The Divine Love Trip, Part 86
BY: SUN STAFF
Feb 05, 2021 — CANADA (SUN) — Excerpts from "The Divine Love Trip".
CHAPTER 20
Bhakti-lata
Garden of the Heart
My dear Reader,
These are the meditations of a soul, weary from perpetual battles and countless births and deaths in this material world. At the same time there is great enthusiasm to enter the eternal realm of spiritual bliss and knowledge. To achieve this state of consciousness, which is the natural constitution of all living entities, it is imperative to hear from a self-realized soul. Only one outside the realm and influence of material conditioning is qualified and capable to release those struggling with the modes of material nature. Indeed, submissively hearing from the pure devotee with unreserved faith is the essential substance of spiritual life.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is my eternal spiritual master. He is that competent person who descended from the spiritual world beyond birth and death to rescue those suffering due to ignorance in this temporary existence. His infinite compassion for all souls, tightly imbedded within the phantasmagorical grip of material energy is manifest in his divine books. They are the culmination of Srila Prabhupada's tireless effort to distribute transcendental knowledge for the benefit of all humanity.
I hope what has been written here will enthuse you to make hearing from His Divine Grace and reading his books the foundation of your spiritual life. If this is done there is no doubt that you will achieve that goal so fervently sought after by the most exalted sages since time immemorial.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Samapriya devi dasi
Samapriya.dasi@gmail.com
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Srila Prabhupada.
This book is a humble tribute to all he has given the world.
Without the constant love, kindness and support of my husband Dhruva Maharaja dasa this task would remain unfinished. He was the final editor, and his polish and refinement are only exceeded by his devotional insight. Thank you to my darling daughter Hita-karina, my partner in adventure who lived through much of this with me. She, along with all the first generation Hare Krsna Kids also made great sacrifices in the service of Srila Prabhupada to further the Sankirtana Movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Special thanks to Kaisori dasi, the primary editor who helped so much in the foundation of this work. To her I am most grateful.
Thank you to:
Govinda Cordua & Raghu Consbruck: layout and cover design
Mahamaya devi dasi: proofreading
Nitya-trpta devi dasi: archive photos
Jivana Wilhoit: provided photographs
Radha-Madhava: helped with cover design
Bhismadeva dasa: provided photographs
Citralekha devi dasi: editing advice
Advaita Chandra dasa and Torchlight Publishing
Pundarika-vidyanidhi dasa: quotes from Bhajan Rahasya and Navadvipa Mahatmya are from his English publications.
Thank you to the exalted devotees who took the time to read The Divine Love Trip and write reviews. I am humbled by your kindness and encouragement.
Kavicandra Swami
Malati devi dasi
Visakha devi dasi
Narayani devi dasi
Urmila devi dasi
Tamohara dasa
Mantrini devi dasi
Sesa dasa
Vrinda Sheth
Dhruva Maharaja dasa
Over the years many dear friends have encouraged me to write and appreciated my poetry. Thank you all, and I hope you will benefit in some way from this endeavor. Some have read this manuscript and offered valuable feedback.
In the Srimad-Bhagavatam we see many chapters dedicated to listing the names of prominent saintly kings throughout the universe who are devotees of Krsna and the heads of royal dynasties and empires. Sometimes in reading through these hundreds of names one might question the necessity. In contemplating those to whom I, a small insignificant jiva, am indebted in this life for their support and encouragement on the path of Krsna consciousness, I can understand the glory of these lists of the names of devotees. Just thinking about all the devotees I have had the honor to know, I am again grateful to Srila Prabhupada for having built a house the whole world could live in.
Thank you to all the kind and loving souls whom I have encountered in becoming a devotee and have helped me on this Divine Love Trip…
Readers also include: Nanda devi dasi, Nirakula devi dasi, Manmohini devi dasi, Ragatmika devi dasi, Citralekha devi dasi, Mulaka devi dasi, Pasupati devi dasi, and Kalakanta dasa.
Also special thanks to my father and mother Arthur and Sylvia Leschen, who appreciated Srila Prabhupada and the work he did in this world. They always respected the path I chose, and for this I am grateful (my mother visited us in Jagannatha Puri and Vrndavana). Thanks to Aunt Anita, Eileen and Betsy Blank, Dandakesa devi dasi, and Vrndavanesvari devi dasi, who helped with donations for the production of this book.
"The Divine Love Trip" is available at:
Touchstonemedia.com
Krishna.com
Or Search Amazon.com - 'Samapriya devi dasi The Divine Love Trip'
Samapriya devi dasi
