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Japa Beads versus Clicker
As yet no one has answered some of my concerns
by Ananta Sesa Naga das

In several postings by Senior Prabhupada devotees some of my concerns re inattentive chanting have been answered and I agree with them. What about the following points?

How will people know when they have completed their second and third and fourth rounds, etc? His Divine Grace instructed us that each round consists of 108 Maha mantras. Each round was to be preceded by certain mantras Namah Om... Sri Krsna ... Namaste... etc. It concerns me that, In my chanting (and not being math-minded), do I just chant and chant with a view to chanting Maha mantra 1728 times, thus completing my 16 rounds, or should I continually check to see that I have chanted multiples of 108 and then chant the prescribed mantras that should precede each round?

One can chant anywhere without using beads. In the very early days we did not have clickers. We just chanted. Chanting rounds is different from general chanting. My rounds are prescribed. General chanting when I am working, travelling etc can be done without the use of japa. The purpose of the latter is to concentrate on Krsna whilst in a mundane position.

If I was to start chanting at 4.30 in the morning and during the day used a clicker to calculate the number of times I had said Maha mantra, at the end of the day I would have to divide the number 108 into the number that is on the clicker to calculate my rounds.

Using a clicker to me is chanting for the sake of chanting. I may be wrong.

It is not my intention to criticise anyone who uses a clicker. If I have, I ask you to accept my apologies. I may be misunderstanding the whole issue. If I am, can someone please explain my concerns to me.

Your servant by His grace,
Ananta Sesa Naga das

© CHAKRA 10 February 2002