I want that I never forget God but in daily activities it is hard. Please tell me a technique for continous chanting. Give step by step information for improving this. My life is full of problems. The reason behind this is lack of spritual practice. Help me I want to get into the state of ajapa japa and I want that my mind is engaged in spiritual practice everytime. Please think about it and help.
—roby, India
Dear Roby,
I sympathize with you. Certainly it can be challenging to keep God in mind during intense outward activity. I wish I could give you a magical technique that would make it easy, but really, the key is simply to do it, and do it the best you can, as frequently as you can. The more you do it, the easier it will become. It is like building up a muscle through repeated activity.
There are some ways to make it easier, however. One way is to cultivate your devotion. Don’t make japa a driving mental activity, an act of extreme self-discipline. Self-discipline is needed, of course, but try to make your practice of japa more the result of the yearning of your heart than of the force of will. This will give life to your practice life, and make it more enjoyable. Yes, willpower is part of it – the will to keep the practice in the forefront of your awareness when possible, and in the background at other times – but don’t make it the only aspect of your practice. Engage the unlimited power of your heart.
Another help is to meditate regularly. Regular meditation will vitalize all your spiritual efforts. If you can achieve God contact – even a small bit of it – in meditation, that will help bring life to all your everyday efforts to remember God, and take them beyond yearning into actual experience. When you get up from meditation, use the lingering upliftment of the practice to redouble your efforts to keep God in mind during mundane activity.
Third, spend more time with other spiritual aspirants. Environment, as Paramhansa Yogananda often said, is stronger than will. Being around other seekers will help empower your efforts. Don’t try to do everything by yourself; it’s just too hard that way.
As the expression goes, this is not rocket science. It is spiritual science, and it works.
Blessings on your practice,
Gyandev
