My Spiritual Journey

Krsnaji teaches me, God is the Guru. The Guru-disciple/devotee relationship is unknown to many people, it certainly was unknown to me just a short while ago. But here I am, a devotee and student of my KrsnaGuru. Because it is not readily understood, a couple of people have asked,“Why do you need an intermediary to reach God?” Well, the Truth is you don’t. The Guru is not an intermediary (and this is the point that freaks people out). The Guru is the Divine appearing here, to teach the Spiritual aspirant. Each aspirant has their own personal experience with their Divine Guruji. The Spiritual Master reflects the devotee’s own ideal. It would be a disservice for me to attempt to define the indefinable, unfathomable Guru, so I’ll speak here from my own experience. He is my Beloved; He is the Many; He is the One. How does the relationship work? The Divine Guruji engages the divinity within the student, an engagement which I experience as a primal longing. Guruji diligently use...

Krsna teaches me to fearlessly move through life. For weeks now, I have been clearing out my home. Through the course of the last 20 years, stacks of boxes and such have filled my life to the point that it has become difficult to know what’s here. The clutter around me is a reflection of the clutter within me. Taking aim at the clutter, the boxes are steadily being removed. The mind clutter is much more difficult to remove and requires Divine intervention. Through the blessing of my Guruji, the cleansing is ongoing. Each day brings new challenges. Thankfully, there is a growing arsenal of knowledge bestowed by KrsnaKnows, as He has countlessly and repeatedly given the same lessons in different formats, so that I might grasp the true understanding. Compared to the time this journey began, there has been a vast clearing of mind stuff. Among the best of lessons is to be fearless. There is nothing on this earth that can change the pure essence of my being. Thus, I am free to be...

Krsna teaches it is God’s Will, not mine that moves this life. There have been a few times in my life, whereby, I felt completely abandoned and alone. In those times, it seemed I would perish. And then, there were those times when I felt so completely consumed by those around me, that again, it seemed I would perish. It has only been in these recent years, when becoming aware of the Divine Spirit, that I have felt secure.  Security oddly comes from knowing that nothing, here, is within my control. Destiny is written, the job for which I am here will be done. “Thy Will be done.” One might have a starring role or may just be a prop, but all that exists has a purpose. This life may be just a stepping stone. The part one plays here today, may have come from some past effort or is in support of some unknown future. God's creation is too vast for me to grasp.   Guruji says, ”Just do your job.” I ask, “What is my is my job?” He states, “That which com...

Krsna teaches to take time to express devotion to God, without expectation of returns.   Worldly life is upon us all the time.  Unless you are blessed to be staying in an ashram or are a renunciate, the stress of daily life presses on. Going to work, earning money, taking care of family and friends, house and home, it’s like this for most of us. So where is the time to think of God? When a loved one is ill or there is a particularly important event pending, we may ask God for help, but asking favors is not devotion. Since returning from India , my life has been a bit unsettled and way too busy. The feeling that I can not find time to spend in devotion crept into my mind. But my teacher has always illumined the truth. God is within. Take his name, and dedicate the performance of all duties to Him. There is time in every minute, of every hour, of every day. Thoughts of God do not have to remove me from where I am or what I am doing. Retreating to a sheltered ...

Krsna teaches the root of most material world problems are unfulfilled desires. Contentment can be found in a simple life. Most of us struggle and work hard for money to provide a comfortable life for our family and ourselves. As we reach one level of comfort, we have already started to plan our next level, then our happiness rests in the fulfillment of that desire. Desires are unavoidable; we are always seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching objects. The mind takes the input from the senses and creates many emotionally charged scenarios. Thus, our desire grows when our attachment to those scenarios are formed. We cannot stop our senses from working. The best tool one can use to control desire is the mind. Bereft of the knowledge to harness this tool, one needs a guide, a Guru. By Grace, He or She can teach an individual to be aware of the mind’s process and to be in control of one’s response. Sorting out the experience from the response takes ...

Krsna teaches me to move ahead on the path. My time in India is winding down. It has been full of ups and downs. Literally, I tripped and fell down on the street in Kolkata during Durga Puja (lol). On the up side, my stay in India has been met with much kindness from everyone I’ve met along the way. Beyond falling, the trip to Kolkata was quite remarkable. My visit to Dakshineswar Kali Temple is among my most treasured memories. There at Dakshineswar, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa experienced many years in worship of the Divine Mother and it is there that He nurtured a Love of God that expanded out from India and across the world. While visiting Dakshineswar, and as Krsna's Devotee  held my hand, I dipped my feet into the holy waters of the Ganga River. Two years ago, I could not have even imagined that I would be in Kolkata. As amazing as it was, the experience was surpassed by the honor of meeting a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. The man known as Bapp...

Krsna teaches: Love and Prayers will carry you forward. Seeking something Greater, has led me to the other side of the earth, but that something has not become visible to me. Maybe I am not meant to peer behind the curtain. Perhaps, it will take more than this lifetime to know. Would it be easier to slip back into the old life? There is comfort in following an ingrained habit, but it doesn’t move me beyond the status quo. How do I find a way forward? A sannyasi is one who renounces their worldly life and material possessions, lives an austere existence without desire or expectation. I am not that. So how shall I live this life? Guru says to find my purpose and do that. Okay, how does one proceed to be in the material world but not attached to it? Bhakti yoga is the yoga of Love and Devotion to God. Is it possible to offer all my doings to God? Can I see God is my husband; God is my children and grandchildren; God is the stranger; God is the good and the bad of this world?...