Q&A: Making up for lapses in devotional practices: What to do if one has been unable to complete his daily vows?

Q: What should one do if for some reason he's been unable to complete the daily devotional vows concerning the chanting of harinama or diksha-mantras, or puja?

A: It should be understood that there is no wonder trick by the doing of which the neglect of a previous day's devotional activities could be complemented whilst hoping to attain an equal result. One's daily devotional activities are nitya-niyamas, perpetual vows. One should not seek for ways to occasionally avoid them for the sake of one's leisure and pleasure. raghunAther niyama, yena pASANer rekha! - "The vows of Raghunath were like streaks on a stone." One should strive to embrace such firmness of practice to attain success in his devotional pursuits.

It may be that on account of some unforeseen, insurmountable obstacle one's devotional practice is compromized. If that is the case, some remedial measures have been taught in the Vaishnava-smriti and heard from the mouths of the sadhus. Yet, one should not, on their strength, neglect one's devotional vows in a calculated manner, "If I don't fulfill my vows of bhajan today, then here's what I need to do tomorrow to make up for it. Let me therefore leave it for tomorrow." No! This will imbibe the flaw of nAmno balAd yasya hi pApa-buddhiH, to assume that one may misbehave on the strength of devotional worship.

One should think, "I must complete my daily nitya-niyamas. I must." Just as one wouldn't leave a child unfed and uncared for a day, one mustn't leave one's tender bhajan unnourished, and one mustn't keep his Thakur waiting. Utsaha and dhairya, enthusiasm and fortitude, are vital in the growth of bhakti (Upadeshamrita 3); without them, devotional progress is halted.

Should a lapse occur on account of excessive and unavoidable seva or some formidable obstruction, the general principle is that one should do more than the remaining balance as a matter of devotional atonement, with a sincere feeling of unworthiness as Thakur's servant. One must understand that the daily niyamas are a part of a living personal relationship with Thakur, not a matter of ritualistic, obligatory observance. They are our expression of longing, of our heart's budding love.

The 19th chapter of Hari-bhakti-vilasa (19.1038-1039) notes, in the context of worshiping the deity:

ekAha pUjAvihitau kuryAd dvi-guNam arcanam |
tri-rAtre tu mahA-pUjAM samprokSaNam ataH param ||
mAsAd Urdhvam anekAhaM pUjA yadi vihanyate |
pratiSThaiveSyate kaizcit kaizcit samprokSaNa-kramaH ||

"If worship has been forsaken for a day, one ought to worship twice. If three days have passed, one should perform great worship with the bathing ceremony. If the worship has been repeatedly neglected for the duration of a month, some hold that installation should be done anew, while others recommend the bathing ceremony and so forth."

Such worship should be done in the spirit of apology, calling out for the Lord, begging him to again receive our worship, with firm determination that such neglect will not occur again.

Manohara-bhajan-dipika, discussing what ought to be done in the event that the chanting of the names has been halted for a day, states that one must then, on the following day, perform four-fold the daily vow. For example, if one's vow has been for 50.000 names daily, one should then chant 200.000 names, discarding all unneeded activity to arrange for time for its performance. In the event that daily vow has not been neglected but has been compromised, then doing the vow two-fold is sufficient.

For those chanting the Names in excess of one lakh, the four-fold atonement is not practicable for obvious reasons. Rarely it is seen, though, that someone with a lakh's daily vow would halt his nama-bhajan altogether for a day! Regardless, if their nama-bhajan has been compromised, they should chant a substantially increased quantity in proportion to their daily vows on the following day to atone for the neglect of Nama Prabhu's daily worship.

The above also applies for the chanting of the diksha-mantras and other quantifiable practices. If the practices neglected are not of a nature that could be quantified, one should sincerely regret having neglected the said practice and thereby a precious opportunity for acts of devotional worship, praying for a new opportunity. With that, one should make arrangements to see that the situation leading to the neglect will not occur again.

Q&A: Maintaining inspiration in bhajan: Sometimes inspiration comes, and again it goes...

Q: It is often seen that people come to Vraja for pilgrimage, associate with sadhus and gain much inspiration in bhajan -- only to have it diminish and wither in a few months after returning to West! What is the reason for this, how to avoid it?

A:  There are several reasons for the diminishing of enthusiasm in bhajan. As a matter of general principle, it has to do with not exercising due caution in protecting one's bhajan. For a sadhaka, protecting one's bhajan is of the utmost essence. He should not neglect or squander his precious attainments.

