Question: I have been a devotee, but my brother convinced me that Krishna consciousness was for very advanced people and that ordinary persons like me would take a very long time and will need to sacrifice a lot before becoming Krishna conscious. Also, I have very little taste for chanting, find it very difficult to get up early in the mornings and am more of a late-night person and rarely get to associate with devotees. Yet there is a deep yearning in me to decorate the temple, eat prasadam and do things that are colorful.
Answer by Romapada Swami: Krishna consciousness is not just for a special elite group nor just for very advanced people. On the contrary, it is open for all and in fact it is THE process by which even the most fallen, most conditioned people of this Age of Kali can be saved. Therefore, it is they who need Krishna consciousness most, because any other process is too difficult in this age. Certainly, those who are greatly advanced will take to devotional service with great relish, but even for the beginners, even for the ‘ordinary’ people or even the most sinful, fallen people, devotional service is very easily and joyfully performed. It is both the means and the end.
It is true that rising early in the morning is very important and helpful for practicing devotion. However, if one has difficulty in rising early or in doing any particular activity of devotional service, that does not bar one from being eligible to take up devotional service. You can still perform those activities that you are enthusiastic about and able to do. Meanwhile, you can keep trying to improve in those areas that are difficult also. Gradually by practice and purification, these will become easier. Similarly, chanting is the most important activity of devotional life; even if you do not have taste for it, by continuing to chant, and by continuing to associate with devotees whenever possible, hearing Krishna-katha, decorating the temple and other such services, you will gradually develop a taste for chanting.
The whole point is to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. All other rules like rising early etc., are to enable us to do this one thing. We are all parts and parcels of Krishna and our ‘dharma’ or constitutional position is to serve Him according to our capacity. From whatever position we are in, elevated or not, we can begin serving Krishna. We can worship Him with our occupation and dovetail whatever propensities we have in serving Him. Krishna says, whatever you do, you do for Me, whatever you eat, eat for Me, etc. By such a devotional attitude of offering whatever we have for Krishna’s happiness, Krishna is very easily pleased, and gradually we become blessed and qualified to offer better service to Him.
