My Life

MY LIFE

It was my quest to find the meaning of my existence that spurred me to seek spiritual knowledge. Having lost my adopted mother at five, I grew up assuming I was not wanted. My only solace then was God. I always believed in the existence of God and His supremacy over all that is. Prayers that started for the safety of my father and some stray animals in the street soon turned into prayers to know who I really was. As I entered my adolescent years, I seriously sought answers to questions on life, death, happiness, distress and the causes of it.

After attending some thought-provoking religious talks, I found myself rejecting Western viewpoints especially so-called scientific explanations on how life came to be. I began exploring the Eastern philosophy of life, accepting reincarnation, karma and matters beyond death. These provided me some answers; they failed, however, to provide me with answers about God and where I could find Him. My encounter with the Hare Krishna devotees though, completed my search and changed my life forever. Through their books, my questions were answered and misconceptions were dispelled. I no longer saw anyone as belonging to a particular race, religion or country; nor could I distinguish between one form of life from another knowing the spirit in one is as amazing as the other.

I abstain from eating meat as I truly believe I have no right to kill a life that feels pain just as me. The sweet grains and fruits created by the Lord are more than enough to fill up my stomach without making it a graveyard for the poor dead animals. I find the portrayal of God as being partial to one group of people as very immature. Guided by the Lord’s words in the Bhagavad-Gita, I cherish all that is God given and value virtues such as humility, simplicity, tolerance and truthfulness in my daily life whether as a mother, wife, teacher or a friend. As I bear the symbol of Lord Vishnu on my forehead, I am kept conscious of my every action, for it reflects my life as a Hare Krishna, no matter what other’s think of me.