(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 December 2016, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.26.41)
One may want family life but how can you have a good family life without Krsna. Family life without Krsna will not be satisfactory; it will become very frustrating. It is only when we add Krsna that family life can actually start to work.
What is a job if it is not related to Krsna!? Money, money, money just for eating, sleeping and these other things. You are going to get frustrated, I guarantee you! But if you use that money for Krsna then it is okay.
In every situation, we have to make an effort to do something for Krsna!
I was in the household ashram but we did not have any children, by destiny it didn’t happen. I married young also so after 24 years and no children, do we just grow old together – was that going to be the destiny of my life!? Sounded a bit dry so I took sannyasa and then you have these strict vows to follow. Basically, the essence of a sannyasa vow is that everything is for Krsna and nothing for one’s own sense enjoyment. So I received the danda and everything and then I thought, “What do I do now…” because it is nice to take the vows but then you have to follow it!
See, before sannyasa I always had the perfect excuse, “I have no time!” It was a great excuse. I have no time to chant, I have no time to read, I have to time for devotional service… I have no time, I have no time, I have no time! Then I took sannyasa and suddenly, I had all the time for Krsna, “Oh no, what do I do now!”
So, you see, every ashram is intense! In every ashram, we have to make a conscious endeavour. In the sannyasa ashram, we have to fill all that time with Krsna. In the grhasta ashram, you must make time!
