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Imported quote 14093 An advanced devotee or a perfect human being who is actually wise and learned cannot give up his service at the lotus feet of the Lord. Although Lord Brahma has a long life-span (4,320,000,000 years constitute twelve hours in a day of Brahma), Brahma is nonetheless afraid of death and consequently engages in the devotional service of the Lord. Similarly, all the Manus who appear and disappear during the day of Brahma are also engaged in the Lord's devotional service. In Brahma's one day, fourteen Manus appear and disappear. The first Manu is Svayambhuva Manu. Each Manu lives for seventy-one yugas, each consisting of some 4,320,000 years. Although the Manus have such a long life-span, they still prepare for the next life by engaging in the devotional service of the Lord. In this age human beings only live for sixty or eighty years, and even this small life-span is gradually decreasing. Therefore it is even more imperative for human beings to take to the worship of the lotus feet of the Lord by constantly chanting the Hare Krsna mantra, as recommended by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
(More...) Imported quote 14102 The word asakrt is significant, for it means not just for a few minutes but continuously. That is the instruction given by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka. Kirtaniyaḥ sada hariḥ. "The holy name of the Lord should be chanted twenty-four hours daily." Therefore in this Krsna consciousness movement we request the devotees to chant at least sixteen rounds on their beads daily. Actually one has to chant twenty-four hours daily, just like Thakura Haridasa, who was chanting the Hare Krsna mantra 300,000 times daily. Indeed, he had no other business. Some of the Gosvamis like Raghunatha dasa Gosvami were also chanting very rigidly and also offering obeisances very rigidly. As stated in Srinivasacarya's prayer to the six Gosvamis (Saḍ Gosvamy Astaka 6): sahkhya-pūrvaka-nama-gananatibhiḥ kalavasanikrtau. The word sahkhya-pūrvaka means "maintaining a numerical strength." Not only was Raghunatha dasa Gosvami chanting the holy name of the Lord, but he was also offering obeisances in the same prolific numbers.
(More...) Because the princes were ready to enter into some severe austerity in order to worship the Lord, Lord Siva advised them to constantly chant of and meditate upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is significant that Lord Siva personally offered his prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead just as he was taught by his father, Lord Brahma. Similarly, he was also preaching to the princes according to the parampara system. One not only should practice the instructions received from the spiritual master but should also distribute this knowledge to his disciples.
(More...) Imported quote 15223 Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that any Vaisnava who is constantly chanting the holy name of the Lord should be considered to have attained the second platform of Vaisnavism. Such a devotee is superior to a neophyte Vaisnava who has just learned to chant the holy name of the Lord. A neophyte devotee simply tries to chant the holy name, whereas the advanced devotee is accustomed to chanting and takes pleasure in it. Such an advanced devotee is called madhyama-bhagavata, which indicates that he has attained the intermediate stage between the neophyte and the perfect devotee. Generally a devotee in the intermediate stage becomes a preacher. A neophyte devotee or an ordinary person should worship the madhyama-bhagavata, who is a via medium.
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