Exploring human nature near divine nature

The whole Ecovillage is in a beautiful rustic setting which is natural and comfortable. While being close to nature, amidst greenery that had become all the more verdant due to the profuse rains – it was natural to think of the other nature that is much closer to us all the time – our human nature. And the narrative of Ajamila that appears in the Bhagavatam’s sixth canto is one of the most evocative explorations of the potentials and pitfalls of human nature.

While the story of an upright young man falling to degradation on being exposed to a temptation is sobering, the story’s finale in his being elevated and liberated by the power of the holy name is uplifting.
And that ultimately is the message of supreme hope that bhakti offers us — human nature, despite its many weaknesses, is reformable by the power of God’s grace, a grace that manifests most munificently in the path of bhakti-yoga centered around the chanting of his holy name.