The Alternative Future - 2
Ecology of The Mind
Chanting of Holy Name
Prayer And Spirituality
Chant For Change
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There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God. |
Before the onset of materialism and all the problems associated with it, people led a devout and religious life and material progress was assigned a secondary place in life. Primary goal of life was considered to be the attainment of the kingdom of God. No doubt they had their share of problems but the terms like global warming, rising oceans, lethal pollution levels, pesticides in food chain and nuclear threat were unheard of. There were weapons and wars but not nuclear and hydrogen bombs which can destroy the Earth several hundred times over. Neither was the fear of biological and chemical weapons falling in the hands of terrorists, threatening to wipe out entire nations. Wars at best were localized and concept of world wars engulfing the entire planet and killing hundreds of millions was unknown.
Then there came a time when people started adopting materialistic ways of life and these earthly years came to be considered all in all. Sense gratification began to occupy the supreme position in life. This, in short, marked the beginning of present times we live in.
In this chapter, we wish to point out a practice of prayers which was prevalent all over the world, irrespective of the denomination one belonged to. Reverting back to this noble practice will impact the consciousness of the people and the change will reflect externally in world affairs.
Environmental Cleansing Begin From Within
Then there came a time when people started adopting materialistic ways of life and these earthly years came to be considered all in all. Sense gratification began to occupy the supremeThe only way to a clean environment would be to start from the inside, deep within us. We have materialistic dust in our hearts and we need to clear it away. If we don't start cleaning from the inside then all the legislation or conferences will have no effect because people will go back to the same unclean habits. Our dormant love for God and for one another has turned into lust due to material association. We must transform this lust into love by practicing mantra meditation. That is the most effective way to restore the environment to its natural condition.
Japa Yoga - A Universal & Timeless Tool To Change The World, Change The Life....One Bead At A Time
Since time immemorial, in every continent and in every major organized and pagan religion, followers have used a string of beads to chant repetitive, uplifting sonic phrases to help create a sense of calm and purpose in life. Known commonly as Mantra Beads, this is an ancient tool that we can use to bring harmony in the opposing energies within body, mind, intellect and innermost spiritual nature.
Since the earliest of times, people have used pebbles or a string of knots or beads on a cord to keep track of prayers offered to God. Virtually every major religious tradition in the world uses some form of prayer beads. Over two-thirds of the world’s population employ prayer beads as part of their religious practices. Prayer beads have a variety of forms and meanings, but the basic purpose is the same: to assist the worshiper in reciting and counting specific prayers or incantations.
Beads have long been linked with the act of prayer. The English word bead is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words bidden (to pray) and bede (prayer).
Prayer is a time-tested formula to protect the mind from the poisons of the world like anger, hatred, jealousy, attachment, ignorance, delusion, pride and greed. When you are ready to allow the noisy world to fade into the background of your mind ... pick up your mala (beads) and fill your mind with blessedness through the recitation of sacred Mantras. When entering a state of prayer, one can awaken innate goodness, kindness, serenity, all virtues, joy, and a peaceful heart.
Prayer beads are traditionally used to keep count of the repetitions of prayers or chants and they allow one to keep track of how many prayers have been said with a minimal amount of conscious effort, which in turn allows greater attention to be paid to the prayers themselves. Of course its main function is to engage the sense of touch which leads to better concentration and less distraction.
Since the earliest of times, people have used pebbles or a string of knots or beads on a cord to keep track of prayers offered to God. Virtually every major religious tradition in the world uses some form of prayer beads. Over two-thirds of the world’s population employ prayer beads as part of their religious practices. Prayer beads have a variety of forms and meanings, but the basic purpose is the same: to assist the worshiper in reciting and counting specific prayers or incantations.
Beads have long been linked with the act of prayer. The English word bead is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words bidden (to pray) and bede (prayer).
Prayer is a time-tested formula to protect the mind from the poisons of the world like anger, hatred, jealousy, attachment, ignorance, delusion, pride and greed. When you are ready to allow the noisy world to fade into the background of your mind ... pick up your mala (beads) and fill your mind with blessedness through the recitation of sacred Mantras. When entering a state of prayer, one can awaken innate goodness, kindness, serenity, all virtues, joy, and a peaceful heart.
Prayer beads are traditionally used to keep count of the repetitions of prayers or chants and they allow one to keep track of how many prayers have been said with a minimal amount of conscious effort, which in turn allows greater attention to be paid to the prayers themselves. Of course its main function is to engage the sense of touch which leads to better concentration and less distraction.
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Get a job, make some money, work till you're sixty, then move to Florida and die. Have you ever had that uneasy feeling that there must be something more to life than this? Most of us have at one time or another. Yet, each morning we trudge wearily through ever-growing traffic to take part in the daily grind. Then one day we wake up to the realization that our time here is almost up. |
Prayer Beads - A History
The rosary was introduced to Europe by the crusaders, who took it from the Arabs, who in turn took it from Tibetan monks and the yoga masters of India. (Bertelsmann; 1976)
This timeless practice of chanting on beads, originating in Vedic tradition thousands of years ago, spread all over the world. Marco Polo, visiting the King of Malabar in the thirteenth century, found that monarch employed a rosary of 104 precious stones to count his prayers. St. Francis Xavier and his companions were equally astonished to see that rosaries were universally familiar to the Buddhists of Japan. Among the monks of the Greek Church we hear of the kombologion, or komboschoinion, a cord with a hundred knots used to count genuflexions and signs of the cross. Similarly, beside the mummy of a Christian ascetic, of the fourth century, recently disinterred in Egypt, was found a sort of cribbage-board with holes, which has generally been thought to be an apparatus for counting prayers. A certain Paul the Hermit, in the fourth century, had imposed upon himself the task of repeating three hundred prayers, according to a set form, every day. To do this, he gathered up three hundred pebbles and threw one away as each prayer was finished. It is probable that other ascetics who also numbered their prayers by hundreds adopted some similar expedient.
Archeologists have unearthed beads made more than 40,000 years ago made of grooved pebbles, bones, and teeth. The ancient Egyptians, whose use of beads goes back to 3200 BCE, called them sha-sha (luck).
This timeless practice of chanting on beads, originating in Vedic tradition thousands of years ago, spread all over the world. Marco Polo, visiting the King of Malabar in the thirteenth century, found that monarch employed a rosary of 104 precious stones to count his prayers. St. Francis Xavier and his companions were equally astonished to see that rosaries were universally familiar to the Buddhists of Japan. Among the monks of the Greek Church we hear of the kombologion, or komboschoinion, a cord with a hundred knots used to count genuflexions and signs of the cross. Similarly, beside the mummy of a Christian ascetic, of the fourth century, recently disinterred in Egypt, was found a sort of cribbage-board with holes, which has generally been thought to be an apparatus for counting prayers. A certain Paul the Hermit, in the fourth century, had imposed upon himself the task of repeating three hundred prayers, according to a set form, every day. To do this, he gathered up three hundred pebbles and threw one away as each prayer was finished. It is probable that other ascetics who also numbered their prayers by hundreds adopted some similar expedient.
Archeologists have unearthed beads made more than 40,000 years ago made of grooved pebbles, bones, and teeth. The ancient Egyptians, whose use of beads goes back to 3200 BCE, called them sha-sha (luck).
Procedure for Praying on Japa Yoga Beads
Mantras are often repeated hundreds or even thousands of times. One mantra is usually said for every bead, turning the thumb clockwise around each bead, though some traditions or practices may call for counterclockwise or specific finger usage. When arriving at the head bead, one turns the beads around and then goes back in the same direction.
If more than 108 repetitions are to be done, then sometimes in Tibetan traditions grains of rice are counted out before the chanting begins and one grain is placed in a bowl for each 108 repetitions. Each time a full mala of repetitions has been completed, one grain of rice is removed from the bowl. Often, practitioners add extra counters to their malas, usually in strings of ten. These may be positioned differently depending on the tradition; for example some traditions place these strings after every 10th bead. This is an alternative way to keep track of large numbers, sometimes going into the hundreds of thousands, and even millions.
The 109th bead on a mala is called the sumeru, bindu, stupa, or guru bead. Counting should always begin with a bead next to the sumeru. In the Hindu, Vedic tradition, if more than one mala of repetitions is to be done, one changes directions when reaching the sumeru rather than crossing it. The sumeru thus becomes the static point on the mala.
Many believe that when one uses a mala many times in this way, it takes on the energy of the mantra that is being chanted. For this reason sometimes it is common to chant only one particular mantra with a particular mala.
There are numerous explanations why there are 108 beads, with the number 108 bearing special religious significance in a number of Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
If more than 108 repetitions are to be done, then sometimes in Tibetan traditions grains of rice are counted out before the chanting begins and one grain is placed in a bowl for each 108 repetitions. Each time a full mala of repetitions has been completed, one grain of rice is removed from the bowl. Often, practitioners add extra counters to their malas, usually in strings of ten. These may be positioned differently depending on the tradition; for example some traditions place these strings after every 10th bead. This is an alternative way to keep track of large numbers, sometimes going into the hundreds of thousands, and even millions.
The 109th bead on a mala is called the sumeru, bindu, stupa, or guru bead. Counting should always begin with a bead next to the sumeru. In the Hindu, Vedic tradition, if more than one mala of repetitions is to be done, one changes directions when reaching the sumeru rather than crossing it. The sumeru thus becomes the static point on the mala.
Many believe that when one uses a mala many times in this way, it takes on the energy of the mantra that is being chanted. For this reason sometimes it is common to chant only one particular mantra with a particular mala.
There are numerous explanations why there are 108 beads, with the number 108 bearing special religious significance in a number of Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
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To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level. |
Procedure In Hinduism
Hindu tradition holds that the correct way to use a mala is with the right hand, with the thumb flicking one bead to the next, and with the mala draped over the middle finger. The index finger represents false ego and propensity to criticize, the great impediments to self-realization, so it is considered best avoided when chanting on a mala.
Generally, the rosary or Mala used for Japa contains 108 beads. A man breathes 21, 600 times every day. If one does 200 Malas of Japa, it becomes 21,600; thereby, he does one Japa for every breath. If he does 200 Malas of Japa every day, that amounts to remembrance of God throughout the day.
In Vedic tradition, many followers chant 16 malas (ie.,16x108) of Maha-mantra (hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare/hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare) which has 16 names of God in it. Thereby it works out close to 27000 names, well above the 21,600 mark. Of course chanting that many mantras does not take the whole day, but just 1.5 to 2 hours. The Meru (the central bead in the Mala) denotes that you have done your Japa 108 times. This also denotes that every time you come to the Meru bead, you have gone one step further on the spiritual path and crossed over one obstacle. A portion of your ignorance is removed. A rosary or mala is a whip to goad us to do Japa meditation.
Generally, the rosary or Mala used for Japa contains 108 beads. A man breathes 21, 600 times every day. If one does 200 Malas of Japa, it becomes 21,600; thereby, he does one Japa for every breath. If he does 200 Malas of Japa every day, that amounts to remembrance of God throughout the day.
In Vedic tradition, many followers chant 16 malas (ie.,16x108) of Maha-mantra (hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare/hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare) which has 16 names of God in it. Thereby it works out close to 27000 names, well above the 21,600 mark. Of course chanting that many mantras does not take the whole day, but just 1.5 to 2 hours. The Meru (the central bead in the Mala) denotes that you have done your Japa 108 times. This also denotes that every time you come to the Meru bead, you have gone one step further on the spiritual path and crossed over one obstacle. A portion of your ignorance is removed. A rosary or mala is a whip to goad us to do Japa meditation.
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I envy them, those monks of old; Their books they read, and their beads they told. |
Uses for Prayer Beads
There are three widely accepted uses for prayer beads:
1.Repetition of the same devotion a set (usually large) number of times. This is the earliest form of prayer beads (the japa mala) and the earliest Christian form (the prayer rope). This is also the type in use by the Bahá’í Faith
2.Repetition of several different prayers in some pattern, possibly interspersed with or accompanied by meditations.
3. Meditation on a series of spiritual themes, e.g. Islam.
1.Repetition of the same devotion a set (usually large) number of times. This is the earliest form of prayer beads (the japa mala) and the earliest Christian form (the prayer rope). This is also the type in use by the Bahá’í Faith
2.Repetition of several different prayers in some pattern, possibly interspersed with or accompanied by meditations.
3. Meditation on a series of spiritual themes, e.g. Islam.
Chanting of Holy Names And Prayer Beads In Various Traditions
Baháí Faith
Baháís recite the phrase “Alláh-u-Abhá”, a form of the Greatest Name, 95 times per day, sometimes using prayer beads. Baha’i prayer beads often are made from wood, stone or pearls.
There are two main types of Baha’i prayer beads. One consists of 95 beads, often with the first 19 distinguished by size, color or some other means, and will often have five additional beads that are strung below. The other main type has 19 beads strung with the addition of five beads below. This counts Alláh-u-Abhá 95 times.
Buddhism
Prayer beads, or Japa Malas are also used in many forms of Mahayana Buddhism, often with a lesser number of beads (usually a divisor of 108). In Pure Land Buddhism, for instance, 27 bead rosaries are common. In China such rosaries are named “Shu-Zhu” (Counting Beads); in Japan, “Juzu”. These shorter rosaries are sometimes called ‘prostration rosaries’, because they are easier to hold when enumerating repeated prostrations. In Tibetan Buddhism, often larger malas are used of, for example, 111 beads: when counting, they calculate one mala as 100 mantras, and the 11 additional beads are taken as extra to compensate for errors.
Baháís recite the phrase “Alláh-u-Abhá”, a form of the Greatest Name, 95 times per day, sometimes using prayer beads. Baha’i prayer beads often are made from wood, stone or pearls.
There are two main types of Baha’i prayer beads. One consists of 95 beads, often with the first 19 distinguished by size, color or some other means, and will often have five additional beads that are strung below. The other main type has 19 beads strung with the addition of five beads below. This counts Alláh-u-Abhá 95 times.
Buddhism
Prayer beads, or Japa Malas are also used in many forms of Mahayana Buddhism, often with a lesser number of beads (usually a divisor of 108). In Pure Land Buddhism, for instance, 27 bead rosaries are common. In China such rosaries are named “Shu-Zhu” (Counting Beads); in Japan, “Juzu”. These shorter rosaries are sometimes called ‘prostration rosaries’, because they are easier to hold when enumerating repeated prostrations. In Tibetan Buddhism, often larger malas are used of, for example, 111 beads: when counting, they calculate one mala as 100 mantras, and the 11 additional beads are taken as extra to compensate for errors.
Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith,you will receive.
~ Matthew 21:12-22
Each school of Buddhism has their own style of Juzu. Some are small for the wrist and others are large. The beads may be made of crystal, Bodhi tree wood, bamboo, coral or any number of materials. The number of beads may vary but the most common denominator is one hundred and eight. One hundred and eight represents the one hundred and eight earthly desires.
On the Buddhist rosary, the three beads directly above the base bead represent the Three Refuges: Homage to the Buddha, Homage to the Dharma and Homage to the Sangha.
Christianity
The Desert Fathers (third to fifth century) used knotted ropes to count prayers, typically the Jesus Prayer (‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’). The invention is attributed to St. Anthony or his associate St Pachomius in the fourth century.
Roman Catholics and Anglicans use the Rosary as prayer beads. The Rosary (its name comes from the Latin ‘rosarium,’ meaning rose garden), is an important and traditional devotion of the Roman Catholic Church, combining prayer and meditation in sequences (called ‘decades’) of an ‘Our Father’, ten ‘Hail Marys’, and a ‘Glory Be to the Father’, as well as a number of other prayers (such as the Apostle’s Creed and the Hail Holy Queen) at the beginning and end. Traditionally a complete Rosary involved the completion of fifteen decades, but John Paul II added an additional five.
Roman Catholics also use prayer beads to pray chaplets. Eastern Christians use loops of knotted wool (or occasionally of beads), called chotki or komvoschinon to pray the Jesus Prayer. Although among the Orthodox, their use is mainly restricted to monks and bishops, being less common among laity or secular clergy. Among Russian Old Believers, a prayer rope made of leather, called lestovka, is more common, although this type is no longer commonly used now by the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “The rosary is conferred upon the Greek Orthodox monk as a part of his investiture with the full monastic habit, as the second step in the monastic life, and is called his ‘spiritual sword’.”
In the mid-1980s Anglican prayer beads or “Christian prayer beads” were developed in the Episcopal Church. They have since been adopted by some Protestants. The set consists of 33 beads (representing the 33 years of the life of Christ) arranged in four groupings of symbolic significance. Many Anglo-Catholics use the Catholic rosary in addition to or instead of Anglican prayer beads.
On the Buddhist rosary, the three beads directly above the base bead represent the Three Refuges: Homage to the Buddha, Homage to the Dharma and Homage to the Sangha.
Christianity
The Desert Fathers (third to fifth century) used knotted ropes to count prayers, typically the Jesus Prayer (‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner’). The invention is attributed to St. Anthony or his associate St Pachomius in the fourth century.
Roman Catholics and Anglicans use the Rosary as prayer beads. The Rosary (its name comes from the Latin ‘rosarium,’ meaning rose garden), is an important and traditional devotion of the Roman Catholic Church, combining prayer and meditation in sequences (called ‘decades’) of an ‘Our Father’, ten ‘Hail Marys’, and a ‘Glory Be to the Father’, as well as a number of other prayers (such as the Apostle’s Creed and the Hail Holy Queen) at the beginning and end. Traditionally a complete Rosary involved the completion of fifteen decades, but John Paul II added an additional five.
Roman Catholics also use prayer beads to pray chaplets. Eastern Christians use loops of knotted wool (or occasionally of beads), called chotki or komvoschinon to pray the Jesus Prayer. Although among the Orthodox, their use is mainly restricted to monks and bishops, being less common among laity or secular clergy. Among Russian Old Believers, a prayer rope made of leather, called lestovka, is more common, although this type is no longer commonly used now by the Russian Orthodox Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “The rosary is conferred upon the Greek Orthodox monk as a part of his investiture with the full monastic habit, as the second step in the monastic life, and is called his ‘spiritual sword’.”
In the mid-1980s Anglican prayer beads or “Christian prayer beads” were developed in the Episcopal Church. They have since been adopted by some Protestants. The set consists of 33 beads (representing the 33 years of the life of Christ) arranged in four groupings of symbolic significance. Many Anglo-Catholics use the Catholic rosary in addition to or instead of Anglican prayer beads.
When we pray to God we must be seeking nothing - nothing.
~Saint Francis of Assisi
Pearls of Life
The contemporary Pearls of Life, invented by Martin Lönnebo, Bishop Emeritus of the Linköping Diocese of the Swedish Lutheran Church, is a set of 18 beads, some round and some elongated, arranged in an irregular pattern. Each one has its own significance as a stimulus and reminder for meditation, although they can also be used for repetitive prayer.
The mantra that is used most commonly in the Christian tradition is Maranatha, which means in Aramaic “Our Lord come.”
Paternosters
In Monastic Houses, monks were expected to pray the Psalms daily in Latin, the liturgical language of the Roman Catholic Church. In some Houses, lay brothers who did not understand Latin or who were illiterate were required to say the Lord’s Prayer a certain number of times per day while meditating on the Mysteries of the Incarnation of Christ. Since there were 150 Psalms, this could number up to 150 times per day. To count these repetitions, they used beads strung upon a cord and this set of prayer beads became commonly known as a Paternoster, which is the Latin for ‘Our Father’. Lay people adopted this practice as a form of popular worship. The Paternoster could be of various lengths, but was often made up of 5 ‘decades’ of 10 beads, which when performed three times made up 150 prayers. Other Paternosters, most notably those used by lay persons, may have had only 10 beads, and may have also been highly ornamented. As the Rosary (ring of flowers) incorporating the Hail Mary prayer became more common, it was often still referred to as a Paternoster.
The contemporary Pearls of Life, invented by Martin Lönnebo, Bishop Emeritus of the Linköping Diocese of the Swedish Lutheran Church, is a set of 18 beads, some round and some elongated, arranged in an irregular pattern. Each one has its own significance as a stimulus and reminder for meditation, although they can also be used for repetitive prayer.
The mantra that is used most commonly in the Christian tradition is Maranatha, which means in Aramaic “Our Lord come.”
Paternosters
In Monastic Houses, monks were expected to pray the Psalms daily in Latin, the liturgical language of the Roman Catholic Church. In some Houses, lay brothers who did not understand Latin or who were illiterate were required to say the Lord’s Prayer a certain number of times per day while meditating on the Mysteries of the Incarnation of Christ. Since there were 150 Psalms, this could number up to 150 times per day. To count these repetitions, they used beads strung upon a cord and this set of prayer beads became commonly known as a Paternoster, which is the Latin for ‘Our Father’. Lay people adopted this practice as a form of popular worship. The Paternoster could be of various lengths, but was often made up of 5 ‘decades’ of 10 beads, which when performed three times made up 150 prayers. Other Paternosters, most notably those used by lay persons, may have had only 10 beads, and may have also been highly ornamented. As the Rosary (ring of flowers) incorporating the Hail Mary prayer became more common, it was often still referred to as a Paternoster.
Pray, and let God worry. -
~Martin Luther
Hinduism
The earliest use of prayer beads can be traced to Hinduism, where they are called japa mala. Japa is the repeating of the name of a deity or a mantra. Mala means ‘garland’ or ‘wreath.’
Japa malas are used for repetition of a mantra, for other forms of sadhana (spiritual exercise), and as an aid to meditation. The most common malas have 108 beads. The most common materials used for making the beads are Rudraksha seeds (used by Shaivites) and Tulasi stem (used by Vaishnavites).
Islam
In Islam, prayer beads are referred to as Misbaha or Tasbih or Subha, and contain 99 beads, corresponding to the 99 Names of Allah. Sometimes only 33 beads are used, in which case one would cycle through them 3 times to equal 99. Use of the misbaha to count prayers and recitations is an evolution of Muhammad’s practice of using the fingers of his right hand to keep track. While in pretty wide use today, some adherents of Wahhabism shun them as an intolerable innovation, preferring to stick to the exact method believed to have been used by the Prophet.
They are most commonly made of wooden beads, but also of olive seeds, ivory, pearls or plastic.
The beads in general use are said to be often made of the sacred clay of Mecca or Medina.
Some believe that evil spirits do not like dangling objects, making the tassel effective in warding off the evil eye. For those with 33 or 66 beads they may repeat the words of the call to prayer, ‘Allahu akbar (God is great) and ‘La Ilaha ila Allah wa Mohamadun rasul Allah’ (There is only one God and Mohammed is his prophet). Pilgrims travelling to Mecca for Haj often buy beads there as gifts for their families. Beads made from the clay of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina are particularly prized.
Sikhism
Sikhs use a prayer string made of wool with 99 knots rather than beads.
Judaism
Through prayer and contemplation, the Jewish mystical tradition envisions contemplative spiritual transformation. Kabbalah references a variety of meditative practices with the intent to connect with God in daily life and also to seek stillness within from time to time.
Jewish practices include meditation on portions of the Torah, visualization of the Hebrew letters ‘Ribbono shel Olam’ (Master of the Universe) chanting mantras from the Torah or Talmud, and contemplating the names of God.
Sufism
Sufism is the Islamic mystical tradition that teaches the concept of relinquishment of the ego and surrender to God in love. Repetition of the divine name, Allah, and meditation on verses from the Koran lead the practitioner to God consciousness and self discovery.
African Masai and Native American Yaqui
Almost all traditional societies use the beads in their various religious ceremonies. In Africa, extremely bright and colorful beads are used. Traditions in these societies have been handed down since time immemorial. This shows that beads have been integral part of human culture since earliest times.
The earliest use of prayer beads can be traced to Hinduism, where they are called japa mala. Japa is the repeating of the name of a deity or a mantra. Mala means ‘garland’ or ‘wreath.’
Japa malas are used for repetition of a mantra, for other forms of sadhana (spiritual exercise), and as an aid to meditation. The most common malas have 108 beads. The most common materials used for making the beads are Rudraksha seeds (used by Shaivites) and Tulasi stem (used by Vaishnavites).
Islam
In Islam, prayer beads are referred to as Misbaha or Tasbih or Subha, and contain 99 beads, corresponding to the 99 Names of Allah. Sometimes only 33 beads are used, in which case one would cycle through them 3 times to equal 99. Use of the misbaha to count prayers and recitations is an evolution of Muhammad’s practice of using the fingers of his right hand to keep track. While in pretty wide use today, some adherents of Wahhabism shun them as an intolerable innovation, preferring to stick to the exact method believed to have been used by the Prophet.
They are most commonly made of wooden beads, but also of olive seeds, ivory, pearls or plastic.
The beads in general use are said to be often made of the sacred clay of Mecca or Medina.
Some believe that evil spirits do not like dangling objects, making the tassel effective in warding off the evil eye. For those with 33 or 66 beads they may repeat the words of the call to prayer, ‘Allahu akbar (God is great) and ‘La Ilaha ila Allah wa Mohamadun rasul Allah’ (There is only one God and Mohammed is his prophet). Pilgrims travelling to Mecca for Haj often buy beads there as gifts for their families. Beads made from the clay of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina are particularly prized.
Sikhism
Sikhs use a prayer string made of wool with 99 knots rather than beads.
Judaism
Through prayer and contemplation, the Jewish mystical tradition envisions contemplative spiritual transformation. Kabbalah references a variety of meditative practices with the intent to connect with God in daily life and also to seek stillness within from time to time.
Jewish practices include meditation on portions of the Torah, visualization of the Hebrew letters ‘Ribbono shel Olam’ (Master of the Universe) chanting mantras from the Torah or Talmud, and contemplating the names of God.
Sufism
Sufism is the Islamic mystical tradition that teaches the concept of relinquishment of the ego and surrender to God in love. Repetition of the divine name, Allah, and meditation on verses from the Koran lead the practitioner to God consciousness and self discovery.
African Masai and Native American Yaqui
Almost all traditional societies use the beads in their various religious ceremonies. In Africa, extremely bright and colorful beads are used. Traditions in these societies have been handed down since time immemorial. This shows that beads have been integral part of human culture since earliest times.
Non-denominational
In his book, ‘Simply Pray’, Erik Walker Wikstrom offers a modern prayer practice that can be customized to meet individual spiritual needs. Using a set of 28 beads as a frame of reference, the practice includes centering and entering-in prayers, breath prayers and prayers of Naming, Knowing, Listening and Loving.
Beads are known as ‘Chotki’ in the Greek Orthodox tradition. Among the Japanese, especially elaborate systems of counting exist. One apparatus is described as capable of registering 36,736 prayers or repetitions.
Alexander Von Humboldt is also quoted as finding prayer beads, called Quipos, among the native Peruvians.
Smaller Ring-type Rosaries, Credit Card Sized Rosaries
These rosaries, especially the smaller ring-type, have since become known as soldiers’ rosaries, because they were often taken into battle by soldiers, most notably during WWI. These single-decade Rosary variations can be worn as a ring or carried easily and are still popular. A rosary ring is a ring worn around the finger with 10 indentations and a cross on the surface, representing one decade of a rosary. This is often worn as jewelry, and used through the day. Some ring Rosaries use a small bearing on the inside of the ring to permit easy turning. A finger Rosary is similar to a ring, but is a bit larger. Rosaries like these are used by rotating them on a finger while praying. Credit card-sized Rosaries have also appeared, especially among members of militaries, where holes or bumps represent the prayers and the persons praying move their fingers along the bumps to count prayers.
In his book, ‘Simply Pray’, Erik Walker Wikstrom offers a modern prayer practice that can be customized to meet individual spiritual needs. Using a set of 28 beads as a frame of reference, the practice includes centering and entering-in prayers, breath prayers and prayers of Naming, Knowing, Listening and Loving.
Beads are known as ‘Chotki’ in the Greek Orthodox tradition. Among the Japanese, especially elaborate systems of counting exist. One apparatus is described as capable of registering 36,736 prayers or repetitions.
Alexander Von Humboldt is also quoted as finding prayer beads, called Quipos, among the native Peruvians.
Smaller Ring-type Rosaries, Credit Card Sized Rosaries
These rosaries, especially the smaller ring-type, have since become known as soldiers’ rosaries, because they were often taken into battle by soldiers, most notably during WWI. These single-decade Rosary variations can be worn as a ring or carried easily and are still popular. A rosary ring is a ring worn around the finger with 10 indentations and a cross on the surface, representing one decade of a rosary. This is often worn as jewelry, and used through the day. Some ring Rosaries use a small bearing on the inside of the ring to permit easy turning. A finger Rosary is similar to a ring, but is a bit larger. Rosaries like these are used by rotating them on a finger while praying. Credit card-sized Rosaries have also appeared, especially among members of militaries, where holes or bumps represent the prayers and the persons praying move their fingers along the bumps to count prayers.
Physical and Psychological Benefits of Mantra Meditation
Apart from the spiritual significance, chanting of mantras using japa mala seems to have a calming effect on the heart. The chanting might be viewed as a health practice as well as a religious practice.
