As Srila Prabhupada said above, training under a bona-fide spiritual master is the first step toward making spiritual advancement. Because of this, Dharmavira Prabhu took a step down from his position and started the Harinam program.
"A bona fide spiritual master is a representative of Krishna. If he bestows any blessings upon his disciple, that will make the disciple immediately advanced without the disciple's following the regulative principles. Or, the regulative principles will be easier for one who has served the spiritual master without reservation." — BG 13.8-12 Purport by Srila Prabhupada
Anyone living at Sri Radhakund Dham with Sri Dharmavira Prabhu will tell you how simple it is to live there. The food given to all the sadhakas who stay there are healthy – so healthy in fact, that it will help suppress your appetite, which helps in getting a good night’s sleep and rising early the next morning. Srila Gurudev has created a peaceful environment where everyone feels comfortable to go out on Harinam with him each day. It is also an ideal opportunity for sadhakas staying at the ashram to serve Srila Gurudev personally and express their concerns to him directly.
2:00 AM Wake up alarm
3:00 AM Chanting with Srila Gurudev
6:00 AM Sri Radhakund Parikrama
8:00 AM Rest in the room
9:00 AM Breakfast
10:00 AM Rest in the room
11:00 pm Chanting with Srila Gurudev at Radhakund
1:00 pm Lunch
2:00 pm Rest in the room
4:00 pm Chanting with Srila Gurudev at Radhakund
6:00 pm Return to the room
6:00 pm Sleep
The returns on pious activities are not comparable to the extensive benefits of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra because it has unlimited potency and power.
go-koṭi-dānaṁ grahaṇe khagasya
prayāga-gaṅgodaka-kalpa-vāsaḥ
yajñāyutaṁ meru-suvarṇa-dānaṁ
govinda-kīrter na samaṁ śatāṁśaiḥ
“Even if one distributes ten million cows in charity during an eclipse of the sun, lives at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamunā for millions of years, or gives a mountain of gold in sacrifice to the brāhmaṇas, he does not earn one hundredth part of the merit derived from chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.” – CC Ādi 3.79 Purport