishna expresses the view that there must be something indicated by the Word.  However when the contending devotee said that the Eternal Word itself is Brahman, the Master agreed with him. (p.188)

According to the third view of the devotees, the name of God is greater than God. They quote two charming examples. Hanuman jumped across the ocean chanting the name of Rama, where as Rama himself had to build a bridge to cross it! Once Krishna was being weighed. All the available gold and gems etc, were insufficient, and Sri Krishna continued to remain seated in the lower of the pans of the balance. But when His name written on a tulasi leaf was placed on the other pan, the  pan with the Lord on it became lighter!

The meaning of the mantra

Since the Name of God must be repeated with thinking of its meaning, it is important that before chanting, the meaning is well understood. This again depends upon knowledge. The meaning of a gentleman named Mohan will be very much different for his mother and for a causal acquaintance. Hence it is often suggested that we must try to gain from various books and scriptures as much knowledge as possible about our chosen ideal,  whose name we shall be chanting.

Every divine personality has three aspects: an external form, divine qualities, and the indwelling divine spirit of which He or She is the embodiment. The mantra represents all the three. A devotee, when he begins chanting the name of his chosen ideal, first thinks of the holy form. This for him is the artha-bhavanam. As he proceeds, he finds more and more divine qualities in his Ishta, and he now meditated on them. This is the second stage of artha-bhavnam.  Finally, as he proceeds, he realizes that his Ishta is not merely a body, or a collection of divine attributes, but the supreme Spirit Itself. Thus the meaning of the Mantra evolves and matures as the aspirants continues with chanting.

Beginning with mechanical Japa

The conditions just mentioned, though simple, are not easy to fulfil. Most of the aspirants begin  japa mechanically for a fixed number of times. And the minimum number is generally fixed as 108. The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi used to do one lakh japa every day.  And for those who complained to her of restlessness of mind, she would recommend 20,000 japa a day. Even this mechanical japa done without concentration has its value. Whether one takes bath in the Ganga knowingly, or slips into it or is pushed by someone into it, the result is the same. Suppose a person goes on chanting “rupee, rupee’, 10,000 times every day, will it not affect his psyche? His mind will get filled with the thought of money, he will start aspiring for it, will struggle to get it, and finally get it too, with all its good and bad consequences. If someone chooses to chant the word ‘war’ he is sure to start fighting with others within six months!

Throughout the day, consciously or unconsciously, we listen to  so many sounds of various types and these leave some effect on our mind. Why not then allow the music of japa to continue always? Swami Brahmananda used to say that the cycle of Japa must always be flowing. As many times as we think of the world, so many times must the name be chanted to counteract the worldly thoughts. This can be done loudly if necessary, or can be combined with breathing. It is no wonder, then, that in the Kalisantaranopanishad  just a mechanical chanting of the mantra: 'Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare; Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna  Krishna  Hare Hare'  has been considered the sole effective means of escaping from the clutches of the Kali Yuga, the Iron Age.(1-2)

           It is not always necessary that with Japa, thinking of the meaning of the word must be done. Like the images of Rama and Krishna, their names Rama and Krishna too are the symbols of the supreme Spirit. Just as by constant meditation on a specific form of God, it becomes conscious, chaitanya, ie., the divinity behind it manifests, similarly,  one of the important methods is to LISTEN  to the mantra mentally at a specific centre of consciousness like the heart or the centre between the eye-brows.

Conditions for Japa

Apart from thinking of the meaning, Patanjali has not given any other instructions for the repetition in his sutras. However, Sri Ramakrishna has given some important instructions:

'Japa means silently repeating God’s name in solitude. When you chant his name with single-minded devotion (ekamone), you can see God’s form and realize Him.'(Gospel, p.878)  'There is no doubt about the sanctity of God’s name. But can a mere name achieve anything, without yearning love of the devotee behind it? One should feel great restlessness of soul for the vision of God.'(Gospel, p.190)

Thus the four conditions laid down by Sri Ramakrishna are: 1.Chanting must be done silently, 2. in solitude 3. with single-mindedness  and  4. with yearning love and restlessness.

The first condition for Japa is to do it silently. Japa can be done loudly (vachika); silently but with lips moving (upanshu) and mentally (manasika). Of course mental japa is the best, but we generally start with loud vocal japa. Sometimes, if the mind is too restless or agitated, loud vocal japa may help. Otherwise it must be done in such a way that others cannot hear,

The second condition is, it should be done in solitude. While giving instructions about meditation also, Sri Ramakrishna emphasizes this condition by saying that it should be done in the mind, in the forest or in a secluded corner. Serious spiritual aspirants do japa and meditation in forests or caves. In the absence of such a possibility, Sri Ramakrishna recommends creating solitude in one’s own house, in a shrine made in a corner. The need for such seclusion is obvious; unless external sounds and disturbances are cut down at lease to some extent, mind can’t be concentrated in japa or meditation.  In solitude when external sense-stimuli subside, only internal mental modifications remain which can be controlled by japa and meditation. It is therefore advised to do japa at night in cities when all are asleep.

