Why Spiritual Planning Is More Important Than Material Planning for Success in Krishna Consciousness

Succes in any field requires meticulous planning.  Top notch professionals of MNCs spend days brainstorming different plans to expand their business. Sportspersons plan their day from dawn to dusk – what time to wake up, what exercises to do, how to relax during and after workout, what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat and finally when to go to bed.

They follow their routines not for a few days or weeks but for years and decades which helps them to attain great success and also retain it.

Like material success, spiritual success too requires proper planning. A spiritual seeker cannot live whimsically and expect to advance in spiritual life.  

If we study lives of great spiritual personalities, we will see that they planned so well. Srila Prabhupada would not waste even a moment. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura had a strict daily routine.  He was a householder, was working as a magistrate, had a wife and children but still he wrote around 100 books and preached to thousands of people. He had fixed time for chanting japa, reading scriptures, writing books, going to court, taking food and taking rest.  

Through their conduct they are teaching us the importance of proper planning and execution so that we can gradually make progress in our spiritual journey. Krishna too in Gita says that regulation saves one from many sufferings.

“He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.” Bhagavad Gita 6.17

Just as for material success there are do’s and don’ts, similarly for spiritual success there are do’s and don’ts.

Do’s and Don’ts for success

For example, famous Indian cricketer, Virat Kohli, loved Chole Bhature but he gave it up to have a healthy and fit body. Similarly, in our spiritual journey too, we have to give up things which are prohibited by the scriptures.  For attaining Krishna, following four things have to be given up – meat eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex.

If we are currently used to these habits, then we should make proper plan to give it up. Initially it may look difficult but if we try then gradually, we will succeed. We will then experience joy and satisfaction.

Best way to give up anything bad is by replacing it with something good. For example, if one is eating non vegetarian food like fish, egg, meat then one should start taking prasadam in the temple. There are Govindas restaurant of Iskcon in different parts of the world famous for mouth savouring delicacies. Once we start taking the sanctified vegetarian food then soon, we will will lose taste for not just non vegetarian food but also for food which has onion and garlic.

Personal Example

In my earlier days, I was fond of eating fast foods like samosa, burger, patties, manchurian, fried rice etc. Giving it up was not so easy. But then I started eating these foods from Govindas, and eventually I lost desire to eat outside. Not just that, I even lost interest in such food as they are not good for health. Simple prasadam in temple or at home is more relishing and satisfying and nutritious too.

Chanting is important

In our spiritual life, we have a great advantage that Krishna is always there to help us. If we want to give up something and pray to Krishna, then the Supreme Lord merciful removes that bad habit from our life. But it does not happen automatically, we have to plan for it.

Along with giving up prohibited things it is equally and even more important to engage in devotional activities like chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, reading scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam, and associating with sincere devotees of Krishna.

It is recommended that we should daily chant 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra on our beads which takes around 2 hours.

If we do so, then only we can advance in our spiritual life else attaining Krishna will be a challenge.

Material success is temporary but spiritual success is permanent

Be it material success or spiritual success, careful planning is required.  But spiritual planning is more important than material planning. Why?

Because material success will be with us till the time, we are alive but spiritual success will remain with us forever.

We vie for material success and work so hard for it because we assume that success in this world will guarantee happiness. But material endeavour has its limitation – it won’t save us from old age, disease and death.

If we turn the pages of history we will see that great emperors, business magnates, famous personalities were helpless in front of death. And whatever name, fame and money they earned, they could not take it with them when they were knocked down by death.

But the spiritual practices we do like the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, taking darshan of Krishna deity, reading scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam remains retained in our spiritual bank account forever. We reap its benefit life after life.

Not just that if by sincerely practicing devotion to Krishna, we are able to perfect our lives then we can even go back to the spiritual world, where we will live forever without any suffering.

Spiritual planning also ensures material success

So better than material planning is spiritual planning. Spiritual planning entails doing things keeping Krishna in the centre. This ensures not just spiritual success but material success too.  Bhaktivinod Thakura was not just a great spiritual leader, but he was respected as a very efficient magistrate.  Arjuna not just attained Krishna, but he won the great Mahabharat war.

We too can win all the battles of life if we always seek shelter of Krishna.

This is what the concluding verse of Gita says,

“Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.” Bhagavad Gita 18.78

A devotee of Krishna lives happily in this world too and attains Krishna too.

We too can win all the battles of life if we always seek shelter of Krishna.