“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But
whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and
I am also a friend to him.” – Bhagavad Gita (9.29)

When we begin to feel love at a space beyond the body and mind- at a
deeper level of our being, we connect to the third of the Brahman
principles- love. We could either connect to Krishna- the supreme
personality of Godhead- as explained in the Vedic scriptures or we
could chant some mantras and feel a sense of self-love. Living in the
love space helps us develop awareness or clarity. And from the
awareness of self being separate from the temporary world, we live in
the space of existence- stability. This is satcitananda- stability-
clarity- love in action. This is the Home-State or Brahman
realization- the pursuit of great sages of the past.

In the twenty first century, you could live like the saints of yore if
you simply chose to connect to a love principle. Then everything else
will follow.

We at the Hare Krishna movement connect to Krishna- the
personification of love. It’s from Krishna we nourish our souls and
experience a deeply fulfilling Home-State experience.

Then as we suffer externally like anyone else in the world, we feel a
difference. The difference is in being loved by a caring parent even
as the world lashes out terrible surprises.

A child broke a window pane of a neighbour while playing a ball game
outside his house. The big neighbouring lady came out to punish the
child. That very instance the boy’s mother also rushed out and caught
hold of her lad and slapped him hard. The kid cried at his mother’s
harsh treatment. He realized later that being punished by mother was
better than being slapped by the big, angry lady whose window he had
broken during play. That’s because the mother slapped her boy in a
controlled fashion; she also would give love to her child and would
ensure her child is safe. Whereas the punishment meted out by an
angry, non loving neighbour could easily have been inordinate and more
painful. Similarly, when a devotee of Krishna suffers, he is monitored
by his loving Lord and that knowledge and awareness and love feelings-
satcitananda- or stability clarity love state- or the Home-State, is a
state of deeper happiness.

ISKCON invites and attracts millions of people every year to its
beautiful temples, lavish festivals, gorgeous deities, melodious
kirtans, and delicious food festivals- all to help us discover our
Home-State.

And it’s in this state that we can live in this world like our other
friends and suffer and enjoy the world like them- but again with a
difference. We have our loving Lord to accompany us in every moment of
our lives.

While living in this Home-State we can also contribute more
effectively to bring goodness and love in this planet.