Inspired to Chant Again I read the article about the Moscow temple in the March/April edition. All the articles regarding the temple and the hardship faced by devotees inspired me. The article “A Taste of Salted Bread” was very moving. I was so amazed that there is such dedication and faith. The devotees were ready to give up their life for Krishna, and under extreme difficulties they still chanted and kept their vows up. Whoever said that pure devotees cannot be found in this age? I believe that the devotees were tested to the extreme, and they came out winning like Prahlada Maharaja and defeated the asuras.
I would like to sincerely thank them for such faith. Although I have been reading His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s books for years, I have not been fully committed. I found chanting tedious, so I never did any rounds. After reading the articles on Moscow, I have been inspired, and I shall be doing at least four rounds every day. I hope Krishna will help me chant sincerely.- Bharti Ramji
Transformed By Krishna.com
I am twenty-one years old, from Calcutta. I’m writing to say that members of the Krishna consciousness society are and have been doing a great job. I want to thank you all. It’s only due to the great effort of the Krishna consciousness society that I have been able to understand Krishna (Visnu) and become His staunch devotee.
I was not a devotee of Krishna or any other god, in spite of being born in a Hindu family. But things changed gradually. One day I somehow entered Krishna.com to collect some pictures (wallpapers). I cannot explain what happened to me. I felt so attracted to Krishna. I regularly visited the site, and gradually I became extremely attached to Lord Krishna.
I had been very abusive and short tempered. I loved to party, think about girls my age constantly, and go to bad movies every day. Now I’ve given up all these habits and have become a vegetarian. I always have the name of Lord Krishna in my mouth, and I cannot explain the energy and ecstasy I get while chanting His name.
I wrote this message simply to convey my thanks to you all and to state how important it is for all of us to be inclined to Krishna consciousness so as to easily get rid of all impurities that thrive in our soul. Our main goal should be Krishna, who alone has the power to deliver us from all sorts of sinful action so that we get back to Him and become free from the entanglement of the material world.- Vivek Kumar, Kolkata
The Illusion Of Material Life
Is this material world, and material bodies, like a dream world to make the soul forget God? – Ashok Sahu
Our reply: Souls come to this world to enjoy independently of God. Because it is impossible to do so, Krishna has designed this world in such a way that the souls here can imagine they are enjoying in so many ways independently of God. When they become frustrated in their attempts, Krishna sends a guru to reveal the true situation and explain how to become free from the illusion.
Our bodies of matter have nothing to do with our spiritual selves, and the pleasure of sense enjoyment is no more a reality than our dreams at night. By following the guru’s good advice, souls become reunited with God through acts of devotion, which can be performed even in this world. One who perfects such God consciousness, or Krishna consciousness, attains an eternal spiritual form at the end of this life to serve the Lord in an intimate relationship forever.
Seeking Clarity and Grace
Is there any literature you can send me regarding beginning to learn about Krishna? I had some japa beads, but they burned in our house fire last fall. I am just searching and trying to find “the truth,” which has always seemed to escape me. I have read some of the Bhagavad-gîta as well. Perhaps I have been looking in the wrong places, but I am looking for that moment when it all comes to me and I have that moment of clarity and grace. Is there such a thing out there? – Christopher Groce
Our reply: Please keep up this enthusiasm, and Krishna will take leaps toward you. He is very eager to bring you back to Him. Our little endeavors go down in our transcendental bank account, so don’t stop making deposits.
You can get more beads, and the Gîta is packed full with a lifetime of study. It would be great for you to connect with one of our temples and with devotees in your area. Association with devotees and chanting the holy names are powerful tools to wash away doubts and inspire our cultivation of this highest knowledge.
We have a treasure box full of books on Krishna consciousness. If you tell us more about your inclinations regarding spiritual life, we can recommend specific books. We also offer seminars, and online training is becoming available.
When we become saturated in spiritual sound and tangible service to God, we experience the taste of an exalted pleasure not attached to the material world. We will never experience the highest taste until we contact the divine. That is what the process of Krishna consciousness is about. It is yoga, or linking to the supreme. By chanting, we daily have new realizations about who we really are and what we should be and can be doing eternally. This lifetime is very short, so we need to develop these practices right away. We have been absorbed in the illusory energy too many lifetimes. Now we should dedicate this lifetime to reach the Supreme, Lord Krishna.
Japa Struggles
Whenever I start chanting japa, I am surrounded by personal problems regarding my work and finances. Can you help me? – Dinesh Kapur
Our reply: Japa is the process of cleansingcleaning house, stirring up the dirt that has been there for lifetimes of attachments. So don’t be surprised if you see unwanted things. Now is the time to rid our hearts of the things that keep us from further devotion to Krishna.
Japa is very powerful, especially when chanted without offense. It is important to have firm faith that chanting will deliver you from the disease of material life. We should try not to commit offenses, one of which is inattentiveness. Japa time is for associating only with Krishna, not with your problems. Krishna will take care of those things in time. Try to just listen to the holy names and pray to Krishna for increased service, for acceptance back into His loving service.
Chant every day. Constant practice trains our minds and increases our awareness of Krishna. So stick to it, have faith, and pray to Krishna to help you think of Him and depend on Him. This is the gradual process of surrender that begins with chanting. It is the real cure.
Replies were written by Krishna.com’s Live Help volunteers.
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