10 Keys to a successful Nama Bhajan

by Anirudh Das Adhikari

To root ones mind and make it fixed while chanting, one should meditate on
sitting at the lotus feet of different personalities coming in the line of Sri Guru and
Narada as mentioned in the brochure given by Anirudh Prabhu. One should thus
chant the Maha Mantra for their pleasure and keep the mind from getting
distracted.
One should not hurt the feelings of any living entity. Besides the body, one should
be conscious of the soul and the supersoul residing in all kinds of material bodies.
By ones thoughts, words and deeds, he should always look to serve and please all
living entities, specially the Vaisnavas.
One should carefully study and meditate on different meanings given by our
Acaryas of the 10 offenses mentioned in Padma Puran. He should then carefully
guard the wealth of Bhakti in his heart by avoiding committing these offences.
One should not identify or contemplate with thoughts relating to woman, wealth
and prestige. If ones consciousness is purified from these contaminations, then
Madhusudan will be stuck to this person just like ones shadow.
Before taking rest, one should pray to and thus bind prna-ntha Govinda in
making one chant Krsnas holy name at the time of death. If somehow one forgets,
then O Krsna, you please remind him. Remind one that all activities to be done in
the coming day are for Shyam Sundar. To give one the vision of seeing Gopinath in
each and every atom and living entity. If somehow one is not aware, then O Krsna,
you please make your presence felt.
One should not consider Tulsi beads to be dead wood. She is Vrinda devi herself
come to unite us with Radha and Krsna in loving devotional service. One should
thus give her proper respect by keeping her at ones head, chest and by kissing her
lotus feet. One should offer lamp, incense, water, circumambulate her etc. and seek
her blessings for seva adhikaar.
One should give up his fault finding mentality specially while visiting or staying in
the Dham. Rather than getting purified, one will get more entangled due to such
mentality. However, if one gives up such fault finding, then one can attain Krsna
and the Dham no matter where one is.
One should give proper respect to Prasadam before honouring. One should
circumambulate prasadam by sprinkling water 4 times around. Meditate that Sri
Guru and Madan Mohan must have relished this prasadam and then constantly
chant the Maha Mantra in his mind while honouring prasadam. This will cut the
passion and make ones mind calm and suitable for chanting.
 Serving devotees is the most pleasing to Krsna. Thus, one should always look to
serve pure devotees of Nama Prabhu and in this way seek their blessings to
maintain and increase ones Nama bhajan.
One should have full faith that only by chanting a minimum of 64 rounds, all of
ones obstacles will be removed. One should thus constantly hear the glories of the
Holy Name from ones Nama Guru and increase his rounds to 64 and more.