Austerities of a Missionary on the Road

Life as a missionary on the road always has its difficulties. Unregulated eating and sleeping can lead to sickness. Unexpected calamities arise to make traveling sometimes very inconvenient. Sometimes I wonder, "Why I am doing this? I could be living comfortably in the USA."

But when I see how Krishna has blessed me with the opportunity to spread His merciful holy names and teachings all over the world I become happy. When I see how much people are being uplifted and enlivened by my humble effort to share this nectar my heart feels great satisfaction, and I know that all of the austerities of a missionary's life on the road are well worth it.

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: Puzzled about Bhagavad-gita...

Dear teacher.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto you.

Krishna says, "There is no possibility of one's becoming a yogī, O Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough."
--Bhagavad-gita 6.16

I find something contradictory. Srila Rupa Gosvami slept only 2 hours a day. Haridasa Thakura even didn't eat Krishna-prasadam until he finished his routine of chanting daily 300,000 holy names. I think they have set a good example of serving Krishna 24 hours a day, and I want to learn from them. But this verse of Bhagavad-gita doesn't approve of this sleepless life. Please clarify it.

Sravanam (hearing) is an important part of devotional service. Does it include reading? I am used to reading scriptures and your "Thought for the Day". Is this a kind of sravanam? And does it include listening to a Kirtan video?

Your eternal servant

Zhang Lei

Answer: To Each His Own...

To each his own. One man's food is another man's poison. What is too much or too little for one man may be different for another man. This is why every devotee needs to be guided by a bona fide spiritual master. In this way he can receive practical guidance to understand what is the proper amount of eating and sleeping to best facilitate his spiritual life. Even though great transcendentalists can get by with practically no eating no sleeping, if you try to artificially imitate them you will fall down.

Reading is a silent form of hearing. Listening to a kirtan video is also hearing. Hearing your own japa chanting is also another form of hearing.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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