Srila Prabhupada's garden gave us entrance into another realm as Nandu, Mirabhai Goura and I walked in that summer day in LA. It was that time of the year again; the Festival of the Chariots was over, and a few of us locals had time to hang out together. The garden has always been my favorite place in LA and to be there with good friends made it all the more special.
Mira had come in with a basket of flowers to make garlands for the next day's offering tot he Dieties, Nandu had taken the harmonium from the temple after the noon arati and was playing some mid-day tunes next to Srila Prabhupada's sitting place. Goura stood on the other side of the water fountain and did a few bharatanatyum moves to "Yasomati nandana" while I, goofing off as usual, tried to follow her every move until she finally agreed to teach me the "real" moves.
Then it dawned on me- Srila Prabhupada's presence was there! And all of us were engaged in something connected to Krishna. Mira making garlands, Nandu singing, Goura teaching me.
This wasn't like the spiritual world, this WAS the spiritual world. Made possiible by Srila Prabhupada's mercy, we were all engaging our consciousness at that moment in relation to Krishna.
Every now and then I think about that day and wonder when that day will come when such an event will happen 24 hours. The energy was unreal, and I was in a space where everyone there with me was perfectly engaged.
The kingdom of heaven, or better yet the Village of heaven is a village of consciousness. That transcendental realm is available to anyone regardless of caste or creed and I am convinced with every passing day that we can all get there even in this lifetime, while in this body, under proper guidance :)
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