Why Do We Criticize Others? by Arcana-siddhi Devi Dasi
A look at the causes and cures for faultfinding, a major obstacle to spiritual progress. CONDUCTING A SUMMER therapy group with middle-school boys is always a challenge. Donte calls Michael a retard, and Michael calls Donte's mother a crackhead. I intervene,... read more
Vaigra or Vairagya – Where’s the Bliss? by Arcana-siddhi Devi Dasi
Sensual pleasures pale in comparison to the higher taste of devotion to Lord Krsna. I SIT AT THE lunch table with some of my colleagues as we say goodbye to one of our co-workers. I'm soon reminded of why I tend to stay away from such gatherings: As usual, the... read more
Dealing with Depression by Arcana Siddhi Devi Dasi
"Within days of chanting the mantra regularly on beads, I felt a lifting of my depressed feelings. Light entered the darkness I was so accustomed to living in." IN THE EVENING of November 14, 1975, I received a phone call in my dorm room at... read more
Coming Back To Vrndavana by Arcana-Siddhi Devi Dasi
Twenty years after her first visit, a pilgrim tries to enter deeper into the mood of this best of holy places. I FEEL ANXIOUS AS our taxi careens in and out of traffic made up of cows, human beings, motorbikes, and bicycle rickshas. Incessantly blowing the... read more