Japa

[7] The Sanskrit word japa is derived from the root jap-, meaning "to utter in a low voice, repeat internally, mutter".

[12] According to the sage Patanjali (400 CE), Japa is not the repetition of word or phase but rather contemplation on the meaning of the mantra,[13] this definition sometimes persists across different sources.

It is not uncommon for people to wear japa beads around their neck, although some practitioners prefer to carry them in a bead-bag in order to keep them clean.

The stated aim, or goal of japa may vary greatly depending on the mantra involved and the religious philosophy of the practitioner.

Many gurus and other spiritual teachers, and other religious leaders, especially Hindu and Buddhist, teach that these represent different names for the same transformed state of consciousness.

[a] After long use of a mantra that is intended to foster self-realization or intimacy with a divine power, an individual may reach a state of ajapa japa, or lit.

Some Catholic prayer forms that involve repetition, such as use of the Rosary or one of various chaplets, are similar to japa, such as Hesychasm in Eastern Christianity, although the practices are not identical because their aims differ.