SRILA PRABHUPADA SAYS:
1. Simply follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully. Rise early, attend mangala arati, attend class, chant 16 rounds and follow the four basic rules and regulations. This is most important. Without these things, there is no spiritual life. If you try sincerely, then Krishna will give you all blessings.
2. The most important things are that you follow very carefully all of the rules and regulations such as rising early, and having mangala arati and classes, etc. and that you chant at least 16 rounds daily without fail. These things are most essential for your spiritual advancement and then everything will be alright.
3. Any way, you should try very sincerely to become a pure devotee of Krishna by following all of the four regulative principles and chanting at least 16 rounds daily, as well as rising early, attending mangala arati, attending classes, etc. By this simple method, you will be very strongly fixed in spiritual life and whatever problems you may have will seem insignificant.
4. Please continue to follow all of the rules and regulations very carefully and strictly so that your spiritual life will flourish. Rise early, chant 16 rounds, attend mangala arati and classes and you life will be perfect.
5. In this Krsna consciousness movement we require everyone to rise early in the morning, by four A.M.,and attend mangala-arati, or morning worship, then read Srimad-Bhagavatam, perform kirtana, and so forth. Thus we hold continuous activities in devotional service twenty-four hours daily. This is called sato vrtti, or following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas who expertly filled every moment of time with Krsna conscious activities.
6. For instance, in the Krsna consciousness temples the devotees rise early in the morning, at 4:00 A.M., and they immediately bathe. Then they go to mangala-arati at 4:30, and after mangala-arati they study the Vedic literatures. These are the processes by which we can awaken our dormant love for Krsna.
7. You have to practice tapasya by voluntarily accepting a little inconvenience. For instance, we have instructed that everyone in our Krsna consciousness society must give up illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. In addition, all our students must rise early in the morning (before four), take a bath, attend mangala-arati, and study the scriptures. These are all austerities, in which we voluntarily give up things we may like and accept things we may not like. Of course, if a person takes to Krsna consciousness seriously, Krsna helps him become qualified in all these matters.
8. So the test is within our hand. If during mangala-arati we feel laziness, that means I'm not yet spiritually advanced. And if one feels enthused, "Now it is time for mangala-arati, let me stand up, let me do this," then it is spiritual. Anyone can test.
9. "So then I shall have to give up attachment for my family, for my business?" No. Keep the center attachment in Krsna and do whatever you are doing. That's all right. Just like family. So it does not mean because you have turned your attachment, therefore your family attachment should be withdrawn. No. It will be polished. The family attachment will be polished. If you train your family in Krsna consciousness... Just early in the morning rise up. You can control your family in that way: "Now get up. Take your bath." Have mangala-arati. Then chant Hare Krsna, read Bhagavad-gita. Then take prasadam. Then go to office or work. So in this way, if your mind is in Krsna and if you act accordingly, then that is perfection. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended this process, that you stay in your position. There is no question of changing your position. But from that position you become Krsna conscious. And the easiest process is: chant Hare Krsna. It is not at all difficult provided we agree to accept it.
10. For the time being, try to be very staunch in following all the rules and regulations. Chant 16 rounds daily, attend mangala arati and classes, etc. and you will be very happily engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna. Never let a moment go by without engaging in at least one of the nine devotional processes.
11. You must make sure that all of these devotees are following the regulative principles very nicely. Everyone must rise early, take bath attend mangala arati, chant at least 16 good rounds, attend class, and follow the four regulative principles strictly. If these things are lax, then there is no question of spiritual life. Any one who does not accept these things staunchly will have to fall down. You must teach them by your own personal example otherwise how will they learn.
12. Make sure to keep yourself and the boys with you in full Krsna Consciousness by following our regulative principles very strictly without fail; chanting 16 rounds, rising early, attending mangala arati, attending classes, eating only Krsna prasadam, etc. In this way the whole atmosphere will become Vaikuntha, no anxiety. Please try to do like this with all sincerity and Krsna will give you all facilities.
13. Keep yourself pure and fixed up in Krsna Consciousness by following the basic principles that I have given; chanting 16 rounds daily, following the four regulative principles, rising early, attending mangala arati and classes etc. This is of the utmost importance.
14. I want to stress to you to be very cautious about giving me recommendation for second initiation. There are four orders of life, it is not that everyone has to be a brahmana just because he has been initiated 1 or 2 or any number of years. Especially if one cannot even rise early for mangala arati he should never be given brahminical initiation.
