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Somehow,ithappensthatourmotivationinKrishnaconsciousnessmay
falter.Usuallythatfalteringcomesintheformoflackingthedesiretodo
somepracticalservice,associatewithdevotees,ordevelopourspiritual
practices,suchasimprovingthequalityorquantityofourchantingorof
ourreadingofSrilaPrabhupada'sbooks.Wheneverthishappenstomeor
afriend,Irealizetheurgencyandfragilityofdevotionalserviceandthe
importanceofremaininginspired.Howcanweproactivelyandpractically
manageourownlevelofmotivationinourdevotionallives?Howcanwe
inspireourselvesandothersinmomentswhenourinspirationislacking?
Thisarticlehumblyattemptstoprovidepracticalinsightsintohowto
maintainone'senthusiasmandmotivationinKrishnaconsciousness.

ChantintheMorning

"Thereneverseemstobeenoughtimeintheday."

Quitehonestly,besidestheHareKrishnamantrathisismyotherdaily
mantra.

SomeyearsagoadevoteewhoseadviceIvaluetoldmeto"justtry"to
chantsixteenroundsonmybeadseveryday,andspecificallyinthe
morningbeforeleavinghome.IfIwereabletodoso,hesaid,Krishna
wouldclearapathforme:Mydaywouldbeincreasinglyefficient,andI
wouldfindextratimeintheeveningsforotherdevotionalactivities.I've
sincealsodiscoveredthatfeelingstressedoroverwhelmedaboutdaily
tasksoccupiesmuchmoretimethanwerealize.Chantinginthemorning
helpsclearthemindandthusmakesusfarmorefocusedandproductive
throughouttheday.Thesamedevoteealsotoldmethatthematerial
worldisoneofexploitationanddeceit,andchantinginthemorningplaces
aprotectiveshieldaroundusthatpreventsothersfromhurtingus.

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7/14/2016 MotivationinKrishnaConsciousness|BacktoGodhead

Consideringthecopiousamountoftimewemakeforsomanypeopleand
activitiesinagivenday,whynotmakesometimeforthemostimportant
person,LordKrishna,attheonsetofourdaytotalktoHim,associate
withHim,andtellHimwecareaboutHim?Whetherfortenminutesortwo
hours,beginningthedaybyassociatingintimatelywithKrishnais
incrediblysublime.Chantingourroundsisthebasisforaspiritualday.
Committingtoacertainamountofchantingeachdaywillhelpmaintain
andincreaseourmotivationinKrishnaconsciousness.Ifwecantryto
chantinthemorning,westandanevenbetterchance.Whileitmaysound
overlysimplistic,chantingistheanswertoeverything.There'sareason
SrilaPrabhupadacoinedthephrase"Chantandbehappy."Andasfaras
possible,finishthoseroundsinthemorning.

RememberthatKrishnaIsaPerson

Perhapsthistoosoundsoverlysimplistic.

Whenwewanttoexpressaffectionforafriendorfamilymember,wetry
tocultivateandnourishourrelationshipbyexpressingloveandservice
throughmultipleactsofkindness,affection,andlove.Ateverymomentof
everydayKrishnaisexpressingHiskindness,affection,andloveforus.
HeisthefriendwholongsforustoassociatewithHim.Heiswithus
always,willingustoHim.ButtoloveHimistoexerciseourfreewill.He
can'tforceustoloveHim,becauseittakesthenectarandsweetnessout
oftherelationship.

Ifyou'veeverputmoreeffortintoarelationshipthanyou'vereceived,then
youknowthatthisisapainfulposition.Whenyoufeelunmotivated,tryto
thinkabouthowmuchKrishnahasblessedyouwith,andhowlittleHe
asksforinreturn.RememberthatHeisyourfriend,longingforaloving
reciprocalrelationshipwithyou.IfwejustpaysomeattentiontoHimdaily
throughchantingandotherservices,wewillfeelHisreciprocation.Oneof
thebestwaystokeepthedesiretoknowKrishnabetteristoserveand
associatewithHisdevotees.Theyprovidemuchinspirationbybeing
naturallyhappy,devoted,andloving.SrilaPrabhupadahasprovidedus
withahomewithinwhichtotakeadvantageoftheirassociation.

ScrubaFloor

Yes.Scrubafloor.

