Pandora Hinson December 7, 2012 at 8:25pm

When I use to work 12 hour day shifts, I was not able to chant 16 rounds a day. I have now found an 8 hour full time night shift job. I get off work at 7:30am and sleep. I chant every day from 4pm to 7pm. I rarely ever go to the Temple anymore because I have to focus on getting my 16 rounds done every day so I stay home a lot.

Volunteer

rakesh roshan December 4, 2012 at 2:54pm

Hare Krsna pr

please accept my humble obeisances.

happy to be able to serve u in some way.

This is my schedule.

I stay with devotees in BACE so there are many things that we do in common so services are distributed.

I get up at 4.15- 4.30 in the morning.Our morning program starts at 5 o clock . I have some services everyday, which I do then we have Mangal Arati, Narsimha Arati , recite sikshastakam,10 offenses, then Sri Namamrita and meaning of Shikshastakam(1 verse) . Then I chant my 17 rounds in the morning itself. it takes around 1 hr 55 mins. Then I take some rest ( arnd half n hour to 1 hr ) and then take prasad and then go to office. I work in office generally for 9 hrs but due to hectic schedule, i have to work for 10-11 hrs sometimes. I don't work more than 9 hrs from my side but many times, I have to work. Then I come back to BACE. ( it takes 1 hr in traveling up and down).I do hearing in Company for around half- 1 hour. Then I take prasad and then I check personal mails and do internet related work.Then I read Srila Prabhupada books for aorund 15-30 minutes.Then i sit down to study. I study for an hour or 2 and then I sleep. Whatever time I sleep, I get up at 4.15 - 4.30 am generally. Also, once in a week I have cooking service and i have to skip morning program then. i finish my rounds after the service( cooking takes around 2 and half hours for 10 devotees). I have some services daily.which i do before going or after coming.I wash clothes twice in a week. I have 4- 5 sets of clothes for BACE so that I don't have to wash clothes daily. It may seem from this schedule that where is time for personal life. I give time for personal things also, I take out time for that from sleep and other things. I assign everything priorities and do accordingly. CHANTING gets the first priority. It is the most important thing of our life( told to me by a very senior devotee.)

I got this kind of training by senior devotees. FIRST PRIORITY IS COMPLETE CHANTING 17 ROUNDS IN THE MORNING itself and then u can do anything during the day. I try to follow this principle. some very senior and strong devotees take a vow of not taking prasad till they finish their 16 rounds minimum. if we can CHANT OUR MINIMUM ROUNDS IN the morning itself then we are free to do services in the day. CHANTING ATTENTIVELY, HELPLESSLY, SINCERELY WITHOUT OFFENSES ALL OUR ROUNDS IF WE DO IN MORNING , THEN YOU WILL BE VERY STRONG FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. ALONG WITH THIS IF YOU CAN HAVE A VERY STRONG MORNING PROGRAM, EVEN BETTER. STRONG MORNING PROGRAM helps to have good CHANTING.

Hope this helps.

please do tell if i can help in some other way.

ys

Volunteer

Mohini Madhavi December 3, 2012 at 11:01am

Then forgive me for understanding You incorrectly, please!

When i studied i could attend only half part of Bhagavatam in the morning than i had to run to my classes. But when i studied in India i even did not had chance to come everyday to the Temple. Because it was too too far and in the morning was dark. No busses and trains.

So Krishna helped me to make the place where i lived a Temple. I planted Tulasi Tree, made nice Altar and do programs at home Temple. And also used to attend online Mangla Arati whether in Mayapur or in Mumbai Chowpatty. I am grateful to all those Devotees who create such like opportunity to serve.

But even online Bhagavatam i could not attend fully because of that i had to hear lectures when i have time for that : while on the bus, train, washing, cooking ...

So to hear recordings is also powerful if we are attentive.

We can request Rakesh Roshan Prabhu to help You.

Your servant,

Volunteer

Mohini Madhavi November 30, 2012 at 11:08am

Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

very nice replies from experienced Devotees, no need to add more.

But even though wanted to say few things:

In one lecture HH Radhanath Swami said that if in previous ages people used to go to the forests, jungles ...to perform austerity these days students go to the universities. In this way our going to the universities, doing master's or bachelor's ... is somehow or other resembles that type of austerity.

And in order to achieve success in this world we all need to perform austerity. Everything needs austerity - price.

And price is less sleep, less or unwanted food, less sense enjoyment, less gossip, hard work of self cooking, self washing, dormitory life, hard subjects, special uniform....so many difficulties but as a result we gain good qualities and our degree.

For example, when i was a student nobody cooked for me, nobody washed, nobody did shopping for me...everything i had to do myself which is time consuming. While staying in the hostel with other girls it was difficult to control the speech so i took vow to speak only in 3rd language, because my 3rd language - English was too bad. On the place of cooking 3 times once in a day or sometimes in a week...on the place of watching TV till late hours better was for me to sleep very early and wake up very early and complete my rounds or at least 10-14.

But in Your case Prabhu, i am sure that Your dear Mother cooks for You and even packs Your tiffens for a lunch. She washes for You, home is clean, clothes are ready to wear ...so i am surprised if even in this situation it is difficult to save 2 hours for japa.

Concerning chanting while walking: better to chant always. Even while walking or running. But the main rounds we have to try to chant in a suitable place and state.

Your servant,

Volunteer

Priya Rani November 26, 2012 at 9:27pm

Hare Krishna, humble obeisances

That is a very good thing that you want to follw the devotees. But as previously said by rahul pr, it'll definitely be hard for you to follow the routine of other devotees. But still here is a sample given by a mataji :) Though she is female so the work she do might be different from her, it's just an example

"In a situation where you go to the temple for Aarati every morning, you chant 2 rounds walking there, two rounds walking back home (so you're up early in the morning hours to take advantage of the most auspicious time of the day), you chant until say 6am at the temple, total rounds for the morning, maybe 10 rounds, if you're fast and steady. Then you start your day of wife, mother, worker, until the end of the day (for those who don't have children, days are pretty full and usually stop around 8.30pm). With all that activity, you still have 6 rounds to go (4 rounds if you've been awesome and managed to chant during lunch break). At the end of the day, you're very tired, you go to bed around 8.30-9pm so that you can read for 30 mins one of Srila Prabhupada's books." http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/forum/topics/chanting-vs-reading?co...

Still I would make some suggestions. If you can't manage to attend programs, just try to complete all your 16 rounds. One you start to chant very nicely you can see the difference. Krishna will Himself help you to manage your time nicely so that you can serve Him and at the same time manage your material life. I remember when i had the same problem of time management (unable to chant 16 rounds) a devotee said me Krishna gives some extra invisible time to the devotees who endeavor to serve Him. So pls keep up the spirit and in a very loving and submassive state of mind chant all your rounds. Happy chanting!

Your servant

Volunteer

Gopal das November 24, 2012 at 9:05pm

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RISING EARLY IN THE MORNING.‏

http://www.iskcondesiretree.net/group/krishnaconsciousness/forum/to...

please share ur schedule of work, seva and sadhana

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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RISING EARLY IN THE MORNING.‏