I first heard of Bhagavad-gita when I was trekking with my then boyfriend (now husband) John Griesser in the Himalayas way back in the summer of ’71. We were at the snow line, 10,000 feet at that time of year, and decided to spend a few restful days in an abandoned cowshed. From deep inside his backpack John pulled out a blue paperback with a line drawing of a regal, four-armed person on the cover.
During our stay, I sat for hours surrounded by towering snowy peaks in crystal-clear air, with no other humans around, trying to read this early edition of Bhagavad-gita. I understood little but I was intrigued. The idea of tolerating dualities and remaining equipoised in their midst enticed me, as did the concept of an eternal spiritual presence within all living beings. And the Gita opened me to the thought that I could improve my character as well as the quality of my life through knowledge.
Over the years, as I continued studying Bhagavad-gita and practicing its precepts, my respect for its wisdom, relevance, and comprehensiveness grew. Gradually Bhagavad-gita revolutionized my life.
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about the author
Since her first trip to the East in 1971 (when she was 20), Visakha’s life has never been the same. She’s tried to explain what happened to her — and what’s continuing to happen — in numerous magazine articles as well as four books, most recently Five Years, Eleven Months and a Lifetime of Unexpected Love, a memoir.
Besides writing articles and books, Visakha also assists her husband, John Griesser, in making documentary films. Last year the couple released the 90-minute documentary, “Hare Krishna!, the Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami who started it all,” which won the Jury Prize for best picture at the 2017 Illuminate Film Festival in Sedona, Arizona, and has enjoyed well-attended screenings in theaters throughout the United States, Canada, India, Mauritius, South America, and South Africa.
Visakha and John have two beautiful daughters and are based in both British Columbia and Florida, but mostly Florida.
Adventures in Spiritual Life 