SrilaPrabhupadasaidthatcleaningthetemplefloorwillcleantheheart.
WhenwefeelunenthusiasticinourKrishnaconsciousness,rendering
menialservice,particularlyintheassociationofdevotees,canhavea
profoundeffect.

BeforetheRathayatrafestivalinJagannathaPuri,SriChaitanya
MahaprabhuandHisassociateswouldcleaneverynookandcornerofthe
Gundichatemple,whereJagannatha,Baladeva,andSubhadraspenda
weekaspartofthefestival.Withmeticulousattentiontodetail,Chaitanya
MahaprabhuandHisassociatescleanedthetemplewithdeeploveand
determination.

IntheChaitanyacharitamritaSrilaPrabhupadaexplainshowthecleansing
oftheGundichatempleisametaphorforthecleansingofourownhearts:

Togiveuspracticalinstructions,LordSriChaitanyaMahaprabhu
cleansedthetempletwice.Hissecondcleansingwasmore
thorough.Theideawastothrowawayallthestumblingblockson
thepathofdevotionalservice....

ByHispracticalactivity,SriChaitanyaMahaprabhuinformedus
howtocleanseourhearts....TheLordwasverypleasedwiththose
whocouldcleansethetemplebytakingoutundesirablethings
accumulatedwithin.Thisiscalledanarthanivritti,cleansingthe
heartofallunwantedthings.ThusthecleansingoftheGundicha
mandirawasconductedbySriChaitanyaMahaprabhutoletus

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7/14/2016 MotivationinKrishnaConsciousness|BacktoGodhead
knowhowtheheartshouldbecleansedandsoothedtoreceive
LordSriKrishnaandenableHimtositwithintheheartwithout
disturbance.
SriChaitanyaCaritamrita,Madhyalila12.135,Purport

Menialservicehasaprofoundeffect.Whethertheserviceiswashing
dishes,cuttingvegetables,orscrubbingthetemplefloor,itwilltransform
ourheartsandmindsandthusmakeusmorereceptivetothemercy
alwaysavailabletous.Andthere'sanaddedbenefit:Menialserviceinthe
associationofdevoteesstrengthensrelationshipswiththosedevoteesin
real,perceptiblewaysthatleaveusfeelingloved.Ourinspirationto
reciprocatewiththemandotherdevoteeswillkeepusprotected,
motivated,andgroundedinourKrishnaconsciousness.

ShareAnyWay,AnyHow

SharingwhatyouknowaboutKrishnaconsciousnessisatruly
transcendentalexperience.Shareprasada,distributebooks,orshare
whateveryouknow,nomatterhowlittleyouthinkitmightbe.The
knowledgeyousharewillstrengthenforyou,andyouwillhelpothers
discovertheirownrelationshipwithKrishna.Whenthathappensyouwill
feelSrilaPrabhupada'sandKrishna'sreciprocationimmediately.What
betterwaytostaymotivated?ToshareKrishnaconsciousness,ona
smallorlargerscale,isbothinspiringandhumbling.Giveitatry,and
you'llseeyourenthusiasmandmotivationinKrishnaconsciousness
multiply.

KeepaJournal

Writingcanbeanextremelyeffectiveandpowerfultoolforreflectingon
ourrealizationsandmotivation.Manydevoteesenjoyregularlywriting
letterstoSrilaPrabhupadaorKrishna.Itisasweet,simpleactivitythat
willbolsteryourrelationshipwithKrishna.Writinghonestlyandsharing
theirthoughtsonpaperisatherapeuticmotivationalexerciseformany
devotees.

MaintainanAttitudeofGratitude

Amoment'sreflectiononwhatSrilaPrabhupadahasgivenuswillensure
thatwecarryoutourdevotionalservicewithpropergratitudeand
motivation.Gratitudeisapowerfulinstrument:Itbreedssincerityanda
concentratedefforttoprogressinourspirituallife.

JustTry

Thesearesomesmallbutpracticalmethodswecanapplyinmaintaining
andincreasingourmotivationinKrishnaconsciousness.Tofeel
unmotivatedattimesisnatural.Butifwecanusethosetimesas
opportunitiestogrowandgodeeperinourspirituallife,wewillemerge
strongerandevenmoreinspiredtoengageindevotionalservice."Just
try."Weonlyhaveeverythingtogain.

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