Hare Krishna , Pamho.
I had practiced Hare Krishna chanting and regulations for 3 full years,attended yatras,temple services,book distribution,etc,but for past 2 yrs my spiritual standards have been compromised due to increased material desires and lack of spiritual nourishment. My chanting rounds have also decreased,(I used to chant 16 rounds regularly).
It is said , the nature of soul is to take shelter, if we don't take Krishna's and devotees' shelter we will take shelter of our past habits and desires.
I lived a simple life since my childhood and never had any intoxicating habits..
My ultimate hobbies would be to listen music,inspiring movies and most importantly travel. I was always enamoured by scenic natural beauty and spend great deal of time on research/reading articles,blogs,videos,photography of beautiful scenaries and landscape. the idea of backpacking ,landscape photography attracts me very much.
I wish to know if there is there a way to balance one's spritual life with his hobbies or passion. (dovetailing may not work always..)
I know desires are cause of our entanglement in the cycle of birth and death. But can we harmonise KC with our heart's feelings...?
Please let me know if anyone has similar experiences.
Any comments or advises would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
An unworthy fallen soul
Replies
Thank you Sandhya Devi Mataji :)
Happy Janmashtami to everyone...Thank you for your encouragement.
I think the festivals - Espeically the parikramas around the Holy dham - are so nectarian - there is adventure,holynames,prasadam, services, and Krishna katha ... So far I attended Navadwip parikaram, Sri Kshetra parikram in Puri and last year Udipi and hampi ytra..It was great experience.
I pray to Lord and devotees that I don't fall down and degrade myself into darkness of this material world but elevate myself through actions,desires and services..
Thank you!
Ys Pujan
Thank you Rashmi mataji for your kind reply.
You asked what made me stop my devotional services - well, I think its because of my job schedules, poor health ,my whimsical nature , lack of enough motivation.
But I must tell - 2014 Navadwip prikrama experience was till date one of best memories in my life..it was a perfect adventure ,trekking through beautiful panoramic views of ganga and alongside villages, camping under open fields with 1000s of devotees,ecstatic kirtan, services...it was pure nectar.
Im from Nadia,West Bengal so Im naturally very attracted to Mayapur/Navadwip, Lord chaitanya's holy name sankirtan.
The serenity and simple village life attracts me very much.
But in cities doing your software job , maintaining a office schedule and then the KC regulations and restrictions becomes a burden..
I think my solution will be to hear more lectures,read books and render services whnever I can..
I try to derive Inspirations from Nature , and it helps me to calm my mind and reflects my inner self.
This year Im spending almost a years savings for a backpacking trip to Bavaria Germany for landscape photography.
So devotees often would describe its a hedonistic sense gratification, but there are people who buy costly cars,dresses ,houses...and I don't own any them....I like landscape photography and try to deeply medidate on Nature's serenity. so just wanted to know if following one's heart a gross sense gratification? Will there be any sinful reactions for this? As for my daily sadhana - I will be carrying my japa beads, cook/eat only grain,fruits & vegetables ..
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
In Gita, it is explained that mann - mind is the centre of all senses, greater than mind is intelligence and greater than intelligence is soul. Therefore, following the heart strictly speaking, is gross sense gratification. However, for conditioned souls like us, we see what the heart is set to do - in your case it is not anything immoral or against the 4 regulative principles. You can have a desire to visit natural beauty places, you should be able to see Krsna's hand in that natural beauty. You should chant all the days your committed 16 rounds, eat only Krsna prasadam. If there is any ISKCON temple in the area you are visiting, you should go there also and associate with devotees there. That would be nice for them also - to see a devotee from the land of Srila Prabhupada.
Krsna is all merciful prabhuji. He not only forgives us, He also eradicates sinful desires from our heart, provided we always keep Krsna in the centre of all our activities.
Haribol,
YOur servant,
Rashmi
Hare Krishna,
Ofcourse, there needs to be balance, Prabhu. Even the universe is maintained in perfect balance. If there is no balance, and there is too much of anything, you are bound to get tied down by that thing and will eventually suffer. Too much of Goodness or Passion or Ignorance gets you into bondage. So, please maintain that balance.
You can check my reply regarding controlling the mind from earlier post below,
http://www.iskcondesiretree.com/forum/topics/how-to-control-the-desire
Regards,
Subash
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
THe first thing you need to do is get back into association of devotees. What happened that you suddenly stopped your devotional services of book distribution, temple services and yatras?
When you see natural beauty, do you think who created them? Have you heard that song/ bhajan - hari hari vasundhara pe nila nila yeh gagan, ke jispe badalon ki palaki uda raha pawan, dishayen dekho rang bhari, chamak rahi umang bhari, yeh kis kavi ki kalpana ka chamatkar hai, yeh kaun chitrakaar hai...... That is the beauty of Krsna - you can think of Krsna in everything. This material world has been created by the lord. If this world, which is considered the external energy, can be so beautiful, then imagine how much more beautiful the spiritual world must be? Have you seen the beauty of the lord in any temple deity? What can be more beautiful than the lord's feet or face or hands or hips......
Anyways, I know my babbling is not making any sense to you. If you like to travel and have the means, you could visit our centres in most beautiful locales across the world. You have to figure out prabhuji - how to use your skillset and interests in the service of the lord. There is place for everyone to serve the lord and He can be served in any which way. We all have to serve Him as per our skill set, interest and nature. Use what comes to you naturally in the service of the lord. Finding out how to do it in a manner that is sustainable and workable for you is itself a journey, which can be spiritually enhancing.
Best of luck,
Haribol,
Your servant,
Rashmi