How can I describe the beauty of the day? It was warm, though not too hot or muggy, with a gentle to strong breeze. We sat outside on the guestroom deck, shaded by a large oak tree. As we look around we are surrounded by the beauty of the forest–the nourishing green of the trees and plants, plus the intense, pleasing variety of blooming flowers. Straight ahead is a long distance view of a number of ridges clothed in trees. Krishna’s artistry.
How can I describe the beauty of the day? It was warm, though not too hot or muggy, with a gentle to strong breeze. We sat outside on the guestroom deck, shaded by a large oak tree. As we look around we are surrounded by the beauty of the forest–the nourishing green of the trees and plants, plus the intense, pleasing variety of blooming flowers. Straight ahead is a long distance view of a number of ridges clothed in trees. Krishna’s artistry.
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Hello my dear friend! So nice of you to visit me this beautiful morning. You are welcome to come in.
You can leave your shoes here by the door.
Here are our beautiful Deities of Krishna who are living with us just to bless us!
Please sit down in this comfy chair.
Would you care for some water or herbal tea? And I have some “maha prasadum” (blessed food from the Lord’s very plate) as well.
I am glad you have come, as I am about to travel away tomorrow to a spiritual retreat Retreat in Georgia. I hope I have lots to share with you upon my return next Sunday, as today will be the last time I will talk with you till then.
I would love to hear how have you been………………………………………………………………….
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That is interesting. Isn’t it wonderful to have come into contact with Krishna through his devotees, his holy name, and the uplifting, insightful literature about him? Now we can deal with the ups and downs of life with an ultimate purpose. Before I came into contact with Krishna life seemed so pointless, and I always felt alone, and that something missing.
Even though I am far from being a pure devotee I still feel Krishna’s kindness upon me, and I know I am making progress toward loving him. Everyday as I chant my rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra and serve him, I pray to make spiritual progress, and I pray that I can be a better friend to you—that I can be a good inspiring example, and that together we will discuss the philosophy of KC and how we apply it in our life.
O, you would like to know how my day was yesterday. Thanks for asking.
Well, it was in many ways a typical day, rising at 5AM, reading the Shrimad Bhagavatam, and sitting down in front of our indescribably lovely Deities of Krishna and his different expansions and energies to chant my rounds of japa. One difference was that yesterday, being Sunday, I didn’t have to run out the door by 10AM to drive an hour to work in Winston. So I was able to make some finishing touches on my last blog, answer some email inquiries, and search for a verse in the Bhagavatam, which I finally found (10.88.8 with a fab purport).
Then we listened to an spiritually advanced Swami phone call live with questions and answers for an hour. If we are reading the books of teachers like my guru, Prabhupada and other acharyas, or even today’s thoughtful, and thinking about what they mean to us, there will naturally arise questions, even if we have been a spiritual practitioner for many years. Thinking is really the process of asking ourself questions, isn’t it? Also I receive different questions from my blogs and email that bless me to think deeply, causing other questions to arise.
After that, it was time to put on my yardwork clothes, and fire up the weed wacker and riding mower. We have had much rain and I have also been working a lot, so the grass was very high. The trimming took about 3 hours, and then we had some prasadum lunch at 3PM.
How can I describe the beauty of the day? It was warm, though not too hot or muggy, with a gentle to strong breeze. We sat outside on the guestroom deck, shaded by a large oak tree. As we look around we are surrounded by the beauty of the forest–the nourishing green of the trees and plants, plus the intense, pleasing variety of blooming flowers. Straight ahead is a long distance view of a number of ridges clothed in trees.
Breathing in the pure country air, we look at the vast sky, today with a deep blue, and spotted with those incredibly diverse puffy–cotton ball like–white cumulus clouds. As they moved across the horizon the hawks sported in the wind by gliding, enjoying the gift of flight, though they are a soul forgetful of God (thinking they are a bird).
O how I love the wind (not the hurricanes or tornadoes, though I can appreciate them as the power of God), and the sound in makes in the trees, like a soothing “wind instrument”, and breath giving earthly dancer. And what a performance it is! So esthetically pleasing—such an uplifting dance and song of hundreds of trees! And the only “charge” is our time, attention and appreciation!
How can my words possibly do it justice? Even the most accomplished writer with a reservoir of descriptive words would still be limited, though the attempt can still be made to give some idea. This type of thing has to be experienced to be really appreciated. And if one never has, how can they know this wonder? Just like the attempt of the transcendental devotees to explain Krishna consciousness to us, is something like trying to teach music to the deaf!
And how shall I explain the taste of prasadum after strenuous physical exertion? Greatly relishable! Delectable. The body is taking in energy—very obvious in this depleted state, while the covered soul takes in Krishna! Wonderful experience. The gratitude and satisfaction I feel!
Granted I still have a material body—though it is at initiation by a guru, considered a “sadhaka deha” or form of a devotee(spiritualized)–and I live apparently, still in the duality of the material world—of happiness and distress, good and bad, cold and hot, fame and infamy, though now I am endeavoring to live for the service of my gurus and Krishna—that is called bhakti.
Through Krishna consciousness or bhakti-yoga we can actually enjoy our life in such away that we make progress in spiritual realization and in loving Krishna! We are learning that we are not ultimate enjoyers, but servants of Krishna—yet that is so enjoyable! As my guru Prabhupada said, the servant and master enjoy on an equal level. How peaceful to not have to be the top dog of the world or of our tiny life.
We do our best to remember him while we work, seeing our toil as his service—our home, family, and land as his—and understanding that he is the active principle behind nature. He is the wind, the purifier. He is our strength, our ability, our intelligence and memory. In fact, all there is, is Krishna; as his energy he is everything. We too, are part of him. He is the life of our life, the soul of our soul, the love of our life. He is supplying all our necessities, and we offer it back to him through giving in charity, and by serving and glorifying him as we do in chanting. Our other loves are meant to remind us that our loving propensity is meant for him and for those things that are dear to him, like his devotees. We want to see our children and spouse as his.
It was a splendid day yesterday. I wonder what today will bring? Now it is time to begin again. Let us sit down together to chant “japa” on our beads and remember Krishna. Chanting and hearing about Krishna is our life, and our fun!