Hari Aum.
I would like to wish all readers of this blog a happy, peaceful and spiritually fulfilling new year. May God give us strength, motivation and energy to continue on the spiritual path despite the many obstacles that we may face. Through His grace, the impossible becomes possible.
The year 2020 has been a tough one for many of us. Numerous people have lost health, loved ones and livelihoods. Materially it has been challenging for society in numerous ways. Equally, from a spiritual perspective, this has been a great test. A test of our faith (in God and in ourselves), of our determination to continue sadhana/spiritual practice despite the upheaval in our lives, of our ability to be in our own company or in a limited social circle, of our ability to see the big picture.
There have been many challenges, and no doubt there will be more to come. That is the nature of life. There is always something new around the corner.
Having said that, when we have the name or mantra of God with us, we have Him/Her with us. Then we have the capacity to deal with whatever comes our way. Pain is often a blessing in disguise. It's hard to see it that way when we are going through it, but in time, the purpose behind it often reveals itself. We grow through pain, we develop more empathy and understanding, we learn to find strength within, to rely upon ourselves. All of these are vital lessons for our success, especially in spiritual life.
So let us keep the name of God on our lips and keep our chins up, ready to face whatever 2021 has in store for us.
We have what it takes to get through this and every other challenge that comes our way. We are the children of God, He resides within our hearts, He is our true relative and friend, He responds to our call, we are ever protected by Him.
Om Namo Narayayana.
Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya.
P.S. A new year gift
As in previous years, I wanted to make the Krishna books I published on Amazon available for free download today. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances I did not quite manage this. However, instead of today, I have made all four books available for free download from Amazon for five days from January 3, Sunday, to January 7, Thursday, inclusive (from midnight PST). Please see link below for the books. I hope you enjoy reading them and that they give you much joy and spiritual inspiration.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
