Morning Rounds: Opening Up the World of Bhakti Through Japa Meditation

Hari Prasada Das (Upbuild)
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Spirituality

In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice. Like a doctor making rounds to support healing, Morning Rounds is about tending to the soul. Through the chanting of the Holy Names, we gradually quiet the mind, soften the pull of the ego, and reconnect with our deeper spiritual nature. Drawn from our weekly japa meditation gatherings at Upbuild, these reflections offer a few minutes of inspiration to support your meditation and begin your day with greater clarity, humility, and joy. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna describes japa, the chanting of the Holy Names, as the highest form of sacrifice. This timeless practice has the power to transform our consciousness through the simple act of returning, again and again, to the sound of the Holy Names. Whether you are new to chanting or have an established practice, these reflections are an invitation to deepen your relationship with the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Through consistent practice and the support of community, we begin to experience a deepening sense of joy and connection that arises simply from hearing and chanting these sacred names.

  1. 17h ago

    38 - Submissive Aural Reception 9: Nama, Rupa, Guna, and Lila

    Hari delineates the four categories of kirtana: nama (Holy Name), rupa (form), guna (qualities), and lila (pastimes). He explains how they intertwine and deepen our experience of Krishna Consciousness. Our practice of chanting must extend beyond japa, integrating Krishna's form, qualities, and pastimes into our daily lives. This holistic approach equips us to fully experience Krishna's divine presence within our hearts. Quotes "Kirtana means enunciating the glories, and there's only one person who can possibly be referred to in the ultimate sense – Krishna Himself.""The more we absorb ourselves in these [four] aspects of Krishna Consciousness, the more the singular practice of nama kirtana will reveal itself.""The Holy Names will reveal Krishna's pastimes in our hearts like a spiritual television within us." Join the live version of this program Tuesday mornings: https://www.upbuild.com/morning-rounds Learn the skills necessary to support others in becoming their best self in our six-month coaching training: https://www.upbuild.com/coaching-training/ Upbuild's other podcasts:  Upbuilding the Self: https://www.upbuild.com/podcast Upbuild Enneagram Library: https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram-podcastSubscribe to the Upbuild newsletter at the bottom of our https://www.upbuild.com/ _____ Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.  ______ In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.

  2. 4d ago

    37 - Submissive Aural Reception 8: Don’t Go for the Remnants of Crows!

    Hari shares insights from the Srimad-Bhagavatam, keying in on the need to differentiate between uplifting sound vibrations and the opposite. We look at how our exposure to sound shapes our consciousness and thus directly shapes our chanting experience. Quotes "How can we really improve our japa? It's through this term of submissive aural reception – humbling ourselves to the sound vibration.""If something doesn’t enhance our understanding of Krishna, it’s actually taking us away.""We should be such a connoisseur of what we're taking in because that's what's going to come out in the form of our consciousness.""When we chant Krishna's names, we should know what we're dealing with.""This [chanting] invokes the sanctity of the spiritual world; this is home.""When we're not chanting, we should be storing up more transcendental inspiration that makes us anxious to be with the Holy Names.""...Our practice of japa gets unlocked through submissive aural reception." Join the live version of this program Tuesday mornings: https://www.upbuild.com/morning-rounds Learn the skills necessary to support others in becoming their best self in our six-month coaching training: https://www.upbuild.com/coaching-training/ Upbuild's other podcasts:  Upbuilding the Self: https://www.upbuild.com/podcast Upbuild Enneagram Library: https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram-podcastSubscribe to the Upbuild newsletter at the bottom of our https://www.upbuild.com/ _____ Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.  ______ In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.

  3. Oct 26

    36 - Submissive Aural Reception 7: From Obsession with Material Sound to Obsession with Spiritual Sound

    Hari instructs us on transforming our innate attraction to material sounds into a longing for the spiritual sounds. Such sound vibrations of the teachings of Krishna and the Holy Names are paramount for self-realization. This conversation invites us to recognize how our material distractions lead us away from our true selves and inspires a hunger for hearing that draws us closer to spiritual reality. Quotes "Sound has the power to awaken us; …just like our alarm clock is how we wake up in the morning.""We seek to create a culture in our hearts and minds where the soil is so fertile we're hungry to hear.""The more we fill ourselves with transcendental sound, the more this practice becomes real and it feeds our soul." Join the live version of this program Tuesday mornings: https://www.upbuild.com/morning-rounds Learn the skills necessary to support others in becoming their best self in our six-month coaching training: https://www.upbuild.com/coaching-training/ Upbuild's other podcasts:  Upbuilding the Self: https://www.upbuild.com/podcast Upbuild Enneagram Library: https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram-podcastSubscribe to the Upbuild newsletter at the bottom of our https://www.upbuild.com/ _____ Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.  ______ In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.

  4. Oct 22

    35 - Submissive Aural Reception 6: Bhakti Comes from the Bhakta

    Receptivity is exactly what transforms our consciousness from material to spiritual, especially through hearing about Krishna's devotees. Hari illustrates how Krishna prefers His devotees to receive credit and recognition over Himself. By absorbing the teachings and lives of devotees, we align ourselves with the power of bhakti.  Quotes "If we want to catch the flow of devotion, then we have to put ourselves in a humble position.""A devotee is all-powerful; they can do anything because they have contact with the most powerful person.""If we want the power of bhakti, which is the most powerful force, then we need to go to [Krishna’s] devotee." Join the live version of this program Tuesday mornings: https://www.upbuild.com/morning-rounds Learn the skills necessary to support others in becoming their best self in our six-month coaching training: https://www.upbuild.com/coaching-training/ Upbuild's other podcasts:  Upbuilding the Self: https://www.upbuild.com/podcast Upbuild Enneagram Library: https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram-podcastSubscribe to the Upbuild newsletter at the bottom of our https://www.upbuild.com/ _____ Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.  ______ In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.

  5. Oct 19

    34 - Submissive Aural Reception 5: Saturating Our Life with Those Who Are Dear to Krishna

    Hari dives further into the spiritual reality of how Krishna loves His devotees even more than His own self. So, by surrounding ourselves with the stories and teachings of these beloved devotees, we cultivate an ever-deepening engagement with Krishna that fuels our practice. Our yearning for connection to Krishna is always nourished through sincere and heartfelt hearing. Quotes "The more we saturate our consciousness with Krishna through this transcendental sound, the more we will really be able to engage with the person who is the name.""Devotees are dearer to Him than His own life.""Let us really have that hunger and seek out as much saturation of hearing from Krishna’s devotees as possible." Join the live version of this program Tuesday mornings: https://www.upbuild.com/morning-rounds Learn the skills necessary to support others in becoming their best self in our six-month coaching training: https://www.upbuild.com/coaching-training/ Upbuild's other podcasts:  Upbuilding the Self: https://www.upbuild.com/podcast Upbuild Enneagram Library: https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram-podcastSubscribe to the Upbuild newsletter at the bottom of our https://www.upbuild.com/ _____ Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.  ______ In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.

  6. Oct 15

    33 - Submissive Aural Reception 4: Hearing About Krsna Means Hearing About His Devotees

    Hearing about Krishna's devotees is vital for our understanding and development of divine love. He speaks about the unique relationship Krishna has with His devotees, demonstrating how their connection is so profound that Krishna considers them His very heart. Embracing the stories and lives of these great souls inspires us to cultivate our own genuine devotion to Krishna. The act of hearing about Krishna's devotees, and doing so ongoingly, nurtures our spiritual journey to enrich our chanting like nothing else. Quotes "Hearing about Krishna means hearing about Krishna's devotees.""Krishna never wants to be alone... He's always with all of His devotees.""We want to learn from the great souls how they've become so devoted to Krishna.""If we're hearing about Krishna's devotees, Krishna runs to the person who's hearing about His devotees." Join the live version of this program Tuesday mornings: https://www.upbuild.com/morning-rounds Learn the skills necessary to support others in becoming their best self in our six-month coaching training: https://www.upbuild.com/coaching-training/ Upbuild's other podcasts:  Upbuilding the Self: https://www.upbuild.com/podcast Upbuild Enneagram Library: https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram-podcastSubscribe to the Upbuild newsletter at the bottom of our https://www.upbuild.com/ _____ Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.  ______ In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.

