Is Loving Krishna Imitation?

Question: Is Loving Krishna Imitation?

Hare Krishna! You are so merciful and wise. I would love to serve you with all my heart. Now I am in frustrated and have some questions to ask. I really need your shelter. Only by your mercy can I find the way out.

1. A few days ago, there was enough time for me to chant 26 rounds everyday. Right now as my curriculum is becoming more and more, I can't spend so much time chanting. So I had to reduce it to 16 rounds just as before. But I found my mind was a little scattered and I couldn't taste the sweet pleasure I experienced before by the mercy of Lord. I feel confused, what should I choose to do in this condition?

2. Should we give all our heart and soul to Krishna? I tried to love Krishna in this way, and I did taste the nicest and sweetest transcendental pleasure just like a bird freely flying in the sky. But I really don't know whether this love of Krishna is right or it is merely imitation?

3. How should we love Krishna perfectly? Is it right that we should only love Krishna and have mercy on others? If we have the trend to love someone else, should we have to drive the heart to Krishna and begin to chant at once? What is the difference between love and mercy?
Thanks a lot for all your mercy and wisdom! Best wishes!

Answer: Loving Krishna Frees Us from the Imitation Material Existence


1. Since you have had to reduce your chanting to 16 rounds because of increased schoolwork, you should ask Krishna to help you always remember Him and dedicate everything to Him even while you doing your studies.

2. Yes. You should absolutely give your entire heart and soul to Krishna. This is the perfection of our existence. Such an endeavor to fully surrender to Krishna is not never imitation. Loving Krishna is what frees us from the imitation existence of bodily consciousness. Even though the birds fly in the sky in apparent freedom, they are still caught in the chains of birth, death, old age, and disease. When you give your heart fully to Krishna you will be completely free to eternally fly in the spiritual sky of unlimited love, bliss, and knowledge.

3. Real love and mercy are the same. Love of Krishna means that you should fully surrender yourself to follow His instructions as He has given in the Bhagavad-gita. This means that you must chant His names, bow down to Him, offer Him the suitable foods that He will accept, and take shelter of His representative--the bona fide spiritual master. You should give all of your love to Krishna. And because He is the root of all existence, through perfectly loving Him you will be able to perfectly love all living beings because they are His parts and parcels. Whenever you feel love for someone else you can make that love perfect by trying to engage that person in Krishna's service so that they will also become delivered from the cycle of birth and death. Just as I am engaging you in the service of Krishna, you should also engage others in the service of Krishna. This is the perfection of love of our fellow man.

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