ENROUTE TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD

It is explained in the scriptures that on the route to the spiritual world, one will have to pass through the irresistibly attractive heavenly planets. Only very rare and fixed up souls are able to get ahead of these tests and boldly march ahead to the spiritual world. Most decide to take a break and engage in their rendezvous at the highly-eulogized heavenly pleasure gardens. Thinking about making my journey through these heavenly realms without getting stranded in these heavenly realms is a scary thought. My only hope is, if I meet some devotee in those realms who helps me stay inspired and focused on the path to the spiritual world with an unwavering mind by reminding me as to how close I am to see the Supreme Lord face to face.

At every step in our journey to the spiritual world, we are fully dependent on the association of the devotees of the Lord. Without their mercy and grace, we will be helplessly lost, being mesmerized and captivated by the attractive creations of the Lord that we will miss our golden chance to meet the All-attractive Supreme Creator of all creations.

- Achyut Gopal Das

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THE ART OF HEART

"Devotion means attention to details." - Radhanath Swami As I was having my breakfast at our ISKCON-run restaurant at Vrindavan, I saw one lady chef cut a piece of cake, neatly place it on the center of the plate and wipe the excess cake markings very meticulously with a tissue paper. It was then served to the customer with a knife and fork. I very much appreciated the devotion this lady put in her job. No wonder, why people spend so much extra money in going to high-quality restaurants which not only focuses on the quality of the preparation but also on the quality of the presentation of the preparation. When "the giver" puts their heart in something, it is felt in the heart of "the receiver". Eating is not just an activity of filling one's belly and satisfying one's palate, it is also about satisfying one's heart. I took a lesson from this incident. In life, we are all "givers" in some instances and "receivers" i...

THE FESTIVAL OF RAINS

"Thus observing the beauty and opulence of Vrindavana's rainy season, a perennial source of great happiness, Lord Krishna offered all respect to that season, which was expanded from His own internal potency." - Srimad Bhagvatam 10.20.31 Every season and every time is a wonderful opportunity to meditate on the Lord and engage in His devotional service. But, rainy season is all the more special. With the summer gone and the rains come, a sense of newness and freshness comes in life. The weather is perfect for our Bhajan - cool and pleasant. Mother Nature is at her best with fresh green grass and fresh leaves. She is nourished and refreshed by the rains, encouraging us to nourish and refresh ourselves through the nectar shower of the Holynames. The external environment is now clean, bathed by the continuous rains signaling us to summon the clouds of Lord's mercy to rain in the landscape of our heart and thereby clean it. The traveling preachers, saints and devotee...

SEEING THE UNSEEN HAND OF GOD

"kartum akartum anyatha kartum" "Everything happening, not happening or otherwise happening is His happening." A few days ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a retreat for brahmacharis (monks) connected to the Radha Gopinath temple, Mumbai at the Govardhan Eco Village - the farm project of Radha Gopinath temple. Among other feelings, retreats like these always leaves you feeling a little more grounded and humble. You feel small in front of hundreds of other accomplished monks. The saying - " a big fish in a small pond becomes a small fish in a big pond " aptly summarizes the feeling one experiences in these Yatras. Another interesting experience was the experience of saving my slipper. May sound a little silly. But, it wasn't that silly given the fact that most monks have a similar kind of slipper (paduka type sandals). It was a kind of fun to try to hide my slippers in different places so that it wouldn't get interchanged with those of...

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