Question: How can we get taste in japa?

Jayapataka Swami: Usually if you chant Pancatattva mantra first, Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Gadadhara Srivas Adi Gaura Bhakta Vrnda, then if you chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, you will get a taste. But you can also concentrate on some picture or deity – focus and keep track how long it takes for you to chant. It shouldn’t take more than seven and a half minutes, but it shouldn’t be too fast either that you cannot hear and sometimes you should tape your chanting or have someone listen to it and see you are chanting all names. I listen to many people chant. Some people chant Hare Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare! Or they chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Hare Hare Hare Krsna! All kinds of versions! Sometimes they go ahead on the bead one, then go back two, then go ahead one and go back two. And then they wonder why they don’t get the taste! So if you are chanting very carefully you should get a taste, but if you chanting spaced out Hare…(fall asleep) Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama (fall asleep) Rama Rama Hare Hare. Then that may not give you a taste. Hare Krsna!
19-JULY-2019 CHENNAI, INDIA