SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 2 Text 22
vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro 'parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi

vasamsi--garments; jirnani--old and worn out; yatha--just as; vihaya--giving up; navani--new garments; grhnati--does accept; narah--a man; aparani--others; tatha--in the same way; sarirani--bodies; vihaya--giving up; jirnani--old and useless; anyani--different; samyati--verily accepts; navani--new sets; dehi--the embodied.

TRANSLATION

As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.

JOURNAL:

This morning my quarter-mala bracelet broke. Being on the road as much as I am, I say a lot of my japa on these beads. When it broke the beads flew off the elastic string in all directions, leaving me holding only the Krsna Bead in my hand.

So this morning I've been doing "uncounted" japa, which has a different feel to it than "counted" japa does. It is hard to explain this difference. I want to use phrases like freely said, and more spontaneous, but they are misleading.

However you say it, a fresh experience with the Holy Names is always welcome. I'll order a new bracelet Wednesday and carry my old, trusty bead bag in the meantime. I don't think my original string of japa-mala beads will ever break.