An important condition for Japa laid down by Sri Ramakrishna is single-mindedness. Mind acts in various ways: thought, imagination, memory, fantasy, resolve, desire etc. If we desire to do japa but thoughts are different and imagination is running elsewhere, we cannot claim to have one mind or one-pointed mind. Mind is restless by nature, running in various directions, constantly changing its resolve and vacillating between opposite desires. All these various functions of the mind must be one-pointed. In the popular Christian book, The Way of the Pilgrim this has been very beautifully expressed: 'Prayer must be done always constantly, uninterruptedly, with the lips, in the spirit, in the heart, forming a mental picture of His presence and imploring His grace.'

The next condition for success in Japa is ‘yearning love and restlessness.’ The name and the Named one, God, are the same, nay God’s Name is even greater than God—we must have such faith. One does not get joy in japa initially. Hence, initially japa must be done with firm faith. The devotee will not leave japa once he starts getting joy in it. But  till then faith, determination and dedication are necessary.

But the most important is yearning. Imagine a person is drowning and he shouts 'Help'―just one word! As soon as any passer-by would listen to this earnest cry, he is bound to run to help. What  great yearning, restlessness and utter helplessness is stored in that one word! Such was the single-word cry of the drowning Gajendra, or of Draupadi in the court of Kauravas when Dushasana was trying to de-robe her. And the result was that in both the cases the Lord virtually ran to protect them. Or take the case of a baby playing with its toys. At times he does remember and call 'maa', but mother does not come. But when in the end, he throws away the toys and shouts loudly 'MAA' the mother immediately comes running. Japa also is like the words Help, or Maa, chanted with great yearning and earnestness. This of course does not mean that we shout at the top of our voice. What is important is the yearning of the heart. If there is yearning, the Lord would listen even if we do not open our mouth.

Benefits of Japa

Japa and meditation are interrelated. Japa leads to meditation. It is like placing dots in one line: meditation is like joining those dots. Inversely, interrupted meditation is nothing but japa.  We begin with vocal japa, then comes internal, mental japa which becomes meditation or an unbroken mental flow of thought towards God. Later even this stops and only the artha or the meaning of the word remains. Thus japa leads to meditation and Samadhi.

According to Patanjali there are two more benefits of japa: 'Tatah prakchetan-adhigamo-pynataraaya-abhaavashcha.;(1.29) 'From that is gained  introspection  and  destruction  of  obstacles.

Sri Ramakrishna has very succinctly defined the introspective mode of mind  when he said: 'Sandhya merges into Gayatri and Gayatri merges into Om.'  Introspection is essentially a process of concentration and turning within. When japa is done with concentration, all other words get merged into the one mantra being chanted, and when this is practiced for a long time, without break and with dedication, mind becomes controlled, indrawn and peaceful. What one gets is described as the vyavasayika buddhi (Gita,2:41) by Sri Krishna in the Gita. One gets inner joy. In fact there is no joy outside. All joys are a mere reflection  of  the  joy  within  which  is experienced  by  japa.

The destruction of obstacles to the path of Yoga is another benefit of japa. Patanjali enumerates nine such obstructions most of which are tamasic and mental. Vyadhi-styana-sanshaya-pramada-aasasya-avirati-bhrantidarsana-alabhadha-bhumikatva-anavasthitatvani.(1.30) 'Disease, languor, doubt, carelessness, laziness, lack of detachment, wrong notions, inability to ascend to higher spiritual levels and to get established there are the obstructions.'

The first one is disease, and interestingly and significantly, even physical illness gets reduced and may even be cured by japa. Doubts disappear, undue attachments get weakened, and one gets a clear understanding of the spiritual path. And a serious aspirant who persists with japa ascends to higher levels on the spiritual ladder and gets established there.  According to Patanjali, pain, depression, trembling of the body and irregular respiration may accompany the above mentioned obstructions.(1.31)  These also are cured by japa.

Conclusion

         

          There is a large literature available on the subject of mantra and japa in all religious traditions. Here we have presented in short the subject on the basis of the Patanjai’s Yoga Sutras and the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna  stressing  the  practical aspect.