How can we increase our remembrance of Krishna when we come to the temple?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
So, when we come to temple, we take darshan for 5 minutes. Afterwards, we just look forward to talking with our friends.
So, we’re not really remembering Krishna. So, how can we have a more devotional mood when we come to the temple? Actually, you know, remembering Krishna is, we should, it’s not a, you shouldn’t reduce it simply to taking darshan of Krishna. You know, it’s actually remembering is more, it’s not just a, it’s not a function of the memory.
It’s a inclination of the heart. When we love someone, we naturally remember that person. So, actually speaking, when we consider, when Arjuna was fighting the war, at that time, we’d have thought that Arjuna was holding his bow and arrow and, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.
Arjuna was not doing like that. Arjuna was fighting in dead earnest. And when he was fighting, he was thinking, okay, now here, Ashwathama is there.
Ashwathama has got this weapon. This weapon can hit like this. If I use this weapon, I can counter like this.
If I use this weapon, I can counter like this. He was completely caught in thinking about the war and how to best fight the war. But, so how was he remembering Krishna at that time? His remembrance was in his purpose.
He was fighting the war for Krishna’s sake. So, when, so like that, his life was devoted to Krishna. His life was devoted to service of Krishna and that’s how he was always remembering Krishna.
So, sometimes the remembrance of Krishna will be in the foreground of our consciousness. Sometimes the remembrance will be in the background. And that way, we can, when we have to remember Krishna always, it is not that Krishna has to be always in the foreground.
Even if Krishna is in the background, still that is also remembrance. And naturally, we are social creatures. So, we cannot sit and stand in front of our, for hours and just take darshan of Krishna.
We will associate with our friends. Now, if you see our friends, if we have friends outside the temple, they will often be materialistic. They will talk about all kinds of things.
When we are devotees, we also talk about various things. But ultimately, we are with friends who also have similar values. They are also devoted to Krishna.
Just by being in the temple, just by being with friends who are devotees, Krishna is at least in the background of our consciousness. And as we keep practicing bhakti more and more, what happens? That Krishna who is in the background starts coming more and more in the foreground. More and more in the foreground because Krishna becomes more important.
Okay, what I am doing, that does not say that important. Say for example, when I first time started speaking in public as a devotee. So, first time I started speaking in public, I was very conscious.
Okay, is my tilak straight? Okay, what are people thinking about me? You know, a lot of externals I was thinking a lot. But then, how many people are there attending? How are people responding? These externals, now they are not unimportant. They are important.
But as you keep doing bhakti, as I keep speaking classes, now over a period of time, what happens is, where I am speaking, who is hearing, that is not as important as for whom I am speaking, about whom I am speaking. So, gradually when we keep practicing bhakti, Krishna who is in the background of our consciousness starts coming more and more towards the foreground. That is a gradual process that happens.
So, it is not necessary. We can certainly try. When we are talking with our friends also, we try to talk something Krishna conscious.
But just being in devotee association means Krishna is there in the background. And if you keep practicing bhakti, Krishna will come in the foreground. Now, one more thing which you could practice, this is the gradual process of how we become more and more Krishna conscious.
From a more practical imagery perspective, you can also see which friends, among your friends, some friends who are more and more interested in Krishna consciousness. They talk more about spiritual things. Other friends whom you just talk about some other things.
So, if you want to be more Krishna conscious, you can spend time with those friends who are more Krishna conscious. Choose those friends. Spend more time with them.
And then you will find that you can become much more deeply Krishna conscious. Okay. Thank you.
So, last question. You have a question? Okay. After you, we will take.
Then that is the last.