To investigate, the researchers measured the breathing rates of 23 adults while they prayed a mantra on beads. For comparison, the researchers also measured the study participants’ respiration during free talking, and during spontaneous and controlled slow breathing exercises.
When the participants breathed spontaneously, their respiratory rate was about 14 breaths per minute, which slowed down to almost 6 breaths per minute during chanting session.
A slow respiration rate of 6 breaths per minute has generally favorable effects on cardiovascular and respiratory function.This indicates that these methods could stabilize the respiratory rate, lower the heartbeats and calm down the mind.
During mantra meditation, the amount of adrenaline being released into the blood goes down. While meditating, our cortisol level drops and stays low for hours afterward. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone although there are several stress hormones, including adrenaline. But cortisol is one of the most important. It is present in our blood in small amounts all the time, but when we experience stress, our body produces quite a bit of it, and in high amounts, it has unhealthy and unpleasant effects. Getting it out of our blood stream, in contrast, has healthy and pleasant effects.
A high level of cortisol makes our body store extra fat in our abdomen and makes us crave fattening foods with extra intensity. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association reported that stress in general is a "primary predictor of relapse and overeating." And they concluded that meditation is an effective method for managing the kind of stress that causes weight gain.
Another ingredient of our bloodstream that changes during meditation is lactate. Lactate drops nearly four times as fast while meditating as it does when we just lie down and rest quietly. And the lactate stays lower afterwards. Lactate is a by-product of burning blood sugar, and when there is a lot of it in the blood stream, it tends to produce feelings of anxiety.
After meditating, our reaction to stressful events changes. Events that would normally make us feel stressed (or irritated) don't make us feel as stressed, and our feelings of stress don't last as long. In one study for example, the researchers showed a film to people. This was a gruesome film that normally makes people feel stressed and increases their heart rate.
The researchers measured meditators and nonmeditators. Here's what they found: the meditators' heart rates didn't climb as high and returned to normal faster than the nonmeditators. Some of the meditators in this study were new to meditation. They also experienced less stress than nonmeditators, showing that mantra meditation doesn't require a long time before it starts having an effect.
In another experiment, researchers blasted people with loud, annoying sounds. The meditators' bodies reacted with significantly less stress than the nonmeditators.
Think about this simple effect. If we meditate, the body will react less intensely to stressful events. Think about what would happen as this effect accumulates day after day. It could explain most of the health effects of meditation. Stress hormones can be destructive. In occasional doses, they aren't very harmful. In fact, in small amounts, they are necessary. But when your body produces a lot of stress hormones often, it is bad for your heart and bad for your immune system. And those are two things that lead to two diseases that kill the most people - heart disease and cancer. Here is a "medicine" for these two deadly diseases, but nobody has a patent on it.
We are each motivated by different things. Some might just chant to feel more calm. Others might look at it from a purely financial standpoint: Meditation is a good investment because health problems are expensive.
Mantra Meditation mellows our body and mind. Herbert Benson, one of the most prolific meditation researchers, wrote, “During meditation, the individual's mental patterns change so that he breaks free of what is called ‘worry cycles.’ These are unproductive grooves or circuits that cause the mind to play’ over and over again, almost involuntarily, the same anxieties or uncreative, health-impairing thoughts.”
It also increases your alertness. During mantra meditation, blood-flow to the brain increases while the body relaxes. Agininevasopressin (AVP - a harmone) increases four hundred percent during meditation. AVP is sometimes given in synthetic form to people to reverse the mental dullness of old age because it increases alertness.
Mantra meditation is relaxing and yet it increases alertness. It increases blood flow to the brain. It is unusual in that way. It is a unique state, unlike other states we are used to. In a sleeping state, you are relaxed but less alert. In a very alert waking state, you are less relaxed. But here is a state that produces alertness and deep relaxation at the same time.
Meditators also sleep better than non-meditators. Not getting enough quality sleep in itself is a source of excess stress hormones. And according to those who study the subject, a large percentage of us are chronically sleep-deprived.
Meditators are more effective in the world. It makes them more relaxed and less reactive to stressful events, so better at dealing with people, better at handling conflict. It also improves their health, and everyone knows that you are more effective in the world healthy than unhealthy.
The owner of a Detroit manufacturing company started a meditation experiment at his firm, and enrolled fifty-two out of his one hundred employees to meditate twenty minutes before work and twenty minutes at work on company time. The owner, R.W. Montgomery, says, "Over the next three years, absenteeism fell by 85%, productivity rose 120%, quality control rose 240%, injuries dropped 70%, sick days fell by 16%, and profit soared 320%."
To investigate, the researchers measured the breathing rates of 23 adults while they prayed a mantra on beads. For comparison, the researchers also measured the study participants’ respiration during free talking, and during spontaneous and controlled slow breathing exercises.
When the participants breathed spontaneously, their respiratory rate was about 14 breaths per minute, which slowed down to almost 6 breaths per minute during chanting session.
A slow respiration rate of 6 breaths per minute has generally favorable effects on cardiovascular and respiratory function.This indicates that these methods could stabilize the respiratory rate, lower the heartbeats and calm down the mind.
During mantra meditation, the amount of adrenaline being released into the blood goes down. While meditating, our cortisol level drops and stays low for hours afterward. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone although there are several stress hormones, including adrenaline. But cortisol is one of the most important. It is present in our blood in small amounts all the time, but when we experience stress, our body produces quite a bit of it, and in high amounts, it has unhealthy and unpleasant effects. Getting it out of our blood stream, in contrast, has healthy and pleasant effects.
A high level of cortisol makes our body store extra fat in our abdomen and makes us crave fattening foods with extra intensity. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association reported that stress in general is a "primary predictor of relapse and overeating." And they concluded that meditation is an effective method for managing the kind of stress that causes weight gain.
Another ingredient of our bloodstream that changes during meditation is lactate. Lactate drops nearly four times as fast while meditating as it does when we just lie down and rest quietly. And the lactate stays lower afterwards. Lactate is a by-product of burning blood sugar, and when there is a lot of it in the blood stream, it tends to produce feelings of anxiety.
After meditating, our reaction to stressful events changes. Events that would normally make us feel stressed (or irritated) don't make us feel as stressed, and our feelings of stress don't last as long. In one study for example, the researchers showed a film to people. This was a gruesome film that normally makes people feel stressed and increases their heart rate.
The researchers measured meditators and nonmeditators. Here's what they found: the meditators' heart rates didn't climb as high and returned to normal faster than the nonmeditators. Some of the meditators in this study were new to meditation. They also experienced less stress than nonmeditators, showing that mantra meditation doesn't require a long time before it starts having an effect.
In another experiment, researchers blasted people with loud, annoying sounds. The meditators' bodies reacted with significantly less stress than the nonmeditators.
Think about this simple effect. If we meditate, the body will react less intensely to stressful events. Think about what would happen as this effect accumulates day after day. It could explain most of the health effects of meditation. Stress hormones can be destructive. In occasional doses, they aren't very harmful. In fact, in small amounts, they are necessary. But when your body produces a lot of stress hormones often, it is bad for your heart and bad for your immune system. And those are two things that lead to two diseases that kill the most people - heart disease and cancer. Here is a "medicine" for these two deadly diseases, but nobody has a patent on it.
We are each motivated by different things. Some might just chant to feel more calm. Others might look at it from a purely financial standpoint: Meditation is a good investment because health problems are expensive.
Mantra Meditation mellows our body and mind. Herbert Benson, one of the most prolific meditation researchers, wrote, “During meditation, the individual's mental patterns change so that he breaks free of what is called ‘worry cycles.’ These are unproductive grooves or circuits that cause the mind to play’ over and over again, almost involuntarily, the same anxieties or uncreative, health-impairing thoughts.”
It also increases your alertness. During mantra meditation, blood-flow to the brain increases while the body relaxes. Agininevasopressin (AVP - a harmone) increases four hundred percent during meditation. AVP is sometimes given in synthetic form to people to reverse the mental dullness of old age because it increases alertness.
Mantra meditation is relaxing and yet it increases alertness. It increases blood flow to the brain. It is unusual in that way. It is a unique state, unlike other states we are used to. In a sleeping state, you are relaxed but less alert. In a very alert waking state, you are less relaxed. But here is a state that produces alertness and deep relaxation at the same time.
Meditators also sleep better than non-meditators. Not getting enough quality sleep in itself is a source of excess stress hormones. And according to those who study the subject, a large percentage of us are chronically sleep-deprived.
Meditators are more effective in the world. It makes them more relaxed and less reactive to stressful events, so better at dealing with people, better at handling conflict. It also improves their health, and everyone knows that you are more effective in the world healthy than unhealthy.
The owner of a Detroit manufacturing company started a meditation experiment at his firm, and enrolled fifty-two out of his one hundred employees to meditate twenty minutes before work and twenty minutes at work on company time. The owner, R.W. Montgomery, says, "Over the next three years, absenteeism fell by 85%, productivity rose 120%, quality control rose 240%, injuries dropped 70%, sick days fell by 16%, and profit soared 320%."
What Happens During Mantra Meditation
In many of the studies on meditation, researchers have one group meditate for twenty minutes while another group simply sits quietly for same amount of time. The physical effects are dramatically different. Sitting quietly hardly changes a thing. Meditating causes all kinds of changes in the body.
During mantra meditation, we rest our mind on a single mantra. Sitting quietly, on the other hand, allows our thoughts to roam. David Barlow, the director of the Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders at the State University of New York , says, "If we were somehow able to build a thought recorder, what we would record would be just about every kind of thought imaginable…but for the most part, fleeting."
What happens, according to the researcher, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is that the thoughts bounce around randomly until something catches our attention, and what often catches the attention is something that bothers you. The mind stops roaming and sticks on the disturbing thought. That's one reason why it can be so unrelaxing to just sit quietly.
