The Vedas teach us many gradual methods of purifications and gradual advancemnet twords liberation and pure devotional service. All of them entail many hardships by performing austerities and sacrifices.
But in Kali-yuga people are very disqualified. Any of those disciplines are possible for the almost totality of people. We can’t meditate, can’t perform sacrifices, can’t do any austerity as prescribed in the Vedas.
A description of the level of those who take birth in Kali Yuga is given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.10).
prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ
“O learned one, in this iron Age of Kali men almost always have but short lives. They are quarrelsome, lazy, misguided, unlucky and, above all, always disturbed.”
So how can unintelligent people, who can’t concentrate, who are lazy, always crticizing and bickering with each other, and so low class who can’t even understand that they shouldn’t eat meat understand this great philosophy?
This is what Srila Prabhupada asked Sri Krishna while coming to the West. “I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.” (Jaladuta Diary, 18th September 1965).
Just because we are so unqualified, the gentle Lord Sri Krishna blesses this dark age with special mercy, giving simple processes for spiritual advancemnet.
Simply by chanting Hare Krishna, even uncosciously, one can go back to Krishna. Simply by following an Ekadasi, even involuntary, one can go back to Godhead. Simply by taking some prasadam, even if one doesn’t know that is taking Krishna’s mercy, one can go back to Godhead. Simply listening to Srimad-Bhagavatam, even without understanding much of what he is hearing, one can go back to Krishna.
kṛṣṇe sva-dhāmopagate
dharma-jñānādibhiḥ saha
kalau naṣṭa-dṛśām eṣa
purāṇārko ‘dhunoditaḥ
“This Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa.”
If even unconsciously one can get a lot of benefit, what to speak of the devotees, who do everything consciously, knowing what, how and why they are are fasting during Ekadasi? The blessings can be incalculable.
So please everyone take very seriously observing Ekadasi, which is called the day of Hari, by not eating grains and by chanting more of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.
Your well-wisher
Manonatha Dasa (ACBSP)
PS
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