By Bhakta Srinivas Kumar

(Continuing from “What is New Year in the Life of a Spiritualist” – Based on Teachings of Srila Prabhupada)

1. Quantity Chanting: Chanting is the direct association with the Lord through His Holy Names. Irrespective of situation, a devotee should come up to the level of chanting 16 rounds of Hare Krishna mahamantra as early as possible from the time of starting his spiritual journey.  If not, then the devotee is probably not serious in finding out ways to increase the number of japa rounds. If there are serious conditions inhibiting it, he or she should take guidance of a suitable devotee mentor. One should know that the most important thing in Krishna Conscious life is chanting: Chanting is the means, Chanting is the goal. If we do not chant, we are in the tight grip of maya and we have not yet climbed the bus to Goloka Vrindavana. It means that we are not serious about reaching Krishna and still stuck in a fanciful show towards Krishna Consciousness. One can find innumerable instructions and quotes from Srila Prabhupada regarding the importance of chanting compulsory 16 rounds.
2. Quality Chanting: In simple terms, quality chanting is attentive hearing; it is about carefully listening to the Hare Krishna mantra sound vibration – of each and every syllable. The result of this cannot be measured in specific quantitatively.  But can be seen only by the symptoms. The more one is serious in attentive chanting, the more one is enthusiastic in spiritual life.  Understanding both material issues and also spiritual subjects will become easier.  The more a person appreciates spiritual life, and also preaches, the better the devotional service and the determination.
3. Avoid the four Restricted Items: Though we all know this – No Meat-Eating, No Illicit-sex, No Alcohol and No Gambling, still many people indulge in these activities in subtle ways.  Avoiding these 4 restricted items in gross terms itself is a great achievement indeed! (though we tend to break it in our weak minds).  Best Example is that of illicit-sex.  It is indeed most difficult thing for married people. We get attracted to the opposite gender and it is one the most difficult tendencies to control in life.  And a big dampener of our spiritual progress.  History of mankind has repeatedly demonstrated that sex attraction is very difficult to overcome. Though we cannot stop it, we should surely come to the stage where we manage and control it.  Sex attraction is natural as long as we are in conditioned human body, but since we are aiming for a life beyond human life, which is spiritual life, we need to adopt proper instructions as enunciated in scriptures and by acharyas.  The Dos and Donts have been very clearly enunciated by Srila Prabhupada. One can take practical guidance from it. Gambling is also much present in the mind. It is betting on things which we do not foresee predictable results. The results are not predictable – just like some sports and games. Our mind indulges in many of these things everyday.
4. Prasadam (spiritualized food): This is the fuel for a devotee. One should strictly avoid food cooked by materialists since that is done for the fulfilment of one’s tongue and body.  The items should be purely Sattvic (devoid of meat, including onion and garlic).  Food should be offered to Krishna according to instructions provided by Srila Prabhupada and with love for the Lord.  Love for the Lord can at least be measured by the sincerity in offering the food to Krishna. Of course, a devotee also does take food for his bodily need only. The difference is that, a thedevotee is concerned first with the satisfaction of the Lord..for His pleasure.  So the cooked food is offered first to the spiritual master and Krishna and then the remnants are honored. Such food becomes spiritualized. So, this purified food acts on the level of the soul. The soul’s reconnection to Krishna is quickly happening here when one starts taking Sri Krishna prasadam.  In practical cases, when Krishna prasadam is not available, food without much cooking should be preferred for the body’s needs.  Fruits and milk items would be ideal in these scenarios. Fasting on festivals days, special days and Ekadashi days is also a must.

Krishna Consciousness is a Kitchen Religion. So, prasadam is the product of this religion and we should consume it.

More points to seriously deliberate upon:

1. Devotee Association: As seen clearly in the history and scriptures, we can progress very well in a proper environment. And this is achieved by associating with other devotees who are spiritually advanced and stronger than us.  Many a times, these devotees may be younger to us in material age and Krishna conscious age too.  We can still learn from them.  It is very important that we associate with devotees who are absolutely serious in going back to Godhead, back to Krishna. This can only be judged by their seriousness in their spiritual life and following in spiritual life. Since we are materially conditioned, no devotee is perfect even if they are senior.  So, picking up all the good qualities from them and trying to implement in our own lives is the smartest way.  Another level is associating with people on the same level we are by discussing with them about philosophy and related things. We could possibly guide the youngsters, if we are capable of.  If we are following the principles strongly that itself sets an example for others.  Above all, we should constantly associate with Srila Prabhupada’s instructions through his books and lectures.
2. Deity Association: We are enormously inclined to attaching ourselves to physical things in various ways; and the Lord has appeared directly in the archa-vigraha form just to seize our attention. We need to associate with the Lord in these physical terms. It could be done by serving the Deities of the Lord like cleaning, dressing and worshiping the Lord as beautifully as we can.  This can be learnt from many other devotees who dress their Deities very creatively. One can offer prescribed number of aratis, food offerings to the Deity apart from also stitching nice clothes.  If one cannot do this, at least one should spend very good quality time in seeing the Deities in the temple and participating in the temple activities. That is the reason visiting the temple daily or at least few times a week is recommended.
3. Devotional Service: The ultimate goal of spiritual life is to understand that we are the servants of the spiritual master and the Lord. So, serving the Lord is the essential thing.  Performing devotional service every day is the best way to improve our quality in chanting and understanding the philosophy clearly. This is a vast subject and it boils down to the basic thing that we need to render practical devotional service. Else it is very difficult to follow other items of spiritual life.
4. Reading and Listening: Reading the books written by Srila Prabhupada, listening to his thousands of lectures, morning walk/room conversations, and kirtans are the sure-shot ways to keep in touch with the Supreme Lord and the Guru who will take us back to Krishna. There is a vast resource of Vedic literatures given by Srila Prabhupada, which would take our life time to complete and the emphasis is only on Srila Prabhupada’s unchanged literature. Writing articles based on the subject matter of what we have learnt from Prabhupada books is also a very good way of evaluating how much we have understood and are progressing in spiritual life.
5. Pilgrimage Visits, Festivals: We should take association of the previous acharyas and the Lord by visiting the holy dhams or pilgrimage places. Various historical and as well as spiritual insights can be amassed by such trips. Visiting pilgrimage places with just an intention of sight-seeing should be avoided. There are hundreds of Vaishnava pilgrimage places, mostly in India. If one cannot visit them, then the best place is to go to a place where Hari-nama japa and sankirtana is performed. Temple itself is a pilgrimage place, provided a proper frame of mind is developed to see in that way. Participating in all Gaudiya Vaishnava festivals in the temples to the fullest extend is the easiest method of periodic rejuvenation in spiritual life, apart from pilgrimage visits.

If a practising devotee can seriously contemplate and adopt these basic practices in his daily life, then he/she is sure to become advanced and go back to Godhead in this very life.  Like Srila Prabhupada says, “All the members should be very careful to execute their spiritual duties so that whoever comes will automatically become a devotee and will be able to return back to Godhead in this very life. SB 5.8.30“