During mantra meditation, we rest our mind on a single mantra. Sitting quietly, on the other hand, allows our thoughts to roam. David Barlow, the director of the Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders at the State University of New York , says, "If we were somehow able to build a thought recorder, what we would record would be just about every kind of thought imaginable…but for the most part, fleeting."
What happens, according to the researcher, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is that the thoughts bounce around randomly until something catches our attention, and what often catches the attention is something that bothers you. The mind stops roaming and sticks on the disturbing thought. That's one reason why it can be so unrelaxing to just sit quietly.
Holy Name - Connecting With The Guiding Spirit In Life
Chanting the Holy Name brings self-awareness and the realization that nothing in life is permanent and so attachment to
anything is futile. The ultimate aim is to connect with the Supreme Reality and cultivate compassion and loving kindness to bring about the cessation of one’s own suffering and to extend inner peace and love to others.
Chanting of the Holy Name awakens the mind to a more spiritual plane. Such contemplation and recitation is like a ladder that leads to God’s presence. But also, at the same time, Holy Name is non-different from God because God is the absolute reality and there is no difference between Him and His name, form, abode, pastimes and paraphernalia.
anything is futile. The ultimate aim is to connect with the Supreme Reality and cultivate compassion and loving kindness to bring about the cessation of one’s own suffering and to extend inner peace and love to others.
Chanting of the Holy Name awakens the mind to a more spiritual plane. Such contemplation and recitation is like a ladder that leads to God’s presence. But also, at the same time, Holy Name is non-different from God because God is the absolute reality and there is no difference between Him and His name, form, abode, pastimes and paraphernalia.
In Holy Name - Unification of All Faiths, Unification of Mankind
Reverence for Holy Name of God is the common thread running through all religions of the world. Holy Name provides a common ground for unification of all faiths, unification of mankind.
God has an unlimited variety of names. Some of them—like Jehovah, Krishna, Adonai, Buddha and Allah—are familiar to us, while the names like Rama or Narsimha may be less so. However, whatever name of God we may accept, we are enjoined by all scriptures to chant it for spiritual purification.
The special design of the Hare Krishna chant makes it easy to repeat and pleasant to hear. Spoken or sung, by yourself or in a group, Hare Krishna invariably produces a joyful state of spiritual awareness—Krishna consciousness.
Chinese religions
One name of God in China is ‘Shangdi’ (literally King Above). He was a supreme deity worshipped in ancient China. It is also used to refer to the Christian god in the Standard Mandarin Union Version of the Bible.
Another name is ‘Shen’ (lit. God, spirit, or deity). It was adopted by Protestant missionaries in China to refer to the Christian god. Another name is Zhu or Tian Zhu (lit. Lord or Lord in Heaven). It is translated from the English word, "Lord".
Vedic Tradition or Hinduism
Krishna is venerated as the Supreme God, svayam bhagavan and His shakti, or manifestations thereof is called Radha. Krishna is considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Impersonally God is addressed as Brahman, Bhagavan, Ishvara, and Paramatma but personal names of God are Krishna, Rama, Visnu etc.
Chief of all mantras in called Mahamantra or the Great Chant: hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare / hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.
World's oldest scriptures, the Vedas state, "Chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of the Lord. In this age of quarrel there is no other way, no other way, no other way to attain spiritual enlightenment." (Brhan-naradiya Purana)
Vishnu is seen as Para Brahman within Vaishnava traditions, and the Vishnu Sahasranama enumerates 1000 names of Vishnu, each name eulogizing one of His countless great attributes. The names of Vishnu's Dasavatara in particular are considered divine names.
Sikhism
There are multiple names for God in Sikhism. Some of the popular names for God in Sikhism are:
‘Ek Omkar’ meaning One Creator.
‘Satnam’ meaning True Name, some are of the opinion that this is a name for God in itself.
‘Bhagat Vachhal’ means Lover of His devotees. ‘Hari’ meaning Glowing, Shining, Vitalising, the Lord who takes away all our miseries. ‘Govinda’ means the Lord who gives pleasure to the senses and cows. ‘Bhagavan’ refers to the Lord or the Supreme Being.
God according to Guru Nanak has endless number of virtues; takes on innumerable forms; and can be called by an infinite number of names, thus "Your Names are so many, and Your Forms are endless. No one can tell how many Glorious Virtues You have."
Jainism
There are no direct names of God in Jainism, as this religion is nontheistic. Gods do not figure into its philosophy. However, Mahavir and other 'prophets' or 'perfected beings' are known as Tirthankar (literally one who becomes enlightened). Most common mantra chanted is : Namo Arihantânam Namo Siddhânam Namo Âyariyânam Namo Uvajjhâyanam.
Buddhism
Lord Buddha declared, "All who sincerely call upon my name will come to me after death, and I will take them to Paradise." (Vows of Amida Buddha 18)
Theravada Buddhism is nontheistic. Gods do not figure into its philosophy. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Adi-Buddha is conceived of as the eternal aspects of Buddha-nature, such as wisdom and compassion. The most popular mantra is ‘om mani padme hum’.
In Jodo Shinshu, the largest sect of Buddhism in Japan, calling upon the name of Amida Buddha is considered to open the believer to the infinite.
Religions in Classical Antiquity
Pharaonic Egypt
‘Aten’ is the earliest name of a supreme being associated with monotheistic thought, being the solar divinity which Akhenaten had declared the only god of the state cult, as part of his wholesale absolutist reforms. This threatened the position of the various temple priesthoods, which had the old polytheism restored immediately after his death.
Roman Religion
Latin prominently used an abstract word for god, ‘Deus’ (hence deity and, from its adjective divinus, divinity). The epithet Deus Optimus Maximus, means "Best and Greatest God", was later adopted in Christianity.
Semitic Religions
Judaism
In the Hebrew scriptures (i.e. the Law Torah, plus the Prophets and the Holy Writings) name of God is considered sacred and, out of deep respect for the name, Jews do not say it. (Exodus 20:7). The most important and most often written name of God in Judaism is the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter name of God, “YHWH or Yahweh”. Modern Christians have adopted pronunciations such as "Yahweh", "Yahveh" and "Jehovah".
Christianity
Saint Paul said, "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10.13). King David preached, "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised" (Psalms 113.3). Holy Bible says, “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.”
Yahweh is a common vocalization of God's personal name based on the Hebrew tetragrammaton. Also some other names for God used by Christians are Father, Lord, Heavenly Father, or the Holy Trinity.
'Jehovah', an English rendering of the tetragrammaton, the four Hebrew letters used by Bible writers to represent the personal name of the supreme deity, is found in Tyndale's Bible, in the King James Bible, and in many other translations from that time period onward.
Jesus (Iesus, Yeshua, Joshua, or Yehoshûa) is a Hebraic personal name meaning "Yahweh saves/helps/is salvation". Christ means "the anointed" in Greek. Khristos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah.
Another term used is 'King of Kings' or 'Lord of Lords' and Lord of the Hosts. Other names used by Christians include Father/ Abba, 'Most High' and the Hebrew names Elohim, El-Shaddai, and Adonai. "Abba/Father" is the most common term used for the creator within Christianity, because it was the name Jesus Christ himself used to refer to God.
Islam
Muhammed counseled, "Glorify the name of your Lord, the most high" (Koran 87.2). Allah is the most frequently used name of God in Islam. It is an Arabic word meaning "the god", and was used in polytheistic pre-Islamic Arabia to refer to the supreme God above all of the "other gods" and idols; a concept similar to that found in many polytheistic societies. The word Allah is a linguistic cognate of the Hebrew word Eloah and a translation of the English word "God".
A well established Islamic tradition enumerates 99 names of God, each representing certain attributes or descriptions of God; in which God is seen as being the source and maximum extent of each name's meaning. The names Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem are the most frequently mentioned in the Qur'an, both meaning the "Most Merciful", but with different emphasis' of meaning, either of which are also often translated as the "Most Compassionate" or the "Most Beneficent".
Besides these Arabic names, Muslims of non-Arab origins may also sometimes use other names of their own languages which refer to God, such ‘Khoda’ in Persian language which has the same Indo-European root as god.
Bahá'í Faith
Bahais refer to God using the local word for God in whatever language it is being spoken. Bahais often, in prayers, refer to God by titles and attributes, such as the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Merciful, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous, the All-Wise, the Incomparable, the Gracious, the Helper, the All-Glorious, the Omniscient. Since the languages in which the Bahá'í Faith was first authored were Arabic and Persian, the term Allah and other names are used in some specific contexts, even by non-Arabic speakers.
Other Traditions
Xwedê is the term used for God in the Yazidi religion and in Kurdish.
Abraxas is a god uniting the dualistic concepts in Gnosticism.
Cao Dai is the name of God in Caodaism.
Japanese Religions
Tenri-o-no-Mikoto is the principal name of God in Tenrikyo sect. Tenri-o-no-Mikoto is also called Tsukihi, Oyagami, and Kami.
Tenchi-Kane-no-Kami is the name of God in Konkokyo sect.
Mioya-Ookami is the name of God in the PL Kyodan sect.
Zoroastrianism
Ahura Mazda "Lord of Light" or "Lord Wisdom" is the name of the supreme benevolent god in Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrians today may refer to Ahura-Mazda as 'Ormazd,' a short form of the original term.
God has an unlimited variety of names. Some of them—like Jehovah, Krishna, Adonai, Buddha and Allah—are familiar to us, while the names like Rama or Narsimha may be less so. However, whatever name of God we may accept, we are enjoined by all scriptures to chant it for spiritual purification.
The special design of the Hare Krishna chant makes it easy to repeat and pleasant to hear. Spoken or sung, by yourself or in a group, Hare Krishna invariably produces a joyful state of spiritual awareness—Krishna consciousness.
Chinese religions
One name of God in China is ‘Shangdi’ (literally King Above). He was a supreme deity worshipped in ancient China. It is also used to refer to the Christian god in the Standard Mandarin Union Version of the Bible.
