Recorded at the Vedanta Society of Western Washington on February 16, 2014.
In this talk, Swami Bhaskarananda continues his discussion of spiritual practice by explaining japa, the repetition of the holy name of God, as a practical discipline for concentrating and refining the mind. He begins by observing the human longing to go beyond limitation—of life, power, knowledge, and joy—and relates this to our true nature as infinite, beyond name and form. Using traditional illustrations such as waves and the ocean, and the mind compared to ice, water, and vapor, he describes how spiritual practice gradually makes the mind subtle and focused enough to glimpse what lies beyond time and space and to recognize divinity as the underlying reality of all experience.
Swami Bhaskarananda presents japa as a time-honored method of mental training that builds one-pointedness and transforms character through repeated sacred thought. He outlines several forms of practice, including chanting aloud, whispering, and silent repetition, and explains why silent japa is especially effective for cultivating concentration. He also discusses the role of mantra received from a qualified teacher and lineage, the deepening of practice into effortless repetition, and how steady japa naturally matures into meditation and, ultimately, the direct experience of the divine.
