Morning Rounds: Opening Up the World of Bhakti Through Japa Meditation
In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.
Like a doctor making rounds to support healing, Morning Rounds is about tending to the soul. Through the chanting of the Holy Names, we gradually quiet the mind, soften the pull of the ego, and reconnect with our deeper spiritual nature.
Drawn from our weekly japa meditation gatherings at Upbuild, these reflections offer a few minutes of inspiration to support your meditation and begin your day with greater clarity, humility, and joy.
In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna describes japa, the chanting of the Holy Names, as the highest form of sacrifice. This timeless practice has the power to transform our consciousness through the simple act of returning, again and again, to the sound of the Holy Names.
Whether you are new to chanting or have an established practice, these reflections are an invitation to deepen your relationship with the maha-mantra:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Through consistent practice and the support of community, we begin to experience a deepening sense of joy and connection that arises simply from hearing and chanting these sacred names.
Morning Rounds: Opening Up the World of Bhakti Through Japa Meditation
3 - Sanga 2: The Effect of Devotees on Our Personal Practice
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Hari explores the significance of chanting in the company of devotees, emphasizing how this practice can uplift one’s spiritual connection. Referencing teachings from Ramanujacharya and insights from Sacinandana Swami, the conversation highlights that the assembly of devotees creates a strong gravitational pull toward Krishna. The discussion culminates in a recognition of the profound impacts of sharing space and intention with others during one’s personal sadhana.
Quotes
- "If you want inspiration, then go into the assembly of devotees." (paraphrasing of Ramanujacarya)
- "In the assembly of devotees, everyone is focused on Krishna."
- "That's where the strongest gravitational pull for God is when devotees come together to chant the Holy Names."
- "It's hard for Krishna to ignore the affection with which we call His name."
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Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.
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In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Krishna.
SPEAKER_01Welcome to Morning Rounds. These are short 5 to 15 minute episodes from our weekly Jeppa meditation program with the Upbuild community, offering guidance and inspiration for your chanting practice. Rooted in years of monastic training, the study and teaching of the Phagavad Gita, coaching, and our own spiritual practices, these teachings are meant to support you in the most important journey there is the journey from the ego to the true self. You can also join us for the live version of this program by visiting upbuild.com forward slash morning-rounds. So when we think about chanting in Sangha as we spoke about last week, there's an expression that comes from a very great Acharya named Ramanuja Acharya, who sometimes will reference. And uh Sachinandan Swami had also referenced him in his On the Brink of Death series this year. So Ramanuja Acharya would say, he was a perfectly self-realized soul, and he would say, if you want inspiration, then go into the assembly of devotees. If you need an upliftment, if you're feeling any reservations, if you're feeling any um stress or difficulty connecting with Krishna, with your sadhana, your practices, go into the assembly of devotees. That is the answer. And the reason is because in the assembly of devotees, everyone is focused on Krishna. It's a place that is meant to attract Krishna. And he's so drawn. Actually, Krishna says, I am not in the hearts of the yogis. Now he is in the hearts of the yogis, but he says, I'm not. He says, I am not in the temple, but he is in the temple. He says, I am where my devotees come together to chant my holy names. Because that's where his heart is. That's where there's the strongest gravitational pull for God, is when devotees come together to chant the holy names. And so in the assembly of devotees, why would you get inspiration, as Ramanujacharya says, and as Sachinandan Maharaj also likes to quote? Because everyone is there bent on attracting Krishna. And how? Through the most attractive process for him, which is calling his name. It's like, how often does somebody call your name with affection, with a desire for your presence, and you can just ignore it callously? This is the beauty of chanting in Sangha. It's hard for Krishna to ignore. So we come together for our morning rounds to use that gravitational pull on Krishna's heart to bring his presence by our collective intention and our individual relationships with him through his holy names. So that is what we're here for. And that's an important meditation. Go into the assembly of devotees. Go into the assembly of devotees. There you'll find inspiration. There you will find Krishna. And my own experiences, you know, when we were Brahmacharis, I shared last week. It's so powerful to be in this association, in this Sangha. And you know, Rasanath and I would often chant together. Vippin was sharing about an experience that we had chanting together that was very touching for me to hear. And uh I remember it very well. It was also quite inspiring for me. When I'm chanting with Radha Bhakti, I notice my consciousness is different than when I'm chanting by myself because we have this collective intention. The consciousness is being uplifted. And uh and what to speak of when I'm with Sachinandanaswami, someone who um he has such a realized relationship with the holy name that is beyond what I can imagine, we experience something very different. Once he had actually asked me, um, no, he didn't ask me. He told me, you're chanting so nicely. And this was in a car, mind you. It's not a good place to chant, but sometimes we have to chant in the car if we have a vow and we have an intention. Um, and so I was chanting in the car and he said, You're chanting so nicely. And I was shocked. But I recognized there was some truth to what he was saying. And my response was uh a more important truth. That's because I'm in your presence and I'm being carried by your faith. So your relationship with the holy name is rubbing off on me, and that's what we want together. We want our relationships with the holy names to increase and to help increase each other's relationship. So, with that inspiration, let us chant together in this Sangha. Thank you so much for listening to Morning Rounds. Upbuild is a leadership and spiritual development organization that offers courses, workshops, coaching, and other services to help you on the path toward being your best self. Free from the shackles of the ego. Please join us for the live version of this program by visiting upbuild.com forward slash morning dash rounds.