Issue date: 10/26/04 Section: Culture

Media Credit: Tina Larkin Miles Heyden sits by the Duck Pond and chants while holding Japa prayer beads.

Miles Heyden is on a mission to spread Krishna consciousness around the University and the city.

Heyden, who is in the process of starting the Vedic Student Association, said he is not trying to convert people or offer salvation but is trying to spread knowledge.

Equipped with a big backpack and holding a book of ancient Hindu scriptures from India, the UNM junior answers students' questions with a smile. He points out passages and pictures in his book before explaining the meaning and path toward spiritual enlightenment.

Heyden is a Vaishnava, or devotee of the Hindu god Krishna.

"I just want to share with other people what makes me happy," Heyden said.

And share he does. Every school day, Heyden is on campus discussing and distributing Vedic literature to the countless individuals who cross his path.

Heyden moved to Albuquerque from Wisconsin in 2002 to pursue a degree in religious studies. While he is interested in history, nature and jazz music, he maintains his primary interest is spreading absolute truth, which he said is beautiful and liberating.

Being raised Catholic did not deter Heyden from looking for a spiritual path toward Vaishnavism, a search that began during his senior year in high school.

"I was inquisitive," he said. "I felt there had to be something more to life than going through the cycles. Many people are taking the path of least resistance and are learning to become hedonists. I'm just trying to offer an alternative."

In doing so, Heyden said he also gained insight from the students he speaks with.

"I've learned about people and learned how to respect them," Heyden said. "If you talk about religion, it's easy to get into disagreements and get carried away. Religion is an intimate thing, but rarely do I meet people who just won't listen."

Forbearance, though, is something Heyden said he also learned to embrace.

"Humility is not a cheap thing," he said. "If someone puts you down, it's hard to be silent or even to later compliment them or help them. It's really hard."

Heyden lives with a spiritual teacher in an apartment set up in a temple. This helps direct him in his religious endeavors, which he said is only the beginning of what he hopes to achieve in the future.

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