The Highest Power

Before I became a devotee, I was interested in all kinds of supernatural, mystical and occult powers; I felt that knowledge, even only in theory, was powerful and it didn't matter much to what depths I immersed myself in it. I had books about anything and everything ranging from simple candle magic, palmistry, caracoles, pendulums, and Santeria, most of which I acquired from my mother and maternal uncle, to black magic, demonic possession and ghost magic. I wanted knowledge of it all thinking, very foolishly, that knowledge of these arts would somehow make me more powerful although I never intended on actually practicing all of them. I wanted to protect myself from witchcraft, especially black magic, malefic spirits and demons by learning their methodology and shielding myself appropriately. Later, as I matured, I started giving up these practices and eventually threw away all my books, I began chanting Hare Krishna mantra along with a Shiva mantra that I picked up along the way, as I was still very much attached to psychic powers and divination. Several weeks later I started developing a psychic ability and it eventually developed into an incredibly acute siddhi, which had long disappeared during my adolescent years. Instead of indulging in it, which I imagine anyone would abuse, I started to pray to Lord Shiva, asking him to remove that ability from my possession or at least teach me how to turn it off. By Lord Shiva's mercy, I eventually started to realise the power of bhakti; realising that mystical powers are not the goal of human life, I became more and more attracted to Lord Krishna, chanting His names, and hearing about His pastimes. Fortunately, I have realised that psychic powers, the ability to foretell the future, conjure spirits and control ghosts, are all like the tiny, insignificant sparks that emanate from a roaring fire when compared with devotional service. From the perspective of a moth, these sparks are beautiful and alluring but that very same attractive fire will eventually be the death of the moth. Bhakti, the path of devotion to the Supreme Lord, is the highest power-- the ability to engage in direct devotional service to the All-Attractive Lord. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita: yānti deva-vratā devānpitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥbhūtāni yānti bhūtejyāyānti mad-yājino 'pi mām "Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me."
By simple devotional service, sravanam, kirtanam, we can form an intimate relationship with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and arrive in the spiritual world, where we can associate with Him eternally. What other method is there, which is as simple and gives such a wonderful result?