Bhakti
harekrsna
The Golden Rule of Bhakti
By Prema Samputa Dasa
smartavyah satatam vishnur
vismartavyo na jatucit
sarve vidhi-nisedhah syur
etayor eva kinkarah
Vishnu should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All rules and prohibitions mentioned in the sastras should be servants of these two principles.(Padma Purana)
Life is full of ups and downs. An inexperienced devotee will especially remember Krishna when he’s down, but a more experienced devotee also remembers to be thankful to Krsna and to take shelter of Him even when everything seems to be great.
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Things to do
· Pray to Krishna for strength and direction. · Learn to take shelter in chanting, this will help to transform your heart. · Find your own maintainable level of devotional practice, one which will gradually enable you to reach the ideal rather than an unrealistic and unachievable end which will only frustrate you. · Associate with those who have a slightly higher level of practice than you do (those who are also struggling but maintaining higher standards). · Practice some level of self discipline, it is the genuine path to higher enjoyment.
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Tips for the Struggle
If you find yourself struggling with chanting or the four regulative principles, don’t be alarmed, it is natural and to be expected for any individual who makes sacrifices (mental or physical) in order to progress spiritually. In fact, expect challenges as you move forward, be prepared for them and gradually work through them rather than evade them, otherwise they will only come back again and again. Find your own level of manageable practice, even though initially it may appear to be a compromise, gradually work up to the ideal, it may take weeks……., months………, or even years! But, sincerely persevere and the Lord within the heart will reciprocate.
Whenever there is a human impulse, our tendency is to respond immediately without even contemplating the outcome. In reality there exists a short moment between an impulse and a response, catch yourself during this short moment, think first, then act. If this thinking is based on principled directions (or scripture), you will succeed in holding back the force of unwarranted impulses.
Remember, whilst striving for the highest spiritual principles, we still have responsibilities to our spouses, children and friends. We must be conscious of their needs before imposing our own.
In all cases of upholding any vows, the key principle is DESIRE, half of the battle is won if we ourselves make a conscious decision to follow a practice rather than feel obliged to do so – so desire it!
With Love,
Prema Samputa Dasa
Always remember Krishna and never forget Him. I have found very few people emphasizing this most important aspect of bhakti. I would be interested to know how author is implementing this principle in his own life.
I have found that taking small steps towards Krishna can bring us closer to Krishna much more faster than those who try to take big steps.
I have found following very helpful to always remember Krishna:
* Remember Krishna when one lays down on bed until one sleeps. If one remembers Krishna continuously during this time, then one can do good amount of remembrance.
This is not as easy as it sounds. One needs to practice it and learn this art. At the beginning, it may even keep one wakeful for a time. Some people may experience losing sleep. I don’t think that constitutes a crisis. Good news for such people is that they are getting extra time for chanting and remembrance.
* Start remembering Krishna as soon as one gets up. Do the same while brushing, showering etc. That is also significant amount of time.
* Remember Krishna before one start driving the car and keep the remembrance while driving.
List is big. But the essence is to take small and simple steps towards Krishna.
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