Few things define us as much as our longings. They occupy our thoughts, shape our words and determine our actions. Sadly however, most of our longings remain unfulfilled.

Why? Because that is the typical fate of most material longings. As our culture is largely materialistic, most of our longings tend to be material. Moreover, our longings are infinite, whereas the material resources of the world are finite. So, most material longings are bound to be frustrated. As the Bhagavad-gita (15.07) aptly states, material existence is characterized by our vain struggle to fulfill the longings of our mind and senses.

The same verse also hints how we can become truly happy when it states our original position as eternal fragmental parts of Krishna. As souls, we are meant to delight eternally in a loving relationship with him. All our material longings are misdirected expressions of our original longing for him. By the process of devotional service, we can redirect our longing back to him and thereby revive our love for him.

However, our love for Krishna stays superficial if it centers only on longing for him. Love comprises not just longing but also belonging: the feeling that we are committed to our beloved through service and sacrifice. We can cultivate a sense of belonging to Krishna by rendering unflinching service to him. By so doing, our love deepens till we get the life-transforming realization that, after lifetimes of searching, we have finally found the person we have been searching. Krishna is the person who loves us, values us, accepts us, elevates us, liberates us. We get the sweet conviction: “To Krishna do I belong – eternally.”

Thus, by longing to belong to Krishna, we cultivate the selfless love that takes us to life’s supreme destination: his ecstatic eternal abode.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 Text 07

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.”