The only way to neutralize all material desires is to engage in devotional service to Visnu. Thus, a person who possesses self-control must abandon, even within the confines of family life, the three material desires: the aspiration for wealth, the desire to enjoy the presence of a wife and children, and the desire to be promoted to higher planets, whether heavenly or paradise.

Eventually, the householder will even have to abandon family life to adopt the order of renunciation and completely absorb himself in devotional service to the Lord. Every person, even those of superior descent, such as spiritual guides, administrators, merchants, and farmers, finds himself indebted to celestial beings, sages, ancestors, and other living beings. To repay all these debts, one must perform sacrifices, study the Vedic scriptures [the Vedas, the original holy scriptures], and bring forth children to be raised in a spiritual family atmosphere. Anyone who in any way accepts the order of renunciation without fulfilling these obligations will fall from their position.

By performing sacrifices, we can free ourselves from our obligations to the celestial beings, so that we can take complete refuge in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

But in the present age of discord, quarrels, and sin, it is difficult to gather the various objects required for the offering of such sacrifices. People have neither the means to gather them nor the knowledge necessary to conduct such ceremonies.

In fact, they are not even inclined to perform these sacrifices. This is why, in this era, when the masses of mankind are overwhelmed by misfortune, consumed by anxiety, and disturbed by various disasters, the only recommended sacrifice is sankirtana-yajna [Any activity aimed at spreading the glories of God for the benefit of all. Its main manifestation consists of publicly chanting the holy names of the Lord, always accompanied by dancing and the distribution of consecrated food]. Indeed, the worship of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, through sankirtana-yajna is the only practice recommended for the age in which we live.

The only sacrifice we can perform today, a sacrifice that Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Golden Avatar, recommends to us, is the chanting of the holy names of Krishna, the Supreme, Absolute, and Original Personality of Godhead.

Hare Krishna, hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, hare hare

Hare Rama, hare Rama, Rama Rama, hare hare.

This major sacrifice, this chanting of the holy names of Krishna in Sanskrit means: O energy of the Lord, O Lord, allow me to serve you.