JAPA MANTRA

                          JAPA MANTRA AND ITS USES

                    THE FOLLOWING POINTS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED WHILE DOING MEDITATION:

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                1. A ROSARY MALA IS USED TO RECITE THE MANTRA. ONE CAN USE A MALA OF 108 BEADS OF RUDRAKSHA SEED, TULSI (BASIL) OR CHANDAN (SANDA) WOOD. 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.

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                2. 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.

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              3. THE MALA HELPS IN CONTROLLIN THE MIND FROM WANDERING AND HELPS IN ACHIEVING SINGLE-MINDEDNESS.

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              4. 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.

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               5. THE MALA BEADS ARE ROTATED IN RYTHM WITH MANTRA AND BREATH WHICH SHUMS THE FANTASIES AS WELL AS SLEEP. WITH THE HELP OF ROSARY, A LAZY PERSON CAN BECOME ACTIVE AND A DEVILISH MIND CAN BECOME DOCILE.

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               6. 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.

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                      👉   TODAY I DID TEN ROSARY ROUNDS OF MANTRA, "MR.'J' SAID, 

                        WHAT IF YOU CAN'T FOCUS YOUR MIND ON THE MANTRA

                        WHILE CHANTING AND THE MIND STARTS WANDERING? MS. 'Z' ASKED.

                        THEN I DO TWO EXTRA ROUNDS". HE BEAMED.  👈

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                   7. HOLD THE ROSARY MALA IN HAND NEVER BELOW THE NAVEL BUT TO HEART.

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                 8. ALWAYS COVER THE ROSARY MALA WITH A CLEAN CLOTH OR HANDKERCHIEF SO THAT OTHERS CAN'T SEE IT.

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                 9. ONE SHOULD USE THE MIDDLE FINGER AND THE THUMB TO ROLL THE BEADS. THE INDEX FINGER SHOULD NOT BE USED IN ROLLING BEADS.

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                10. MERU OF THE MALA (HEAD BEAD) SHOULD NOT BE CROSSED. ON REACHING NEAR IT, ONE SHOULD TURN AROUND WITHOUT CROSSING THE HEAD BEAD TO COMPLETE ONE MORE CYCLE.

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              11. WHILE REPEATING THE MANTRA ONE'S MIND SHOULD NOT WANDER IN WORLDLY CHORES. ONE SHOULD TRY TO CONCENTRATE ONE'S MIND ON LORD. PLACE THE IMAGE OF DEITY OF THE MANTRA IN THE FRONT OF EYES. FEEL THE BLESSINGS BEING SHOWERED BY THE DEITY. IF CONCENTRATING ON OM THEN TRY TO FOCUS MIND ON FLAME OF DIYA.

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                12. NEVER CHANT THE MANTRA IN A HURRIED WAY. ALWAYS CHANT IT WITH FULL BHAVA OR DEVOTION. CONCENTRATE ON ITS MEANING AND NOT ON THE SPEED.

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                13. IF MIND BEGINS TO WANDER THEN ONE INCREASE THE SPEED OF THE MANTRA. IT IS NECESSARY TO KEEP MIND ALERT DURING PRAYERS.

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                 14. PRONUNCIATION OF THE MANTRA SHOULD BE ACCURATE.

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                15. FOCUS MIND ON THE MANTRA AND AVOID ANY SORT OF SOUND DISTRACTIONS FROM T.V. RADIO  OR MOBILE. BETTER TO KEEP THE MOBILE ON SILENT MODE WHILE MEDITATING. CLOSE THE DOOR OF YOUR ROOM TO MAINTAIN SILENCE IN THE ROOM. SURDAS SAID, "TATEIN SAB CHINTA KARI TAYAG. SURDAS KAROON HARI-PAD ANURAG! (THAT'S WHY SHED ALL TENSIONS, WORSHIP HARI-FEET WITH DEVOTION!)