Presence

Tonight I sat down at the harmonium in this quiet, empty house. I sang the holy name, the mahamantra. I submerged myself in the music. The sound of the Lord surrounded me and I became overwhelmed with gratitude that Krishna has given me a voice to sing to Him. Somehow when I sing to Krishna when it's just the two of us in an empty house or an empty templeroom, I feel the closest to Him. I feel that He is standing right in front of me. He is listening. I feel the most pure, as if Krishna sees my soul, past all of my layers and layers of hardened and twisted shells. Krishna sees me. I get to be me.

Thank you for giving me a voice to sing to you, my beautiful Krishna. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be in Your presence by singing the holy name.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Finish It

About two years ago, I so happened to be staying the night in a house across the street from Satsvarupa Maharaj. I had never met this swami before. All I really knew about him was that he was one of the very first people to join the Hare Krishna movement in 1966. Also, he - along with a team - was the writer of the voluminous biography of Srila Prabhupad, The Lilamrita.

He being a writer and a saint, I relayed my request to meet with Satsvarupa Maharaj and I was given permission to come. So early afternoon, I entered the old house and walked up the creaking stairs. The sun slanted in through the window and illuminated a man who was seated in an armchair wearing orange clothes. I bowed to him, offering my respects. He peered at me through his glasses. I remember how the sideways light seemed to make his brown eyes glow.

A little ways in to the meeting, I said, "Maharaj, I want to write a novel for Krishna, but I have such hard time in completing a project. Would you be willing to share with me some words of wisdom for writing?"

Immediately Satsvarupa Maharaj declared, "Lower your standards and finish it."

Thirst for Wonder

"Wisdom begins in wonder." - Socrates

This afternoon, I drove across a bridge and glanced over past the waterfalls. My eyes widened. Mist rose from the rushing, swollen river and the sun glimmered.

I crossed the bridge, parked my car, and dashed back out to the bridge with my camera phone. Who knew when this moment would come again, this precise painting by God?

I took several pictures then paused there in the middle of the bridge, gazing out at the river, the shrouded forests, the blue sky. The roar of the waterfalls surrounded me. Sometimes I measure my thirst for wonder by how desperate I am to take a picture. I'll crouch, crawl, tiptoe, reach, run, run, run. Photography for me is about viewing life as art and capturing the perfect way it blossoms and unfolds.

I paused on the bridge for only a couple moments, then dashed back to my car, pulling my coat tight. I drove into town and ran my errands.

When I returned much later, I parked my car again and walked out onto the bridge. I took more pictures. Wonder surrounds us every moment of every day if we are only willing to open our eyes to it. Okay, maybe we need to open our eyes AND crouch, crawl, tiptoe, reach, or run

run

run.