  7. Oct 12

    32 - Submissive Aural Reception 3: Do You Like to Hear?

    Reflecting on the life of his guru’s guru, Srila Prabhupada, Hari highlights how attentiveness and a desire to hear will drive one's spiritual journey. Ultimately, we see that our capacity to receive sound vibrations without blockage most impacts our progress on the path of self-realization. Quotes "When we become humble, there's no blockage.""What makes one person spiritually advanced while another struggles is really about how submissive we are and how much we are receiving.""All we have to do is fill our lives with transcendental sound whenever we have a moment." Join the live version of this program Tuesday mornings: https://www.upbuild.com/morning-rounds Learn the skills necessary to support others in becoming their best self in our six-month coaching training: https://www.upbuild.com/coaching-training/ Upbuild's other podcasts:  Upbuilding the Self: https://www.upbuild.com/podcast Upbuild Enneagram Library: https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram-podcastSubscribe to the Upbuild newsletter at the bottom of our https://www.upbuild.com/ _____ Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.  ______ In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.

  8. Oct 8

    31 - Submissive Aural Reception 2: The Key to Spiritual Advancement

    Hari shares how humbling oneself to transcendental sound vibrations – both the Holy Names and spiritual discussions – awakens the soul's true nature. He sheds light on the stark differences in spiritual progress among individuals, attributing this to each person's receptivity to these powerful vibrations. We look at how figures like Srila Prabhupada impart transcendental messages that, when received with humility, lead to profound spiritual insights and connections. Ultimately, it is through this open reception that hearts and minds are transformed. Quotes "Submissive aural reception means that I'm humbling myself to the sound vibration.""The soul does not know anything of this world; it can only speak or hear transcendentally.”"Somebody who is in tune with that vibration makes incredible spiritual advancement." Join the live version of this program Tuesday mornings: https://www.upbuild.com/morning-rounds Learn the skills necessary to support others in becoming their best self in our six-month coaching training: https://www.upbuild.com/coaching-training/ Upbuild's other podcasts:  Upbuilding the Self: https://www.upbuild.com/podcast Upbuild Enneagram Library: https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram-podcastSubscribe to the Upbuild newsletter at the bottom of our https://www.upbuild.com/ _____ Our heartfelt thanks to Jahnavi Harrison for graciously allowing us to feature her recording, "Divine Maha Mantra," in our intro and outro. Learn more about her divine music: https://www.jahnavimusic.com/.  ______ In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice.

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In short, Morning Rounds is: How to make the most of our most important practice. Like a doctor making rounds to support healing, Morning Rounds is about tending to the soul. Through the chanting of the Holy Names, we gradually quiet the mind, soften the pull of the ego, and reconnect with our deeper spiritual nature. Drawn from our weekly japa meditation gatherings at Upbuild, these reflections offer a few minutes of inspiration to support your meditation and begin your day with greater clarity, humility, and joy. In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna describes japa, the chanting of the Holy Names, as the highest form of sacrifice. This timeless practice has the power to transform our consciousness through the simple act of returning, again and again, to the sound of the Holy Names. Whether you are new to chanting or have an established practice, these reflections are an invitation to deepen your relationship with the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Through consistent practice and the support of community, we begin to experience a deepening sense of joy and connection that arises simply from hearing and chanting these sacred names.

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