Meditation is a very important aspect of activity for someone who wants to find happiness and free himself from all suffering and anxiety.
Meditation means "mental contemplation," but contemplation must have an object. In order to get rid of everyday worries that occupy the mind, a person must rise above the material level, he should try to gain a foothold on the transcendental, spiritual level, and this can be done by constantly repeating the names of the Lord, communicating with Him in this way, with Him, who resides at the spiritual level.
Chanting the names of the Lord has a cleansing effect and elevates a person from the material level to the spiritual. In India, throughout millennia, people have chanted the names of the Lord in the form of mantras. In Sanskrit, man means "mind," and tra means "liberation." Thus, a mantra is a combination of transcendental sounds that frees our mind from anxiety. Vedic literature calls one mantra a maha-mantra (the highest mantra). The Kali-santarana Upanishad explains:
"These sixteen words - Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare - are especially recommended for use in Kali-yuga, the age of quarrels, troubles and hypocrasy."
The name Krishna means “all-attractive,” the name Rama means “all-pleasing,” and Hare is a reference to the energy of devotional service to the Lord. Thus, the maha-mantra means: “Oh all-attractive, Oh all-pleasing Lord, Oh energy of the Lord, I ask you to allow me to serve You faithfully.”
The best way to read the Maha Mantra is on a string of beads consisting of one hundred and eight beads strung round, with a hundred and ninth large bead in the middle representing Krishna. Start with the bead immediately following it. Holding the bead between your thumb and middle finger, recite the maha mantra aloud. Repeat this mantra on each bead of a rosary until you reach a large one - then turn the string of beads and go in the opposite direction. Do not read the mantra on a large bead or jump over it and continue in the same direction. After reading the mantra on each of the one hundred and eight string of beads, you have gone through one “round”. Reading one round should take five to seven minutes, although at first it can be ten or more.
The most important thing is to pronounce each word clearly, listening carefully and not swallowing syllables. It is recommended that you read 16 rounds in a day this way, but for someone who thinks it is impossible, you should set for yourself a certain number of circles and read a mantra, for example, half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening. If you seriously engage in such meditation, you will quickly find happiness and peace.