There were 4 friends who used to be always engaged in practicing devotional life. One day they all decided to know the secret of their attraction & attachment for Krishna. Among the 4, one was a celibate, another a widower and the other 2 were householders. Each of them spoke about their motivation.
The 1stfriend who was a celibate (brahmachary) 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 2ndfriend who was a widower said, “Due to the will of the 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 relationship 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 very miserable. My wife is very quarrelsome and arrogant. She has made my life hell. The only solace I get 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.
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 are really serious about engaging in devotional life 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!
