Re: Happiness

Dear devotees,

        Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!

        When I was a small kid, I was quite addicted to computer gaming. Every day I would be excited just thinking about the time when I could get my hands on the joystick and I was always waiting for some opportunity to get to the computer. The moment I was alone at home, I would start playing games. I could hardly wait for the chance to play games and it was something that was always running in me till finally I managed to realize that it was a problem and that I had to come out of it.

        There is always a deep inner intention within the heart that always keeps on running no matter what happens to the outside world and no matter what we do, where we are or what we become. That is what all of us must very deeply look because that is our real intention.  The Lord as His name is a wish fulfilling tree -- He can give anything. But He gives us exactly what is there deep down that runs on inspite spite all external changes. I may do all 64 types of devotion 24 1/2 hours a day if possible, but if in my heart I am always planning for some other material thing, then my progress comes to a grinding halt because even in the middle of all my devotional activity, somewhere deep down there is always a desire for something else.

         The symptom of this disease is seen by the fact that one is not willingly trying to do well in devotion -- instead it appears to be forcing and doing under compulsion. Prabhupada once described how a woman who is more interested in her paramour keeps serving her husband, but internally she is always looking the other way. It's something like that -- we do devotion, but always we keep having one eye towards maya. A person is chanting, but internally thinking about yesterday's TV serial -- no.

           If in one's heart one has really made up the mind to go to the Lord, then one can get there in a short time. Some people need only a few days and others need trillions of years. Advancing in devotion really has nothing to do with time. How many years or how many number of names. What matters is quality, quality. If chanted correctly, one name Himself can deliver a person.

           Brahma's abode is still material, we are aiming for only the Lord and nothing else. Devotional advancement is measured not by years, not by opulence, not by seniority, not by anything except QUALITY. So the simple solution is -- please boost the quality of devotion by giving room for the Lord in the deep part of your heart so that whatever you may be doing, still deep down you will always be somehow trying to go to the Lord. Reverse that paramour logic so that you may look like your doing this or that, but internally you're always having your eye on the Lord and thinking about the time when you'll chant.

           So to sum up, I say, Be a devotion addict brother! Just wait for that chance when you can chant peacefull and be excited about the next time you can get dancing in a kirtan. Put your addiction in the Lord and you'll never have a dull moment ever. Become a bhakti addict!

Daaso'smi,
Srinath

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