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The Lotus Within
By Ananda Rupa devi dasi A lotus does not wait for perfect waters. It rises through stillness, through mud, through whatever surrounds it. In much the same way, being shy, introverted, uncertain, or even unsupported does not have to define our path. These may simply be the waters we begin in, not where we remain. We have the example of Queen Kunti from the bhakti tradition. Her life unfolded through uncertainty, loss, and constant challenge. Yet, through it all, her inner str
The Gentle Art of Letting Go
By Ananda Rupa devi dasi Being a parent or caregiver is like tending a garden. We nurture, protect, and help those in our care grow strong roots and reach for the sun. Each day is filled with teaching, guiding, and creating a safe space for them to flourish. But one day, the garden changes. Children become adults. Parents find their own rhythm. The ones we cared for begin walking their own path, and sometimes our hearts need time to adjust. This is where steadiness matters. T
The Land of Scanty water
Ananda Vrindavan Devi While Krishna was on His way to Dwaraka He passed through the land of scanty water (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.10.34). I began to imagine what else might be scanty in that land with less water. And how today, in this time of Kali Yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, scantiness is everywhere. But first this delicious word - scanty. It means ‘limited or less than sufficient in degree, quantity, or extent.’ Miriam Webster Only when water is scanty do we realiz
How Losses Taught me to Live the Gita
Ananda Rupa Devi We read in the Bhagavad Gita that the soul is eternal and is on a journey back to its true home. It also talks about attaining peace through detachment, steadiness, and faith. Such philosophy remains comforting until life asks us to live it. This reflection arose from experiencing the departures that shaped me: the loss of a loving parent whose voice now lives in memory, the separation from a spiritual Guru whose physical presence is no longer visible yet con
The Birdsong of the Holy Name
Ananda Vrindavaneswari The air is warming, the snow is melting and the birds are singing a little louder. This poem is inspired by this time and how Krishna’s name also warms and melts our hearts: It’s a wonderful thing the sound of the holy name like the song of the birds it moves across the sky of my heart and sweeps my soul to places it longs to be It is the parrot song bringing messages of love, to me of all people how this birdsong of the holy name touches my small hea
Now, That’s Love
Ananda Vrindavan Devi Dasi Mother Theresa once said that the only real hunger we all have is a hunger for love. To give and receive love is what will truly satisfy us. In this attention-craving world that we currently live in, the underlying motive behind all activity is a search for love and belonging. The good news is that the essence of our self, our soul, is made for love; the soul's dharma is loving service to God. The not-good news is that we regularly forget this, and
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