Vrindavan, The Abode of the Seeker

Vrindavan is beyond anything words can describe. I was truly conflicted whether to write this or not because I genuinely feel that any slew of words that I may conjure will only take away from the experience and my feelings towards it. However I feel it necessary to at least make an attempt for the sake of those souls who may be ready to experience such a place. Vrindavan is truly an expression of the ability that humans have within them that is in no way human. It is less of a tourist attraction and more of a place of refuge for those of us who are not satisfied with the material point of view. People from all over the world who are in search of God or at least something deeper than the tv screen and radio come to experience the essence of Supreme Truth that lingers throughout the streets. Though subtle, this supreme truth is non discriminative, it is available for providing realization to men, women and children of all different creeds, ethnicities, financial backgrounds, levels of education etc. for how could a truth that is supreme or which pervades all, be anything less than universal? For this reason people of all ages, from all over the world flock to Vrindavan to express the love there within them or the yearning for something that won't ever deteriorate and lose it's original essence as everything else does in the universe. What is required however is that yearning for something deep, something that words only limit and thoughts tend to categorize as irrational due to the fact that it doesn't lead to material "gain" such as money or sex appeal. The wealth of knowledge and wisdom here is second only to the wealth of faith. This knowledge and wisdom is a result of the passing down of lessons from one generation to the next, lessons which teach selflessness, humility, detachment to the results of ones actions or those of others, cooperation, empathy, compassion, forgiveness, understanding, equanimity in the face of friend or foe, patience, service and most of all, love. The faith arises if not from understanding of these principles, then from simply associating with those that do. This kind of atmosphere makes for a bird's eye view of the disease in the west that is spreading throughout the world. True happiness does not come from attainment of material desires. Sit back, take a deep breath and ask yourself why you're doing what you're doing, if it is to acquire some kind material profit or social acceptance then again ask why you believe you need these things, it boils down to the fact that your entire life, the tv, the radio, your parents, etc. have been forcing you to think that the only way you can be happy is by acquiring something. It is different for everyone, some want a big house, a prestigious degree, a beautiful partner (to cite the most common) but what remains the same for all is the fact that you are all already whole and complete and as long as you neglect your inner calling for the outer calling, you will never be happy. I'm not saying to not get an education, but make sure you get one because you are hungry for knowledge and understanding in a field that you are genuinely passionate about. In Vrindavan poverty amongst locals is as common as the mosquitoes but people are happy because they recognize the external is nowhere near as valuable as what you feel in your heart every night before you go to sleep. We as a society have been tricked and it's time to admit it. We've been cheated by the media and those who control what we see and hear into believing we need what they tell us is important. What they tell us is important, is actually only important to them because they are the ones making money off of our desires. It's time to stop feeding into the illusion, it's driving everyone completely insane as justified by the fact that 1 IN 4 Americans over the age of 18 have mental disorders (Provided by National Institution for Mental Health) (Google it). Not everyone will hear this but for those that do know that you're waking up from the very long sleep that these controlling people have put you into and there are thousands of others waking up from this dream state every day. Those of us who want to be with others that share this awakening from the illusion that these puppeteers have created and those who want to become a few steps closer to the eternal Supreme Truth and love that has existed since time immemorial sometimes venture to a beautiful place called Vrindavan.