Mantra Jaap

What is Jaap?
Jaapis repeating a mantra, generally a specified number of times, such as 108, often while counting on a strand of beads,called a jaap mala, while alertly absorbed on the meaning of the mantra. The repetition should be dutifully slow. This brings punya, merit, to the devotee. It should not be thought lessly mechanical or the hurried, so-called rapid-fire or machine-gun jaap, which demonstrate ignorance of the tantras. Such casual, negligence and disregard for contemplative traditions brings papa, demerit, to the devotee, creating internal strife, community opposition and turmoil for all concerned.

Importance of Jaap

Jaap is a form of devotional worship, invocation, supplication, praise, adoration, meditation and direct, experiential communion. Unless we are actually in a state of samadhi , which is rare for most people, jaap provides a means to disengage from our racing thoughts and our memories of the past mostly the bad ones. The repetition of positive, uplifting, spiritual mantras over and over again lifts consciousness and causes the muladhara chakra to spin clockwise. We feel uplifted. Life does not look so bad, and neither does the past.A sense of forgiveness comes and the future looms bright. The past is forgiven and forgotten.jaapm can be done by everyone. However for yagnas certain conditions are mentioned.

Three ways by which one can do jaap
1. Ucchahi - loud recitation - less effective
2. Upamshu - soft recitation - more effective
3. Manasikam - within the mind - most effective.

OM is the basic vibration of the cosmic universe. Hence all mantras begin with "OM"

Benefits of jaap
1. Physical - to energize the system (to tone up the system)
2. Mental - to remove depression/obstacles/mental blocks.
3. Spiritual - Attaining Siddhi,self-development/specific areas of growth(strengthening the inner-personality by projecting positive powers inwards; over-coming/eliminating negative traits).