One cat and the Teachings of Queen Kunti.
Karuna Darini Dasi: I got my first book from a book table near the Los Angeles Ratha-yatra site. I took the Teachings of Queen Kunti home with me and read it. I liked the beautiful, classic prayers, but did not want a personal God in my life again, having renounced Christianity.
Some friends, recently turned devotees, were regularly bringing me prasada. They were patient with and kind to me, but I had a lot of excuses not to join them. One major excuse was my pregnant pet cat. One night I came home from work to find that my cat had given birth to two premature kittens — a miscarriage. The fetuses were lying on top of my stack of poetry books and quasi-spiritual art magazines. The TQK was exactly next to that mess – though untouched, as effulgent as ever. I was shocked and frightened. Then I thought, What is it with this Krishna literature? It was protected from this mess and it looks so beautiful! It seemed to say, “You can’t enjoy this pet cat! The cat is always suffering, and you are always suffering!”
I read TQK, I started to wonder what other shocks were in store for me in this lifetime. When I joined the bhaktin asrama, I was very glad to meet so many devotees.
When people ask me how I became a devotee I like to say that there is no group of people I have met throughout my life who is as amazing and intelligent as the Hare Krishna devotees.
Your servant,
Karuna Darini Dasi