```json
{
    "title": "Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – November 4, 2006",
    "url": "https://wavesofdevotion.com/2006/11/04/karttika-2006-japa-meditations-november-4-2006/",
    "datePublished": "2006-11-04",
    "dateModified": "2006-11-04",
    "language": "en-US",
    "description": "Karttika 2006 Japa Meditations November 4, 2006 Govardhana A friend of mine - a professor in America - had problems with his chanting. He couldn’t concentrate and it frustrated him.…",
    "author": "Dhanurdhara Swami",
    "publisher": "Waves of Devotion"
}
```

# Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – November 4, 2006

**Karttika 2006**

*Japa*

Meditations

November 4, 2006
Govardhana

A friend of mine -  a professor in America -  had problems with his chanting. He couldn’t concentrate and it frustrated him. While visiting Vrindavana, he went to his very elderly guru, a very renowned Vaisnava scholar in Vraja, and opened his heart.

“I just can’t concentrate on my chanting. Why should I do?”

“Don’t eat grains cooked by non-devotees!”

“But I have to attend the college’s conferences and they only serve grains cooked by non-devotees. What should I do?’

“Don’t eat.”

Moral: Don’t ask a

*sadhu*

a question unless you are ready to follow his advice. Well, my friend did. It was inconvenient, but it changed his life  and his concentration improved  significantly .

Commentary: Small things make big differences. During Karttika I only eat freshly prepared and purely cooked food offered to Giriraja. It really helps the consciousness.