Today while cleaning up the winter debris in our backyard garden, I removed a stringy pile of dead leaves from our Japanese iris. Just below this dry tangle I suddenly beheld a set of tiny, but vibrant new shoots that had eagerly poked their heads above the ground.
Seeing these little green treasures emerging from the frozen soil, I was suddenly invigorated and sat admiring the enthusiasm and spontaneity of this little plant.
The miracle of life in one’s bhakti garden is sometimes covered by the debris of mental cares and useless desires for happiness in this material world. Just below the surface however, lives the instinctive urge to love Krsna, the life and soul of every living being.
During this dim season, clear away the old leaves and shriveled matter that have accumulated in your bhakti garden and look carefully for signs of life and growth.
Remember how you were first attracted to Krsna’s names and wanted desperately to be near His devotees. Remember how good you feel – and how the problems in your life evaporate – just by giving your God-given attention to the most basic bhakti practices. Make some new vow or a goal that will spirit you forward until spring arrives.
The roots in the bhakti garden are always alive and well below the ground and with a little care from the gardener, they freely send forth their beautiful shoots, buds and flowers.
Vaisesika das