```json
{
    "title": "Kartik vrata begins: Japa Thoughts",
    "url": "https://wavesofdevotion.com/2010/10/29/kartik-vrata-begins-japa-thoughts/",
    "datePublished": "2010-10-29",
    "dateModified": "2010-10-29",
    "language": "en-US",
    "description": "October 23, 2010 Sri Govardhana Kartik vrata begins: Japa Thought I: The mantra is my heart, a call for service. The mantra is my Lord, the object of service. The…",
    "author": "Dhanurdhara Swami",
    "publisher": "Waves of Devotion"
}
```

# Kartik vrata begins: Japa Thoughts

**October 23, 2010**

 Sri Govardhana

 Kartik *vrata* begins:

***Japa* Thought I:**

The mantra is my heart, a call for service.

 The mantra is my Lord, the object of service.

 The mantra is my prayer, a longing for Krishna.

 The mantra is Krishna, the aim of yearning.

 The mantra as the means,

 The mantra as the end,

 Either way I humbly pray for service

***Japa* Thought II:**

Chant and feel Krishna in the form of sound

 To feel for Krishna is the awakening of the soul

 Chanting, feeling and searching for Krishna

 Chanting, feeling and searching for oneself

 All in the holy names

***Japa* Thought III:**

What is feeling the mantra? You can think of something or you can feel something. When you think of something there is more a tendency to project your own frame of reference and skew the experience of the object. Feeling the mantra is thus trying to experience the mantra without projecting your conditioned conception on it. Of course, cognition is there in any experience. Feeling the mantra, however, is consciously trying the let the mantra impact us without the limits of interpretation. It is mindfully tasting the name.