Hare Krishna!
All glories to Guru and Gaurang!!!
I am a working person. Office timing is 9-6, leaves home at 8am and reaches at 7pm. My query is what a time & activity schedule i shuould try to apply to increase my devotion. I get confuse what should i do ideally. Many times i get up early...but get confuse, should i do mala first or do arti or do some exercise.
In the evening also this happens with me..i am fond of watching tv and trying hard to get rid from it..Please help me.
Sorry if asked any foolish question.
Regards
Deepa
Replies
Hare Krishna Mataji
PAMHO. AGTSP. AGTSG&SG.
I second Maral mataji's statement that we should give at most preference to our Japa than to anything else. 90 % of the progress in spiritual life is achieved by chanting the holy name offenslessly. If you get up early in the morning like 4:30-5 am then chant your minimum number rounds expected which is 16. Then get ready and go to office. You can do your exercise in the evening after returning home and take bath again to feel fresh. Then you can do sandhya aarthi since you could not do mangalarthi.Try to avoid watching TV as much as possible. I know its difficult but not impossible. Srila Prabhupada says that a devotee must be engaged all the time in some or other services. If you do not have services then you can read and hear krishna katha and also chant more rounds.
Taking rest early is very important for a devotee. If we miss on this then you will have a chain of events that go bad starting from our wake up time delay to delay in chanting and other services. Some devotees try to note down the details of day to day sadhana like wake up time, chanting time and quality, reading, hearing, sleeping time and number of hours slept. When we document this every single day, we can come to know where we are spending time not efficiently and take corrective action.
Chanting is the MOST important part of our saadhana and we should take great care for doing it properly. Its advised to chant all 16 rounds (or what ever you chant) in one go sitting in some place at home or temple. Break up chanting is usually found not effective. I know some devotees who chant while traveling or during the lunch break and some even chant in the Srimad Bhagavatam class. These are not good practice and a serious devotee should not do this kind of japa. 16 rounds is minimum expected and we have to do it but if we are any ways investing 2 hours in it why not invest it properly and in a way that can benefit the best for our spiritual life.
Haril Bol!!!!!!
Hare Krishna dear Deepa Mataji, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
the Holy Names are the most important!
For example, if i do not have enough time i prefer to chant the Holy Names first of all even not doing Mangala Arati.
or just offering insects to Deities and start my Japa. The Holy Names, again, is more important than anything else.
Your servant,
Hare Krsna Maral Mataji,
I am sorry for telling this:
In the 5th line of ur thread, it should be incense not insects. :-)
Your servant
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupad.
Gettin up early mornin at 4.30 or 5, Wil fetch us lot of time. V can do mangal arathi and some rounds of chanting til 6am. Then can do exercise for half n hr. Then get ready for the office and leave at 8. In the afternoon durin lunch break can do couple of rounds of chanting. Then evening after returnin back can finish the remaining rounds to make it 16. At nite sleep at 10pm.. In this way life can be regulated and Krishna conscious life can be lead..
Haribol...