Another name is ‘Shen’ (lit. God, spirit, or deity). It was adopted by Protestant missionaries in China to refer to the Christian god. Another name is Zhu or Tian Zhu (lit. Lord or Lord in Heaven). It is translated from the English word, "Lord".
Vedic Tradition or Hinduism
Krishna is venerated as the Supreme God, svayam bhagavan and His shakti, or manifestations thereof is called Radha. Krishna is considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Impersonally God is addressed as Brahman, Bhagavan, Ishvara, and Paramatma but personal names of God are Krishna, Rama, Visnu etc.
Chief of all mantras in called Mahamantra or the Great Chant: hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare / hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.
World's oldest scriptures, the Vedas state, "Chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of the Lord. In this age of quarrel there is no other way, no other way, no other way to attain spiritual enlightenment." (Brhan-naradiya Purana)
Vishnu is seen as Para Brahman within Vaishnava traditions, and the Vishnu Sahasranama enumerates 1000 names of Vishnu, each name eulogizing one of His countless great attributes. The names of Vishnu's Dasavatara in particular are considered divine names.
Sikhism
There are multiple names for God in Sikhism. Some of the popular names for God in Sikhism are:
‘Ek Omkar’ meaning One Creator.
‘Satnam’ meaning True Name, some are of the opinion that this is a name for God in itself.
‘Bhagat Vachhal’ means Lover of His devotees. ‘Hari’ meaning Glowing, Shining, Vitalising, the Lord who takes away all our miseries. ‘Govinda’ means the Lord who gives pleasure to the senses and cows. ‘Bhagavan’ refers to the Lord or the Supreme Being.
God according to Guru Nanak has endless number of virtues; takes on innumerable forms; and can be called by an infinite number of names, thus "Your Names are so many, and Your Forms are endless. No one can tell how many Glorious Virtues You have."
Jainism
There are no direct names of God in Jainism, as this religion is nontheistic. Gods do not figure into its philosophy. However, Mahavir and other 'prophets' or 'perfected beings' are known as Tirthankar (literally one who becomes enlightened). Most common mantra chanted is : Namo Arihantânam Namo Siddhânam Namo Âyariyânam Namo Uvajjhâyanam.
Buddhism
Lord Buddha declared, "All who sincerely call upon my name will come to me after death, and I will take them to Paradise." (Vows of Amida Buddha 18)
Theravada Buddhism is nontheistic. Gods do not figure into its philosophy. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Adi-Buddha is conceived of as the eternal aspects of Buddha-nature, such as wisdom and compassion. The most popular mantra is ‘om mani padme hum’.
In Jodo Shinshu, the largest sect of Buddhism in Japan, calling upon the name of Amida Buddha is considered to open the believer to the infinite.
Religions in Classical Antiquity
Pharaonic Egypt
‘Aten’ is the earliest name of a supreme being associated with monotheistic thought, being the solar divinity which Akhenaten had declared the only god of the state cult, as part of his wholesale absolutist reforms. This threatened the position of the various temple priesthoods, which had the old polytheism restored immediately after his death.
Roman Religion
Latin prominently used an abstract word for god, ‘Deus’ (hence deity and, from its adjective divinus, divinity). The epithet Deus Optimus Maximus, means "Best and Greatest God", was later adopted in Christianity.
Semitic Religions
Judaism
In the Hebrew scriptures (i.e. the Law Torah, plus the Prophets and the Holy Writings) name of God is considered sacred and, out of deep respect for the name, Jews do not say it. (Exodus 20:7). The most important and most often written name of God in Judaism is the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter name of God, “YHWH or Yahweh”. Modern Christians have adopted pronunciations such as "Yahweh", "Yahveh" and "Jehovah".
Christianity
Saint Paul said, "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10.13). King David preached, "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised" (Psalms 113.3). Holy Bible says, “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.”
Yahweh is a common vocalization of God's personal name based on the Hebrew tetragrammaton. Also some other names for God used by Christians are Father, Lord, Heavenly Father, or the Holy Trinity.
'Jehovah', an English rendering of the tetragrammaton, the four Hebrew letters used by Bible writers to represent the personal name of the supreme deity, is found in Tyndale's Bible, in the King James Bible, and in many other translations from that time period onward.
Jesus (Iesus, Yeshua, Joshua, or Yehoshûa) is a Hebraic personal name meaning "Yahweh saves/helps/is salvation". Christ means "the anointed" in Greek. Khristos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah.
Another term used is 'King of Kings' or 'Lord of Lords' and Lord of the Hosts. Other names used by Christians include Father/ Abba, 'Most High' and the Hebrew names Elohim, El-Shaddai, and Adonai. "Abba/Father" is the most common term used for the creator within Christianity, because it was the name Jesus Christ himself used to refer to God.
Islam
Muhammed counseled, "Glorify the name of your Lord, the most high" (Koran 87.2). Allah is the most frequently used name of God in Islam. It is an Arabic word meaning "the god", and was used in polytheistic pre-Islamic Arabia to refer to the supreme God above all of the "other gods" and idols; a concept similar to that found in many polytheistic societies. The word Allah is a linguistic cognate of the Hebrew word Eloah and a translation of the English word "God".
A well established Islamic tradition enumerates 99 names of God, each representing certain attributes or descriptions of God; in which God is seen as being the source and maximum extent of each name's meaning. The names Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem are the most frequently mentioned in the Qur'an, both meaning the "Most Merciful", but with different emphasis' of meaning, either of which are also often translated as the "Most Compassionate" or the "Most Beneficent".
Besides these Arabic names, Muslims of non-Arab origins may also sometimes use other names of their own languages which refer to God, such ‘Khoda’ in Persian language which has the same Indo-European root as god.
Bahá'í Faith
Bahais refer to God using the local word for God in whatever language it is being spoken. Bahais often, in prayers, refer to God by titles and attributes, such as the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Merciful, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous, the All-Wise, the Incomparable, the Gracious, the Helper, the All-Glorious, the Omniscient. Since the languages in which the Bahá'í Faith was first authored were Arabic and Persian, the term Allah and other names are used in some specific contexts, even by non-Arabic speakers.
Other Traditions
Xwedê is the term used for God in the Yazidi religion and in Kurdish.
Abraxas is a god uniting the dualistic concepts in Gnosticism.
Cao Dai is the name of God in Caodaism.
Japanese Religions
Tenri-o-no-Mikoto is the principal name of God in Tenrikyo sect. Tenri-o-no-Mikoto is also called Tsukihi, Oyagami, and Kami.
Tenchi-Kane-no-Kami is the name of God in Konkokyo sect.
Mioya-Ookami is the name of God in the PL Kyodan sect.
Zoroastrianism
Ahura Mazda "Lord of Light" or "Lord Wisdom" is the name of the supreme benevolent god in Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrians today may refer to Ahura-Mazda as 'Ormazd,' a short form of the original term.
Awe And Reverence For The Holy Name
All world religions consider the Holy Name of God to be worthy of utmost awe and reverence.
It is common to regard the written name of one's God as deserving of respect; it ought not, for instance, be stepped upon or dirtied, or made common slang in such a way as to show disrespect.
Vedic Tradition
In vedic system, Holy Name of God is supposed to be chanted always irrespective of what one is doing. There are no hard and fast rules for chanting the Holy Name of God. Just like a medicine taken accidentally also benefits a patient, similarly the Holy Name chanted casually or inattentively also benefits the chanter. Kirtaniya sada hari - lord Hari should always be glorified. Many hindus take bath before chanting on beads or entering a temple. Holy scriptures containing the Names of God or prayer rosaries are never thrown away but disposed of respectfully in a holy water body or under a holy tree.
Also it is considered to be auspicious to name people after God’s Names.
Judaism
Most observant Jews forbid discarding holy objects, including any document with a name of God written on it. Once written, the name must be preserved indefinitely. This leads to several noteworthy practices:
Commonplace materials are written with an intentionally abbreviated form of the name. For instance, a Jewish letter-writer may substitute "G-d" for the name God. Thus, the letter may be discarded along with ordinary trash.
Copies of the Torah are, like most scriptures, heavily used during worship services, and will eventually become worn out. Since they may not be disposed of in any way, including by burning, they are removed, traditionally to the synagogue attic. There they remain until they are buried.
All religious texts that include the name of God are buried.
Islam
In Islam, the name (or any names) of God is generally treated with the utmost respect. It is referred to in many verses of the Qur'an that the real believers respect the name of God very deeply. (e.g. 33/35, 57/16, 59/21, 7/180, 17/107, 17/109, 2/45, 21/90, 23/2 ) On the other hand the condition is openly stressed by prohibiting people from unnecessary swearing using the name of Allah. (e.g. 24/53, 68/, 63/2, 58/14, 58/16, 2/224) Thus the mention of the name of God is expected to be done so reverently.
Christianity
In Christianity, God's name may not "be used in vain" (Ten Commandments), which is commonly interpreted to mean that it is wrong to curse while making reference to God. Also in relation to oath taking, the command is to hold true to those commands made 'in God's name'. ( Jesus also makes it clear that a Christian should hold true to all their words - cf Matthew 5:37)
Christians capitalize all references to God in writing, including pronouns. (eg.,"The Lord, He is God, Holy is His Name.")
More pious swearers try to substitute the blasphemy against holy names with minced oaths like Jeez! instead of Jesus! or Judas Priest! instead of Jesus Christ!.
Traditionally, when a copy of the Bible is worn out, the book is burned, not simply thrown away.
It is common to regard the written name of one's God as deserving of respect; it ought not, for instance, be stepped upon or dirtied, or made common slang in such a way as to show disrespect.
Vedic Tradition
In vedic system, Holy Name of God is supposed to be chanted always irrespective of what one is doing. There are no hard and fast rules for chanting the Holy Name of God. Just like a medicine taken accidentally also benefits a patient, similarly the Holy Name chanted casually or inattentively also benefits the chanter. Kirtaniya sada hari - lord Hari should always be glorified. Many hindus take bath before chanting on beads or entering a temple. Holy scriptures containing the Names of God or prayer rosaries are never thrown away but disposed of respectfully in a holy water body or under a holy tree.
Also it is considered to be auspicious to name people after God’s Names.
Judaism
Most observant Jews forbid discarding holy objects, including any document with a name of God written on it. Once written, the name must be preserved indefinitely. This leads to several noteworthy practices:
Commonplace materials are written with an intentionally abbreviated form of the name. For instance, a Jewish letter-writer may substitute "G-d" for the name God. Thus, the letter may be discarded along with ordinary trash.
Copies of the Torah are, like most scriptures, heavily used during worship services, and will eventually become worn out. Since they may not be disposed of in any way, including by burning, they are removed, traditionally to the synagogue attic. There they remain until they are buried.
All religious texts that include the name of God are buried.
Islam
In Islam, the name (or any names) of God is generally treated with the utmost respect. It is referred to in many verses of the Qur'an that the real believers respect the name of God very deeply. (e.g. 33/35, 57/16, 59/21, 7/180, 17/107, 17/109, 2/45, 21/90, 23/2 ) On the other hand the condition is openly stressed by prohibiting people from unnecessary swearing using the name of Allah. (e.g. 24/53, 68/, 63/2, 58/14, 58/16, 2/224) Thus the mention of the name of God is expected to be done so reverently.
Christianity
In Christianity, God's name may not "be used in vain" (Ten Commandments), which is commonly interpreted to mean that it is wrong to curse while making reference to God. Also in relation to oath taking, the command is to hold true to those commands made 'in God's name'. ( Jesus also makes it clear that a Christian should hold true to all their words - cf Matthew 5:37)
Christians capitalize all references to God in writing, including pronouns. (eg.,"The Lord, He is God, Holy is His Name.")
More pious swearers try to substitute the blasphemy against holy names with minced oaths like Jeez! instead of Jesus! or Judas Priest! instead of Jesus Christ!.
Traditionally, when a copy of the Bible is worn out, the book is burned, not simply thrown away.
Mahamantra - The Great Chant
By Srila Prabhupada
This transcendental vibration of chanting of “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna , Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” is the sublime method of reviving our Krsna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere.
In this polluted concept of life, we are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. This illusion is called maya -- our hard struggle for existence for winning over the stringent laws of material nature.
This illusory struggle against material nature can at once be stopped by the revival of our Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. It is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived, and therefore the process of chanting Hare Krsna is recommended by authorities for this age.
By practical experience, also, we can perceive that by chanting this mahamantra, or "the great chanting for deliverance," one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum. When one is actually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind, and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane.
This chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna , Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower stages of consciousness, namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen it practically -- even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it.
The chanting should be heard, however, from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that the immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects.
The word Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Krsna and Rama are forms of directly addressing the Lord, and they mean "the highest pleasure." Hara is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.
The material energy, known as maya, is also one of the multipotencies of the Lord. The living entities are described as an energy that is superior to matter. When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the marginal potency is in contact with the supreme spiritual potency, Hara, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.
The three words -- namely Hare, Krsna, and Rama -- are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra, and the chanting is the spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned souls. The chanting is exactly like genuine crying by the child for his mother. Mother Hara helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father Hari, or Krsna, and the Lord reveals Himself to such sincere devotees.
Therefore no other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age as chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna , Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
(HDG. A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)
This transcendental vibration of chanting of “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna , Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” is the sublime method of reviving our Krsna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere.
In this polluted concept of life, we are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. This illusion is called maya -- our hard struggle for existence for winning over the stringent laws of material nature.
This illusory struggle against material nature can at once be stopped by the revival of our Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. It is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived, and therefore the process of chanting Hare Krsna is recommended by authorities for this age.
By practical experience, also, we can perceive that by chanting this mahamantra, or "the great chanting for deliverance," one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum. When one is actually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind, and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane.
This chanting of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna , Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower stages of consciousness, namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen it practically -- even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it.
The chanting should be heard, however, from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that the immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided. Milk touched by the lips of a serpent has poisonous effects.
The word Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Krsna and Rama are forms of directly addressing the Lord, and they mean "the highest pleasure." Hara is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.
The material energy, known as maya, is also one of the multipotencies of the Lord. The living entities are described as an energy that is superior to matter. When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the marginal potency is in contact with the supreme spiritual potency, Hara, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.
The three words -- namely Hare, Krsna, and Rama -- are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra, and the chanting is the spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned souls. The chanting is exactly like genuine crying by the child for his mother. Mother Hara helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father Hari, or Krsna, and the Lord reveals Himself to such sincere devotees.
Therefore no other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age as chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna , Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
(HDG. A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)
Why Chant Hare Krishna or The Holy Name
Chanting Hare Krishna awakens love of God and brings liberation as a side benefit along the way. When we chant Hare Krishna, we automatically develop knowledge and detachment. It gets us out of the endless cycle of birth and death and it is the most effective means of self-realization in the present Age of Quarrel. Nothing else works nearly as well.
Also chanting of Hare Krishna cleanses the heart of all illusions and misunderstandings and we become free from all anxieties. It brings us to self-realization—and shows us how to act as a self-realized soul. It keeps us ever mindful of God, the reservoir of pleasure. The beauty of chanting is that there are no hard and fast rules and you can chant anywhere, any time, under any circumstances.
God and His Holy Name are non-different. Therefore God Himself is fully present in the transcendental sound of His name. And the more we chant, the more we realize Him. All other prayers and mantras are included in the chanting of the Holy Name. So just by chanting the Holy Name, we get the benefit of all the prayers and mantras.
Chanting purifies not only us but every living entity around us. Therefore whoever hears the chanting gets spiritual benefit. A person thus chanting develops all good qualities. One can chant Hare Krishna softly for personal meditation or loudly with family or friends. Both ways it works. Great souls in the past chanted the Holy Names of God, therefore we should do also. Holy Name is free. It never costs us any money. Chanting Hare Krishna brings the highest states of ecstasy. There are no previous qualifications needed for chanting. Young or old, educated or fool, rich or poor, anyone can chant—from any race, any religion, or any country of the world.
Even if we don’t understand the language of the mantra, it works anyway just as a medicine works whether we understand the composition or not. Chanting the Holy Name brings relief from all miseries. Chanting is easy. When the best way is also the easiest, why make life hard for yourself?
Chanting invokes spiritual peace—for you and for those around you. When we chant, God Himself becomes pleased. When you chant, God dances on your tongue.
By chanting, we return to the Kingdom of God, the eternal abode of full happiness and knowledge. Chanting Hare Krishna frees us from the reactions of all past karma. Chanting Krishna’s name even once, purely and sincerely, can free you from the reactions of more karma than we could possibly incur. Moreover chanting Hare Krishna counteracts the sinful atmosphere of Kali-yuga, the present Age of Hypocrisy and Quarrel.
By chanting Hare Krishna we can relish at every step the full nectar that’s the real thirst of the soul. The more we chant Hare Krishna, the better it gets. To conclude, If we look through all the Vedic scriptures, you’ll find nothing higher than the chanting of Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Also chanting of Hare Krishna cleanses the heart of all illusions and misunderstandings and we become free from all anxieties. It brings us to self-realization—and shows us how to act as a self-realized soul. It keeps us ever mindful of God, the reservoir of pleasure. The beauty of chanting is that there are no hard and fast rules and you can chant anywhere, any time, under any circumstances.
God and His Holy Name are non-different. Therefore God Himself is fully present in the transcendental sound of His name. And the more we chant, the more we realize Him. All other prayers and mantras are included in the chanting of the Holy Name. So just by chanting the Holy Name, we get the benefit of all the prayers and mantras.
Chanting purifies not only us but every living entity around us. Therefore whoever hears the chanting gets spiritual benefit. A person thus chanting develops all good qualities. One can chant Hare Krishna softly for personal meditation or loudly with family or friends. Both ways it works. Great souls in the past chanted the Holy Names of God, therefore we should do also. Holy Name is free. It never costs us any money. Chanting Hare Krishna brings the highest states of ecstasy. There are no previous qualifications needed for chanting. Young or old, educated or fool, rich or poor, anyone can chant—from any race, any religion, or any country of the world.
Even if we don’t understand the language of the mantra, it works anyway just as a medicine works whether we understand the composition or not. Chanting the Holy Name brings relief from all miseries. Chanting is easy. When the best way is also the easiest, why make life hard for yourself?
Chanting invokes spiritual peace—for you and for those around you. When we chant, God Himself becomes pleased. When you chant, God dances on your tongue.
By chanting, we return to the Kingdom of God, the eternal abode of full happiness and knowledge. Chanting Hare Krishna frees us from the reactions of all past karma. Chanting Krishna’s name even once, purely and sincerely, can free you from the reactions of more karma than we could possibly incur. Moreover chanting Hare Krishna counteracts the sinful atmosphere of Kali-yuga, the present Age of Hypocrisy and Quarrel.
By chanting Hare Krishna we can relish at every step the full nectar that’s the real thirst of the soul. The more we chant Hare Krishna, the better it gets. To conclude, If we look through all the Vedic scriptures, you’ll find nothing higher than the chanting of Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
How to Chant
There are no hard-and-fast rules for chanting Hare Krsna. The most wonderful thing about mantra meditation is that one may chant anywhere-at home, at work, driving in the car, or riding on the bus or subway. And one may chant at any time.
There are two basic types of chanting. Personal meditation, where one chants alone on beads, is called japa. When one chants in responsive fashion with others, this is called kirtana. Kirtana is usually accompanied by musical instruments and clapping. Both forms of chanting are recommended and beneficial.
To perform the first type of meditation, one needs only a set of japa beads. To meditate with the beads, hold them in your right hand. Hold the first bead with your thumb and middle finger and chant the complete maha-mantra-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Then go to the next bead, holding it with the same two fingers, again chanting the entire mantra. Then go on to the next bead and then the next, continuing in this way until you have chanted on all 108 beads and have come to the Krsna bead. You have now completed "one round" of chanting. Do not chant on the Krsna bead, but turn the beads around and chant on them in the opposite direction, one after another. Chanting on beads is especially helpful, for it engages the sense of touch in the meditative process and helps you concentrate even more on the sound of the mantra.
Holy Name can be chanted indoors, but you can chant just as comfortably walking along the beach or hiking in the mountains. Just bring your beads along with you. If you chant sitting down, you should assume a comfortable position (preferably not Iying down or slouching, for there's always the tendency to fall asleep). You can chant as loudly or as softly as you like, but it's important to pronounce the mantra clearly and loudly enough to hear yourself. The mind may have a tendency to wander off to other matters when you chant, for the mind is flickering and unsteady, always looking for something new and pleasurable to absorb itself in. If your mind wanders (to anything except Krsna and things related to Him), gently bring it back to the transcendental sound vibration. It won't be difficult, because the mind is easily satisfied when absorbed in the divine sound of the Lord's holy names (unlike other meditational practices, where one may be asked to fix his mind on "nothing" or "the void").
One may chant japa at any time, but the Vedic literatures note that certain hours of the day are most auspicious for performing spiritual activities. The early morning hours just before and after sunrise are generally a time of stillness and quietude, excellently suited to contemplative chanting. Many people find it especially helpful to set aside a certain amount of time at the same time each day for chanting. Start with one or two "rounds" a day, and gradually increase the number until you reach sixteen, the recommended minimum for serious chanters.
While japa is a form of meditation involving you, your beads, and the Supreme Lord, kirtana, on the other hand, is a form of group meditation, where one sings the mantra, sometimes accompanied by musical instruments. We may have seen a kirtana party chanting on the streets of your city, for the Hare Krishna devotees frequently perform this type of chanting to demonstrate the process and allow as many people as possible to benefit from hearing the holy names.
One may hold a kirtana at home with family or friends, with one person leading the chanting and the others responding. Kirtana is more of a supercharged meditational process, where in addition to hearing oneself chant, one also benefits by hearing the chanting of others. Musical instruments are nice, but not necessary. One may sing the mantra to any melody and clap his hands. Children can sing along as well and make spiritual advancement. You can get the whole family together every evening for chanting.
In order to realize the full efficacy of the Holy Name, following mantra (called Pancha-tattva mantra or mantra to invoke God in five features) can be chanted audibly once before beginning each round: jaya sri krishna chaitanya prabhu nityananda / sri advaita gadadhara srivas adi gaura bhakta vrinda.
The sounds of the material world are boring, hackneyed and monotonous, but chanting is an ever-increasingly refreshing experience. Make a test yourself. Try chanting some word or phrase for even five minutes. If you chant "Coca-Cola" over and over again, even for a few minutes, it becomes practically unbearable. There's no pleasure in it. But the sound of Krsna's names is transcendental, and as one chants he wants to chant more and more.
There are two basic types of chanting. Personal meditation, where one chants alone on beads, is called japa. When one chants in responsive fashion with others, this is called kirtana. Kirtana is usually accompanied by musical instruments and clapping. Both forms of chanting are recommended and beneficial.
To perform the first type of meditation, one needs only a set of japa beads. To meditate with the beads, hold them in your right hand. Hold the first bead with your thumb and middle finger and chant the complete maha-mantra-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Then go to the next bead, holding it with the same two fingers, again chanting the entire mantra. Then go on to the next bead and then the next, continuing in this way until you have chanted on all 108 beads and have come to the Krsna bead. You have now completed "one round" of chanting. Do not chant on the Krsna bead, but turn the beads around and chant on them in the opposite direction, one after another. Chanting on beads is especially helpful, for it engages the sense of touch in the meditative process and helps you concentrate even more on the sound of the mantra.
Holy Name can be chanted indoors, but you can chant just as comfortably walking along the beach or hiking in the mountains. Just bring your beads along with you. If you chant sitting down, you should assume a comfortable position (preferably not Iying down or slouching, for there's always the tendency to fall asleep). You can chant as loudly or as softly as you like, but it's important to pronounce the mantra clearly and loudly enough to hear yourself. The mind may have a tendency to wander off to other matters when you chant, for the mind is flickering and unsteady, always looking for something new and pleasurable to absorb itself in. If your mind wanders (to anything except Krsna and things related to Him), gently bring it back to the transcendental sound vibration. It won't be difficult, because the mind is easily satisfied when absorbed in the divine sound of the Lord's holy names (unlike other meditational practices, where one may be asked to fix his mind on "nothing" or "the void").
One may chant japa at any time, but the Vedic literatures note that certain hours of the day are most auspicious for performing spiritual activities. The early morning hours just before and after sunrise are generally a time of stillness and quietude, excellently suited to contemplative chanting. Many people find it especially helpful to set aside a certain amount of time at the same time each day for chanting. Start with one or two "rounds" a day, and gradually increase the number until you reach sixteen, the recommended minimum for serious chanters.
While japa is a form of meditation involving you, your beads, and the Supreme Lord, kirtana, on the other hand, is a form of group meditation, where one sings the mantra, sometimes accompanied by musical instruments. We may have seen a kirtana party chanting on the streets of your city, for the Hare Krishna devotees frequently perform this type of chanting to demonstrate the process and allow as many people as possible to benefit from hearing the holy names.
One may hold a kirtana at home with family or friends, with one person leading the chanting and the others responding. Kirtana is more of a supercharged meditational process, where in addition to hearing oneself chant, one also benefits by hearing the chanting of others. Musical instruments are nice, but not necessary. One may sing the mantra to any melody and clap his hands. Children can sing along as well and make spiritual advancement. You can get the whole family together every evening for chanting.
In order to realize the full efficacy of the Holy Name, following mantra (called Pancha-tattva mantra or mantra to invoke God in five features) can be chanted audibly once before beginning each round: jaya sri krishna chaitanya prabhu nityananda / sri advaita gadadhara srivas adi gaura bhakta vrinda.
The sounds of the material world are boring, hackneyed and monotonous, but chanting is an ever-increasingly refreshing experience. Make a test yourself. Try chanting some word or phrase for even five minutes. If you chant "Coca-Cola" over and over again, even for a few minutes, it becomes practically unbearable. There's no pleasure in it. But the sound of Krsna's names is transcendental, and as one chants he wants to chant more and more.
Mantra & Environment
Mantra Meditation - Addressing The Root Cause of World Crisis
Much of environmental policy to date has not really been designed to 'solve' problems but rather lo hide, dilute or delay emissions or to dispose of them further away. When highly toxic materials are thrown into the sea in 'safe' containers, this is just a way of delaying by a couple of decades their free release. Similarly in its 1974 Guidelines for Action To Reduce Emissions of Sulphur Oxides recommended ‘the confinement of high polluting fuels to large installations equipped with tall chimneys”. Such policies may have been undertaken in the belief that substances can be diluted into concentrations that are harmless. Today we know that this is not true. Some substances have no safe threshold level, others may be reconcentrated in the food chains or by other natural processes.
The most cynical way of 'solving' waste disposal problems is the dumping of hazardous wastes in countries where such disposal is cheaper or where control is, for various reasons, less rigorous.
Different types of policy instrument, taxes, subsidies, regulations, information, emission standards or marketable emission permits etc. are all external measures which try to deal with the issue while leaving the cause intact.
Adoption of policies like famous "polluters pay principle' which explicitly states that the use (or degradation) of environmental resources should be reflected in the final price of the product concerned, thereby, in the ideal case, informing the consumer of the cost to the environment and reducing demand when appropriate. In practice, however, the effective use of price mechanisms for environmental purposes is rare.
When policies were introduced to reduce emissions of Sulphur in one country so that companies had to convert to low-sulphur oil, then instead of leading to an increase in the desulphurization of oil we simply caused its relocation since high sulphur oil became relatively cheaper and was burnt somewhere else.
Thus we an see that the whole hype of environmentalism is just going about in circles unless we opt for a fundamental change, change in consciousness, change in the way we think, feel and will.
And that is made possible by chanting. Chanting is a source of nonmaterial satisfaction. When we chant, our insatiable urge to consume is sated and we are satisfied with a simpler life. A simpler life is easier on natural resources and a less polluting one at the same time.
Therefore let us ‘Chant for Change.’
The most cynical way of 'solving' waste disposal problems is the dumping of hazardous wastes in countries where such disposal is cheaper or where control is, for various reasons, less rigorous.
Different types of policy instrument, taxes, subsidies, regulations, information, emission standards or marketable emission permits etc. are all external measures which try to deal with the issue while leaving the cause intact.
Adoption of policies like famous "polluters pay principle' which explicitly states that the use (or degradation) of environmental resources should be reflected in the final price of the product concerned, thereby, in the ideal case, informing the consumer of the cost to the environment and reducing demand when appropriate. In practice, however, the effective use of price mechanisms for environmental purposes is rare.
When policies were introduced to reduce emissions of Sulphur in one country so that companies had to convert to low-sulphur oil, then instead of leading to an increase in the desulphurization of oil we simply caused its relocation since high sulphur oil became relatively cheaper and was burnt somewhere else.
Thus we an see that the whole hype of environmentalism is just going about in circles unless we opt for a fundamental change, change in consciousness, change in the way we think, feel and will.
And that is made possible by chanting. Chanting is a source of nonmaterial satisfaction. When we chant, our insatiable urge to consume is sated and we are satisfied with a simpler life. A simpler life is easier on natural resources and a less polluting one at the same time.
Therefore let us ‘Chant for Change.’
