Dear reader,

    The most important quality for a seeker to progress rapidly is actually putting into practice what one has learned. It is very good that you are trying to do this. As far as the number (three, six, or nine) of malas of ‘Sri Gurudev Datta’ that you should chant, depends on the proportion of worldly problems in your life. If the problems are severe and are due to unforeseen reasons, one may need to increase the chant to six or nine malas daily. Only a spiritually evolved person can diagnose your situation and advise you of the appropriate number. Since it is difficult to get in touch with someone spiritually evolved these days, as a rule, every one should chant three rounds of 108 of ‘Sri Gurudev Datta’ chant along with one’s regular chant.

    How important is it to keep an exact count? You should view the chanting of ‘Sri Gurudev Datta’ as a spiritual medicine. If you want to chant by time rather than by counting on a rosary, you should do a careful test to determine the time required to do the prescribed number of chants and note the speed of chanting. You may use time instead of the count, only after such careful testing. Specifically, the test should be carried out as follows - check how many chants you can do in one minute, chanting with the pace you regularly chant. Based on this, calculate the time it would take you to do 3 x 108 chants. It is important to do the minimum prescribed number to get the spiritual benefit. Exceeding the number by a small amount is not usually a problem. Overdoing grossly accrues no added benefit but is neither detrimental.