Blog Entry 14 * 5-14-22
On the winding drive to Mount Shasta in Northern California a place long held sacred by many spiritual seekers I found myself entering into a deep meditation. As the forested landscape passed by and the snow-capped peak slowly came into view, a series of thoughts rose to the surface, bringing a new layer of clarity and balance to my journey.
I’ve come to realize how the rigidity of the mind can gradually begin to harden the heart. It’s subtle, but over time, strict ideals, tight routines, or overly fixed beliefs even in the name of spiritual progress can become obstacles to the very thing we’re seeking. The more we grip onto structure, the less space there is for love, for spontaneity, for grace.
Breaking down these rigid thought patterns creates the internal space to engage the heart more fully. It opens the door to loving more deeply not just emotionally, but spiritually. This is true at all levels of life, but it holds special significance in spiritual practice. Softening the heart can radically transform how we relate to God. It allows a more honest, open connection with our divinity to arise.
We’ve been given these bodies to help us experience life in a way that supports growth and refinement through food, association, environment. And striving to live as purely as possible can be a beautiful offering to God. But sometimes we can get so focused on purifying the body, the diet, the setting that we begin to forget the deeper goal: to love God more fully, more intimately, more personally.
Austerities can help create necessary space between us and the pull of the senses. But if unbalanced or driven by force rather than devotion, they can also become armor hardening the heart and making us less receptive to divine love. That’s when the danger sets in. We begin moving away from, rather than toward, the loving presence of God within and around us.
This reflection on the drive to Mount Shasta was a reminder to return to the heart, to allow space for softness, humility, and feeling. True bhakti devotion isn’t found in strict control or asceticism alone. It’s found in the gentle, consistent turning of the heart toward Radha and Krishna, again and again, in all things.