Japa and Meditation - Swami Yatiswarananda

• Even the out-and-out Advaita Vedantins go on repeating their ‘OM’ or ‘Soham’. In all schools, and especially in the Bhakti School, great stress is laid on Japam. Japam is one of the most effective practices for all beginners, although one comes to realize its effectiveness and value only much later.


• Faith is most essential before taking up Japam. It does not matter if it, to some extent at least, becomes mechanical. The beginner finds his centre of consciousness is continually shifting, going up, coming down etc. This is a most difficult situation for all aspirants.


• In the beginner there are mostly two states of mind:— one awfully restless, the other mind falling down to the subliminal plane. Both are to be avoided if you want to make real progress.


• You must never allow yourselves to get into a drowsy state during your attempts at meditation or your Japam. This is most dangerous. Sleep, drowsiness and meditation should never be connected in any way. If you feel very drowsy, just get up and pace the room while you are doing your Japam, till this drowsiness leaves you.


• When the mind is awfully restless and outgoing, we should doggedly persist in our Japam even do it mechanically, without giving in to this restlessness. In that way, part of the mind is always engaged in Japam. Thus the whole mind cannot become or remain restless.
  When the mind is awfully restless and outgoing, we should doggedly persist in our Japam even do it mechanically, without giving in to this restlessness. In that way, part of the mind is always engaged in Japam. Thus the whole mind cannot become or remain restless.
  Sri Ramakrishna used to say, “Japam is like a chain. From one link we pass on to the next, and finally we pass on to God.”