Lost Baggage

During the flight I had a recurring bad feeling. Then, after waiting at the Delhi Airport Baggage Reclaim for one-hour, it was confirmed. KLM had lost my luggage! I had no choice but to proceed toward the holy village of Vrindavana with the clothes I was wearing and the few books I carried in my hand luggage. As the taxi pulled onto the busy highway the deeper meaning began to dawn on me. To truly enter the spiritual reality we have to leave all of our attachments behind. To receive spiritual gifts, we have to come forward with empty hands. I wish that all my material attachments were in that piece of luggage, and KLM never managed to find it! Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as that.

When a learned sage was one asked to elucidate the meaning of illusion, he responded by jumping off his dais and running out into the courtyard. The bemused audience quickly followed him. He rushed towards a tree, grabbed hold of it tightly, and proceeded to hysterically exclaim “let me go! Let me go! Let me go!” It was a graphic explanation. We’re holding onto our possessions and our need for security. We’re holding onto our image and our desires for reputation and respect. We’re holding onto our hopes and our plans for the future. We want the spiritual reality to manifest, but we’re still not quite ready to let go. How can a mind agitated and pre-occupied with so many thoughts focus on more profound pursuits?

It sounds painful to “sever our attachments”. In actuality, detachment is the most liberating experience in the world. When we pin the picture of our human journey on the backdrop of spiritual eternity, we gain incredible perspective. Real Success, the Bhagavad-gita states, is demonstrated by determined, dutiful and conscientious action. We carry out responsibilities with the best of intentions, and simultaneously remain detached from the temporary fortunes (or misfortunes) that we are dealt. By leaving our heavy and burdensome bags of attachment behind, we find an immediate relief, and simultaneously prepare ourselves for the eternal peace.

Read more »

The Journey Home

I’ve just returned from Ireland. Great trip. As I catch my breath in London for a week, I simultaneously prepare for a flight to India this coming Monday. My destination is the holy village of Vrindavana where Krishna spent His childhood years. Located 130 km south of Delhi, it’s a mystical place which is full of inspiration, insight and intrigue. They say that nobody returns from Vrindavana the same person, and that’s exactly why I’m going there! We can present ourselves as spiritual doctors, but we are undoubtedly patients as well. People may accept us as teachers of wisdom, but we remain humble students. After a month of sharing spirituality with others, now comes an opportunity to explore my own heart and question whether that inner transformation is really taking place.

These trips are not just a physical journey to a special place but also an inner journey towards transcendence. The great saints of Vrindavana were so absorbed in meditation and prayer that they became indifferent to the external world. Their living quarters were not formal brick or wooden structures, but temporary arrangements like the hollow of a tree, a clearing under a thorny thicket, or an underground cave. One saint is renowned for performing his meditation in a vacant crocodile hole. In these austere and solitary settings the great saints would slide into spiritual trance and have their conversations with God. They would continue on for hours on end. Their chanting wasn’t a casual activity. It wasn’t a ritual. It wasn’t simply a discipline – but it was full of emotion and feeling. It was from the core of the heart.

Could I ever isolate myself and go that deep? Probably not, and neither is it recommended to try. But hearing of such remarkable personalities nevertheless inspires me to intensify my spiritual endeavors. I’m trying to break free of my mechanical and ritualistic approach. I’m trying to rediscover the freshness, enthusiasm and simplicity that attracted me to this path. I'm searching for that childlike innocence that I once had. I’m going back to basics. Core spiritual practices like mantra meditation, scriptural study and practical service to others are the bridge to the eternal reality. They are not to be taken lightly. I’m approaching Vrindavana in the mood of a beggar: spiritually impoverished but confident that I’ll find some sacred treasures along the way.

Read more »