We use soap and water to clean the dirt in the clothes. In the same way we have Japa as soap and Dhyana as water to clean the dirt of unwanted desires in our mind.
The mind should not be wandering in all directions, indiscriminately like the fly. The fly dwells in the sweet meat shop and runs after the rubbish carts; the fly which has such a mind has to be taught to understand the sweetness of the first place and the impurity of the second place, so that it may not desert the sweet meat shop and pursue the rubbish cart. When such teaching is imparted to the mind, it is called Dhyanam. Meditation gives concentration and success in all tasks.
Techniques of Japa and Dhyana suggested for Group I children include Chanting of Naama Aloud, Japa with Mala and Likhita Japa.
This section contains an overview of Japa & Dhyana and a detailed explanation of the second technique, “Japa with Mala”