Hare Krishna
Dandavats and Pranams,
I am doing 16 rounds Chanting almost dialy, But sometimes i am not able to finish, do service or ill health. Please let me know what I should do ?
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Not able to finish rounds due to service or health, what to do ?
Hare Krsna
Chanting is higher in priority than other service.
Chanting is the first service. Rest all come later. That is why it is the first one we are asked to do. Chanting is most effective in early hours. For most other services quality doesn't depend on what time it is done.
If we are not able to find time for chanting amidst services then the whole perspective needs to be changed. We don't take out time for chanting amidst service. We chant as it is the first and foremost responsibility. When we have time after completion of chanting, in that time we do services. This is the recommended approach.
Chanting is the prime method of connecting with Krsna. Services that we do to devotees are supposed to enhance our chanting. In the case mentioned, amount of services need to be changed accordingly so as to balance.
Chanting is first priority till we reach spiritual world. In spiritual world service is more important than chanting.
YS Bharat
Temple Worship not as important as Sankirtan
jeyanthy
9 years ago
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BY HIS DIVINE GRACE A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA
My advice to you under the circumstances is that at least for one hour you must all go to have sankirtana outside on the streets or in the park. That is your life and soul, first business. The next business is completing the chanting of 16 rounds every day. The next business is your editing. And if you find extra time then you can attend the temple ceremonies. Otherwise you can stop these activities. But outdoor kirtana, your editing work, and chanting of 16 rounds must be done. Outdoor kirtana must be done, even at the cost of suspending all editorial work. That is your first and foremost business. Temple worship is not so important. If need be, the whole temple can be locked. But the outdoor kirtana cannot be stopped.
(Letter to Rayarama, 17 May 1969)
We are not much concerned about the temple because temple worship is not the primary factor in this age. The primary factor is sankirtana. But sometimes we want a center where people may gather and see, so a temple is required secondarily.
(Letter to Mukunda, 27 May 1969)
Actually, temple worship is for the neophyte devotee, and the preacher is in a higher position than the neophyte. That is the definition given in Srimad Bhägavatam. The advanced devotee should be very much enthusiastic in preaching the transcendental message of Lord Chaitanya, and temple worship should be entrusted to the newcomers or neophytes.
(Letter to Yamuna, 12 August 1969)
Sanknrtana and distributing BTG and our other literatures is the fieldwork of this movement. Temple worship is secondary. People are invited to come to the temple to see the behavior of the devotees specifically in the matter of purification. There are two kinds of purification methods, external and internal. In our Krishna consciousness movement, deity worship helps to keep us externally purified and sankirtana helps to keep us internally purified. So as far as possible we should execute both of these processes simultaneously.
(Letter to Cidananda, 15 December 1969)
That is a fact. This plan of sankirtana is the only way, the only way for our success. Sankirtana, love feast,and selling BTG, they are our primary engagements, and next is temple worship. Temple worship is needed for the inner section. In the beginning, sankirtana is more important for drawing the attention of the people in general.
(Letter to Sudama, 8 January 1970)
If there is a scarcity of qualified püjäris , then each center should be satisfied by only worshiping the panca-tattva of Lord Chaitanya by performance of sankirtana…. I am glad to learn that you are continuing your mahä-sankirtana. This is our main business. Temple worship is not as important as sankirtana on the public roads and selling our literatures.
(Letter to Damodara, 1 July 1970)
So far as a location for a temple is concerned, even there is no place, we can sit down underneath a tree and chant as I did in New York. Krishna will give a nice place…. Our technique is that we work sincerely and the dictation will come from within; Krishna is seated there.
(Letter to Bali-mardana, 24 November 1970)
Your proposal for a grhastha traveling sankirtana party is a very good one, but the temple work should not be neglected. Both things should go on simultaneously. Our process is to work on bhägavata and päncarätrika systems simultaneously. Deity worship is päncarätrika system and preaching is bhägavata system. If we keep both systems in a regular way that will solidly help us in our advancement in Krishna Consciousness.
(Letter to Makhanlal and Tilaka, 24 September 1971)
Hare Krishna Prabhuji, AGTSP
PAMHO
Chanting in itself is a Service to Krishna , as well as you are Cleansing the mirror of your heart , as you keep chanting all the 6 vices lust , anger, greed,envy ... vanish . offencesless and abasha chanting gives you Krishna Prema . Go on Keep Doing Japa , to know more about improving your Japa read " Harinama chintamani " by Sri Bhakti Vinoda Thakora , Guru of Srila Bhaktisidhanta Sarasvati thakora
Hare Krishna prabhu,
PAMHO.
If you can't complete the chanting one day, then in the next day please try to compensate the pending rounds. Also if possible then while lying down on the bed, you can chant as your case is not normal one.
Does this answer your question?
YS Ratnadeep.