Holy Mother on Japa

Sri Sarada Devi, Wife of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa

By Swami Nikhilananda

Holy mother gave a high place to Japa and meditation in the practice of daily
devotions. Japa purifies the mind, creates inner calmness, and leads to meditation.
Meditation is a difficult discipline, especially for beginners. The Mother used to say
that it is more arduous to concentrate the mind on the Chosen Ideal than to dig the
earth with a spade. Without acquiring mental purity one cannot properly meditate.
Japa should be combined with meditation. There is a saying that as the plant is
hidden in the tiny seed, so also is the Lord hidden in His name.
The Mother used to say: “When a pure soul performs Japa, he feels as if the holy
name bubbles up spontaneously from within himself. He does not have to make an
effort to repeat the name.”

A few of her statements regarding the efficacy of Japa and meditation are given
below:

“As wind removes a cloud, so does the name of God disperse the cloud of
worldliness.”

“The mind will be steadied of itself if aspirants repeat God’s name fifteen or twenty
thousand times a day. I myself have experienced it. Let them first practise; if they
fail, then let them complain. One should practise Japa with devotion, but this they do
not do. They will not do anything; they only complain, saying, ‘Why don’t I
succeed?’”

“No doubt you must do your duties. This keeps your mind in good condition. But it is
also necessary to practise Japa, meditation, and prayer. One must practise these at
least in the morning and evening. Such practice acts like the rudder of a boat. When
a man sits in the evening for prayer, he can reflect on the good and bad things he
has done in the course of the day. Then he should compare his present mental state
with that of the previous day. Next, while performing Japa, he should meditate on his
Chosen Ideal. In meditation he should firstly think of the face of the Ideal, and then
meditate on the entire body from the feet upward. Unless you practise meditation
morning and evening, along with your work, how can you know whether you are
doing the right thing or the wrong?”

“The natural tendency of the mind is to run this way or that. Through Japa it is
directed to God. While repeating God’s name, if one sees His form and becomes
absorbed in it, then the Japa stops.”

Devotee: “Why is it that the mind does not become steady? When I try to think of
God I find it drawn to worldly objects.”
Mother: “It is wrong if the mind is drawn to worldly objects. By ‘worldly objects’ I
mean money, family, and so on. But it is natural for the mind to think of the work in
which one is engaged. If meditation is not possible, repeat God’s name. If a
meditative mood comes, well and good; but by no means force your mind to
meditate. Real meditation is spontaneous.”

The Holy Mother taught that regularity should be observed in the practice of Japa
and meditation. It is true that there are certain auspicious moments when the mind
becomes easily collected. But no one can say when the auspicious moment will
come. It comes so suddenly that one has no hint of it beforehand. Therefore one
should be regular about spiritual practice, no matter how busy one may be with
one’s duties.