Most Important Business

What we are doing in the conference is to follow in the footsteps of Rupa and Sanatan Goswamis. Krsna is kind. We have a large group of devotees from New Jersey. If I speak in English is it okay? This is Sayaber math. In Vrindavan we have Angrej ka mandir. Bengali’s used to call it Sayber math referring to the foreign devotees as Saheb.

One thought is when we chant Hare Krishna wherever, or on this conference, it’s like a family reunion. We are different members of Krsna’s family. We reunite and connect with Krsna. We connect with each other also. So it’s a reunion. Now we have bodies, but if we keep chanting and chanting and become pure devotees then we will all continue to be with Krsna. The holy name is uniting us. Now in this world in physical bodies then we will have spiritual bodies and we will be united.

We are not in this world – Kolkata world or this world or that world. Mayapur is not in this world. It is out of this world. So we have reached! But the challenge is to stay here. Stay high forever! If we stay high by chanting higher and higher then even if we go away, so called going away to Pune or somewhere else , then we haven’t left Mayapur or Vrindavan. We are part of Vrindavan, part of Mayapur. Consciousness is what makes us belong to this or that place. Prabhupada would make those claims, which is a fact. Being in New York, he would say, ‘I am not in New York.’ He was thinking of his Radha-Damodar in Vrindavan and felt he was there.

So keep chanting. Is your chanting getting better? Trying, struggling, lots of challenges? Every day could be a new challenge also. Did you face some challenges today while chanting? No challenge! No one was stopping you? No opposition party? Maya is in so many forms. Did any one face any challenge? Sleep is also a challenge. Some of you are defeated by sleep and thoughts – thinking, feeling, willing. Mind makes lots of plans. Did it happen today? Today is Ekadasi and you have to fast. That’s also a challenge. Ekadasi is upavas -fasting. Previous Ekadasi I was talking about upavas . In Maharashtra they say, aaj upavas ache – Ekadasi upavas or Shivaratri upavas. So today is the day to get closer to the Lord. ‘Up’ means near and ‘vas’ means to reside. Reside near Krsna. Today is that day. We observe the upavas day by fasting from grains and if you could fast from Maya then it will be real upavas. Today we will fast from Maya. Normally we have lots of feasting on Maya. The mind, the senses are feasting or planning. So endeavour to fast from Maya. We fast. We eat less or don’t even eat, or don’t even drink. Survive only on air. They also spiritualise the air. When we chant ……

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

…… we purify the air. The air gets Krsnaised. While taking out the air that we have taken in, we Krsnaise the air and we hear that air, the sound. That’s what some of the devotees do. No eating, no drinking. It is kind of pranayam. Taking air in and then out, then we chant. They chant lots of rounds, lot of hearing, studying. If we do more hearing, more chanting, along with more association, then we will manage to stay near Krsna. That Is real meaning of upavas. If we manage to stay near Krsna, with Krsna, then that is upavas. Just fasting doesn’t make a successful upavas. Whether we have stayed with Krsna, connected with Krishna should be introspected.

One of the recommendations of Bhaktivinoda Thakur on Ekadasi is to compare your sadhana performance from the last Ekadasi to this Ekadasi. How was my performance? Was it a Krishna conscious performance. My practises? How was my sadhana? Did I miss something? My hearing and Reading. Dharmaraj Prabhu keeps daily record of sadhana and sends it to me at the end of month for my review or comments. Bhaktivinod Thakur has suggested , you should review your performance. You should keep record or have a sadhana card. If you have so much faith in your memory, that you can remember your sadhana this day and that day , then you may not write. That is something Bhaktivinoda Thakur recommended. These were my strong points and some weak points and till next Ekadasi I have to improve here and improve there. So such analysis is important to improve own sadhana.
Chanting is a serious activity, the most important business. We break our heads, do lots of planning, work out strategies and resources, timelines. So why not apply all those things to this Krishna conscious business of chanting. Planning, preparation is important. I have been saying this on the conference. For this morning’s chanting you prepare the night before or the day before or two days before. You have chanted today and till tomorrow’s chanting in between is preparation time. They say in this world 80% is preparation and 20% is execution. You have spent 80% of your time and energy to prepare and then implement 20%. If you have done good planning, then execution and implementation will go smoothly. The potential difficulties you will be facing next morning will be lesser. Prevention is better than cure. Maybe you didn’t sleep enough, you spent your night doing some useless things or other businesses. All these things which what you did the night before and what you did not do . How many Vaisnavas have you offended? Instead of doing that we should think otherwise. How many Vaisnavas have I served today? I will serve at least three Vaisnavas in a smaller or bigger way. That is preparation. Like that many different types of preparations are there. The next morning’s chanting becomes focused and with concentration. They will take that seriously.

