I HV BEEN KEEN INTERESTED IN READING AND LEARNING SPRITUAL TEXTS FOR PAST TWO YEARS WHEN READING MORE ABOUT SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AND RAMKRISHNA PARAMHANSA PROMPTED TO ENQUIRE MORE INTO SELF-QUERY AND THE GOD.............WHICH INTENSIFIED GREATLY WHEN I CAME INTO CONTACT IN KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS.........GOT A COPY OF "BHAGWADGITA AS IT" IS FROM A ISKON DEVOTEE WHO GIFTED IT TO MY FATHER................BEFORE THAT I WAS TOO SPOILED IN SMOKING,DRINKING AND OTHER BAD HABITS ...............I HADRECOVERED FROM ALL THESE AFTER A VERY STRANGEINCIDENT THAT HAD BAD INFLUENCE ON MY PSYCHOLOGICALHEALTH;;;;;;;;AFTER GETTING GITA,I READ IT MANY TIMES OF IT AND HEAR TO AUDIE 4 OR 5 TIMES EVERYDAY WHENEVER I FIND SOLACE.........................REGARDING MY LIFESTYLE AND CAREER,I HV CHANGED A LOT AND QUIT ALLTHOSE HABITS EVEN NON-VEG....BUTBEING A NON-MEMBER AND MY ROUTINE,I FINDHARD TIME FOR DEVOTION SPEICALLY CHANTING (JUST 1 OR 2 TIME A DAY EVEN NOT REGULAR)....................................................................YET THE ZEAL IN ME AFTER READING THE SAMETEXT IN BHAGWADGITA AGAIN AND AGAINI INCREASINGTOO MUCH THAT I OFTEN TALK TO MYSELF IN ALONE .........BOMBARDINGOF THOUGHTS AND QUERIES THAT IFIND VERYHARD TO BALANCE............OFTEN LISTENINGTO MAHABHARATA SERIAL AUDIO GITA..............I AM A STUDENT GOING TO TAKE UP JOB AFTER A MONTH........FEELING SO HANGEDIN THISDEPAIR THOUGHT OF MEDITATING ..EVEN PRACTISED TOO BUT NOT ENOUGH LIGHT THERE...............................I HV BEEN HELPED BY THE GOD AT THE MOST CRITICALTIMES OF LIFE WHENEVER I AM IN TROUBLE OR SORROW MANY TIMES...............BUT TO BEING CONTANTLY MOVING IN THE PATH OF GOD SEEMS TOO DIFFICULT???ISN'T IT??
You need to be a member of ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT to add comments!
Replies
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
If you are liking Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is, then it is very good. A lot of people's lives have been changed by that single book. It is very nice to hear that you have given up non-veg, smoking and drinking and other bad habits. These are very postive signs.
YOu have not mentioned which city you are in. If there is an ISKCON centre near you, please visit and ask for what congregation development program they have. If possible, enrol and attend regularly. You are young enough to join VOICE. It would be nice if you could have regular association of devotees - that is the best motivator to chant.
What you can do is - reward yourself initially - suppose you like jalebis a lot. Tell yourself if you wake up half an hour before your regular time and chant the mahamantra, then you will treat yourself to jalebis for breakfast (ideally keep a fruit, or you'll gain weight and then blame me). Do this everyday for atleast a month, then it will become a habit. If you have problem waking up even with alarm, then get a friend to wake you up by calling at a fixed time.
Commit to Krsna the number of rounds of the mahamantra you will do everyday. Ideally start with 4, then increase when you become more firmed up. Once you commit to Krsna, you will automatically be able to chant. You will not be able to sleep if you dont chant one day. In that event, get up and chant and then go back to sleep. There are no preconditions to chanting - whatever time of day or night or wherever you can chant. When I started to chant, I was told that this is a very serious commitment - commitment of the soul. The way we eat food to nourish the body, we chant to nourish the soul. Therefore, the day we dont eat AND the day we dont sleep (both together), is the day we dont chant. If you see, such a day never happens - even in extreme happiness or pain, we always eat and/or sleep. Chanting is that important.
Read Gita everyday (which you are doing anyways). Start with this and then take it forward.
It is possible to chant everyday if you are committed - I have chanted even on all exam days as well as on the day of my marriage and the next day - my first day in my sasural.
Best of luck,
Your servant,
Rashmi
hare krishna!!!Very Thank you for yr advice................surely try on to this...
and what is "VOICE"????U MENTIONED ABOUT
Hare Krishna Umang,
There are many programs from ISKCON and one such is for to help the young like minded devotees making them to stay together and advance in the Spiritual practice under the guidance of temple management.
VOICE stands for Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture & Education. This is being managed by ISKCON - Pune and they have centers in most of the prominent cities in India and abroad. Please find more information in the attached brochure.
Since you are very eager and enthusiastic, I would recommend you to get connected with some devotees and try to attend some programs.
To answer for your question in precise - I don't call it as difficult. In the beginning, one may feel difficult due to many reasons but don't be discouraged. This is the path that we have been longing since many life times so be fixed. I added you in my friends list, please be in touch.
Hare Krishna...
hare krishna,
Thank you karthik for yr friendly support
Sorry, could not upload the VOICE brochure due to exceeded size. Check this link - http://www.iskconpune.com/media/downloads/lotus-voice-brochure/