Chanting Japa

Chanting Japa


Contributed by Aditi -External Source:

“Japat siddih” as say our scriptures in Sanskrit, means the
ultimate success of your existence on earth is through japa.
The hidden treasures of ultimate happiness and content
comes through the japa or the chanting of the divine name.
The Name of the ultimate soul or god is the unbeatable power.
No swords , no words and no power can defeat you once you
excel the ability of japa or chanting the divine name.The blend
of each soul with the universal soul is the only fact of the entire
truth we see. All the rest has the temporary nature. What is
permanent is the universal soul which awaits the individual souls
to blend in itself once it has reached the limit of realization.
This realization is the realization of God which creeps in only
once you have attained soul purification. The name of the
divine power has intense power. Regular repetition of the
divine name brings you close to the abandonment of the
materialistic worldly things that deviate you from the final
goal of self improvement.

The chanting of the japa can have diverse forms. The mind
and heart decide what should be the nature of chanting.
The oral or narrative japa is the one where the chants are
audible. The vibrations that leave your lips strike the ear
and leaves a lasting impression on all your senses. The
second path to japa is the one where the mind speaks.
The chants are repeated mentally with no audible voice.
This is much more effective way of chanting. The vibrations
that emerge through the mind remains intact within the body
and touched all the organs to cause the realization of power
and unbeatable strength that exists within oneself to move
towards “moksha”.

“om” ..or the universe..the power..the creator and the
destroyer..is the blessing that god showered on his own
creation. “ om “ chant is considered to be the end of all
negativity. It produces such intense vibrations that not
only produce its effect on the body but it Is absorbed
by the universe. The “om” chant brings you close to the
self realization. It is supposed to cultivate the seed of
spirituality within the heart and soul to reach out for God.
While some have preached to chant amidst the lonely lands
so that the realization achieved is manifold .the lonely lands
make the mind realize that the materialistic aspects of worldly
goods are temporary and so mind yearns for the permanent
nature of existence. Speaking of the “om” , it is a blend of
“ aa ouu ummn”. While one repeats the holy word the vibrations
travel from head to bottom of the body. “aa” starts the vibrations
at the head , “ouu” extends to the heart with the final vibes
reaching the lower body with the “um”. It is said that the
very symbol of “om” itself defines the cycles of birth and death
with the bond between the two reached by abandonment of the
infinite worldly greed. If there are images in this attachment,
they will not be displayed.


The views and inclination towards the chant or “japa” varies
with views of people. Some intellectual brains have preached
that this is a scientific phenomenon and hence it can do good
to you only if repetitions of the divine name is done not randomly
but for specific number of times. It’s not very unanimous as this
differs from the people who hold this view that the “japa” is the
reflection of god. Just as god can be remembered any time, so is
the japa. Its gives a sense of extreme flow if energy and stability
to mind. The general Hindu culture flows the beads of the
“rudrakha”to carry out the chant or the japa. As a very
common saying with each bead of “japa” as you move ahead
you come closer to the realization of the Almighty.

The “japa” has its relevance in all religions whether its Hinduism,
Buddhism or Christianity. History reveals that the recitation of the
“angelus” was preached by the followers of Christianity as it is
believed to end up all negative influence on your lives. The mantra
chanting is another aspect of the “japa”. The divine name has
intense power. Yet the mantras have been devised to with
a complete understanding of the vibrations created with the
recitation. These vibrations cause the soul and mind to relax.
Numerous mantras and the mahavakyas have been gifted to
us by the scriptures so that they help us attain salvation.
The “mahavakyas” as the name implies are the special
statements which when repeated again and again bring
you near to god and his existence.The special introduction
of the “soham” chant is a blessing that showers all its powers
to concentrate your mind and soul to the reality. The focused
power can create intense energy to push off all the deviations
and obstacles that keep you from the ultimate realization.
Literal meaning “it is me” , signifies that continuous “japa”
of the soham mantra brings in the consciousness and
recognition of one’s own self. It causes awareness within
the mind proving that you are a part of the universe. You are
the one who is impermanent and real. Rest all is just transitory.
you are the root rest is a blooming flower which is sure to dry
out soon. Realize the root with the “soham “ chant.
The vibrations of the “soooo” and the “hmmmn” have been
directed to the inhalation and the exhalation of the breath.

The mahamritunjay mantra is the very origin of the Lord shiva.
This mantra is based on the realization of the life cycle. The
almighty is the only power so yearn for it. This chant has deep
roots into the existence of the universe and the regular chant
of this “japa” can bring you close to the eternity. The power
of the “japa “ is infinite. Whatever be the cause or the form
the result is the same.
”ohm gan ganpataye namoh namah” is directed to lord ganesha.
You lift up each obstacle that would cause you impending doom
with the chant.Realize yourself. Realize god. Realize the universe
and the fact that physical form is temporary. Blend with the
universe with the power of ”japa”.