Take a slow,
Deep breath and allow yourself to settle into stillness.
In the ancient wisdom of India,
There is a striking description of God,
Known as Krishna.
He is described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
The source of everything that exists,
And yet,
Astonishingly,
He appears as a simple cowherd boy,
Walking barefoot in the forest,
Smiling gently and playing the flute.
This contrast is important.
It tells us something profound.
God is not distant,
He comes close.
There is a story that reveals why this matters.
Once a speaker was publicly narrating stories from the Srimad Bhagavatam.
He described how Krishna,
When going into the forest to tend the cows,
Was beautifully decorated with shining jewels.
Among the listeners sat a thief.
As he listened,
A thought arose in his mind.
If this boy truly walks in the forest wearing such valuable jewels,
Why not go to Vrindavan and take them?
He became serious about this idea.
I must find that boy,
He thought.
In one night,
I could become very rich.
His intention was not pure,
But he had one strong quality.
Again and again,
A feeling arose within him.
I must see Krishna.
I must see Krishna.
That eagerness,
This intense desire to see Krishna became the reason he was able to meet Krishna.
Eventually,
The thief stood before Krishna and saw him exactly as the speaker had described – beautiful,
Radiant and childlike.
The thief began to speak sweetly.
Oh,
You are such a nice boy,
He said,
Trying to flatter him.
He thought that by kind words he could easily take the jewels.
Then,
He revealed his intention.
May I take some of these ornaments,
He asked.
You are so rich,
Krishna replied playfully,
Like an innocent child.
No,
No,
My mother will be angry.
I cannot give them away.
The thief stayed.
His eagerness grew stronger.
But something else was happening.
By simply being near Krishna,
His heart was changing.
His greed was slowly dissolving.
His mind was becoming calm.
At last,
Krishna said gently,
Alright,
You may take them.
But by then,
The thief no longer wanted the jewels.
Through Krishna's presence,
He had been purified.
At that moment,
He became a devotee.
The teaching is simple and hopeful.
Somehow or other,
If one comes in contact with God,
Krishna,
The heart is transformed.
There is another example of this same eagerness.
The Gopis,
Young women of Vrindavan,
Were deeply drawn to Krishna's beauty.
When they heard the sound of his flute,
Something awakened within them.
Without thinking of comfort,
Safety or social rules,
They felt only one thing.
We must go to Krishna.
Their families questioned them,
Where are you going in the middle of the night?
But the Gopis did not stop.
They left behind everything,
Home,
Reputation and fear.
Their love was complete.
At first,
Their attraction seemed ordinary.
But Krishna is completely pure.
And by coming to him,
Their hearts became pure as well.
There is no comparison to their devotion.
Because they loved God,
Krishna,
With their whole being.
This story points to a simple truth.
It is not perfection that brings us closer to the divine.
It is eagerness.
When the heart sincerely longs for truth,
For connection,
For the divine,
That longing itself becomes the path.
