Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
During one of our discussions, a devotee asked a wonderful question: How can we develop faith in the process of chanting the holy name?
The answer, as explained through the teachings of our acharyas, is that faith (Sraddha) cannot be awaken in the heart except through the association of devotees. That association does not even have to be consciously sought out. Even accidental association (ajnata sukruti) can allow us to hear from a devotee or render him or her some service.
Once faith begins to awaken, through continued association with devotees who are more advanced than us, our faith will be protected and it further develops. For householders, maintaining steady faith requires regularly hearing about Krishna and His pastimes in the association of devotees. By this process of hearing, we develop attraction for the Lord’s form, qualities, pastimes, and the holy name.
This point was illustrated in the Mahabharata when Maharaj Yudhisthira expressed his concern to Narada Muni about forgetting the ultimate goal in midst of worldly responsibilities. Narada Muni advised him that householders should daily hear about the Supreme Lord and His transcendental activities in the association of devotees. Such hearing gradually awakens a person from the illusion of material life, much like one awakens from a dream at the end of the night.
The relationships of this world are temporary. People tend to accept the contents of the dream to be real, while they are in the midst of it. Similarly, when we come together with family, friends, and society and are face to face with our daily obligations and commitments, these relationships evoke, it all seems so permanent to us. But they are temporary because it is based on bodily connections.
To transcend this illusion, one must awaken from the dream-like absorption in mundane relationships and seek a relationship centered on Krishna. Krishna’s relationships—with Nanda Maharaj, Mother Yasoda, the Cowherd boys, the Gopis, and the residents of Vrindavan— All of this relationships are permanent and fully satisfying to the soul.
So, Narada Muni emphasized that householders are not required to renounce their family relationships. Instead, they should place Krishna at the center of their lives. By regularly hearing about Krishna, engaging in chanting, and performing various devotional services, householders can strengthen their conviction to chant the holy names of the Lord sincerely. This practice elevates mundane relationships into spiritual ones, harmonizing them with the eternal goal of life—Krishna-prema (love of God).
Your servant,
Satya Sara das