" Simply our prayer should be, My dear Krishna, please remind me to always chant Your Holy Name, please do not put me into forgetfulness. You are sitting within me as Supersoul, so you can put me into forgetfulness or into remembering You. So please do not put me into forgetfulness. Please always remind me to chant, even You send me into the hell, it doesn't matter, just so long as I can always chant Hare Krishna..."


- Srila Prabhupada

Blog: www.gloriouskrishna.blogspot.com

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12th March 2012, New York) Lecture: SB 3.31.45-46

You may know the story about the pope who came to Vrindavan. He was meeting the devotees and at one point the phone rang and the pope said:
'I have to take this. This call is very important.'
He took the call. He spoke, and it became quite clear that he was speaking to God! There's a whole discussion going on the line, and a devotee said:
'Oh, can I also for a moment just speak to Him for a second?'
'Yes, no problem,' said the pope. ' But don't speak for too long as it's a long distance call.'
Later on the devotee's phone rang and then he spoke to God and the pope said:
'Hey, you have one too!'
'Yeah.'
'Can I?'
'Sure, sure no problem. Speak as long as you want since it's a local call!'
It's a whole story but there is some truth in that. We have closeness, very close, by serving Him constantly. Therefore living in a temple is so nice because you are living with Krishna! Or chanting the holy name is so nice because the name is Krishna! So He is here. He is completely here! It's not like, 'It's a prayer.'
'What is this chanting?'
'It's a prayer.'
'Oh, is it a prayer?'
'Yes, it's prayer where we can communicate with God!'
I mean, that is a poor explanation! Well, excuse me, a prayer? It's like we have just reduced the chanting into a prayer. We are right there with Krishna! He is with us. Just chant, He is here. His presence is here. You can feel it; you can experience it; you can sense it! Something is there. So just like that we are associating with Krishna and in this way it is not difficult or artificial to develop a relationship with Krishna.

Blog: www.gloriouskrishna.blogspot.com

(HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, 12th March 2012, New York) Lecture: SB 3.31.45-46


In the beginning our relationship is about what we are getting from Krishna, but later it becomes what we are giving to Krishna! Even in the beginning if we act it out:
'Yes. Yes, I understand that He is not our order supplier. We should not pray to Him for our daily bread – no. We should only serve Him.'
But even while we are only serving Him, we are thinking all of the time:
'What am I getting? Am I getting any ecstasy? Oh, Krishna please lift me above my misery. Oh, pull me out of this horrible material conditioned state of consciousness that I'm faced with everyday. Krishna please give me a drop of Your mercy!'

So we are very much thinking about what we are getting, even when we are trying to be selfless, but gradually that changes. That comes from making a sacrifice in service. If one wants to make that breakthrough to a point where we begin to become more focused on the pleasure of Krishna, then one has to put in substantial time, and make substantial sacrifice in the service of Krishna, which is important! Devotional service may start very casually but gradually it has to capture us and we have to really put in:
'prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā,' (SB.10.22.35)

We have to put in all our energy. We have to put in all that we have – like our possessions, our intelligence, and totally think of how e are we going to do it? It has to totally absorb us, and we have to chant to glorify Krishna. So in this way through:
'prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā,' (SB.10.22.35), then we can get to this other level where we are drawn to Krishna. Where we are eager to please Krishna!

Blog: www.gloriouskrishna.blogspot.com

Dhruva Mahārāja: O unlimited Lord, kindly bless me so that I may associate with great devotees who engage in Your transcendental loving service constantly, as the waves of a river constantly flow. Such transcendental devotees are completely situated in an uncontaminated state of life. By the process of devotional service I shall surely be able to cross the nescient ocean of material existence, which is filled with the waves of blazing, firelike dangers. It will be very easy for me, for I am becoming mad to hear about Your transcendental qualities and pastimes, which are eternally existent. [SB 4.9.11]

Blog: www.gloriouskrishna.blogspot.com