Generally, a spiritualist strives to rise early in the morning.
The time before sunrise is extremely precious for persons on the spiritual path. A most conducive time for meditation, spiritual reflection, and worship of the Supreme Lord.
It may appear like the depth of darkness to the materialist, but the early morning hours are very sublime.
या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी ।
यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः ॥ ६९ ॥yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī
yasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni
sā niśā paśyato muneḥWhat is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.
I too try my best to wake up as early as possible in the morning, but am encased inside a material body.
In general, a spiritualist is enjoined to practice perfect balance in the matter of rest, recreation, work, and food…
युक्ताहारविहारस्य युक्तचेष्टस्य कर्मसु ।
युक्तस्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दु:खहा ॥ १७ ॥yuktāhāra-vihārasya
yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu
yukta-svapnāvabodhasya
yogo bhavati duḥkha-hāHe who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.
Sometimes, even the most well-meaning spiritualist can succumb to imbalances, as I do, ever so often.
My subtle material body consisting of mind, body, and false ego constrains me too often from pursuing spiritual life freely. Sometimes, the spirit and the mind may be willing but it could be the gross material body, made of earth, water, fire, air, and space that constrains me.
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: ।
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣatiThe living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.
This morning, my alarm was set for 4:00 AM, but somehow or other I did not rise, resolving to rise at 5:00 AM instead.
But then, shortly thereafter, the moon, who is almost full right now, positioned himself in the sky so he shone on my sleeping face with his full brilliance. As if to help the moon, the mirror behind my pillow on the mat joined in with a secondary reflection of the moonrays.
It was impossible to continue sleeping!
Krishna can be perceived through the light of the sun and the moon.
रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययो: ।
प्रणव: सर्ववेदेषु शब्द: खे पौरुषं नृषु ॥ ८ ॥raso ’ham apsu kaunteya
prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ
praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu
śabdaḥ khe pauruṣaṁ nṛṣuO son of Kuntī, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable oṁ in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
My alarm clock and my determination to rise early may have waned, but the waxing moon got me!
Within a few minutes, I was energized by this merciful radiation, reminded of Krishna, and was able to rise refreshed and dive deep into meditation and worship.
The moonlight is an energy of Krishna, the ability for me to engage in acts of Krishna Consciousness are also a gift from Krishna. So it is best to engage my God-given ability in the service of Krishna.
Thanks to that completely undeserved beautiful start to the day, despite all other obstacles or distractions, it has been a most blessed day!
Dear Krishna, thank you for making so many arrangements to help me, a dull recovering atheist, rise to the purpose of human life. Dear Srila Gurudeva, my dear spiritual master, thank you for your prayers and blessings on my behalf, which allow even me, a wretched lost soul, to bask in Krishna Consciousness, even if some of the time.
Freedom through Genuine Spiritual Progress 