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EDITORIAL April 15, 2000 VNN5856 Comment on this story Where's My Family? BY MADAN MOHAN DASA EDITORIAL, Apr 15 (VNN) — Perhaps there's no place for souls like me In a Vaishnava community Where asserting seniority Appears to take priority Over caring for individual souls In their struggle to become whole. I really believe that respecting all others Is the best way, but sisters and brothers Seem to see Tolerance and passivity As reasons to walk all over me And my feelings. Vaishnava dealings, I believe, are based on caring For one another and sharing Heartfelt realizations, Gifts and prasadam preparations Made with love. I can't rise above Mundane conditioning on my own, But I feel alone Amongst my Gurudeva's Disciples. This soul craves Acceptance in a family That doesn't assess, judge or reject me. It hurts too much to feel like a freak, So there's no loss for me to speak My heart. There's a soul in here that hurts Like hell every time a so-called friend deserts Me in my hour of need. What value is a creed That speaks of transcendental love But fails to raise its followers above Sectarian condemnation? Sri Krishna's love remains the goal for me And I pray for Nitai's mercy That my offences don't consign Me to a lower birth. What's this life worth If my soul doesn't learn to sing Govinda's glories and I can't bring A few lost souls Into the Gaura-parivara, whose whole Purpose is to free Conditioned souls like me? Hello. Where are you, family members? We're all conditioned jivas. I remember Reading in Bhagavad-Gita About the goal of life. There's no sweeter Message than Sri Krishna's call To abandon all Varieties of religion And give our hearts in Unconditional love at Sri Govinda's feet. But when our family's incomplete, Why speak of teaching Others loving ways when our preaching's Not extending To broken hearts in need of mending Because we didn't cut a dash Or rake in tons of lovely cash To prove our worth? There's such a dearth Of love at home It counts for little that we roam The earth proclaiming Krishna's glories. Vraja-lila is the sweetest, but the story Our lives tell in all our dealings Paints the truest picture and steers the feelings Of every heart that we're connecting to In the name of Krishna blue. If we're not completely true To Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu By giving love to every jiva, Then its better to stay silent than leave a False impression behind That we're all so affectionate and kind, While aspiring Vaishnavas are crying Out for help and slowly dying. This lost and wayward soul Is in need of love to make me feel whole Again. Anyone? Madan Mohan dasa Please send any comments or responses to 106650.1421@compuserve.com About the Author  Other Stories by this AuthorComment on this story Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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