Where We Stand

Ananda Vrindavan devi dasi

I watched as the two elderly ladies came down the road while on their morning walk. Then they parted - one headed into the driveway of her house and the other crossed the street and stopped at the entrance driveway to the temple. 

There she stood with folded hands and bowed head towards the temple building. How nice, I thought. Pausing to acknowledge the presence of a sacred place, to offer respect and perhaps a prayer. 

I then wondered why she didn't go all the way into the temple room? Maybe she was tired or didn’t feel presentable or maybe it was any number of personal reasons. 

Or maybe that is exactly where she needed to be. To know ourselves is to know where we stand. And that’s an ongoing process. 

At the end of the day, it’s not the externals that matter; it’s our state of mind. I have known people who looked like they were close to God on the outside, but ended up being so far away. And others, who looked like they were standing at the edge of the circle, but had a rich and deep internal spiritual life. 

So I asked myself, where do I stand? Some days are closer than others, no doubt, but with reading, chanting, and service I am at least facing the right direction and desiring to do more. 

The sweetness of Krishna bhakti is that no matter where we are, that’s where Krishna will meet us. He is that kind and that present, and will always pick up our feeble attempts to repair our relationship with Him. 

Now that’s a good thing to know and a good place to be.