From time to time I will go visit a city and stay at their ashram for a few days either giving a donation or if low on funds I will do service. Usually I will do both. Sometimes I need to get away from my everyday life, so it is good to go to a place where there is usually peace and quiet for meditation, reflection and worship.
Not long ago while visiting a city in the southern USA, I stay at their Hare Krishna ashram for a couple weeks doing service and retreating from the world. It was peaceful, I got to rejuvenate my spirit. I am a counselor, preacher and teacher. The devotees were so kind to me especially the young woman who was over the ladies part. She was around 23yrs old, and was glad for the company. She herself needed someone to pour out her heart to, to help guide her in decision making. We got along wonderfully. I am 50yrs old, my life has been in the Lords service and I have never married. One of my gifts is sharing unconditional love to others no matter how they treat me.
One day another woman came to stay with us. She was older, 56yrs old, a devotee, she said for many years. I think of myself as a person who likes to talk, but when I am silent, in a meditative mode, I don't necessarily want to be disturbed, especially when winding down from a long day. Well, I was laying in bed listening to some music on my Smart Phone w/ ear plugs, half in consciousness of anything around me. She comes in and sits on her bed, a bit loud, so I don't pay attention. Then she struggles and sighs a bit. I turn, being in a low bunk I had a cover around the bed like a curtain for privacy, and to keep unwanted light out for when others are staying in the room... I open the cover and asked if she was OK, as I figured she wanted to talk. So I moved the covering aside, sat up turned music off to listen. She began by asking me the music I was listening to, from there it was sort of a 3 degree interrogation of my life. I am careful what I share because I come from a very eclectic spiritual background, and sometimes people like to judge. As what seemed to be the case here, she was trying to find something in me to criticize and judge. Within me I already knew what she was about. Nothing she said moved me to anger or sadness, I just felt pity for her. She was such an angry person. I could tell she was a neophyte in her spirituality. I let it go and told her I am sorry she feels she had to find fault with my path, and that the Lord loves us all as individuals. I explained that my path was very similar to my gurudevs, and she should read his book, maybe she would not be so harsh in her assessment of me. When nothing moved me but compassion for her, she started crying. She told me about not being very active in Krishna Consciousness but wanting to be. She apologized for her behavior and being so mean to me. For she had been for the few days she was there, I showed her nothing but kindness in return. She couldn't understand it, that nothing she did upset me. I told her of my mother, and godmother how they taught me patience and love, and my faith of being in service, then I offered to hug her. When we hugged she held on not wanting to let go. She cried as if her life was going out of her. So I held her until she was ready. She said she had not been shown such love in a long time, she had not known such spiritual advancement of a woman since mother Yamuna. I can't come close to comparing myself to mother Yamuna, but we need to show each other Love. In our associations, show unconditional love. This love breaks the down barriers, and hard hearts. Compassion for each other, and others going through problems is essential for growth. This is not the only experience I have had in the last year. There are others. When and where I can I show love, I hug, and I listen. There is so much hurt out in the community. Wake up and see.
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