Hare Krishna. I heard a story yesterday that made my hair stand on end. For me, this is the attraction to the devotee community. "The devotees" They are so amazing. Everyone is unique and quite eccentric in so many ways. It's a lot of fun. As long as I don't fall into the trap of "should" "supposed to" etc. Just appreciate what it is. "Far out" for sure. I heard this story yesterday when by Krishna's arrangement I got to spend some time with a devotee I had only briefly met before. So we went a little deeper sharing. Evidently, he was a young Brahmachari and lived in the ashram in the mid-'70s. He knew he needed to marry. He wasn't going to be able to remain austere and celibate. There was only one young woman available in the temple and he immediately became infatuated. She was all he could think about, being with her and sharing intimacy and loving exchanges, etc. He was going coo coo house. These desires when aligned with love of Godhead give us entry into eternal life, but he was becoming enamored of a devotee. I'm seeing this is the great mercy of the association of devotees. The Lord can bring us to him by using his devotees to help each other. Anyway. he was a mess. The marriage did not take place and he thought he was going to die. They sent him to New Vrndavana. A farm community and he got himself together with the help of fresh air, birds, trees, gardening, and cows. But then his desires came back. He couldn't stop thinking about her. The community wanted to help him and they told him there was a young woman there that could be a good match for him. It was a large community and he didn't know she was there too. Neither did they know the history. But it turned out to be the very woman he was obsessed with. And this was years later. amazing story. They married and lived very happily together raising a beautiful family. He said he was like Superman and nothing could stop him from doing anything. He was on top of the world during that time. But then their lives drifted apart. Prabhupada had left the planet and the movement was in turmoil. She left him. He is almost 60 now and the children are grown with families of their own. But he looks at what happened in his life and is amazed. It was wonderful to hear his story . He understood everything was Krishna's arrangement to help him become Krishna conscious. He is so in the present moment. He glows and when he talks the words are filled with love and appreciation for the Lord. He is a living testimony now.
Are you near a community? If not, that is why I like what Srila Gaurahari das is doing, in his own down to earth way. He is available all the time live on the internet. Best wishes. Hare Krishna...