HT 5d: Other Principles of Bhakti-yoga
Other Principles of Bhakti-yoga
Of course, offering prasadam is only part of the process of bhakti-yoga. In order to further purify your consciousness and spiritualize your senses, you can practice other items of devotional service. The first of these is the regular chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The Kalisantarana Upanisad states, "These sixteen names composed of thirty-two syllables are the only means to counteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga [the present age of quarrel and hypocrisy]. In all the Vedas it is seen that to cross the ocean of nescience there is no alternative to the chanting of the holy name." The Hare Krsna mantra may be chanted either congregationally, sometimes to the accompaniment of musical instruments, or quietly as a private meditation. For private meditation, the recommended procedure is to chant the Hare Krsna mantra on beads especially made for this purpose. For further information, see the Contemporary Vedic Library Series book Chant and Be Happy, which fully explains the process of Hare Krsna mantra meditation.
To improve the quality of your spiritual life, you should also avoid the use of intoxicants-drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, as well as soft drinks, coffee, and tea if they contain caffein. Using these substances unnecessarily clouds the mind, which is already clouded with all kinds of material concepts of life. The Vedas also recommend that a person attempting to advance in spiritual life have nothing to do with gambling, for it invariably puts one in anxiety and fuels greed, envy, and anger. Another activity that increases material desires and blocks the growth of spiritual awareness is illicit sex. The regulations of bhakti-yoga do, however, allow sex within the context of marriage.
By following the principles mentioned above, one can always experience increasing spiritual pleasure as a tangible part of one's life. In particular, one's offerings of food become more pleasing to Krsna. God does not require the food we offer; rather, He appreciates the degree of purity and devotion in our hearts as we offer it.
Eventually, one should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master, without whose instruction and guidance it is not possible to attain the perfection of Krsna consciousness. In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna says, "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.
The original spiritual master of the Krsna consciousness movement in the Western world is His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is a member of the authorized chain of disciplic succession reaching back through time to Lord Krsna Himself, the supreme spiritual master. Shortly before he departed this world in 1977, Srila Prabhupada appointed a number of his most advanced disciples as spiritual masters to carry on the line of succession, and since that time other spiritual masters have been designated.
Srila Prabhupada, renowned as India's greatest cultural and spiritual ambassador to the world, personally instructed his disciples in the art of preparing and distributing prasadam. Furthermore, in his books and public lectures, he extensively explained the Vedic philosophy underlying the practice of offering food to Krsna. "We should remember then that it is not vegetarianism which is important," Srila Prabhupada once said. "The important thing is that we simply have to try to learn how to love Krsna. Love begins with give and take. We give something to our lover, he gives something to us, and in this way love develops." Anyone can enter into this loving transaction by offering vegetarian foods to Krsna and accepting the remnants as prasadam.
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