Hare krishna
My family member are nondevotee and they dont alllow me to chant on beads.
some times i chant hiding my beads or on counter. i m also not a regular chanter . But I want increase my bhakti . when i dont chant or forgot to remember krishna i feel very bad and want to cry , but because of not having bhakti enviorment at my home I get capture by maya.They dont allow me offer bhog .
please help me how can i increase my bhakti and chanting?
I
Replies
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisances. Firstly mahtaji, I just want to tell you that having the yearn to have more bhakti for Krishna already pleases Lord Krishna Himself. Instead of hiding and chanting, you can go outside and chant. You don't need to chant inside all the time. If you focus on the maha mantra while chanting, Lord Krishna will be pleased.Take a walk and chant. Download kirtan and Srila Prabhupada's lectures onto an electronic device and listen to them when you are alone. Read spiritual books (you can bring your books to the park and just sit and read). And about the bhoga,if you have a picture of Lord Krishna (any size picture, can be very small if that's all you have), offer your food in your mind to Krishna. Make the bhoga (don't taste or smell the bhoga) and if you can, place the bhoga on a plate in front of the Krishna picture and say offering prayers. IF you are also nott allowed to do that, just recite offering prayers in your head and wait a few minutes before saying the prasadam honouring prayers (maha prashade govinde). If you offer your bhoga (may be just fruit, flower, leaf, or water) to Krishna with pure love and devotion, he will definitely accept it no matter what. Lord Krishna is very merciful towards us and says He'll accept anything with love and devotion.
"Patram pushpam palam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayaachati
tad aham bhakty- upahritam
asnami prayatatmanah"
-Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 9, Text 26)
TRANSLATION:
If one offers me a fruit, flower, leaf or water, I will accept it.
I hope this helped you! :)
thank u so much mataji for ur answer.
Hare Krishna mahtaji, I actually wrote the translation wrong. Here is the real translation:
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.
You don't need to offer a huge feast to Lord Krishna. If you offer even the smallest foods with love and devotion, Krishna will accept it :)
thank u mataji
mataji could u plz tell me that how many times should I offer bhog to Krishna and can i offer biscuits , namkin something readymade.i offer fruits in morning and evening.
Hare Krishna Mataji,
PAMHO, If you could offer White saltless butter Krishna would be very very satisfied as Krishna Loves to Eat Butter . You could then use the butter in Cooking.Offer it the same way through a tuli leaf and reciting Mantras Reshmi Mataji has told.
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
Whatever standard of worship you set in your house, you should follow that standard. Offering fruits is very good, sattvic and simple. Ideally offer milk also - lord is very fond of makhan misri, milk and milk products.
Regarding biscuits and other readymade food, it is not ideal but I am aware of people who will offer everything they eat to the lord, even readymade food.
Initially try to keep the standard to the minimum so that it is doable for you and not an eyesore for your family. Gradually as and when you get comfortable, you can increase the standard of worship and bhoga. Better to scale up gradually rathar than scale down.
Take care,
Haribol,
YOur servant,
Rashmi
Hare krishna mahtaji,
Your responses are very detailed and clearly written. I have to thank you for not only helping me with my conflicts, but also with other devotees. I hope you advance very much in your spiritual journey so that one day, you can go home, back to God Head :)
thank u mataji for ur adorable reply and giving me ur precious time .
Mataji could u plz tell me the proper way of offering bhog ,becoz simply putting fruit in front of thakuji and reciting mantra ,not satisfy me ,what shoul i think while offering fruit ,milk or even water.
Hare Krsna Mataji,
PAMHO.
You should use the bhoga utensils only for bhoga, not for normal cooking or storing or eating. Those are utensils of God and you have to keep them separate.
Once you have put the offering in front of the lord, you should place one aasan or seat or paata for the lord to sit on and eat. On that seat, you can place a flower for the guru to sit.
Then you invoke the lords - hey gurudev, hey panchtattva, hey Radha Krsna (or whichever name you call Him by, any other Vishnu tattva photo on your altar), please come, I invite you to take this food. Then you say the mantras - first the guru mantras thrice, then namo brahmanya devaya, go brahmana hitaya ca, jagat dwitaya, govindaya namo namah - 3 times, then namo maha vandanyaya, krsna prema pradayate, krsnaya, krsna chaitanya naamne goratwishe namah - 3 times, then panch tattva mantra - 3 times, then mahamantra - 8 times. All this while, you will be ringing the bell.
Your offering mantras are over. Then you shoudl sit there and make them eat - like how you make your children eat - at this time, you can chant on your beads, do kirtan, sing some bhajan. close the altar for 10 min.
Pick up the food after ringing the bell. remove the seat and flower first. Then pick up the bhoga, mix it with the rest of the food and then offer to family members.
Re : Thoughts - what do you think when you feed your kids - they should eat properly. Same thoughts. YOu can also think - this is all I am able to offer to You now. Please make my situation conducive so that I can offer much more to You. This is not fit for You, please take it as a simple offering from your servant. What can I offer you, my lord. YOu are the lord of the universe. I want to offer my thoughts, my services, my love to You. This food is just a representation of my thoughts and feelings. .... like how we talk to anyone, we can talk to the lord also and see how He responds.
Haribol,
I like your service attitude.
Your servant,
Rashmi
thanku thank u thanku so much mataji, for telling me all these things according to stuation at my home . I thank Krishna who sends u (pure devotee) as a medium for answering my questions and solving my problem in such a simple manner.
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