Alternative to Naam Japa

[VELLY]

I used to do Naam Japa in the past recently this practice has become unacceptable to my mind. I can't find it logical. Though I have experienced it's mind purifying benefits yet it doesn't satisfy my logical mind. Is there any way I can do something other than Naam japa for mind purification.

Let's say I take a word kindness and recite it every day with bhava and feelings. Won't it generate the same benefits as doing Naam japa. Will doing Naam japa provide any additional benefits than this self invented exercise of reciting the name of a quality?

I understand that one-pointedness is the main goal of mantra or Naam japa but I want to achieve this without using any name of God.

 

It would be great if you include reference to any guru who has touched this topic.

[stirling]

I personally would recommend trying a meditation in the open awareness traditions, such as Mahamudra, Dzogchen, or Zen. In this case the one-pointedness is simply in resting in the nature of mind itself, just as any enlightened master does. 

 

The theory in this case is, once the nature of mind is introduced and recognized, the practice is simply the process of inclining the mind toward its own nature as often as possible until there is the "click" of complete insight. 

 

This is a nice introduction to a practice in this area, and some theory. 

 

https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-mahamudra-meditation/

[forestofclarity]

The way I understand the basic theory is that the mantra is itself a manifestation of the divine being. To chant the mantra is the literally invoke the being (i.e. a specific form of God)--- the divine being and the mantra are not different. In addition, it is said that the mantra itself contains specific vibrations that alter one's own being in a specific way depending on the mantra. So this is different then charging feeling into a specific set of words. 

 

I personally hate mantras but they've generally been powerful in my experience.