Today I have planned to write a story of a little girl who is very fond of stories. I went home last 2 weekends to attend the last rites of my grandfather & other related ceremonies with that.
Because of departure of my grandapa all my relatives had gathered. After some time for not finding a suitable subject to discuss than how my grandfather departed they started discussing about business, politics, family etc.
I find it tough to relate with elders & the things they talk so I parted myself in the company of children who had come there. I took them aside & told them I will tell you a story so along with me. Soon I found myself seated in most eager audience I had talked to ever. I told them stories & this is enough for the day. But sooner I found myself nagged by my little eager audience.They didn't wanted to stop. This was really tough experience for me because I am accustomed to talk to people who hear as ritual & for me also it had become somewhat like a ritual but this was audience who sitting on their toes to hear & every word I spoke mattered them most. In them my little cousin sister Sneha was most enthusiastic. She studies in class II. Later whenever she would find she will come & drag me by hands or give a cuddle & try to persuade me to tell a story. I told her a story of a person who came to Sanatan Goswami in search of most valuable thing, In turn Sanatan Goswami gave him mahamantra "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare | Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare". I told her about reincarnation & the way to get out of the cycle of reincarnation is go to Krishna's abode. She immediately started chanting.
When I went home next week the children were also had come along with their parents. Again they persuaded me to tell stories. In course of talking my little sister Sneha told me " ever since I have heard "Hare Ram Hare Ram Hare Krishna" mantra, I always chant that. I chant in school also, and do you know I don't even talk to my friends because I am always chanting that."
It was a pleasant shock for me. I have personally heard the glories of Mahamantra several times, and shared with others also many many times. Most of the people say that there are many other important priorities & how they can not chant or chant only for few minutes somehow. It also reminded me of the scholarly person whom I just mate while coming home in the bus. He was very inquisitive about God. I told the simple concepts of Bhagavad Gita. He wanted understanding of God at his level. I told him, its simple. God is 16 years old blue boy who resides in Vrindavan & his name is Krishna. But he was telling me that God is very difficult to understand It has got many different understanding. You can not describe him just like that and bla bla bla.
But here was a little girl who with the power of innocent faith was chanting or at least claiming to chant incessantly the holy name. She got the essence of all the processes of religion & she embraced it in a way which may be difficult for yogi even after years of practice. This may be for only one or few days because of lack of training & regular association but according to shastras such practice also can bear immense spiritual benefit. This is certainly the great mercy brought down by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Off course I was little afraid that her parents might be afraid of her chanting so much & they may catch me so I told her to make habit of chanting for some time in the morning.
Srila Prabhupad has said "What was possible for Dhruva Mahārāja is possible for anyone. Any five-year-old child can be trained, and within a very short time his life will become successful by realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. " (SB 4.12.23,)
Childhood is time when ones life can be easily molded to be either a torchlight for society or vicious
sense grantifier who will create disturbance in society.
Because of departure of my grandapa all my relatives had gathered. After some time for not finding a suitable subject to discuss than how my grandfather departed they started discussing about business, politics, family etc.
I find it tough to relate with elders & the things they talk so I parted myself in the company of children who had come there. I took them aside & told them I will tell you a story so along with me. Soon I found myself seated in most eager audience I had talked to ever. I told them stories & this is enough for the day. But sooner I found myself nagged by my little eager audience.They didn't wanted to stop. This was really tough experience for me because I am accustomed to talk to people who hear as ritual & for me also it had become somewhat like a ritual but this was audience who sitting on their toes to hear & every word I spoke mattered them most. In them my little cousin sister Sneha was most enthusiastic. She studies in class II. Later whenever she would find she will come & drag me by hands or give a cuddle & try to persuade me to tell a story. I told her a story of a person who came to Sanatan Goswami in search of most valuable thing, In turn Sanatan Goswami gave him mahamantra "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare | Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare". I told her about reincarnation & the way to get out of the cycle of reincarnation is go to Krishna's abode. She immediately started chanting.
When I went home next week the children were also had come along with their parents. Again they persuaded me to tell stories. In course of talking my little sister Sneha told me " ever since I have heard "Hare Ram Hare Ram Hare Krishna" mantra, I always chant that. I chant in school also, and do you know I don't even talk to my friends because I am always chanting that."
It was a pleasant shock for me. I have personally heard the glories of Mahamantra several times, and shared with others also many many times. Most of the people say that there are many other important priorities & how they can not chant or chant only for few minutes somehow. It also reminded me of the scholarly person whom I just mate while coming home in the bus. He was very inquisitive about God. I told the simple concepts of Bhagavad Gita. He wanted understanding of God at his level. I told him, its simple. God is 16 years old blue boy who resides in Vrindavan & his name is Krishna. But he was telling me that God is very difficult to understand It has got many different understanding. You can not describe him just like that and bla bla bla.
But here was a little girl who with the power of innocent faith was chanting or at least claiming to chant incessantly the holy name. She got the essence of all the processes of religion & she embraced it in a way which may be difficult for yogi even after years of practice. This may be for only one or few days because of lack of training & regular association but according to shastras such practice also can bear immense spiritual benefit. This is certainly the great mercy brought down by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Srila Prabhodanand Saraswati has spoken appropriate verses to glorify the mercy of Lord Gauranga.
" Not attainable by the faithful performers of
pious deeds, not
understood by those engaged in austerity, meditation, and yoga, not guessed
by those absorbed in detachment, renunciation or prayers, and unknown even
to the devotees full of love for Lord Govinda, the secret of pure devotional
service has been revealed by the holy name during Lord Gaura's advent. Let
me glorify that Lord Gaura."
chapter 1.3, Chaitanya Chandramrita
understood by those engaged in austerity, meditation, and yoga, not guessed
by those absorbed in detachment, renunciation or prayers, and unknown even
to the devotees full of love for Lord Govinda, the secret of pure devotional
service has been revealed by the holy name during Lord Gaura's advent. Let
me glorify that Lord Gaura."
chapter 1.3, Chaitanya Chandramrita
"The splendid path of pure devotional service,
which bewildered the great sages in the past, which material intelligence has
no power to enter, which sukadeva Goswami was not able to understand, and which
merciful Lord Krishna never explained to His closest friend , is the place
where the dear devotees of Lord Gaur happily enjoy the pastimes."
chapter 4.1, Chaitanya
Chandramrita by Srila Prabhodanand SaraswatiOff course I was little afraid that her parents might be afraid of her chanting so much & they may catch me so I told her to make habit of chanting for some time in the morning.
Srila Prabhupad has said "What was possible for Dhruva Mahārāja is possible for anyone. Any five-year-old child can be trained, and within a very short time his life will become successful by realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. " (SB 4.12.23,)
Childhood is time when ones life can be easily molded to be either a torchlight for society or vicious
sense grantifier who will create disturbance in society.
