Mantra Meditation
Practical Guide to Mantra Meditation
Introduction
Everyone knows that a happy life requires good health. A proper diet, regular exercise and sufficient rest are necessary to keep our bodies strong and fit. If we neglect these, our bodies become weak and susceptible to infection.
More important but less well known, is the inner self’s need for spiritual nourishment. If we ignore our spiritual health requirements, we become overwhelmed by negative tendencies like stress, anxiety, anger and boredom. To meet our spiritual need and awaken the natural within, a genuine process of meditation is recommended.
The Vedas, ancient texts containing India’s timeless spiritual wisdom, advise that the best process for awakening spiritual consciousness is the hearing and chanting of transcendental sounds or mantras.
Meditating with Beads
2. Before you begin, you may say the following invocation mantra once:
Jaya Sri Krishna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda,
Sri Advaita Gadadhara, Srivasadi Gaura bhakta vrinda
3. With the beads in your right hand, hold the first bead with your thumb and middle finger (see figure below) and pronounce clearly the full Hare Krishna mantra:
Hare Kṛishṇa Hare Kṛishṇa Kṛishṇa Kṛishṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Pronunciation: Hare (Ha Ray), Krishna (Krish Na), Rama (Rah: long a; Ma: short a)
4. Move to the next bead with the same two fingers. Again pronounce the full Hare Krishna mantra. Repeat this on 108 beads until you complete one round.
5. To complete another round do not cross over the head bead, but turn the beads around and chant on them in the opposite direction.
6. To chant using a bead bag, follow the above process, but place your right hand and beads in the large opening of the bag. With your index finger protruding out of your hand and beads in the large opening of the bag, (see figure). This keeps the beads clean and makes meditation more comfortable.
*the contents on this page are from Bhakti Yogis at ideaseeds.org. Reproduced with gratitude to their team.
