Wonderful world

This Garden Universe Vibrates Complete

When I look around me at the forests, rivers, lakes, stars in the sky, the golden light of sunrise, I realize that I live within magnificent perfection, all perfectly tuned and timed to cycle through the steps of her dance, day after day, season after season, year after year.

It is readily apparent that, if anything is wrong with my experience of it all, then the problem lies, not externally, but within me.

I have the opportunity to chase after wealth, fame, high regard, even adoration way beyond the realms of mere respect, but I see that this cannot form the solution to my predicament since, if the problem, dysfunction, or deficiency that I experience is within me then the solution must also lie within me.

Thus there is no need for me to play the victim game and blame the weather, the boss, the government, other people, even God, for my miserable situation. I made this mess, therefore I and only I have the responsibility of tidying it up. Generally speaking, excluding mercy, if it happens to me, I caused it.

Since it is obvious that I was not the creator of the magnificence that surrounds us all, it makes sense that I may humbly appeal to the personality that did create our existence, begging the creator for clemency and assistance in finding my way forward. Such a beautiful person would be only too willing to assist me in my quest to understand the truth.

Aware of myself in this way, I am all too conscious of the fact that when suffering comes to me, it's a reciprocal of my lack of respect for those who populate my life (lives), suffering which I must simply tolerate silently so that I open myself to learning the lesson it has to teach me. The only time I may complain is when it's my responsibility to do so. To react would be to merely replace one problem with another.

It stands therefore also, that the bewilderment I feel in life is correspondingly experienced by most other souls around me, perhaps even more keenly than I. It makes perfect sense that such uninformed persons would act in an ignorant fashion, all seeking, as do I, relief from misery and ultimately, happiness. Armed with this viewpoint, it is not so difficult to forgive them for merely delivering the results of my own ignorant actions, aware that they are now taking this suffering upon themselves. Fie on me for ever having acted in any evil fashion.

Of course, it's hard to soar like an eagle when you fly with turkey airlines, but I bought the ticket and I'm stuck with it till touchdown. There's always the opportunity to request a seat in a different section of the aircraft amidst a less obnoxious class of passengers, and whilst this won't rectify all problems it will permit me peace of mind to attend to the task at hand, that of cleaning up my mess.

Yet, just as an employee, stuck in a low paying job, with bad conditions, rather than to move on to another job, viewing the security of a barely "tolerable" situation as preferable to unknown factors, haunted by the spectre of indeterminate change, tends to stick with the job ... or like a person in a failed relationship with a partner who no longer holds any real attraction, tends to stay a part of the failed relationship, unwilling to let go of the familiarity, we can see that our own quest to move forward spiritually can often be thwarted by our unwillingness to let go of the old habits that made our life miserable in the first place.

There seems to be a "jumping into the void" expected of us.

We don't know what will happen if we let go of the devil we know so we are reluctant to wholeheartedly embrace the prospect of becoming our perfect selves out of fear that we will fail or we will be making the wrong choice, so we dabble in spirituality, chant a little, read a little, even dress the part and speak as if we have knowledge of spiritual affairs yet, all the while holding tight to our tendency to deceive others by upholding our own imagined social image, holding fast to our pitiful pride, enjoying the freedom to surf the internet, eat palatable dishes, drive our "appropriate" vehicles, watch movies, engage in small talk, amass a group of followers, maintain control of our assets, even control of the assets of those souls around us, and various other useless, self-centred endeavours all intended to maintain our illusion that we are separate, self determined, independent entities, and all despite our awareness of the beauty of the stars at night and of the spiritual well wishers who have caused all such beauty to exist.

Despite our own experience of the caring love and personal beauty of our very own Srila Gurudeva who has come to us from the regions beyond the stars to guide us forward in our quest for happiness and love.

We ignore much of what our friendly well wishers advise for us, listening instead to the voice of fear within us that tells us to maintain the status quo and NOT to relenquish our pathetic little "control" to anyone, at any cost.

This is all that is holding us back. If we simply let go, having simple hearted faith that Srila Gurudeva is our loving well wisher, that he is in control of our lives and if, like a vulnerable, little child jumping into the uncertainty of deep water whilst expecting her well wishing, protecting parents to save her in all circumstances, we embrace our Gurudeva's warmth and love without restraint, then life is no longer a problem.

Problems vanish as, empowering us by his gentle voice in tones of encouragement, kindness and cooperation, Srila Gurudeva reveals to us our very own heart and the consummate joy of fully blossoming love blooms in wonder.

May all fear within you vanish like mist, and beautiful, unconditional love become the music that orchestrates your every exquisite moment, the joyous energy that choreographs your own sensitive, delightful dance, as you, like the stars and the seasons, move in perfect accord to the love of the beloved who created you for this very purpose.

Joy to all beings