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Saranagati Newsletter No. 157

Building the Foundation

 

Since our spiritual life is the foundation for living properly in this world, proper chanting is not just a spiritual practice but a fundament for our life. It is known that the higher you wish to build, the deeper and stronger the fundaments must be. If the fundaments are not deep enough, the building will crash down. It’s only a question of time. Thus, deep fundaments, or deep spiritual roots, are absolutely essential, as encapsulated in the proverb, ‘When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.’

Chanting the Holy Name gives life. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura puts it succinctly‘In this dull material world there are only two living entities: the individual soul and the Holy Name.’ Our task is to make the two meet.

However, only regular practice will affect change inside. If we want to boil water in a kettle, we wouldn’t apply a little heat to the pot, then switch off the electricity, then turn it on again, then switch it off again, etc. The water would never boil! It would warm up, cool off, warm up, then cool off. Each time we would have to use so much energy to again raise the temperature to where it was when we switched off. The same holds true for chanting! We have to do it regularly for a good length of time without any periods of non-chanting.

Chant as much as possible! Chant when you are happy and when you are sad. Sing when you go to your office, or when you shower – just sing! Everything else that you have obtained in this world will be stolen from you at the time of death. The safest way to obtain the wealth of prema-dhana (love for Krsna) is by making regular contact with the Holy Name and taking association of those who have Krsna consciousness.

Excerpt from Sacinandana Swami (2018). The Living Name, ch.5 & 6.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: Eagerness to see Kṛṣṇa is required

So some way or other, we should come in contact with Krsna. Some way or other. Then we’ll be purified. Kamad bhayad dvesyat. Just like the gopis. The gopis came to Krsna being captivated by His beautiful features. […]

They loved Krsna with heart and soul. That is the qualification. They loved so much Krsna that they didn’t care for family, for reputation. When they were going at dead of night… Krsna’s flute was there, and they were all fleeing. Their father, their brother, their husband: “Where you are going? Where you are going in this dead of night?” They didn’t care. They neglected their children, their family, everything: “We must go to Krsna.”

So this is required. We must be very, very eager so that… And many gopis who were forcibly stopped going to Krsna, they lost their life. Just see how much eager they are.

So this eagerness is wanted. Then you can see God. […] Some way or other, if you develop this eagerness, that “I must see Krsna,”

Then Krsna will be seen.

The first thing is how much eager you are to see Krsna. Krsna will respond. If you are actually eager to see Krsna…

So this eagerness is very important thing. But it can be awakened by the association of devotees. Therefore we are giving chance to everyone to invoke that eagerness. Then you will see God eye to eye. It is not difficult. Tac chraddadhana munayah. Those who have developed that eagerness, faith, that “I must see Krsna in this life”… This life is meant for seeing Krsna.

From a lecture given by Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles, on August 15, 1972.


 

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