how to celebrate birthdays & anniversaries

hare krishna ear devotees,
i am a neophyte, although i chant 16 rounds everyday but i feel that i am very attached to materialistic enjoyments.......besides i want to celebrate occassions like birthdays & anniversaries by feasting,listening to songs ,going to movies & playing with family members & so on........is following KC means that we have to give up our materialistic enjoyments? actually i hv no devotee association here except my husband & if i renounce all these i am afraid that i will be aloof from all my friends & relatives & morever they would mock at me for such a behaviour & would motivate me to enjoy like them.......and also i hv tried listening to bhajan but after sometime i feel bored.....i like listening to filmy songs & feel relax to it......i dont know how to gv up watching movies & listening songs & all such materialistic enjoyments..........plz devotees help me in this situation......i want ur all mercy & blessings..........

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  • sry mataji i am not getting ur attachment file abt chanting of prabhupada..cld u plz send me again.........

  • thx rashmi mataji & radhika mataji............

  • E-Counselor

    Hare Krsna,

    PAMHO.

    From your profile, it appears that you chant 2 rounds daily. Pls try to chant more, minimum starting should be 4 rounds. Like how if you are hungry, and you eat only few seeds of jeera, will it suffice? You need a minimum meal to satiate, na? Same way, chanting is food for the soul, until you chant daily few rounds, it is not enough and one feels there is no effect to chanting.

    I actually know someone who was struggling to chant 1 round daily, would say that if he didnt complete his round in the morning, whole day he would worry about it and would be tensed to complete his round. One fine day, he decided that there is no taste in chanting 1 round and started to chant 16 rounds!!! He is today a very effective preacher. I call him infectious - whoever he preaches to gets infected by Krsna Consciousness.

    So the best way to concentrate on Krsna while chanting is to chant more. You will realise yourself.

    You can listen to Prabhupada's chanting and chant alongwith him, you can associate with devotees, read books, do seva.... the more devotional activity you do, the more taste in chanting you should get. In this way, life gets transformed.

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Rashmi

     

  • Hare Krishna Mataji !!

    AGTSP !!

    If a person is sick Can he leave his Sickness ?

    If a person is Illiterate Can he leave his Illiteracy ?

    If a person is Poor can he leave his Poverty ??

    No.. Than what is the solution ??

    Add Medicine, Sickness will go off.

    Add Knowledge, Illiteracy will go off
    Add Wealth, Poverty will go off.

    The Word Yoga comes from Seed Word ‘Yuj’ which mean to Add.

    So, Bhakti Yogis Add Krishna to their life and when they taste Krishna Bhakti Other things seems tasteless.

    Its Gradual Process almost all Grihasta face these situation

    A Person suffering from Jaundice are asked by the Doctors to drink Sugarcane Juice, which is naturally sweet but a jaundice patient finds it bitter. But by regular intake, Jaundice gets heeled and the patient finds it sweeter.
    Similary, We all are suffering from Material Disease (Bhavrog), that’s why we don’t find interest in listening/chanting of Gods name. But if we keep on Listening/chanting, Our Bhavrog will gradually disappear and we will find the chanting very exciting & blissful.

    • tnx prabhuji 4 ur wonderful way of explaining........

    • HARE KRISHNA.
      pain born out of Materialistic activities is a Pain.
      But, pain born out of devotional service is a Joy.
      We need to enjoy the nectar of devotion with full intrest.

      I deleted all the material songs in my memory card. Because I am enjoying Yamuna Devi maataji's kirtans.
      A book written by Srila Prabhupad called Laws of Nature revealed the secret of human life to me.
      I am very much impressed.

      I have a problem. My parents won't allow me to go to Iskcon temple.
      But, I am very much interested to take Kanha's Darshan..
      Sometimes... Sorry... Most of the times I lied to my parents and went to temple.
      God is so merciful.. Because of his mercy, I found my childhood friend at temple.
      I tried to convince my parents in so many ways. I found it impossible to do:(
      My mind roams around while chanting.

      I decided all at once. I have taken up KC by my own interest and I won't give up.
      I seek the mercy of God and all vaisnava devotees

      Please suggest me how to concentrate only on Krishna while chanting ......

      YouR's servant
      Mandara HM
  • E-Counselor

    Hare Krsna Mataji,

    PAMHO.

    The first and most important thing to do is - what you are already doing - cant 16 rounds of mahamantra daily.

    It is very important to associate - if there is an ISKCON temple nearby, make it a weekly habit to attend, maybe on weekends. Otherwise, the way to associate is through books - you must get a complete set of all Srila Prabhupada books and start studying them. Its a good idea to read with your husband, that way you spend time together, can discuss doubts and progress together. You can associate with each other till such time you find some more people. You can go through websites like IDT, www.dandavats.com; www.thespiritualscientist.com; www.harekrsna.com. You can view www.mayapur.tv on internet every morning. Mangalarti is from 4.15 to 5.30 and morning program , ie. darshan arti is from 7.00am to 9.00 am, including the lecture. THat is very helpful to progress and associate.

    Now coming to celebrating birthdays and anniversaries - by all means celebrate. You can keep Krsna in the center and celebrate. That way, you are able to enjoy and remember Krsna both. Instead of food, offer your guests prasadam. Meaning, ensure that the food is without onion and garlic pure veg food, or without egg cakes, offer to Krsna or Jagannath and then offer to your guests. That is a very effective way of preaching also. In your house, you should cook and offer everything, even water and fruits to Krsna before offering family members. Even if you buy and snacks or sweets from outside, you can offer to Krsna before you eat. Make it a rule which both you and your husband have to follow - everything that you put in your mouth has to be offered first.

    Krsna consciousness is a journey to be enjoyed, where you are re establishing your lost relationship with Krsna. It should not be a burden. You do as much as you are comfortable doing right now and keep on increasing. Keep track of what more you can do from what you are doing and slowly introduce those in your lifestyle. You have to enjoy the process, otherwise how will you be happy? What is the purpose of doing so much and then end up being unhappy or the object of ridicule among peer group. Like how we will do somethings even if the world says dont do - because we are completely convinced about it. That same way, as and when you are convinced about taking up more KC acitivities, you do that. Till then continue to chant 16 rounds everyday.

    Since I have come full circle, I will end here.

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Rashmi

    Dandavats
    Hare Krishna!
    • thx mataji & prabhuji 4 ur kind advice..........but i hv a doubt that do i need to gv up listening filmy songs & watching movies or i sld wait till the desire goes away naturally........

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