17. One should induce all the members of his family (including ladies, gentlemen, and children) to chant the Divine Name in a chorus and with absorbed attention at least for 15 minutes regularly every day.
18. One should read at least one chapter of Shrimad-Bhagavata daily, keeping one's eye on its meaning as well.
19. One should make it a point to have the Darshan of an Image of the Lord daily.
If he has got a temple close to his house and if he is entitled to visit it, he should visit the same, or else he may keep an Image or Picture of the Lord at his own house and obtain its Darshan.
This, as well as the following item, is meant for only those who believe in Idol-Worship.
It should, however, be borne in mind here that those who practise Idol-Worship so-called do not really worship The Idol as such but The Lord Himself Who is present in The Idol.
20. As far as possible, one should practise Idol-Worship daily. Ladies need not go to a temple: they should keep an Image of the Lord at their own house and worship it with due ceremony.
21. One should turn his back upon all worldly things as objects of enjoyment, but should learn to love them all as so many images of the Lord.
22. One should never entertain doubts regarding God and His Incarnations nor as regards saints and godly men.
23. One should read, hear discourses on and ponder over the meaning of, books like
the Upanishads, Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita, Shrimad Bhagavata-Purana (at least Book 11), Mahabharata (at least ShantiParva and AnushasanaParva), the Ramayana of Valmiki, the RamaCharitaManas of Goswami Tulasidas, SundaraVilasa of SundaraDas, the DashaBodha of Samartha Ramdas, the BhaktaMala
and other lives of saints and devotees, and other such books.
24. Instead of trying to ascertain the dates of incarnation of Sri Rama, Sri Krsna, Sri Narasimha and Other Incarnations of the Lord and submitting their lives to a critical test, one should remember Them and adore Them with devotion.
One who partakes of the mango fruit is wiser than one who is engaged in the vain pursuit of counting the trees.
Life is too short to be frittered away in trifles.
Cited from "Kalyana-Kalpataru", 1935, Vol.02
"Practices leading to Devotion" article by
हनुमान प्रसाद पोद्दार (hanumAn prasAd poddAr)
