We always have excuses for not being serious in our devotion to Krishna. Now if we look at the life of great devotees, we will see that they also had excuses to be lackadaisical in devotional life but they choose to practice devotion to Krishna in any circumstances.
So, it is entirely upon us whether we want to be serious in practicing devotion to Krishna or we just want to make so many excuses for being engaged in non-Krishna conscious activities.
Let us see the example of 4 devotee friends who were always practicing Krishna Consciousness although everyone had different sets of problems and different lifestyles.
The four devotee friends
These 4 friends would meet regularly to chant the names of Krishna together and to discuss various pastimes of the Lord. One day they all decided to know the secret of their attraction & attachment to Krishna. Among the 4, one was a celibate monk, another a widower and the other 2 were householders. Each of them spoke about their motivation.
The 1stfriend who was a celibate monk (brahmachari) said, “Since I am unmarried and do not have to bother about any material responsibilities, so I try to utilize each moment of my life in practicing devotional life”.
The 2nd friend who was a widower said, “Due to the will of providence, I lost my wife and am all alone now. I came to understand that all relationships of this world are temporary. We can only have permanent relationships with Krishna and his devotees. So, I try to best utilize my time in reviving that relationship with Krishna.”
The 3rdfriend said, “I am married but my life is miserable. My wife is very quarrelsome and arrogant. She has made my life hell. The only solace I get is when I chant the names of Krishna and associate with the devotees. So, I try my best to remain engaged in devotional life.”
The 4thfriend said, “I am also married but my wife is too good and a devotee of the Lord. She takes care of everything very nicely and at my home there is always a devotional atmosphere. Because of the cooperation of my wife, I am able to spend most of my time in practicing devotional life.”
All the 4 friends were in different situations and circumstances but every one of them practiced devotional life with great zeal and determination.
Our choice to be serious or not serious
The above story illustrates one thing – we can have hundreds of excuses for not practicing devotional life & we can also have hundreds of reasons for practicing it.
Everything depends on us. If we have desire to practice devotion to Krishna in any circumstances then Krishna will give us intelligence to do so, “To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” Bhagavad Gita 10.10
Or else we can always give justification for not practicing devotional life. The choice is always ours!
Three Reflections
- Great devotees had excuses to be lackadaisical in devotional life, but they choose to be serious in devotional life.
- All the 4 friends were in different situations and circumstances but every one of them practiced devotional life with great zeal and determination.
- We can have hundreds of excuses for not practicing devotional life & we can also have hundreds of reasons for practicing it.
Ask Yourself
- Do I give excuse for not completing 16 rounds of chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra?
Action Item
- Take a vow to always chant at least 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra irrespective of situations and circumstances.