I have been telling this incident from time to time about when I was new bhakta in Mumbai. One gentleman, a life member came from downtown Mumbai and he wanted to see the president. I looked for the president. He was chanting. When I gave the message to the president, he said,” Tell him I am busy.” My response in my mind was, “You are not busy. You are just chanting. Just chanting can’t be a serious business.” I didn’t tell him this. Later on I kept thinking and I realised that SITTING DOWN AND CHANTING IS A SERIOUS BUSINESS! You are supposed to be busy, fully busy, not partially busy or somewhat busy. Whole being has to be busy. Your body has to be busy, the mind has to be busy, intelligence has to be alert and employed and of course basically your soul has to be busy. Isn’t it a serious business? You should have this understanding that you are busy with the chanting. When others see you, just by seeing they should have this understanding that you are busy.

Once one devotee from Surat was chanting. I could see he is not busy, kind of spaced out. hE was not looking for Krsna, but looking around. When people don’t sit properly it doesn’t feel as if they are busy. Sitting properly is important. In army after the parade, when there is break or relaxation, when commander says, ‘ Savadhan’, then even the beginners tighten their belts. They stop everything else and drop everything to get ready for the next instruction.They don’t move their eyesight. It is also fixed.They are not rolling their eyes. While chanting we should also come to such savadhan state.

Once during Hyderabad Ratha-yatra, one policeman was there for security. I happened to tell him – “Chant Hare Krishna.” His response was, “I am on duty! I can’t do anything else.” So take this chanting business as duty or Dharma, and try to do as it is expected of us. Physically, mentally, intellectually, soulfully. The soul is an important aspect of our being. Focus on hearing while chanting.

At least we should know what is the right thing to do. You should know the right way to think, right way to do and try to do those right things and achieve that goal. I know what is the right thing and I also try to do it correctly. There is jnana and vijnana – knowledge and application.

Try to spread the holy name around. That is also part of the preparation. Being kind, faithful to new people.

isvare tad-adineṣu
balisesu dvisatsu ca
prema-maitri-krpopeksa
yah karoti sa madhyamah

An intermediate or second-class devotee, called madhyama-adhikari, offers his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent and disregards those who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SB 11.2.46)

Prabhupada would say that at least come to the second level. Third class devotees love the Lord, but hate others or the devotees. Or they may be neutral or be doing some opeksa also. Love, hate and being neutral. Love the devotees, be friendly with devotees. Do some krpa, or be kind or faithful. Stay away from demoniac ways. This is the second class devotees. It is expected that we propagate the Hare Krsna mahamantra.

We do that also in one of our best programs – Padayatra program. We propagate holy name. We bring new people. We got report from Amaravati. Our IGF team of 25 girls ,on international Women’s day, our girls from that team, Are going on one day Padayatra. This is also desirable thing to do. So many new people will hear the holy name. Get connected or hooked. This is also desirable thing to do and part of the preparation. You will have better concentration, if during the day you are engaged in activities like this.

yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa
amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa

“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.” (CC.Madhya 7.128)
Serve the new devotees. We will stop here.
Hare Krishna