Jaya Pataka Swami explains why devotional practice should start young, not wait until old age. He tells of a man from Bangalore who postponed religion to enjoy his youth, then found he couldn't concentrate on spiritual life because decades of worrying about money and business had hardwired his mind.
The devotee doesn't simply worship ka once in a year, once in a month. They worship Krishna in all these ways. Just for those people who are only going to do religious activities on certain days or just for some temporary children. They find it hard to understand why the devotees are doing so much regular devotional service. One of my disciples who was born here in America, his father is from Bangalore, came here and was working. Somehow his son became a member of our Hare Krishna movement. He's working for a bank as a vice president and a family and wife. But he was child also. And he was worshipping with his family Radhakrishna deities in the house. So the father was coming. 60 years old, his son, he's coming and saying why? You people are young people. Why are you doing all this puja? You have to come at the time of the evening. Argy, you're young. You should enjoy. When you get old, then you do the worship. They say dad, it's okay. We're happy, we're enjoying. This is also very enjoyable. He couldn't get it. See how this paradigm. When you're young, you should enjoy the Sanskrit of the nation. When you're old, you should do spiritual life. Then when he went back to India then his brothers, younger brothers and others, they were saying that why dear brother, you donate so much money in America. You built a three story house in Bangalore worth a crore of rupees. And all your daughters are married off. Your son is married, everyone. So now you can just concentrate, go to holy places and you can chant the names and worship the Lord. And he said, well, I visited Thiru Bhagi, I visited Srirangam, I visited Guru Bhaiyur. I visited a different holy place with many South Indian sword. South Indian holy places. But I can't concentrate my mind. All my life I've been thinking how to invest my money. So all I'm thinking about whether to put a unit trust. You know unit trust collapse was that happened before this happened before collapse. So that it wouldn't be anxiety. Unit trust or it's a type of mutual fund in India sponsored by the government Then or stocks or fixed deposits or so many options for how to invest the money. How are you invested in? What's the problem? Oh but no. Hard to think about God. Even I go on that temple after about three minutes I'm thinking this thing and that thing. I'm not able to concentrate. Whole life I never thought about this thing. How can I suddenly think now? But he's telling his own son, why don't you wait till you get old. But if you don't get in the habit of thinking about Supreme Lord, how suddenly after 60 years of thinking one way, will you suddenly be able to change? Actually we are going along through life. We should be all along thinking about Krishna. Why we are doing our material activities. And when the end of life then we have to go into the fast track of thinking about Ka. We go on slow track and sure life we have to go fully concentrated. So there's no practice. How will somebody suddenly be able to change their whole mental frame? This is very important. This is a false kind of advice people give. Wait till you're old. You shouldn't wait till you hold for last step. Start to find yourself.
