Something told me to open the bright blue door. Something called me today to enter this temple. As I did, my heart grew excited as I entered this familiar state of worship and prayer. I was equally calmed by the friendliness of the members of this temple. After doing my own personal puja and being blessed by the priest, I was invited to sit down and join in a small kirtan (musical religious celebration) and prassad (Blessed food that is served at a temple).
As I sat down in the meditation hall, I was surrounded by the sounds of : Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Krishna Krishna Hare Hare …
And I could feel my body start to vibrate with energy. Hindus and others alike say that this mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna
Hare, Hare,
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare
elevates your state of consciousness. There have been others that have been so moved by this mantra that they have joined the movement of the Hare Krishna’s . The Hare Krishna’s believe in chanting this mantra daily and also worship Krishna himself on a daily basis, they believe the more people they can inspire to do this chanting the better the world will become because this chanting will elevate the world.
I don’t know why I was called to visit this temple, a Krishna temple of all things, as I usually am drawn to Shiva temples, the ones that worship Ganesha, Lakshmi and Saraswati. I think I must have felt their energy this day, I was equally touched by the warmth and openness of my friend Allegra who dared to join me on this journey! Imagine, this was her first temple visit in India!.
What moved me the most was the meal we ate with the Hare Krishnas which we politely accepted. We were offered prassad on a banana leaf while we ate sitting on the floor. Using my hands, I proceeded to eat the most authentic meal I have had in India to date. I ate goats milk, on top of rice, a dhal with chapatti. I ate only with my right hand (as the left hand is considered not cleanly enough to eat with) the most delicious vegetarian food. As I ate, I felt blessed to feed my body with this holy food.
Looking back on today’s temple visit, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be back again, on this spiritual journey in India!
I am calling now more than ever to seek balance and spiritual renewal through meditation, yoga and temples across India. Who knows perhaps soon, I will be able to go to an ashram as well. As I reflect on this, on top of the most amazing rocks, on the campus of Shanti Bhavan (The haven of peace), and I look at the lush green fields ahead of me, that have been nurtured back to life with the monsoon rains, I begin to pray:
I am calling for my spiritual guides,
to come !
May I be able to see them,
manifested as they may in animals,
human form
or in signs of the universe.
May the next six months reveal the answers in my questions
May I make the most of my final six months in India
Teaching
Healing
Myself
And others
And may the adventures that lay ahead
Serve
As my lessons for living
As an artist of life
P.S. Tonight as I look at my inbox I receive an e-mail from a Hare Krishna friend I met a while back in Bangalore. He tells me that this day, has been a very auspicious day in the Hare Krishna sect a day full of celebration and love. Funny, right? No coincidences here, I think my heart knew this, or I would never have wanted to enter this temple, a temple I have passed by for months now without even looking at . But this is how I am blessed, my heart knows sometimes what my mind cannot. I must remember to always follow it, no matter if it doesn’t all make sense to me now.. Somehow the answers always get revealed. Trust the universe right? Here goes..
It has been two weeks now in India, and here I am again at another temple, teaching yoga again and feeling blessed to be under yet another beautiful full moon.
