Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Benjamin Franklin wrote, "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise." Srila Prabhupada appreciated this saying and referred to it when he was lecturing in England in September od 1969:

Prabhupada: In Vrindavana you'll find just early in the morning before, exactly one and a half hours before sunrise all temples will ding-dong, ding-dong, like this. And people will automatically rise up and go to see the first ceremony. It is very nice. So that you'll be forced to rise early in the morning. If you practice you'll be practiced to, "Early to rise, early to, early to bed, early to rise"?
Devotee : "makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."
Prabhupada: Yes. You become automatically healthy, wealthy and wise. Yes. But here you are accustomed to sleep up to twelve o'clock.

So the conclusion is that anyone who is serious about advancing in Krishna consciousness must develop the habit of rising every day before the sunrise to take bath, attend mangala arati (either at the home or at the temple), chant Hare Krishna japa, and read the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Rising Early at ISKCON Boston

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: Why Can't We Have Mystic Powers?

If bhakti yoga is on the top of the yoga ladder, it should include all other rungs. But we do not see devotees displaying mystic powers (real powers with transfer of energy) like other yogis. Sometimes these powers would come in handy for the service of the Lord. Please comment why these powers aren't displayed.

Thank you.

Tom

Answer: They Would Divert Our Minds from Krishna

You are right. One who attains the perfectional stage of bhakti automatically possesses all mystic powers. In this connection Srila Prabhupada explains as follows in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam, First Canto, Chapter 5, Text 39:

"The Lord reveals His identity gradually to one who has unflinching faith, both in the spiritual master and in the Lord. After this, the devotee is endowed with mystic opulences, which are eight in number. And above all, the devotee is accepted in the confidential entourage of the Lord and is entrusted with specific service of the Lord through the agency of the spiritual master. A pure devotee is more interested in serving the Lord than in showing an exhibition of the mystic powers dormant in him."

The neophyte devotees are not given such mystic powers because if they had them, they would become so enamored by them that they would forget Krishna consciousness. They do not require these mystic powers to engage in devotional service because they are always under the protection of Yogesvara, the master of all mystic powers, Lord Sri Krishna.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari