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 ...

From the time I wake up in the morning to the time I go back to sleep at night… … everyday I try to see Lord Krishna in this material nature around us. It is my way of meditating upon the Supreme Lord. This meditation helps me not just to enjoy his beautiful creation but also to fall deeper in love with him. I wrote this poem as I walked through the nature around us and tried to see Krishna in everything.  In Bhagavad Gita ( chapter 7 ), Lord Krishna says that in each and every element he is present. I constantly try to visualize this concept to the maximum of my ability. Meditation helps me visualize my thoughts in the best way. I’ve found that meditating upon the Supreme Lord helps me gain spiritual strength, peace and serenity. Visualizing takes me into a whole new world where I can sense my creativity as though it is happening for real. I am able to feel my emotions towards the Lord even deeper this way.  I composed this poem to help others visualize ...

Recently I was asked to edit and comment upon the draft of an extensive commentary on Ecclesiastes... It was written by my godbrother, Jayadvaita Swami. It was difficult work, but satisfying, and by the end I had found, among other benefits, an unanticipated increase in my sense of worldly detachment.  In that mood, I wrote this poem: Shelter Art by Alice Juliet Mason Shelter keeps harm far away. Shelter is where one finds a way To safety and a place of trust; The shelter itself cannot bust Up into thousands of pieces, Tearing flesh and leaving creases In the flowing fabric of life; Shelter doesn't stab in the back with a knife. Shelter is sturdy and strong and holds; Solid, dependable without hidden molds Which rot from within and destroy the place Moon Bird by Alice Juliet Mason Just when one needs relief and grace; In illusion we seek water in a mirage Shelter in a teetering old garage Hope in the sh...

This is a poem I wrote after a very special dream… Madhana is a name for God that refers to divine love. Divine Visitation  by Radha Dasi My dreaming eyes beheld a room swept bare Of all the clutter from my waking hours White walls and wooden floors encountered there And the fragrance of night blooming jasmine flowers. Sunlight broke through on the window sill Then danced upon the walls like golden lace I saw the sunlight and my heart grew still Enraptured by the quiet of that place. All at once I felt a presence there I heard a footstep brush across the floor Like peacock feathers soft upon the stair Then sweet Madhana entered at my door. Illuminated like the sky at dawn When all the world is rendered fresh and clear My heart grew lighter as I gazed upon The beauty of His face as He drew near Clothed in honey silk and tawny pearls Garland made of tulsi and of rose Pink as the blushing...

In this poem, I tried to express the things that sometimes happen in my heart… …when I sit in kirtan, or when I hear the Song of the Lord, the Bhagavad Gita, or other sacred texts being read and discussed, especially when I have the privilege to sit and hear my Guru  - or sometimes even when I hear a very skilled secular singer singing "ordinary" songs with all of their heart and soul.  This poem is also me trying to articulate my desire to surrender to the song of God being played all the time in this universe, and also admitting that there are parts of me that resist this surrender at the same time. FOR A SONG For a moment, for a song and a sampling of eternity I had a nest there, in the folds of timeless time in the heartbeat of the Alive a place so soft that it felt like a warm welcome after a million goodbyes a return a coming to something profoundly good. Something so true that it could offer me an...