A Monks Life

Pretty much every day some one will ask me "what does a monk do?" I normally just tell them of my daily routine and of my travels. After a recent interview for a playwrite I have decided to change my presentation of a monks life.

What is it that I find so attractive about my lifestyle? It can't be the daily routine that would be rather boring (who likes getting up at 4am every day?) and I do the same thing when I go traveling. No I realized the true existence of a monk, my real life is an internal one. The daily routine is there to serve my deepening internal relationship with God (Krishna).

So to ask a monk what he does, is asking him not about his external activities, but in fact to be asking him a very deep and personal question about his prayers, his devotional sentiments and internal struggles, about his personal realization of his love for Krishna and how that relationship is manifest in his life.

So, what does a monk do????

I find my day is formed by my morning prayer (Japa Meditation). I have recently been reviewing the way in which I offer my prayers, trying to go deeper, with more of a sense of truthfulness behind my plea's to God. A book, The Confidential Secrets of Chanting the Holy Name in Perfection, by Sacinandana Swami has helped greatly. It has been revealing to my stone like heart how to actually call out for Krishna's grace, His love. Now I am a long way off being a perfect chanter, but I am noticing the difference a little attention to the mood and effort put into our prayers can make to the rest of the day. This attentive prayer helps my consciousness be less and less about material needs and desires but more and more about exploring and experiencing a blossoming relationship with God and His devotees.

This is the essence of my daily existence, a day by day activity that sees me trying to get that little bit closer to being free from material bondage and a step nearer knowing who I really am,

as an eternal, spiritual being in loving servitude to Krishna.