Do Srila Prabhupada’s advices suit for all yugas?
A devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“hare krishna prabhuji…. i can’t do any thing regularly.. i mean chanting, mangala arti etc…i just offer food to krishna and sometime i do arti, but, i really want to do them regularly but i can’t.. i think i feel no enthusiasm in everyday seva, i.e, service of lord…what to do for increasing enthusiasm and love in the service of krishna in daily life…prabhuji i think i have a doubt that is i often feel that instructions of srila prabhupada are just for kaliyuga not forever…i feel when we will free from this material world we haven’t do this sadhanas. i feel this confusion is decreasing my interest… what to do prabhuji. i always feel confusion how to get rid from this types of thoughts??? plz help me to get rid from thoughts and to do seva with love and enthusiasm????”
REPLY:
This lack of enthusiasm is because of your lack of full interest in Krishna Himself and the devotees arranged by Krishna to help you to come out of the material clutch.
Yes, the instructions of Srila Prabhupada about CHANTING are for this kaliyuga only. How can you expect that an Acharya appearing in kaliyuga can preach the devotional practices meant for satya yuga or treta yuga or dvapara yuga?
However, Srila Prabhupada’s advices about following four Regulative Principles, Regular Worship, Taking Only Prasadam, Surrender to a Guru, material detachment and developing Krishna Prema are applicable for all yugas and without these common requirements, one can not get Krishna.
In this way, Srila Prabhupada’s advices are common for all yugas. Chanting alone is specially for kaliyuga.
(How Chanting protects us from material problems? READ HERE!)
The sadhanas for every yuga is different. Had Srila Prabhupada appeared in Dvapar yuga, he would have preached temple worship prominently.
He was preaching only for the people of kaliyuga. So, he gave the recommendations meant for this kaliyuga.
Kaliyuga is filled with quarrels. The life time of the people is very less in kaliyuga. So, they can’t follow very tough devotional practices for hundreds of years. That is why, the scriptures recommend the chanting and singing the Holy names of Krishna as the devotional practice in this kaliyuga.
Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu took this aspect, skipped tough practices and encouraged the people to chant and sing the holy names of Krishna. He preached the Hare Krishna Maha Manthra to the people as the easiest way to get the mercy of Krishna.
(Is Taking Onion and Garlic while Chanting with Tulasi beads permitted? READ HERE!)
Following the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada too preached the Hari nam to the people all over the world.
Simple practice for the short life time of the people of kaliyuga. This shows the greatness of Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu and the acharyas like Srila Prabhupada.
The people have the tendency to doubt anything whether it can produce the desiired results, if the sadhana is simple. They doubt whether just chanting the names of Krishna can take us to Krishna. They think that tough penances like yagas, yagnas alone can take one to the higher status.
But, Krishna simply says in Bhagavad Gita just to surrender to Him leaving all the religious practices and He will relieve us from all the sins. Surrender means, Bhakti. Bhakti means Chanting in this kaliyuga as said by Kali Santharana Upanishad. Then, why should you doubt the effectiveness of the chanting process if done with a surrendered mindset?
If you escape from this material world and go back to Krishna in this kaliyuga itself, why should you bother for facing the death in other yugas? Are you going to live in the next satya yuga? You will be living in Goloka if you sincerely chant without offenses surrendering to Krishna.
(Encouraging Tips for Chanting without Offenses! READ HERE!)
Therefore, have faith in the words of bonafide acharyas. All sampradhayas agree that chanting is the kaliyuga dharma. There is no difference of opinion in this matter.
Chanting with a surrendered mindset is the kaliyuga dharma to attain Lord Krishna. This is final and authoritative.
It is effective and capable of taking us to Krishna Himself.
Hereafter, follow what you are doing so far with intense faith. It will give you good results.
In fact, Srila Prabhupada’s all the advices are customized for the people of kaliyuga by giving importance for chanting. However, all other advices by him are the eternal facts that are compulsory in all yugas.
Do not waste the time by doubting the process.
All the best.
(RIGHT WAY OF STOPPING CHANTING IN EXCEPTIONAL SITUATIONS! READ HERE!)