Journey of the Heart

Editor's Note: “Hoping to blossom into a flower,                             e very bud sits, holding its soul in its fist.”   Mahlaqa Bai Chanda (1767-1824) The ancient Bhakti traditions overflow with poetic flower metaphors that depict the relationships souls have to the Divine. They speak of the core-essence within each of us all composed of the same substance, held in a tight bud, just waiting to us to give it the nourishment it needs for its petals to unfurl. Life wants us to bloom!  But what does it mean to feel oneself blossoming? In the ancient text, the  Bhagavat Purana , a community of women called the Gopis describe this sensation of "blossoming" in beautiful Sanskrit poetry. Their verses unveil a most intimate look into this experience, which has been celebrated and revered for ages. The examples of these women are still central to the Bhakti traditions ...

I began to relish expressing my thoughts on paper in a summer night while residing in the holy city of Vrindavan, India. I had been writing before in the U.S. but it was different there; I would write for my own self. I considered my writings to be very private and was always very hesitant to share my real self. While traveling India I began to feel inspired, surrounded by so much spiritual beauty. I heard a voice from within urging me to stop being so selfish to share the love I felt for Godhead. Krishna, the beloved of the Gopis in Vraj, has found me and called me back towards him. My life has changed completely into happiness and positive energy has been flowing through my veins from the very beginning of my Krishna Conscious life, which happened only a few years ago in the Summer of 2011. In this poem I glorify and express my gratitude towards Krishna for bringing me back to life. *You Found Me I am found! No longer lost in the concrete jungle of...