Lord Krishna Forum - Krishna Talk

Karushka

Hare Krishna to all!!!

i would love to know from all u Shri Krishna Bhakts out there how do u discipline ur self 24/7 in the life of a householder?

is it not more challenging then that of a devotee staying at the temple and constantly associating with all the others devotees.

i try so hard to follow the rules and regulations (discipline) of Iskcon - its simple for a month or 2 and then after that i break a rule or 2 and feel good about it then totally regret it later - i have a huge conscience problem.

i think the conscience is the super soul and the conscious what we all need to practise and perfect.

how do people do it?

hari bol!!!!

Sri Joyan · Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 35

Im not entirely sure what you mean by householder, but i'm going to guess you mean someone who just lives a normal life and goes to work and has a family, rather than a person who lives in a temple and is a constant devotee with a shaved head and a robe ;p

If that is what you mean, then please read on. if not, correct me and i will try again.

As a person who lives a normal life with a job and a family, I do things to ensure I worship daily and lead a life of being a good example to others of Krsna consciousness.

I have a humble altar in my living room, in a prominent position where the TV normally should be. Every morning I sit in front of it with some hot tea and either chant or enjoy a few minutes of silence. Then I do yoga. During the work day I take a few moments, when i can, for silent meditation. I also try, as often as i can, to thank the Lord for his gifts (delicious food, beautiful scenery, the changing landscape, pleasant coworkers, etc.). At night I do more worship in front of the altar and I clean and straighten my home so it is a sanctuary and a shrine for me.

As much as I can, I keep myself from gossip, hard-heartedness, grumbling, sarcasm, cynicism, thinking critically of others, and other bad attitudes.

I also keep a small picture of Krsna and Radha by my workspace.

In my spare time i sponsor a child from Indonesia. I do this as an offering to the Lord, in thanks for the multitude of blessings I receive daily.

Since I lead a modern lifestyle, there are many things I simply can't do that would probably be required of me if i lived in a temple as a devotee. Still, I think i'm doing ok, and i think god approves. Least, i hope so. =)

Karushka · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:54 am Post subject:

hare krishna!

yes u hit the nail on the head, thanx i feel better now, cos i try to do the exact same thing as u.

just that now and then i get side-tracked by worldly distractions.

anyways i believe there is more to krishna consciousness then just abstaining from onions and garlic, like starting to be a good kind human being and joining spiritual company etc.

following the 4 rules and chanting is all i can offer the good lord now.
as time goes by i may get more advanced in my practise of been krishna conscious.

hari bol!!

Sri Joyan · Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 35

Karushka wrote: anyways i believe there is more to krishna consciousness then just abstaining from onions and garlic, like starting to be a good kind human being and joining spiritual company etc.

Haha.. very nicely put.

Being of this caste (you know the one, a normal modern person with a job and a family!) we can't help but be sidetracked by worldly distractions. So i think the valiant effort we put forth to live a life according to the expectations that we CAN meet is important.

haribol =)

Sri Joyan · Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 35

Rukmini-Devi dasi wrote: what you consider normal is actually an un-natural imposition on the spirit soul. It is maha-maya that makes you consider such things to be normal.

So, what are we supposed to do, living in New York City? This entire world is an unnatural imposition on the spirit soul. Living in a fleshy body on the physical plane is unnatural for the spirit soul. The challenge of living in this phyisical world is just the path that we are put on by god. We do what we can about it.

Sri Joyan · Joined: 01 Mar 2005 Posts: 35

Rukmini-Devi dasi wrote: What do you do? You stop thinking of this encagement and all it's activities as normal. That will only keep you sucked into it and make you believe that all is well. You start working on transcending it. Chant, read the authorized sastras and stop creating.

Excuse me, but if you read the second post in this thread you will see that chanting and worshiping is exactly what i do. =)

Karushka, in addition to what you were saying before, what you should also remember is that even when Arjuna was fighting alongside Krishna, he, at times, forgot that Krishna was indeed the Lord and not just a friend. So if even Arjuna can get distracted from being at one with the Lord, we should be easier on ourselves and acknowledge that this is a trait of being human, and do what we can do lead a lifestyle befitting of a Krsna devotee.