In his Upadeshamrita, Srila Rupa Goswamipad has listed the following six items that cause the devastation of devotional pursuits:

atyAhAraH prayAsaz ca prajalpo niyamAgrahaH |
jana-saGgaz ca laulyaM ca SaDbhir bhaktir vinazyati || 2 ||

"Excessive eating or harnessing property, strenuous endeavors, idle talks, neglect of principles, the company of the worldly and fickleness; these six make the devotion perish."

If someone, after having spent time engrossed in bhajan, returns to his worldly life of harnessing so many items that are truly not of need for a life of bhajan, he is overwhelmed by a sense of possessive illusion that blocks the consciousness from entering the ways of bhajan. If one eats in excess or eats inappropriate food from inappropriate sources, sexual desire is provoked, the consciousness is tainted with evil and the mind becomes wicked. If one engages in idle talks, such as blasphemy, gossip or topics of sensuality, he cuts on the very root of devotion through blasphemy and gossip, cultivating taste for the mundane.

If someone neglects the execution of due devotional principles, one's daily religious vows of prayer, worship and meditation, the creeper of devotion withers in shortage of water. If one maintains mundane association either through cultivating relationships with worldly people or vicariously enjoying their ways through movies, novels and so forth, his taste for the worldly is nourished, and in proportion his interest in devotion vanishes. If the mind is fickle, running across the universe and taking interest in countless topics of sense enjoyment and intellectual interest, the focus of consciousness is scattered and led afar from bhajan.

Among the six items perfecting the practice of devotion, Rupa Goswami mentions sato vRtteH, which the commentator glosses as sadAcAra, or saintly conduct. Sadachar keeps one protected from varieties of aparAdhas and shields one from mundane influence, lack thereof leads one to unknowingly commit aparAdhas and leaves one vulnerable for the effects of the world. Therefore, one should learn and adopt appropriate sadachar, saintly conduct, to protect the tender creeper of devotion.

In his teachings to Sri Rupa, Sriman Mahaprabhu taught of the cultivation of the creeper of devotion and the need to exercise great caution (CC 2.19.154ff):

tabe yAya tad-upari goloka-vRndAvana |
kRSNa-caraNa-kalpa-vRkSe kare ArohaNa ||
tAhAG vistArita haJA phale prema-phala |
ihAG mAlI sece nitya zravaNAdi jala ||
yadi vaiSNava-aparAdha uThe hAtI mAtA |
upADe vA chiNDe, tAra zukhi’ yAya pAtA ||
tAte mAlI yatna kari’ kare AvaraNa |
aparAdha-hastIra yaiche nA haya udgama ||

"Then, it grows beyond and reaches Goloka Vrindavan, climbing to the desire tree of Sri Krishna's feet.
"Extending there, it produces the fruit of prema, as the gardener always sprinkles it with the water of hearing and the such.
"Should offence at the feet of a Vaishnava arise like a mad elephant, it'll uproot or break the creeper, making its leaves dry.
"Therefore the gardener, with great diligence, prepares a protective barrier to prevent the elephant of offence from awakening."

The observance of maryAda, or proper etiquette in dealings with Vaishnavas, coupled with due awareness of inadequacies in ingredients, places and manners of activity in worship, must therefore be assimilated and maintained if one is to maintain one's firmness in pursuing devotion.

Mahaprabhu described the undesired weeds that suck the life sap of the creeper of devotion in the following words:

niSiddhAcAra, kuTInATI, jIva-hiMsana |
lAbha, pUjA, pratiSThAdi yata upazAkhA-gaNa ||
seka-jala pAJA upazAkhA bADi yAya |
stabdha haJA mUla-zAkhA bADite nA pAya ||
prathamei upazAkhAra karaye chedana |
tabe mUla-zAkhA bADi’ yAya vRndAvana ||

"Forbidden acts, duplicity, hostility towards others, mundane gain, worship and distinction, these are the host of weeds.
"Drinking the water sprinkled, they are nourished while the growth of the main creeper becomes thwarted.
"The weeds must be discarded at the very moment of their appearance; Then, the main creeper will grow and reach Vrindavan."

One should therefore stay afar from forbidden acts such as sinful deeds or other acts deemed unbefitting in the Vaishnava scriptures, be transparent in his dealings and not lead a life of deceit, not cause undue grief and anguish to other living entities, and always beware the traps of mundane gain, worship and distinction that arise parallel with the growth of devotion.

Hence the famous words, sAdhu sAvadhAn! -- "Saints, beware!". Seek to protect your devotional accomplishments by carefully weeding out crippling elements, whilst always yearning for the company of affectionate and advanced sadachari-sadhus from whose hearts the nectar of devotion oozes in our direction, and who educate us in the ways of guarding our growth in devotion.