Japa, or Japam, is a spiritual discipline in which a devotee repeats a mantra or the name of the God. The repetition can be aloud or just the movement of lips or in the mind. This spiritual practice is present in the major religions of world. This is considered an effective spiritual practices. A spiritual practice, spiritual discipline or spiritual exercise includes any activity that one associates with cultivating spirituality. ... Devotion in Christianity can mean time spent alone or in a small group of people reading and studying the Bible in a way as it relates to ones spiritual health and well being. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, one of the manifestations of the ultimate reality or God in Hinduism This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... A spiritual practice, spiritual discipline or spiritual exercise (sadhana) includes any activity that one associates with cultivating spirituality. ...

In Hinduism, Japamaala (a garland of beads) is used. In Hinduism, Vaishnavas generally use the Japamaala of Tulsi beads. The Shaivites use that of Rudrakhsa beads. A Japamaala made out of neem,crystal is also used. The number of beads in Japamaala is generally 108. The devotee may sit quitely in his/her prayer room in the morning after bath and in the evening and 'tells the beads'. With each repetition of the Lord's name, a bead is moved. Some people wear the Japamaala around their neck. Some keep it in the bags and perform the Japa with their hands hidden in the bag. This is to impress the idea that devotion to God is one's private affair, not to be exhibited. Japa can also be performed during routine work, outside of formal prayer or meditation. In fact many scriptures recommend constant remembrance of the Divine. The Mantra or the words repeated while performing Japa are mostly names of Ishta-daiva often prefixed with Bijakshara (holy sounds such as Om, Hrim, Krim etc. as per Tantra shastra) and ending with namah (I salute). In Tantra one is supposed to keep the mantra secret as it is sacred. The mantra is generally given by the Guru during initiation. The Gayatri mantra is a famous mantra. Other famous mantras are "Om namah Shivaya" or Panchakshari (salutations to Shiva), "Om namo Narayanaya" (salutations to Narayana) etc. Hinduism {Sanskrit/Hindi - HindÅ« Dharma, also known as Sanātana (eternal) Dharma and Vaidika (of the Vedas) Dharma} is the religion based on the Vedas as well as other traditional scriptures and beliefs. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (Catursana, Narad, Varaha, Matsya, Yajna, Nara-Narayana, Kapila, Dattatreya, Hayasirsa, Hamsa, Prsnigarbha, Rsabha, Prithu, Narasimha , Kurma, Dhanvantari, Mohini, Vamana, Parasurama, Raghavendra, Vyasa, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha, Kalki) is worshipped as the supreme God and is a monotheistic... Binomial name Ocimum sanctum L. The tulsi (also known as tulasi) plant or Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) is an important symbol in the Hindu religious tradition. ... Saivite: of Saivism; belonging to Saivism, the Hindu denomination that worships God Siva as the Supreme God. ... Binomial name Elaeocarpus Ganitrus (Roxb. ... For other uses, see number 108. ... In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... The word Om and similar words have these meanings:- Aum, a sacred bijakshara (syllable) of Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism; also relevant in Buddhism. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: weave), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ... References ^ Tirha, B. B. A Taste of Trascendence, (2002) p. ... Gayatri (gāyatrī) is the feminine form of gāyatra, a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn. ... Shiva (Sanskrit: शिवम् Hindi: शिव (when used to distinguish lordly status), and written Åšiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as () is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ... Narayana (नरायण; ) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu and is in many contemporary vernaculars, a common Indian name. ...

Christians practice japa with mantras such as Hail Mary. Many Tibetan Buddhists repeat "Om mani padme hum". Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... Om Mani Padme Hum, written in Tibetan, on a rock outside the Potala Palace in Tibet. ...

Japa is often considered a form of devotional worship, invocation, supplication, praise, adoration, meditation and direct, experiential communion. A large statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind, often formalized into a specific routine. ... The term Communion is derived from Latin communio (sharing in common). ...

Om is the basic vibration of the cosmic universe. Hence in Hinduism and Buddhism many mantras begin with "OM". Hinduism {Sanskrit/Hindi - Hindū Dharma, also known as Sanātana (eternal) Dharma and Vaidika (of the Vedas) Dharma} is the religion based on the Vedas as well as other traditional scriptures and beliefs. ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following the Buddhas death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia...

Further reading

• Meditation and Spiritual Life - Swami Yatishwarananda
• Japayoga - Swami [Sivananda]