By Subhag Swami

dekhe, -- haridasa thakura kariyache sayana

manda manda kariteche sankhya-sankirtana

When Govinda came to Haridasa, - (brought some prasad for him) - he saw that Haridasa Thakura was lying on his back and chanting his rounds very slowly.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare 

So the meaning is "Oh Radharani, Krishna's internal energy. Oh Krishna, most attractive, all-attractive, deliverer from the material existence, birth, death, ocean of embodiment of transcendental bliss, please engage me in Your service. 

We can ask ourselves, am I eager? Am I really asking (for service) or just mentally (speaking) "Hare Kishna, Hare Kishna" - just making sound. It's a matter of consciousness. 

And one who is doing, he is getting the result. There is a degree of strong desire. If you have strong desire and determination, and you work hard, then you can become one of the top students in the school, college or university. Here also is the same thing (in spiritual life). That is what is happening. One must take very seriously the words of the spiritual master. If he doesn't, then he cannot make advancement. That means you have to do that (what spiritual master says). So, how much you tried, that god knows. And accordingly, He reciprocate and help. Is that difficult to understand? 

            Accordingly, we make our destiny. Each of us is making our own destiny. You are not doing service to me, or Prabhupada or Krishna. Krishna doesn't want your service. It is for our good we serve, so that you can go back to Godhead. But He feels for us, so He says (gives instructions).

Katha Ruchi

 Who is His devotee? He says that in Bhagavad Gita. Who will tell the symptoms of a devotee? 

mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
  kathayantas ca mam nityam
             tusyanti ca ramanti ca                     

         The thoughts of my pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.    

                                                                                               (Bhagavad Gita 10.9)

              They discuss with each other, Krishna-katha, and get great delight and give others delight. Very simple (to do). Now we can ask ourselves. Am I doing that? Am I getting pleasure in hearing Hari-Katha? Many of you have come here for hearing Hari-katha. Many others won't come. But you can come as a matter of duty also. Oh, Maharaj has come. Let's go. That could because of having little feeling for me. That is another thing. But that is what Krishna is saying. He wants us to like Krishna katha? This is very good sign. Also, do you like Gaur-katha? That is also very good sign. Are you thinking about it when you're going to sleep at night? As Prabhupada said, "At night, read Krishna book, and when you're going to sleep, remember all those things and Krishna will also remember you." Is that clear? Does it sound reasonable, yes? 

Simplicity and Sincerity

That's what you are doing here. And  you will become a bhakta, as much as you're doing sincerely. Very simple. It requires simplicity. No material qualification required. You just have to be without any pretention. Become very simple at heart and sincere, and then Krishna blesses such sincere soul. Krishna will definitely help.  But unfortunately, material world is such that everybody is living artificial life. He says something, does something different. If you come here to Krishna consciousness, and do the same thing, then you're digging the grave of your spiritual life. Is that clear?  

It's simple. Just like a little boy or a girl asks, "Daddy, what is this? Mummy, what is this?" The parents reply, "Darling, this is a picture of Krishna." "Darling, this is a mosquito repellent. This is a fan." And he accepts it. Are you accepting what Krishna is saying? Or Krishna's pure devotee is saying? Then it is very easy to make advancement. It's not difficult. But we make it difficult. We make it difficult. If I'm not simple, then even if for many hundreds or millions of lives you chant Hare Krishna, you cannot make tangible progress. Whereas if somebody is simple at heart, then he will very quickly make advancement. Example is Raghunandan Thakur. 

Transcription and editing : Bhakta Amit