If we like to hear do we still need to chant more to make spiritual advancement?

Transcript

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Question is that, if we have great interest in hearing, is that enough for progress or do we also need to chant to make spiritual advancement? Answer, in the Bhakti Rasamrith Sindhu, when Rupa Goswami describes the nine processes of devotion service, he says that each of these processes are individually enough to take us back to Godhead.
So, Parikshit Maharaj, it is said, just by Shravanam went back to Godhead. Dhruv Maharaj, just by Smaranam went back to Godhead. Bali Maharaj, just by Atmanivedanam, just by surrender, oneself went back to Godhead.
So, in principle, even one process is enough to take us back to Godhead. In practice, however, we often make spiritual advancement not just by doing a particular process, but by following the instruction of the spiritual master and thereby pleasing Krishna and pleasing the Vaishnavas. So, the Yugadharma for this age is chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra and that’s why chanting is extremely important.
And Sri Prabhupada gave us the initiation vows also. So, now it’s not necessary that every devotee has to chant any extra rounds. So, over a period of time, whichever limb of devotional service we feel inspired to do, we can do it more.
But there is some standard minimum that we are expected to do. So, that we should do for chanting. But beyond that, if we are not inspired to chant more, but we are inspired to read more or hear more, that is perfectly okay.
Because as I said, bhakti is individual. And how Krishna will attract you will be different from how Krishna will attract me. So, as long as we are doing our basic devotional service, the basic elements of devotional service, whatever expected from us.
Beyond that, if we have any specific attraction to any one limb of devotional service, certainly we can do it more. In fact, that attraction we can see as the blessing of Krishna by which we will be able to move closer and closer to Krishna. So, certainly if we like to hear more, we can hear more.
And we cannot quantify spiritual advancement. That because I chant so many rounds, so I am going to make spiritual advancement this much. Or because I read so many hours, I am going to make this much spiritual advancement.
No. Spiritual advancement comes by a gradual redirection of our heart from matter towards Krishna. And just the eagerness to do a particular limb of devotional service itself is indicative of that redirection.
So, therefore, just by practicing devotional service and taking as a blessing any attraction to any limb of devotional service that we have, we can steadily make spiritual advancement.