Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Mayapura, India Meeting ArjunaLast night was one of those sleepless nights.  I took an early shower, donned my clothes, and left Room 505 of the Gada Building, to enter an atmosphere of shanti(peace) and amble along the misty pathways.  Wou…

Mayapura, India Elephant On the LooseEvery Saturday night in Mayapura, there is what’s called the Hati Fest which is when the two elephants, Vishnupriya and Laksmipriya, have their procession through the crowds.  Saturday night is a busy night, …

Mayapura, India Much Has HappenedMuch has happened here in sacred Mayapura over the last two days.  Yesterday, a major section of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium opened to the public—the section for priestly preparation.  This includes the …

Mayapura, India The Bruce Trail in CanadaWhat follows is an article I wrote which was featured in Padayatra Worldwide magazine:The image was so vivid—autumn leaves spiralling down from the heights of hardwoods.  Our eyes were widened to the star…

Mayapura, India Not A NightThere is not a night when the jackals don’t howl.  It is, for me, reassuring that nature is still around.  And wild.  In the morning, when Corrado and I exit our room at 4:00 a.m., aimed at reaching the Samad…

Mayapura, India FoundationOne of the most foundational principles in the science of bhaktiis expressed in a verse from the Adi Purana.  Here’s the Sanskrit with Roman Transliteration then the translation.ye me bhakta janān parthana me bhaktās ca…

Mayapura, India Way to GoI’ve had some good discussions with old peers and new peers.  One conclusion that came out of one of those discussions was that it’s a sin to be pessimistic.  Another one was that although the world seems unfair, we…

Mayapura, India Efficient. Fast.What an efficient operation they have here when it comes to serve guests!  I certainly don’t want to commit to talking abut food again, but I was curious about what goes on, on a Sunday when pilgrims come in the t…

Mayapura, India Gaining ControlHere in Mayapura, every day is happily broken up by walks within the campus, from the samadhi, to the temple, to the elephant’s space, the auditorium, and then back to my accommodation in the Gada Building.  Those …

Mayapura, India Nityananda At the HeartIt was announced that all attendees should come with medical masks on during the morning sadhana, (unless I heard wrong).  I’m not sure of the practicality of such a recommendation for guarding oneself from…

Mayapura, India The CommencementWeather conditions are so nice,  although a little coolness is felt on our feet from the tile floors.  “Get your socks,” I recommended to Corrado while we were pacing around in the Prabhupada Samadhi.  H…

Kolkata, India History Notes At Kolkata Airport, we heard over the loudspeakers, “Subash Chandra Bose”, the actual name of the airport.  I took the opportunity to tell Corrado about this  war-time hero, who was largely responsible for liber…

Mumbai, India Discovery of Something SmallWe were in the air on Air Canada Flight 846.  14 hours.  Straight.  That’s the way to do it.  All passengers apart from the airline staff were ticket holders, except for at least one.&nbsp…

Toronto, Ontario Do I Like India?  It Depends I’m off to India again, this time with Corrado.  Do I like India?  Yes and no, like any place on this planet.  I love spiritual India, her sacred places, retreats.  Overall, peopl…

Scarborough/Milton, Ontario Things Going On I had a marvelous time at the Scarborough ISKCON Centre enjoying both the soup and the company.  This should not be mistaken for a soup kitchen, (even though at meal time, a soup extraordinaire is, in …

Toronto/Milton Nice CoupleFor a third consecutive day, our Govinda’s Restaurant was put to good use.  It catered two hundred guests at the YMCA on Thursday.  Last evening, we held an appreciation dinner for our drama troops of the January 1…

 Toronto, Ontario Soul Search/Research The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust’s publication, The Science of Self Realization, is one of its most popular books, either in hard or soft copy, and it continues to be a good introduction to bhakti-yoga.  …

Toronto, Ontario LinesI still catch myself addressing people I meet with a “Happy New Year!”  Soon, in two days only, the calendar flips a page to reveal another month, making New Year’s totally irrelevant.  But you’re not going to get me t…

Toronto, Ontario Corrado and I Corrado and I are preparing for the India trip, and before we do so, we are needing to pick up a few things.  Yes, things like bows and arrows, and swords, and perhaps some other weaponry.  Nothing too lethal,…

Toronto, OntarioYou Never KnowYou just never know what happens in your own neighbourhood.  Not intending to go on an adventurousness stroll, I simply stumbled upon new things, like discovering tennis courts, quite substantial in size, on the othe…

