The simple acts of bhakti at home that you want to share

[Guest guest]

While knowledge is important, without bhakti it is not enough. Some times problems in the system gets us frustrated that we lose sight of the simple beauty of bhakti. The Lord despite His greatness is a simple Person - a boy who heards cows. Would like to start a brain storm on the simple acts of bhakti that we can do at home with our family - irrespective of our level.

 

At my father's instance we started doing kirtan together every day. It helps us come together as a family and worship which is sometimes hard in these busy days. This is really purifying for the entire family.

[gHari]

Other things: reading and listening - and read aloud even if no one can listen.

 

[This message has been edited by gHari (edited 04-03-2002).]

[Gauracandra]

I think this is important. One point I think is perhaps not to burn out too much. That is kids want to be just kids. So they might want to play instead of pray. One possibility would be to set aside a single night every week (same night for consistency) and read scripture or perform kirtan. This way the children have a consistent exposure and at the same time don't feel put upon.

[Tarun]

RAmji: u r very lucky = kono bhagyavAn jIva...

Mostly we see one or both parents giving up on regulated hearing & chanting together in favor of TV, business, drugs, mundane sentiment, fighting.

Gradually families stop honoring prasAd together.

Then Lord Ziva & company takes over. Goodbye Charlie!

As elementary as it may seem, regular hearing & chanting (2 or more together), even if for just a few minutes per day, form the basis of success in all 4 ashrams.

 

[Tarun]

When asked by ZrIman MahAprabhu:

what r the miseries of this world?, RAmAnanda RAy replied?:

"Apart from vaiSNav-separation, I know of no misery."

This goes for gRhasthAzram too.

Nothing like a live-in, love-in, chant-in, dance-in partner.

[JRdd]

Yeah I do feel the immense lack of association here. A couple of nights ago a Godsister friend of mine spent the night, and when she was lying there on the floor near me I felt very peaceful, like Krsna was closer. It's so unnatural to be alone. Natural cultures do not have all the walls and locked boxes we live in.

As for home worship, my daughter started doing artis practically as soon as she could wield a stick of incense. This was a delight and inspiration to watch. I have a picture of her being distracted by a photo I couldn't resist taking; in the distracted photo she looks away from the altar, at me, with a really sober expression on her face. I love it. So kids can be encouraged to take part in a nightly arti, doesn't have to be long, or weekly, or whatever works. There is a small boy who visits Berkeley temple with his parents, who are initiated devotees, and when I was down there for Janmastami and all those festival days, one noon arti his mom set him up with a full arti tray, which he offered to Srila Prabhupada in his murti form. I was really stunned at his serious attitude. None of this "oh how cute stuff" for him. He was very earnest and to be taken seriously, and the devotion on his face!!! I can not describe. He did not rush through any of it, as you might expect from most two and a half year olds (ha ha especially boys ). Later his young mother told me that he offers several artis a day at home, it is his favorite activity. He looks incredibly like baby Krsna. He is part (East) Indian.

A freind was saying on the phone today how a lot of the worship we do at home--especially for those with the unpredictable variables of children--pretty much has to allow for spontaneity. We do what we can. I have been feeling so bad at not being able to do more for my Deities, so much so that I could hardly look at Krsna's face without feeling guilty and selfish and ashamed. This was impeding both my connection and service with Him. It's just false ego. Krsna is not looking for perfection. Just sincerity.

Jayaradhe

[Shashi]

Originally posted by JRdd:

I have been feeling so bad at not being able to do more for my Deities, so much so that I could hardly look at Krsna's face without feeling guilty and selfish and ashamed. This was impeding both my connection and service with Him. It's just false ego. Krsna is not looking for perfection. Just sincerity.

Jayaradhe

 

Jayaradhe prabhu, perhaps, is not your shame being the pervarted reflection of Lord's shame for allowing your suffering under the conditions you are finding your good self?

If we are greatfully accepting even our minus situations as being the blessing from Lord, He becomes no more ashamed and then will be looking at us again and then we will be feeling the connection once more.

 

[Gauracandra]

I think a good starting point would be for devotees to look at the materials that other religious groups create for their children. It is very difficult to formulate a nice presentation that instructs and entertains children. But if we use ready made templates and then add a Vaisnava angle to them this could be useful in creating good moral instruction for our children.

[Tarun]

My older son says I should learn to cook attractively (not just chapatis + steamed veggies) so my younger son can become more intersted in KC.

Ex-wife has recently moved away, so some feminine home-comforting gap is definitely missing.

MahAvirya Prabhu's staying with us (hopefully forever) with whom I have daily Cc class + HarinAm 2x weekly.

vaiSNavera kRpA-sange ei adhama dAsa

If your family's composed of vaiSNavas, u r in 7th heaven.

[Avinash]

My older son says I should learn to cook attractively (not just chapatis + steamed veggies) so my younger son can become more intersted in KC.

 

I am lucky. I can't cook anything. Not even tea. But nobody asks me to learn.

 

[abhi_the_great]

When I get bored reading, I pickup my li'l darling - 6 months old mithravinda, and bring her before the pics of Sri Sri Radha Madhava.

 

She just looks at it and says gee...geee...and a soft smile suddenly decorates her cute li'l face.

 

that spontaneous smile,

those innocent glances,

that playful dance,

her simple offerings.

Oh' darling of Krishna(oh Radhe)

she is your parrot.

life after life

singing your glories.

 

-a father's dream