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Please accept my humble obesiances.

I use a clicker and my beads about equally. In the mornings, I chant eight rounds on my beads before leaving for work. I work in a nursing home as a nurse— not always the cleanest environment. I bring my beads with me, in my beadbag, and use them if I have uninterrupted time (never), and I keep my beadbag with me, but for when I'm out on the floor or going through the building, I have my clicker in my hand. Everyone knows me, and they know what I'm doing. It isn't a matter of wanting to hide, because they all know I'm chanting whether they see my clicker or my beadbag.

I also use my clicker a lot when I drive. The drive to New Goloka is over two hours, and I have a stick shift, so to try and shift gears with my hand in a beadbag is not the brightest thing anyone could do. Having the clicker makes it easy to chant and still be safe.

I have tried doing rounds in busy situations on my beads. I even have a marker I use to keep my place on the mala. But I have found that I can concentrate better and pay more attention to the Holy Name if I don't have to worry about things like losing my place or dropping my beads accidently. So for me I think that's the point; using what is best to increase our concentration on Krsna.

Isn't this sort of hairsplitting? I have seen all kinds of japa malas being sold; neem, lotus seed, rudraksha, besides tulsi. When I first started to chant I chanted on neem beads I purchased. Now I have a very tiny set of tulasi beads that I truly love. Some people like big beads. Other people like small beads. Mine are children-size. Does it matter, or is the important thing that we're chanting and remembering Krsna?

I beg forgiveness for any offenses that my thoughts may have caused.

Your servant
Bh Christi
Wilmington

© CHAKRA 23 January 2002