The Last 5 days

This Sunday, Nov. 14th, we begin the last 5 days of the sacred month of Kartika. I want you to imagine these are the last 5 days of your life here in this body and world. This is not such an unusual request - our most thorough book on the philosophy of Bhakti begins with a king being cursed to die in 7 days. He turns that into a blessing.

For us, the last 5 days of Kartika are also a blessing. So, if we can meditate that these are our last 5 days, what do we want to do with them? How can we surround ourselves with the most beautiful Krishna conscious experiences? Who do we want to listen to? What do we want to read? What activities in Krishna’s service bring us joy and absorption? What do we want to let go of? Who do we want to forgive? What relationship might we need to repair?

The most important focus at this time will be thinking about, loving, appreciating and glorifying Krishna. If it’s our last 5 days, then it’s really about a deep, internal connection with Radha and Krishna. No one is going to leave our body for us, no one can fix our consciousness for us. This is ours alone to do.

This doesn’t mean we do it alone. It means we take full shelter in the company of devotees who help us remember Krishna. We chant the maha mantra with focus and energy, we pray and sing and dance, we fully depend on the grace, kindness, and ultimate mercy of Krishna and His pure devotees.

So take these last 5 days of Kartik and fill them from dawn to dusk with joyful and inspired Krishna-related thoughts and activities. Be creative, be adventurous, be fulfilled. This is the ultimate bucket list - right at our fingertips in the garden of our hearts. Let them be the best 5 days of our spiritual life that draw us more fully into our real, natural and eternal loving relationship with God.

Ananda Vrindavan dd