Happy BHAKTI DIVAS

Wishing you a very happy BHAKTI DIVAS (Jan 1 is celebrated by Jagadguru
Kripalu Parishat as Bhakti Divas) and a HAPPY NEW BHAKTI YEAR filled with
good health and abundance of spiritual wealth. 2023 was a mixed year like any other year. It went by fast, brought some good news and some bad news. We all experienced almost all emotions this year at some point. We laughed, we cried, we won some, we lost some, we fell, got up, and started again.

But one thing is clear: the whole world spent a lot on Artificial Intelligence. It took
over a significant part of our time and a significant part of our mind.
This was the first normal year after the big pandemic, allowing us to spend more
time with our friends and family. So, thank you for that, 2023.

As it is a trend to 'rewind' at the end of the year, when we look back, there is one
thing we did not devote enough time to – our own soul. When you look deep into
your heart, you will find someone who has always been there for us, with us –
neglected. Any guesses? It is our eternal friend, our beloved, Shri Krishna.

Sure, He is invisible to our material eyes, but so is oxygen, so is love. But these
are the things we feel and are pretty important – actually, the most important
things in our lives. It turns out our dear friend Krishna was always with us
throughout the year, and we failed to notice. He is like the ignored, ill-treated
mother of a teenage child who loves the child with all her heart but never gets
noticed.

He cried when we cried, felt happy when we were happy, gave us strength when
we were about to give up. He walked right behind us when something bad was
about to happen. He held our hand when we were scared and hugged us when we
were sad. He is like a friend we can never have: always with us, 24x7.

But most of all, He waited. He waited patiently for us to notice Him, acknowledge
Him, love Him back!

We woke up; He was sitting next to us, waiting for us to say good morning –
we ignored Him.

We had breakfast; He waited for us to set a plate and a cup of coffee for Him –
we ignored Him.

At work, He helped us at each and every step; every 'phew, close call' was
actually His doing. He waited for us to happily hug Him and thank Him – we
ignored Him.

We went to parties; He waited for us to dress Him up and take Him with us –
we ignored Him.

In a crowded party, when we were busy with our friends, He quietly stood beside
us waiting to be noticed at least once – we ignored Him.

Ah, the pain. Sure, He is God; He doesn't feel pain, but He is also our friend, our
love, our everything. Think about being in His shoes and being ignored by our
loved ones.

Anyway, bygones are bygones. This year, let us make a resolution: to at least
acknowledge His presence with us, everywhere, all the time. Then continue doing
our work.

Take Him to your New Year party this year. Gossip about people with Him, share
food with Him, ask Him if He liked it, dance with Him at the party, make fun of
others with Him. Trust me, you will have the best NEW YEAR party ever. You will
never be lonely; people will ask you the secret of your happiness and inner
strength.

Here lies the amazing essence of the entire Gita – Karma Yoga. Remember God
all the time while performing the duties of the world.

This new year, let us thank God for giving us another opportunity to live a better, meaningful life, and let us take a resolution to spend more time with the creator of the world, our dear friend Krishna.

Wishing you more power and more bhakti this year!

Please read Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj's 'Practise Powerful Meditation' for a more beautiful and personal touch with God. It is a literary masterpiece as well as an amazing guide to powerful meditation.