Beyond Faith

Krsna’s domain is the Heart and the path is Faith, Surrender, Love and Devotion.

Some twenty years ago, a person asked if I believed in God. Looking at the vastness around me (the sky and the earth), I asked, “How could there not be a God?” Yet, it took until now for me to have an ongoing relationship God. I am grateful to KrsnaKnows for setting me on this path, the best path, the one the path open to all without qualification, the path of Bhakti yoga (Devotional Love of God).

Stepping forward in Faith was important, but that did not bring me to devotion, it was a stepping stone to surrendering to my Guru, a Spiritual Master. As an American, the concept of a “Master” is unsettling. The mere use of the word Master conjures the images of the horrible human slavery that took place here. However, the Spiritual Master is not a slave owner. He or She is not an oppressor. One does not become a slave under this type of Master.

It is against human nature to surrender, but what one surrenders to the Spiritual Master, is the false ego, the part of you that says, “I am the doer, this is my family, my house, my ability, etc.” God is the doer, this is all God’s creation and we are but guests on this earth. By humbly surrendering, one is able to receive the Grace of the Guru’s teachings with complete Faith.

So how does a Guru/student relationship work? Under the tutelage of a bona fide Spiritual Master, you are guided and taught through Spiritual Texts and by example, to be pure in heart and deed. The Guru guides you to establish a practice that reigns in your mind and directs your thoughts and actions towards God. The Guru removes the ignorance that masks your own pure Divinity. You learn to see that everyone and everything is God.

The path of least resistance is the path of Love. It is the path that the Heart wants. Unfortunately, it is not the easiest path. There is a great resistance from the material world (family, society, etc). The material world does not want to give way, it does not want to allow you to step out of matrix of the mundane life and into a spiritual life. The Guru shows you that you’re strong and that you have the capacity to go beyond the little box that you have built for yourself. He tests you and you grow. Surrendering to the Guru is surrendering to the Lord’s plan.

Love is the path taught to me by my Guru. I am only a newbie on this journey, but I am ready to proceed wholeheartedly. I wish to be an instrument of God and to perform the work he has for me.