Hindu Heritage Month in Ontario with Bhaktimarga Swami.
Saturday, November 4th, 2017 – Richmond Hill, Ontario
Getting Around.
Ontario proclaimed November as Hindu Heritage Month and the celebrations at the Vishnu Temple at Yonge and Hwy. 7 were the venue for this event. I was invited. Several mayors were present including those from Richmond Hill and I believe, Markham. Other dignitaries were also there. Principle organizer Lajput got up on the stage and mentioned my name twice in the capacity as his guru. It was flattering.
But in reality, the real boost for me, at this event, was the kirtan that Godbrother Gaura and I led. Gopal is an excellent drummer on the mrdunga, and Subal, our driver, is a happy dancer. The projecting of mantras must be a flattery for God.
After the program, when back home, I had the chance to clean, or mop, the floors in the temple and ashram. It’s always a heart-cleansing involvement.
That was followed by leading a discussion at Sacred Space, a weekly program for newcomers. It was a good bunch of humans who turned out—meaning they had a sincerity of purpose. One of the attendees brought up the subject of ‘evil’, questioning its origin and objective. It is a classic topic for Man. Generally I’ve found that if you’re a theist, it is a principle that can be accommodated. When one is an atheist, even of the philosophical mold, one is left baffled with the reality of evil. Theists tend to swallow the concept and can wrestle it down because they have someone to help them. They have a Divine connection.
My final engagement for the day was doing a nighttime walk—west on Dupont, south on Christie and east on Bloor, before making the turn to Avenue Road, in Toronto.
May the Source be with you!