Chant and be Happy

Finally after many months I chanted 8 rounds in morning. I took the resolution to slowly give up all mundane activities which I don’t need to do for my sustenance in this world. CNY was the date and for last few days I am thinking why not get some lead earlier. Peaceful environment with cool breeze across balcony and to engage your mind in listening to Hare Krishna Mantra is itself a big enjoyment. It’s really a type of game. While I was chanting and listening my mind was telling me yes I am listening to what I am chanting and slowly it goes to other thoughts and suddenly you realize you have chanted so many times without listening as you were thinking of something else. Again you bring back your mind to listening mode and again it goes away. Devotees used to tell me and Prabhupada have also mentioned at many places that this happen because we have not developed the taste for Holy Name. Anyway the bottom line was that I enjoyed it. Hopefully that will be the case tomorrow also. Again it is my practical experience that initial you feel good when you start chanting but after few days that initial thrust goes away. It already happened to me before hopefully things will be better this time. However, the best part is now it comes so naturally that after one round my way of chanting is same as it used to be some 10 years ago. Once you learn how to chant you never forget it and as per scriptures even after you give up current material body. So seems to be very good day. I feel I have done something. There is sense of achievement which I realized after so many days and even I don’t remember when I had such feeling last time. It's sort of returning home. I was away from home for so many different reasons, ritvik issue, other devotees’ behavior or my own passion. All of them seem very small in front of what I feel today. I am home and comfortable here. The world appears good and things are simple and straight forward. As one of Prabhupada’s book title says“Chant and be Happy”