Sharanagati

(from a lecture of Swami Tirtha, 06.05.2018, Sofia)

(continues from the previous Monday)

Question of Prem Gopal: A practical question. How would you comment if, for example, while chanting you do something else, for example walking or listening to a lecture?

Swami Tirtha: Well, it depends on the vision. Because we can say that while you are walking, you are chanting. It is not that while you are chanting, you are walking. So what is the prime engagement? The prime engagement is to be connected to the chant, right? To pray. And meanwhile we have to live as well. Somehow to maintain our life.

But the best is if we can give our full attention. Therefore it is very much recommended that everybody find some time in the morning, sit, light an incense, read one verse from the Gita and chant a few rounds until this incense burns out. It’s 20 minutes – you can find that much time, everyone. For eternal life, at least that much, a 20 minutes sacrifice – we should be able to do this. If you forget to eat and sleep, alright, then you can give up your sadhana. Usually we don’t forget to eat and sleep. ‘But I have no time for chanting my rounds with full attention.’ Come on! That’s a weak argument.

So this is my humble request: find your time for your very concentrated spiritual practices. Which is yours; it’s not that I force this on you or something forces it on you. No, ‘this is my practice, I want to do this’. Then nobody can take it away from you.

Otherwise, Shrila Prabhupada used to say that the holy name is just like the light of the full moon. If you are a traveler, the light of the full moon will accompany you, come with you. We are walking, but the light of the full moon is coming with us. That means whatever activities we do, whatever happens in our life, if the holy name is present, then we are safe.

So everything depends on the mood, on our attitude to our chanting. Therefore, it is a must to find a little time, at least a little time, when we can do it very concentrated, very pure, very much focused. Other times you can be a wanderer with the moonlight.

(to be continued)