In Satya Yuga, when people used to live for 100, 000 years and were all perfect in religious life, meditation on the Supreme Lord was performed. In Treta Yuga, fire sacrifices were performed and in Dvapara Yuga, deity worship. This era, the Kali Yuga is the age of quarrel and hypocrisy where the lifespan has been reduced to only 100 years. The same meditation which was performed in the golden era is not possible nowadays. However, in this age of Kali, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you can attain the perfection. The Hare Krsna Maha Mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the only means of deliverance and the only way to attain perfection.
Those who are serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not waste their time for sense gratification. However, since we are embodied souls, we are not free from the demands of the senses. Therefore, the senses should be controlled. That is the process in every line of action, either while meditating, performing sacrifices or any other activity. The real process is to control the senses. One should try to control the senses as far as possible and utilise one’s time for advancing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the process is very simple – simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.
ŚB 12.3.51
kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann
asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ
kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya
mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet
My dear King, although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults, there is still one good quality about this age: Simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one can become free from material bondage and be promoted to the transcendental kingdom.