(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Ljubljana 2011)
Transcribed by Matsya das
This process of constantly glorifying the Supreme Lord is the process that can safeguard the weak living entity. We are constitutionally weak due to being the marginal energy of the Lord. But when that living entity constantly engages in chanting and remembering the Supreme Lord, then that living entity is constantly protected. This is why Chaitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out nirantara krishna nama sankirtana, one should always engage in the chanting of the holy name. But we, we are stuggling… One can ask, ‘It is nice that some devotees like Haridas Thakur or Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami did that, but we are struggling to chant even 16 rounds… Can we do it without the struggle?’
So, in this way we can appreciate that we are quite fallen and consequently quite prone to the material energy and that we can easily become distracted by the material energy. And therefore in addition to our daily process we very much need mercy. We need mercy of the Panca-tattva, we need mercy of their pure devotees, of Srila Prabhupada and we need mercy of Prabhupada’s followers. Such mercy is attained by service. For that reason Caitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out that there are two elements that are very important. One is vaisnava-sevana, the service to the Vaishnavas, and another is nirantara krishna nama sankirtana, to always engage in sankirtan. that sankirtan can be chanting of jappa, it can be singing the holy name, chanting and dancing, or it can be discussions of topics about Krishna, hearing and chanting. These are all parts of sankirtan.
But Srila Prabhupada added one more element, which is very significant for us, because how can we engage ourselves the whole day in only those two activities? This important element is making arrangements for the service of the holy name and the service of the Vaishnavas. Now we can be busy driving around all day, sitting in front of the computer, making phone calls or performing all other ecstatic activities that come so naturally to us and which we can perform without any difficulty and which we can perform the whole day, from morning till night. So that is our saving grace, that we can engage in all those activities.
