1.

I happily and enthusiastically welcome the Holy Name every japa session

Create a positive mood to welcome the Holy Name, the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, into your
heart, just the way you would welcome a special guest into your home. This can be achieved
by reading scriptures, offering prayers, or meditating on what you wish to achieve before
chanting the Maha-mantra on the japa beads. In this way, by getting in the right state of mind,
chanting becomes an exciting opportunity to connect with the Lord rather than as a chore.

2. I easily chant my prescribed number of rounds with focus and attention

Whether you are chanting one round, or sixteen rounds or more of the Maha-mantra, start
chanting with a natural inclination to focus your attention on the Holy name. In other words,
before chanting, believe that you will be able to focus on the Holy Name. The mind has many
thoughts and wavers here and there, but catch your mind and bring it back to the Holy Name.
When you consider chanting of the Holy Name to be very important for your spiritual life,
then it will be easier to chant with focus and attention. 

3. When I chant, I chant

Create a quiet sacred space where you can chant the Maha-mantra without interruptions or
distractions. When you chant, do not do anything else, just chant. Put your internal world on
hold also and focus solely on yourself and Krishna. 

4. I get to chant, I want to chant, and I love to chant

Remind yourself that you appreciate chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and that you
view chanting as a special blessing instead of as a difficult task. It is a special opportunity to
get a human birth and to be able to awaken love for Krishna through chanting. Ask yourself
how you would feel if you were prevented from being able to chant the Holy Name. Deep
down in our hearts, we appreciate the powerful effects of chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-
mantra. 

5. I treat the Maha-mantra as Radha and Krishna, fully present in sound

Treat the Holy Name, the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, as Radha and Krishna deities in the
form of sound. When you chant the Maha-mantra, it is the same as taking darshan of the
deities. In this way, bow down to the Holy Name as you would to the deities, as Krishna is
fully present in the Holy Name.

6. I receive and feel Krishna’s presence, mercy and love in His Holy Name

Allow mercy, love and blessings to come to you naturally through the Holy Name, rather
than seeking to force nectar out of the Holy Name. In other words, do not struggle to create
mercy and love while chanting but instead, allow yourself to bathe in and appreciate the
mercy and love that already exists within the Holy Name.

7. I chant in full awareness that the Holy Name is my greatest treasure

Give your heart to the Holy Name. Although Krishna has everything, He does not have your
heart and He hankers for it. Krishna wants to have a relationship with you and chanting of the
Hare Krishna Maha-mantra will revive your relationship with Him. Therefore, chanting the
Holy Name is the greatest jewel in the Lord’s treasury as He gets what He desires – your
heart.

8. I chant to please Radha and Krishna, not to gain anything material

Imagine that Krishna is with you in His Holy name and that He is happy to hear you
chanting. Even though relishing the Holy Name can be difficult sometimes, Krishna is
enjoying seeing your determination to chant and to be purified. In this way, chant the Maha-
mantra to make Krishna happy and for yourself to feel happiness too.

9. I am out of my mind and in my heart, fully present to the Holy Name when I
chant

Chant the Maha-mantra with your tongue and hear with your ear. Feeling the essence of
chanting will bring you into the present. Attentive chanting is hearing – if you hear yourself
chanting, you will chant attentively. When you chant, Krishna first dances on the tongue, then
the ear, then the heart. 

10. I fully honour my sacred relationship with the Holy Name during japa
Be conscious that when chanting the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra, you are present, Krishna is
present and thus, a relationship between you and Krishna is also present. Therefore, do not
view chanting as a mechanical process that you have to complete daily but rather as a way to
deepen your relationship with Krishna.

The Holy Name is saying, “I am present here, my mercy is here, my love is here; please
receive it, please accept it, please feel it”. Nothing is impossible for Krishna and thus, nothing
is impossible for the one who takes shelter of the Holy Name. Krishna is in our hearts and He
is a genuine friend to all living beings. No matter what you go through, He is always there.
You are Krishna’s eternal servant and He will always remain the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Therefore, prioritize your spiritual life – you are not going to feel emptiness when
you experience real spiritual happiness. Just give your heart to the Holy Name and Krishna
will reciprocate. Fall in love with the Holy Name! Chant Hare Krishna and be happy forever!