Yesterday I realised it’s been just over a year that I’ve been writing this blog. Probably less if you take out the time I’ve spent travelling – but I’m not fussed 🙂
I just wanted to say thankyou to everyone that reads what I’ve been writing. I appreciate your comments and support so much and I hope that you will forgive me for being a self centred writer most of the time.
I have been worrying about writing this blog lately. I sometimes wonder who I’m actually writing for and whether my writing is serving any purpose. As an exercise in working my literary muscles, it has been effective, and a great outlet, but the more I post, the more I feel that I do cater to what I know people will want to read. Nice pictures, sweet words, poetry and other sugary confections. But I don’t want flowery words to decorate an empty heart. I read a review of a book by Jayadwaita Swami in which he said the author had thankfully, not written in ‘Gaudiya purple’. I thought that was a great expression; it reminded me how easy it is to become sentimental though. I’m trying not to be just a nectar seeker. You can eat the sweets as much as you want, but without the proper grains and vegetables of service and sadhana, you won’t be healthy.
So please bear with me as I improve my writing.
Thankyou to all my fellow bloggers who inspire me with their wonderful writing: Vyenkatta Bhatta, Gauranga Kishore, Bhakti, Manu, Madhava Ghosh, Bhakta Eric, Vishaka, Rishi, my Dad and many more….
“Every one of you. What is your realization? You write your realization – what you have realized about Krishna. That is required. It is not passive. Always you should be active. Whenever you find time, write. Never mind – two lines, four lines, but you write your realizations. Sravanam, kirtanam.
Writing or offering prayers, glories – this is one of the functions of a Vaisnava. You are hearing, but you have to write also. Then, writing means smaranam – remembering what you have heard from your spiritual master.”
– Srila Prabhupada Los Angeles 1970
The Little Conch 
I love the “gaudiya purple” and your “sugary confections” metaphor. And hey, you’re probably inches away from googles’ most influential ISKCON blogs. Think about the millions of people who post pictures of their cats’ faces every day.
You’re doing a wonderfully inspiring thing! As well as preaching.
Shaka.