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Shining the “Heart- gem”By Yamuna Devi DasiIn the beautiful city of Puri, in the state of Orissa,stands the majestic temple of Lord Jagannath. Builtcenturies ago, the temple has magnificent domesand is surrounded by tall swaying palms. Annually,the city is inundated with millions of pilgrimscelebrating the Ratha-yatra. Thisfestival involves Lord Jagannath,His Brother, Balaram, andTheir sister, Subhadra,riding their chariots fromthe main temple to theGundicha temple, nearby,which is named after thefamous King Indradyumna’sdevoted wife, Gundicha. TheLord stays in the Gundichatemple for one week beforereturning to the main temple. Fivehundred years ago, before the Rathayatrafestival, Lord Chaitanya, who is ShriKrishna Himself, demonstrated the cleansingof Gundicha, in preparation of the Lord’s arrival (atradition that is still followed today). Taking hundredsof devotees, water pots and brooms, He washed andswept the floors and ceiling. The Lord cleaned thetemple three times and removed more dirt than allthe devotees combined. In the end it became pure,cool and spotless, ready for Lord Jagannath.What message does this pastime convey and how dowe apply it in our daily lives? In Shri Shikshastakam(eight spiritually instructive prayers), Lord Chaitanyasaid cheto darpanam marjanam... (Verse 1). Thisverse explains that we must clean the heart, which iscompared to a mirror covered with dust, of unwanteddesires such as greed, anger, envy and lust. By theprocess of chanting the holy names and engaging themind and body in service to the Supreme, the heartwill be gradually cleansed enabling us to feel andhear the Lord within.He further states trnad api sunicena, taroh ivasahisnuna... (Verse 3). We should be humble, tolerantand respectful. In this way our cleansing becomeseasier and steadier. Shrimad Bhagavatam citesmany great personalities who displayed meekness.Narada Muni, although the son of a maidservant;Liquid HealthBy Yamuna Devi Dasiattained great devotion through his service to thebrahmanas. By serving and washing their utensilshe became an ardent devotee of Lord Narayana. Inportraying such qualities he received the blessingsof both the devotees and the Supreme Personality ofGodhead.Such devotion requires greedand determination. ShrilaPrabhupada explains thatattaining prem (pure lovefor God) is not easy andrequires hard work. Just likewe endeavour in our livesto achieve goals, we have tobe persistent and regular inour service; otherwise we willbecome stagnant and apathetic.In rendering devotion the tangibletaste for service will increase more andmore. Therefore our mood is essentialfor the cleansing process.Many years ago, while living in Mumbai, I wasassigned to the cleaning of Shrila Prabhupada’squarters at the ISKCON Juhu temple. Initially thetask was difficult and I struggled. However, after afew months the sweeping, washing and polishingof hundreds of brassware became easier and moreenjoyable. As I performed my service, time seemedto stand still and my heart began to yearn for more.Gradually, I realized that there was no big prize at theend; rather the desire to serve had increased withinmy heart. The result: service leads to more service.While polishing, I had, in fact, polished away a fewlayers of dirt in my heart allowing me to feel love forthe Lord. This was proof that simple cleaning doesbring one closer to God.It was one of the happiest times in my life and Irealized then, that as long as I continued on the pathof devotion with perseverance and humility, my lifewould be sublime. In the end, my polished heart willbecome like a shining gemstone that can someday beoffered to the Lord. Imagine that.We celebrate Gundicha Marjana, the cleansing ofthe Gundica Temple, on 20th June 2012.Are you having enough water in your diet? Water is known as the most essential component of the body. Our dailymaintenance dose is approximately 8 glasses per day and if you are guilty of missing a glass or two, this can easilyresult in disease. Water essentially regulates body temperature, eliminates waste, and assists in metabolism,to name a few advantages. If you are not drinking the recommended dose, the cells within the body becomedehydrated increasing the risk of diseases. Remember: your health is your wealth. Drink at least 4 -6 glasses onan empty stomach early in the morning at 5 min intervals.It is interesting to note that Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita that He is the taste of water.11