By Devaki Devi Dasi
Our chanting of the holy name easily becomes infested with neglect and overfamiliarity towards Krsna, and as a result our spiritual practice turns into a dry, mechanical routine. Our daily life is fast – full of stimulations and distractions, taking away our attention from Krsna and His holy name. As Bhaktivinoda Thakur explains, inattentiveness in chanting is the root cause for all other offences. And this inattentiveness takes place on three levels: on the level of the body, mind and heart.
To be attentive on the level of the heart requires deep internal work. We have to become personal in our relationship with Krsna, mindfully turning towards Him while calling out in helplessness: “I know You are there – please allow me to serve You!” Only when we chant with such quality of feeling within our heart will our relationship with Krsna develop and gradually become tangible reality in our daily life. And only by such chanting will we be established in our eternal position of being servant. Such desperate appeal towards the Lord can only be expressed if we are in a humble state of mind. Therefore Mahaprabhu has instructed us to be more humble than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree. And Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur orders: “Make your chanting heart deep, not just lip deep.”
Going in seclusion, leaving behind all usual responsibilities and distractions and attending a Holy Name Retreat is a wonderful tool to deepen our relationship with the holy name. And Ekachakra Dham is the perfect place to embark on such internal journey.
On the 24th of February, immediately after the ILS (ISKCON Leadership Sanga) a group of fifty devotees from all around the world made their way to Ekachakra to spend four days in seclusion and deepen their relationship with Sri Harinama Prabhu – Krsna in the form of His holy name. HH Candramauli Swami, HH Smita Krsna Swami and other disciples of Srila Prabhupada also joined the event.
In a very personal atmosphere of such a small group we experienced a thorough spring clean and rejuvenation of our chanting, in japa aswell as in kirtan, shaking off the dust and rust which had settled on our spiritual practice. In the final closing ceremony devotees shared heart moving realizations, expressing how this retreat had brought about a revolution within their hearts and minds – discovering how external and superficial their understanding of chanting the holy name had been, even after many years of being in Krsna consciousness. One can indeed keep oneself externally busy within (so-called) Krsna consciousness, and leave Krsna and our relationship with Him entirely out of the picture. It is indeed possible, especially in this age of impersonalism and voidism.
Ultimately our fear of death shows how little our relationship with the Lord is established. And proportionally, as we connect with Krsna intimately through attentive chanting, our fear of death will gradually diminish, until we will look forward to finally joining Him in the spiritual world. After all He has been waiting for us for so many life times…..
Please see the slide show below, capturing the mood of our retreat at Ekachakra.
For further Holy Name Retreats please see www.theholynameretreat.net