The Holy Name is the Most Valuable Possession I Have
Without the holy name I would practically have no spiritual life, no real happiness, no intimacy with Krishna, no peace of mind, and no ability to control my senses. My entire relationship with Krishna, the most important relationship in my life, is revealed through His holy name. Without the holy name I would be lost, miserable, spiritually weak and destitute. Yet sometimes I treat this most valuable relationship as a botheration, something that gets in the way of me doing “more important” things or “more desirable” things. What helps me in these times is to remember that I get to chant, that I want to chant, that I love to chant (deep down inside). To think I have to chant reinforces the idea that chanting Krishna’s lovely names is something I’d rather not be doing.
Japa can be a creative time. Often when I chant I get all kinds of ideas. Also the many things I have to do in the day – and even creative ways of doing them – keep popping up in my mind (or should I say keep pooping in my mind). Don’t dwell on these. If they come up, either neglect them (those good ideas will most likely come up later) or stop chanting and write them down so you don’t have to think about them while you chant.
