Normally when I go out for a walk, I see too many things that I do not like to see. What to do? This is material world and I am a fallen soul. Today, I had to go to a shop to buy some lemons and cucumbers. It takes at least 10 minutes to reach the shop on foot. I thought I rather walk and chant few extra rounds while walking both ways.
The worse part of Japa rounds while walking along the public roads is I get distracted by too many objects. While my lips are uttering the Mahamantra, my mind gets carried away, either partly or more fully, by what my eyes feeds it. But as I had done all my rounds in the morning, why not chant few extra rounds while I go and come back ? I carried my bead bags to make best use of the time while walking to and from the shop.
Right from the door of my house, I started off with Pachatattva Mantra. When I arrived the street, I was a bit conscious of other people but I did not care. Who is going to hear my chanting in a busy and noisy road? Well, even if some one hears me, that is even better. After all, it is the holy name. Today, for the first time in my walk, I did not want to be bothered by any external objects and kept chanting in my japa beads while walking. It was a bright summary Sunday. People were busy going in and out of fish and chips restaurants or pizza bars. Some were coming out of the shops with cans of beers. Women were more exposed showing their most part of the bodies. Once again I was seeing the true examples of victims of Maya Devi. But I kept chanting. I do not know how I got this idea, but whenever I spotted anyone too much into Maya, I dedicated few of my mantras to them. With more sympathy toward them in my heart, I chanted more sincerely than usual. Like that, I dedicated some of my mantras to lusty people, beer lovers, and meat eaters. That way, I felt even more urgency to chant the holy names with intense desire. I seemed to love the holy name more and more and be less distracted by the outside objects but more and more attracted in chanting. I kept chanting till I reached the shop. I had finished 1 round before I reached the shop. I started another round just after making the payment. I felt myself being surcharged with some refreshing energy. I was getting fresher and fresher with some flow of wave through my body. Mind was very cool on such a sunny afternoon. While walking, my chanting was slower but more rhythmic and I heard the every syllables of the Mahamantra distinctly and attentively. That japa was wonderful, even better than my rounds at home. By the time I came home I had finished thre rounds.
What a wonderful experience it was! It was very rejuvenating and perfectly nourished my body, mind and spirit, yet free of cost !!! In the past, I never got such refreshing energy when took multi-vitamins or other tonics, for which I had to pay a lot of money.
Thank you Srila Prabhupada ! You took the all risks at that old age and worked hard to build all the "facilities" to relieve us from the the grip of darkness and ignorance. You established the Deities all over the world. You gave us the Scriptures to enlighten us. Had you not done all that, I would not have got Krishna Consciousness in this country of the UK. I was learning to become more "civilized" by drinking beers and coffees. I was getting so called "westernized". Beers, burgers and takeaways of the foodstuffs made of the corpse of animals were objects of pride for me. So many Karmic singers were my idols of "worships". Friends and family get-together was a golden opportunity to display fashions and ornaments for the ladies and to boast about the material progress for we men. I was being pushed more and more into the dark illusionary oceans. But some how I got rescued. It was thanks to the Hare Krishna devotees who planted the seed of Krishna Consciousness in my heart when they were distributing books in the capital city of Nepal about 20 years ago . From "their books", I knew there was such a personality like Srila Prabhupada and such a thing as Krishna Consciousness. It was because of the power of the association with those devotees, Krishna wanted me to come closer to Him. So that, 17 years after that encounter with those book distributors, I became "Krishna devotee". Although I call myself a devotee. I am far far below from the level of being a devotee. I do not know how many hundreds or thousands of life time it will take me to become a Krishna devotee.
Once again, thank you so much Srila Prabhupada for opportunity you gave for transforming my life from the darkness to self realizaiton.
Northolt, Middlesex, UK
Sunday, 10 April, 2011
Comments