iMonk | December 2008

Navadwip, India — Wednesday, December 31st

Wasting time

In another day, another year will have gone by... and still, I spend my days idly! The words of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur's Arunodaya-Kirtan [Song at Dawn] that we sing every morning when we circumambulate the temple are particularly poignant today:

udita tapana hoile asta / dina gelo boli' hoibe byasta
tabe keno ebe alasa hoy / na bhaja hrdoya-raje

"With each rising and setting of the sun, another day passes and is lost. Why are you so lazy? Why do you not serve the Lord of the heart?"

Our gurus tell us that laziness is sinful, that "time is valuable, but it is passing in mere hesitation," but still I hesitate to serve, even while I absentmindedly sing Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur's prophetic verse about the consequences of such procrastination:

emana durlabha manava-deho / paiya ki koro bhava na keho
ebe na bhajile yasoda-suta / carame poribe laje

"You have been given a rare gift, a valuable human body, but you do not appreciate it. If you do not use this body to worship Krishna, the Darling of Yasoda, you will be sorry when you are evicted from it!"

When will I cease to be idle and make better use of my time? Will I wait until I am on the verge of death, like the great demon, Ravana, before I finally see the folly of repeatedly engaging in detrimental, inauspicious activities, while constantly putting off those activities that are beneficial and auspicious?

I play catch-up year in and year out because I waste time day in and day out. Even in a rare leap year like this, I don't take advantage of the extra day that we are given to catch up... What can I say?

Tags: Keep vows

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