Transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi(Kadamba Kanana Swami 2010)
This art of juggling many interests in our life is not so easy.
There are a number of main things that I identified as essential in the life of a devotee.
These are the three balls that must be there:
First ball is personal wellbeing.
If we are not taking care of our personal well being how long are we going to last?
Personal wellbeing includes health, physical health, mental peace and also a suitable place to live. It has to be suitable in terms of our physical needs but also in terms of a place where we can be a little peaceful - Like I knew one devotee, he was so happy because Krsna gave him a house of his dream. There was an apple tree in the garden and the apples were also very sweet. Everything was very very nice…. Until the motorcycle gang moved next door!
Who said that Krsna has no sense of humor?!
Anyway, we do look for a kind of a situation where one can live in something suitable.
Personal wellbeing, we have to give it attention.
And what is good for one may not be good for the other.
May be good for Haridas Thakura to live in cave with snakes but I don’t know it is good for me!
I will sleep outside and let the snake have the cave for himself – so something that is suitable for us.
After all our material needs are basically met, then it is time for our spiritual practice.You can use word sadhana or you can use word bhajan for the second ball.
If you don’t have sadhana then you are dead!
Then you are ready to put to rest because, there is nothing going on in your life.
No bhajan, No juice!
Only misery and it will only be dry.
So, this bhajan is what gives us the life.
That’s to be understood!!!
If you reduce your bhajan to chanting on the clicker in the car it becomes little meagre. It’s like something like lunch and there is only one boiled carrot for each day.
“Oh no, the carrot. I hope it’s a big carrot today.”
And that is the best you get.
These spiritual things, we have to fill
them in this ball.The third ball is to do something for Srila Prabhupada.
If you don’t do anything for Srila Prabhupada or for Lord’s Caitanya’s mission then after a while it all becomes dry - you are chanting your rounds, you are reading Srimad Bhagavatam, you have Deities at home, you do it all… and still not happy.
This is again an essential element that we do something for Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya.
That’s what gives life to spiritual practices.
Well, in beginning we think, interesting… I will write that down:
PERSONAL WELLBEING
SADHANA OR BHAJAN
AND DO SOMETHING FOR PRABHUPADA
Now we have to make that meaningful, We have to give some meaning to these three things.
Transcribed by Yamuna Devi Dasi
(Kadamba Kanana Swami 2010)
