People do japa kriyá in a very crude manner. It can be said that their method of incantation is like the talk of a parrot. Parrots talk, parrot say so many things, without understanding the meaning, without understanding the spirit of what is meant. Japa kriyá becomes as meaningless as the talk of a parrot for those who do it without love or emotion. It even loses the value of internal suggestion, intro-psychic suggestion.

Japa kriyá is withdrawing all propensities from their extroversive movements and guiding and goading their collective force unto the Supreme Cognition. Where the Supreme Cognition is not loved, where the Supreme Cognition has not been accepted as the only object of adoration, withdrawing one’s propensities becomes meaningless, because they are not guided unto Him.

Dhyána is withdrawing the mental propensities from all extroversive entities, and then collecting those withdrawn mental forces, mental propensities, and urging them towards the Supreme Entity. If there is no love for the Supreme Entity, this movement cannot be done. Where there is no love, the mind will not run after Him. So dhyána also becomes meaningless.

“Dhyána” comes from the root verb “dhae,” which means to withdraw the mental propensities and to goad them towards Him. So, if people practice all these things without having love for the Supreme, they won’t be able to get anything. But, if there is an iota of love, if there is a wee bit of love, they gain everything. Only those intelligent people who know this – even if if they are not efficient or proficient in the sphere of dharma; even if they are not efficient in doing japa kriyá; even if they know nothing regarding yoga; even if they know nothing regarding celestial and extra-celestial knowledge; even if they do not understand guru bhakti; even if they do not understand the inner spirit of japa; even if they do not know jiṋána – can get everything if the spirit behind this idea of loving the Supreme is just in a rudimental phase. In a later phase it becomes, “I love Him not to get anything; I love Him because I get pleasure in loving Him – and for no other purpose.” And in the final stage the devotee feels that, “I love Him, not to get any pleasure for myself. I love Him, because I want my love to give Him pleasure.” That is purely unilateral, not reciprocal. Where there is the idea of reciprocity, it is not devotion, it is an ordinary commercial transaction – give some money, get some article. Here the devotee wants to give everything to the Supreme Entity and wants nothing in return. I love you, not for myself. I love you because I want my love to give you pleasure. So, in that last, final stage, the devotee’s only wish is to give Him pleasure. In Saḿskrta, the root verb “gup” means “to give pleasure to”, and the man who has developed this type of love for the Supreme is called “gopa.” “Gopayate yah sah gopae” – the one who gives pleasure to Lord Krśńa is “gopa.”