Recently, I was giving a talk to a group of students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During the course of the discussion, I spoke about accidentally stumbling upon Krishna at the most unexpected places in our journey of life.

Since I came to America a few months ago, I have had few such experiences.

One happened during my driving test. The lady checking my documents noticed that the papers mentioned my hair color as black, but I was bald! Looking at me, she smiled and asked, “Are you always like this?”

I replied, “Yes. I’m a monk, so I regularly shave my head.”

As she updated my information, she asked, “What kind of monk are you? Are you a Buddhist monk?”

I said, “No. Do you know about the Hare Krishnas?”

To my surprise, she immediately replied, “Oh yes! Krishna—the one who showed the universes to His mother in His mouth.”

I was completely taken aback. “How in the world do you know that?”

She smiled and said, “Oh, I know about Krishna. I know about the Gita.”

I had never expected to find Krishna on the way to my driving test.

Another time, I was flying from Chicago to New York. Since I had reached the airport a little early, I found a quiet place away from the crowd and sat down. After a few minutes, a man came and sat beside me. Later I realized that I had unknowingly occupied the place where he was sitting.

After a brief silence, he asked, “Are you spiritual?”

I replied, “Yes,” and told him that I was a Hare Krishna monk.

His face immediately lit up. “Oh yes, I know the Hare Krishnas!”

He then told me about his Indian spiritual teacher who regularly visited his city. Soon we were discussing the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and he even showed me dozens of Hare Krishna Mahamantra tunes those were his favorites.

Once again, I found myself amazed. Who would imagine meeting someone at an airport who regularly listens to the Hare Krishna maha-mantra?

On another occasion, I had gone for a swim. I had carried with me one of S.B. Keshava Maharaja’s books, Entering Eternity, which beautifully describes Vrindavan. I left the book beside the pool while I went swimming.

A housekeeping staff member noticed it and asked, “Are you spiritual?”

I replied, “Yes.”

He then showed me a tattoo of Lord Buddha on his arm and asked whether I could get him books in Spanish. The next time I went, about two weeks later, I carried two Spanish books by Srila Prabhupada for him. He was genuinely delighted to receive them.

On yet another occasion, someone noticed that book and inquired from me. Upon describing, he mentioned that he had travelled through India, visiting Rishikesh and several other holy places. Naturally, our conversation turned toward Vrindavan and Krishna consciousness.

Sometimes I go to Lake Michigan to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Almost every time I am there, I meet people with genuine curiosity about spiritual life. Sometimes we preach by speaking, and sometimes we preach simply by being present.

It is amazing how often we unexpectedly stumble upon Krishna through people, places, and conversations.

The Holy Name Also Meets Us Unexpectedly

I wanted to bring out the topic – The holy name, being non-different from Krishna, can also meet us at the most unexpected places and deliver us from the most difficult circumstances of life.

Draupadi met Krishna in the Kuru assembly by crying out His holy names. Gajendra met Krishna in the middle of a lake while caught by a crocodile. Bilvamangala Thakura’s journey toward Krishna unexpectedly began through a prostitute. Krishna has an astonishing way of entering our lives where we least expect Him.

Interestingly, after I shared these experiences, one student raised his hand and said that he too had accidentally stumbled upon Krishna. He explained that while scrolling through social media reels, he unexpectedly came across a reel about Krishna.

This topic was not the major part of my discussion. But, if people were going to have that as the take-away, I felt it was important to add a clarification.

It is certainly wonderful to accidentally stumble upon Krishna. But far more important than accidentally finding Krishna is intentionally searching for Him.

Intentionally Searching for Krishna

Our scriptures do not merely celebrate fortunate accidents. They teach us the mood and the method of earnestly searching for Krishna.

When Krishna disappeared from the rasa dance, the gopis did not simply hope that they would accidentally meet Him again. They intentionally searched for Him. Calling out His names, asking the trees, creepers, deer and every resident of Vrindavan, they wandered in divine madness, desperate for His association.

The Six Goswamis of Vrindavan spent their lives wandering through the twelve forests of Vraja, crying out “He Radhe! Vraja-devike ca Lalite! He Nanda-suno! Kutah”

Their lives were not marked by accidental remembrance but by an intentional search for Krishna.

Similarly, the great kings at the end of their lives renounced their kingdoms and retired to the forests—not to accidentally stumble upon Krishna, but to intentionally search for Him.

Dhruva Maharaja left home to search for Krishna. Narada Muni left home after receiving the blessings of the bhakti-vedantas, determined to search for Krishna.

Pariksit Maharaja was always searching for Krishna, true to the very meaning of his name.

Our parampara is not a lineage of intermittent, sporadic remembrances of Krishna. Rather, it is a parampara of devoting one’s life wholeheartedly to remembering and searching for Krishna.

Every time we chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, we make our intention clear to search for Krishna!

Spontaneously Spotting Krishna Everywhere

Beyond intentionally searching for Krishna lies an even higher stage. A devotee who sincerely searches for Krishna eventually reaches a state where, even without consciously trying, he or she spontaneously sees Krishna everywhere.

Sri Caitanya Caritamrita describes this stage: “Sthavara-jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti; sarvatra haya nija-ishta-deva-sphurti.”

Such a devotee no longer merely sees moving and non-moving beings. Everywhere he looks, he experiences the presence of his worshipable Lord.

Whenever Mahaprabhu saw a body of water, He immediately remembered the Yamuna. Whenever He saw a sand dune, He experienced the presence of Govardhana Hill. Srimati Radharani, overwhelmed in separation from Krishna, saw even a humble bumblebee as Krishna’s messenger.

The residents of Vrindavan remembered Krishna through every tree, river, bird and pathway. Even where Krishna was physically absent, they experienced His presence.

This is the perfection of devotional life.

Spiritual life begins when we accidentally stumble upon Krishna. It deepens when we intentionally search for Krishna. It reaches perfection when we spontaneously see Krishna everywhere.

We must never remain satisfied with merely encountering Krishna by chance. We must try to consciously search for Him through the chanting of His holy names, the study of His words, the association of His devotees, and a life of sincere devotion. Then, by His causeless mercy, every place will remind us of Vrindavan, every circumstance will remind us of His hand, and every moment will become another opportunity to behold Krishna.