Is the pure chanting – suddha nama – within the reach of an average devotee? Except for a few fortunate ones, will Krishna ever reveal Himself to us?
Do you ever wonder if the spiritual path you follow works?
Well, the answer to all the questions above is yes…. and no!
My friend from the ashram would often say, “if you want to become extraordinary, you need to do something extraordinary!”
A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on the wooden bench next to the small pond in the village garden, chanting my japa. On the right side of the pond is the sacred temple where ancient Radha Gokulananda Deities reside, and on the left is the famous village pub. The pond is the neutral ground where people from both the spiritual (the temple) and material (village pub) world meet.
Sometimes devotees living nearby would walk by, chanting their japa, and at other times half-intoxicated villagers would pass by, struggling to keep their balance whilst walking towards their car.
My attention was not on them. And not because I was absorbed in my japa!
Next to the temple gate, a grey car was parked. A car that I saw many times parked in the same spot. Inside sat a person in his early fifties, skinny, with long hair and a scarred face that hinted to me that he was a drug addict. I saw this person on multiple occasions sitting in the car and listening to music.
Although very shy by nature, especially when around rough people, I still felt an urge from inside to approach that person sitting in the car and ask him why he parks near the temple.
“Hi sir, can I ask you a question”, I asked, trying to sound confident. The car smelled heavily of cigarettes and alcohol.
The skinny man placed headphones on his lap and looked at me with surprise.
“Yes, what’s up. Everything ok?” He responded.
“What inspires you to park near the temple?” I asked.
With his left hand, he moved his long brown hair to the side and replied with a smile, “I’m looking for peace, and this area close to the temple is very peaceful. It has a good vibe here.”
“You Hare Krishna’s are good people.”
I thanked him for his reply and invited him to the temple. We ended our conversation, and I returned to my bench beside the pond.
Although not conversant with our worldview, this person was able to detect that the temple and the area around the temple is not an ordinary place. He could sense that this place was very sacred.
It made me reflect on how bhakti yoga is such a natural process for the soul to practice in this age of Kali.
Great scholars study 18000 verses of Srimad Bhagavatam and, even after that, still can’t take to the process of bhakti yoga.
On the other side, this half-intoxicated person who doesn’t know anything about our worldview can appreciate the temple and the devotees, and is taking small steps towards Krishna.
Take a step back, find your own “bench in the park”, look deeply into your heart and ask yourself:
What are my desires?
Do I really want to see Krishna?
Am I trying my very best to chant without the offence?
Depending on the priorities in your life, Krishna may or may not reveal Himself to you.
Ref. VedaBase => SB 11.11.33- My devotees may or may not know exactly what I am, who I am and how I exist, but if they worship Me with unalloyed love, then I consider them to be the best of devotees.
Ananta Gopal Das
5.11.2023
Bhakti Wisdom 