Georgetown/Port of Spain/TorontoLast Impression Not LostA popular basketball player, Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter and several family friends, died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.  The gentleman sitting next to me in the Caribbean Airline…

Crane, GuyanaJaguars ProtectedI am happy to know that in Guyana the hunting and killing of jaguars is unlawful.  The jaguar is the national animal of the country and so it is with pride that conservationists keep a vigilant watch over this beauti…

Georgetown, GuyanaEvery Time I VisitEvery time I visit Guyana, I get treated to an all-exotic meal by Paramatma.  Well, he does the planting and harvesting of the organic veggies and fruits.  His good wife cooks them, or in the case of fruit…

Georgetown, GuyanaSad and SweetSo I am hearing about the new oil exploration/exploitation in Guyana.  It’s another story about greed.  It’s history on a rerun.There is also so much to be glum about.  Venezuela has its eye on Guyana beca…

Georgetown, GuyanaPostponed FlightOur flight to Guyana from Suriname was postponed for hours.  Ramesvara and I decided to take a chance at a twelve-seater plane that would get us in earlier, meaning that I wouldn’t miss my presentation for the “9…

Jodensavanne, SurinameIn the WildernessYesterday, when three of us arrived at the major Suriname Airport, the official looked at my legal name which is Vis, with its origins in the Netherlands.  Because Dutch is the official language here, the of…

Port of Spain/Paramaribo Walk I Didn’t Do In Two WaysTime to move on.  I had a great brunch with dear friend, Guru Prasad Swami.  He was also on the move.  After he left, I was left with a queue of people, each of whom just wanted to h…

No Man’s Land, Tobago Less FormalSometimes it feels as if one day of chilling out, of comrade relaxation, is equal to a whole 365 days of formality.  And so it was on this day of 1/20/20 that the bonding which took place amongst us, over a trip …

Longdenville, Trinidad Notable StrollIt is now customary that, while still in the dark just before dawn, I go for a notable stroll with comrades, across the street from the temple,  The usual features are there in that modest residential neighbo…

Chaguanas, Trinidad Sun and SoundAfter a good catching-up rest at the Longdenville ISKCON Centre, I, along with a good number of devotees, hopped into another one of those colourful Chariot Fest events in the downtown of nearby Chaguanas.  My de…

Trinidad and BeyondAnticipating PlacesThe flight to Port of Spain was early, and  got me landed in plenty of time for some fun happenings within the range of devotional yoga.  I’m looking forward to the next ten days which will…

Toronto, OntarioKeep the Sense of GravityI picked up a few sayings which very much resonated with me today.  Sayings such as:“You may not always be called upon to be successful, but you will always be called upon to be trustworthy.” &nbs…

Oakville, OntarioSpoiledThis day was a day when I got spoiled.  Alexander, a massage therapist and healer, came to the ashram to do some treatment on us older monks.  I’m only sixty-seven, but another monk behind me, Dharm…

Toronto, OntarioUnpredictableI rather surprised myself, on this second consecutive day, with a nighttime walk.  Corrado has now moved into the ashram with us, and he and I set a spontaneous faster-than-usual pace.  Both ti…

Toronto, OntarioPeople Are ProblemsBack from the U.S.  Back to work.  Back to play.My day began with the chant, a look at sastra, and then a breakfast.  Some leftovers do not intimidate me.  Warm them u…

Potomac, MarylandOur ExperienceIncluded in our morning sadhana, at Rockwood Manor, was a line-up of chairs, and seated upon them were the direct students of Srila Prabhupada, our Guru Maharaja.  There were six of us. We were given three …

Potomac, MarylandContributing SomethingI had been asked by organizers of these ISKCON Leaders Meetings to begin the two sessions of each day with warm-up exercises, both vocal and physical.  It worked out marvellously for me, because I felt l…

Potomac, Maryland Going SmoothThe meals are light at Rockwood Manor, especially when you show up late like I did.  I had to catch a nap during this retreat workshop.  I’m exhausted from insomnia three nights in a row.  And when breakfa…

Potomac, MarylandWhen You Walk with Trash…From Canto 11 of the book, Bhagavatam, I spoke on the Chapter ‘Aila Gita’, which details the teachings and realizations coming to an affluent king, Pururava.  Oh, how in love he was with his la…

Potomac, MarylandFrom Plane to DNAI sat in seat 16 F, on an Air Canada flight—en route to Washington’s Dulles Airport—which was slightly delayed, and outside my window was the right wing of the plane.  It was ever so inviting to walk that win…