The Adventure of Embracing a Difficult Challenge

24 May 2012--We are now at London's Gatwick airport waiting for our overnight 6,000 miles flight to Mauritius. I found a chair in a quiet corner where I can peacefully compose another "Thought for the Day" before boarding our flight. Why am I regularly traveling and preaching all over the world like this when it is such a great strain on my old man's body? I don't feel that I am an old man. I feel like I am young man in my twenties, and I absolutely love and savor the adventure of serving Srila Prabhupada's order to become guru and deliver the world. I experience it as the most exciting challenge. In the material world some people are motivated to accomplish difficult tasks such as climbing Mt. Everest. For me the challenge of solidly establishing a spiritual movement in a totally materialistic society is something thrilling like that. I wouldn't trade this lifestyle for anything in the world.

Prabhupada Deeply Meditates on Krishna's Name

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Chanting While Breaking the Principles?

Your Holiness, what will be the result if one chants 16 rounds of Hare Krishna japa mala every day but does not strictly follow the four regulative principles: no illicit sex, no meat eating, no intoxication, and no gambling?

Your unworthy servant,

Padma Charana Das

Answer: Ineffective But Eventually Will Bring Success

Chanting Hare Krishna without following the regulative principles is like trying to light a fire while pouring water on it. It will not be effective. Of course, if you keep chanting, it will eventually be effective because by the power of the holy name you will eventually give up all of your sinful activities. So kindly keep chanting no matter what because by this chanting you will sooner of later attain the supreme perfection of going back to home, back to Godhead.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari