Riga: Last Day--Traveling in the Spiritual World

After relishing a week of the sweetest bliss in Riga, Latvia we are now moving on to our next transcendental destination, Lithuania. How can I say "transcendental"" when Latvia and Lithuania are both mundane, bodily conscious, greed oriented countries in this temporary material world? I say "transcendental" because here we are associating with Krishna's devotees. When you associate with devotees it does not matter where you are in the material world because when you associate with devotees you are in the spiritual world.

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Should I Force Myself to Chant?

I just met you in Riga today. But there's a question I didn't ask. You always talk about chanting Hare Krishna. But to be honest, I never liked chanting. It just feels artificial and alien to me, and those words mean nothing. Should I force myself? I generally prefer my meditation to be more of a quiet sort. Maybe combined with some good reading.

Thank you for your time.

Lauris

Answer: Chant and the Ecstasy Will Come

Since the mind is active by nature and can never be silenced, silent meditation cannot bring one to the perfectional stage. This is why the Vedic wisdom prescribes that you should absorb yourself in meditation on transcendental sound vibration instead of silence.

Even though we were originally situated in transcendental consciousness, because we have been separated from it for millions and billions of lifetimes it appears strange and tasteless to us. But if we will accept the medicine of mantra with the same faith that a patient accepts the doctor’s medicine, although sometimes bitter, by the healing power of the mantra we will gradually reawaken our original state of enlightened consciousness and relish the sweetest bliss at every minute in all circumstances. So the conclusion is that you should chant the Hare Krishna even if you don’t feel like it. In this way gradually you will awaken a state of ecstasy within yourself that surpasses by millions and billions of times the joy you may sometimes feel in silent meditation.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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