Hare Krishna Prabhu ji
Hare Krishna Mata ji
I had begun chanting one round a day, one and half year back. I chant a night before going to bed. However I have not been able to increase my rounds. I am surrounded, among freinds and colleauges who are meat eaters. Though I have left it and I do not consume alcohol like I used to do before (once or twice in a month); still there are times I have them and I have to skip chanting on those nights. Further, in the ups and downs of life I feel when I am stress free and things are going on smoothly, I chant. But whenever circumstances become tough, be it professionally or socially, I tend to skip chanting as I am always stressed and start to seek solace in mundane things like trying to solve the problems myself, oversleeping, quarell. I also spend lot of times on astrology when faced with tough scenario. During stress the past bad habits like drinking also come to fore.
What should I do? My questions are:
1. How to increase my rounds? I know that the time before sleep is not the ideal time for chanting and I should chant in early morning. However I have hobby of running and whenever I get up early I go running.
2. My family members are vegetarian. One my kids though likes to eat nonvegetarian. She is very young. I am in dilemma. Though she is very much attracted to Sri Krishna, probably as much as me, but being a child she wants to explore nonvegetarian food. I am dilemma what should I do?
3. Why do I deviate from chanting when circumstances are tough around me? What explains this? Am I thinking I am the doer and will solve the problems myself? Or it is normal for a neophyte to go through such phase?
4. I have been able to control craving for nonvegetarian food and alcohol. How should I control anger and lust which are too difficult to surpass?
Thank you in anticipation
Your servant
Replies
Hare Krsna Prabhu,
PAMHO.
Your sincerity in trying to get back on track is pleasing to Krsna. Dont worry, keep on trying. After every fall, pick yourself up again and try with more humility and surrender. Remember a child learning to walk. How many times the child falls. If he stops, he will never learn to walk. Mother keeps encouraging the child and he happily gets up and tries to walk again until he succeeds. Be determined to overcome the anarthas to come to the platform of 4 regulative principles. Continue to chant no matter what. Tomorrow is Ratha Yatra. Do 16 rounds tomorrow and on all festival days.
The things that can be done:
1) Try to fix time for chanting - same time, same place please chant your committed number of rounds.
2) If possible, join some chanting group - online or offline, whatever works for you. If you want online chanting, we are doing 5:00 am to 7:00 am every morning. Send me mail on inbox, I will share the link.
3) Before you start chanting, say Srila Prabhupada pranam mantras followed by Jai Shri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda.....
4) 1st mala, 1st bead, pray to mahamantra - please allow me to take Your name.
5) Last mala, last bead, again pray to Mahamantra. Today you have allowed me to take Your name. I could complete my committed number of rounds. Thank you. Please allow me to take Your names tomorrow also.
6) Keep a picture of Radha Krsna/ Gaur Nitai/ Jagannath deities/ Nrisimhadev in front of your while chanting. It helps to focus the mind.
7) Render some service to devotees or to deities every day. If nothing, offer some bhoga everyday (if nothing, thne milk, dry fruits or fruits can be offered I think) and give prasad to people around you. Do not tell them its prasad. SImply give. They will take and you will enefit.
8) If possible, read some part of book of Srila Prabhupada everyday.
9) If possible, hear some lecture for 20-30 min everyday.
What we do in the balance 22 hours has a major bearing on how we chant our rounds everyday.
Initially, be determined to chant. Keep praying helplessly - ami to kangaal, krsna krsna boli, dhaayi tava paache paache.
I have given you a list - dont get bogged down by it. Do whatever is feasible.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krishna Prabhu I Hare Krishna Mataji
On the day of Yogini Ekadashi I did my first 16 rounds. It has given me faith that I will be able to do it. Until then I have been able to chant one round at night. Having chanted 16 rounds for first time I come to realize how less I have been doing and why experienced devotees in the forum used to tell me to increase my round.
However on immediately following days I was filled with a sense of accomplishment and perhaps done an Aparadh by indulging too much in enjoyment of senses; as if have proven something. I course corrected on following days and attempting to rein in my senses. If I compare myself from what I was a couple of years back, then there is a sea of change in my propensity for sense enjoyment. however the process is very very slow. In day to day life I realize that my aversion to sense activities is very slowly increasing, but its very very slow and I fall sometimes.
I have left nonvegetarian food and alcohol perviously. Recently in the run up to Yogini Ekasdahi I have been watching the series AbhayaCharan on YouTube. Now I have left tea and coffee too. I am struggling to do meaningful things so that Sri Krishna is pleased and gives me opportuinties for his service.
Sincerely
Forgot to mention. After Yogini Ekadashi and downfall after that, I have sticking to chanting atleast four rounds a day during my schedule. And I try to complete these rounds in the day time itself.
Hare Krishna,
" I have been able to control craving for nonvegetarian food and alcohol. How should I control anger and lust which are too difficult to surpass?"
" I do not consume alcohol like I used to do before (once or twice in a month)"
If you can get over completely of non veg food and completely free of alcohol then it becomes easy to control anger and lust.
Until you are slave to the tongue and addictions these vikaras are difficult to control.
Totally quit them and become Purely satvik and stay like that for the whole life time and surely you will lose interest in all these mundane things slowly.
" How to increase my rounds? "
Where there is a will there is way.
"How to increase my rounds?"
Until you are slave to the addictions and slave to the tongue cravings your tongue will not feel the necessity to chant the holy names of Lord.
Atleast Lord is very merciful towards you.... that HE is allowing you chant even one round. You are doing great. Keep fighting the maya and addictions.
I know you can do it. Try more harder and win over your senses. This is going to be tough challenge but is doing with strong will power and dedicated effort.
Keep the faith up and seek Krishna's help itself.
Even if it is one round keep doing and fighting the maya and remove laziness.
As you increase the chanting.. slowly slowly you will get confident and get rid of these bad things from you.
Hare Krishna
Thank you Mata ji for helping me out and replying.
I have got the essance of your helping meassage.
Following are my problems:
I do not eat non-vegetarian or consume alcohol (a few times in many months) out of my liking of them. It is because the people with whom I be on regular basis, it is kind of socail acceptibility issue to have these. I can firmly say no to meat eating and alcohol to them; in fact I have started work in that direction but yet afraid to do that. I do not crave for these.
It is true that I did not think few years back that I would be able to chant but by mercy of Shri Krishna, I have been bestowed with the mahamantra. Please guide me Mata ji