Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Deer Park, Toronto   Concerning Talks   A yogi friend of mine, Devananda, who I’ve known for forty-five plus years, came by. He spends half his time in India and half in China. It looks like he retreats to his native Toronto now and then. W…

Toronto, Ontario   A Week of Chanting   For one week (September 17-23) there will be beautiful presentations of chanting. For this celebration I wanted to include in this day’s blog one of my favorite songs regarding the practice of kirtan o…

Rosedale, Toronto   Men Aren’t All Bad   I heard a car door slam and there she was, a woman, probably in her seventies, carrying a box of goods from her car to the front door of her Rosedale house. She was struggling a bit and my male insti…

St. Jamestown, Toronto   Went for the Blood   I went for a blood test in a downtown lab. Great walk! I paced through the neighborhood frequented by the famous impressionist artists, the Group of Seven, to make it to the lab. There I met an a…

Harrison Park, Toronto   Jay to Be Found   It is definitely a pretty part of the province, near the quiet city of Owen Sound, where several waterfalls embellish the natural beauty of the place. Nanda, Aisvarya and I took a stroll at Harriso…

Oakville, Ontario   Gathering Good   My feet didn’t go far today but, on a set of wheels, I did venture to Oakville. We were going to have our first ISKCON Oakville gathering but due to the number of Covid-19 victims rising, that was cancele…

St Jamestown, Toronto   Greater Beauty   Some of us will never forget this date—September eleventh—a sad day in human history. On a positive note, it is also the date that marks the birthday of a dear follower of Krishna. His name is Keshava…

Rosedale, Toronto   Juice At the End   Sanjit decided to come over for our nightly stairwell kirtan and then a walk. The walk was left to me and him. The kirtan party dispersed while he and I honoured an hour of the night. Days are becoming …

Toronto, Ontario   About Yourself: Get Gutsy   A brahman (priest) had just finished dealing with the call of nature, and took a quick look at what had come out of his system, remarking, “You are so disgusting!” His output responded back sayi…

Thunder Bay/ Toronto   Last Little Touch   A last little touch of the boreal forest marked the end of my stay in Thunder Bay. The Beaver Meadows Trail takes one through a sweet boreal forest, a forest that occupies so much of Canada, holding…

Thunder Bay, Ontario   By the Falls and Friends   It has been relaxing here for me, and also for Ananda, who came from Regina. Both of us are getting some walking in—a piece of trail here or there. A treat was to get to Kakabeka Falls, whic…

Thunder Bay, Ontario   Drench and Dry   Nature was conjuring up a storm of water. Ominous clouds were ever present in the sky and lightning made its periodic flash, accompanied by the rumble of thunder. Hey, that’s the name of this place! &…

Thunder Bay, Ontario   Before the Fest   Jim is a First Nations person, who had cycled over the creek’s bridge when he stopped to ask, “Are you a monk? Have you been to Tibet?” So I answered. He knew I was about to cross the bridge myself a…

Thunder Bay, Ontario   Before the Fest   Jim is a First Nations person, who had cycled over the creek’s bridge when he stopped to ask, “Are you a monk? Have you been to Tibet?” So I answered. He knew I was about to cross the bridge myself a…

Thunder Bay, Ontario   Been Six Months   It’s been six months since my last plane ride. A West-Jet aircraft took tabla player, Ananda, and me to Thunder Bay. Before embarking on this two hour, seven minute flight, the attendant at the entra…

Christie Pits, Toronto   To Encourage the Practical Connections   The very good news we received is that Gopal Krishna Goswami, who was Covid 19 positive, is now safe, returned from the hospital, and is placed in a restful situation in Delh…

Yorkville, Toronto   Do Something That Excites   It happens infrequently but there are times when I feel trite and dried-up. This life of bhaktiis very exhilarating, but there are moments when the fuel seems to run out. Such slump periods a…

Yorkville, Toronto   Victory Victory   I spoke from this verse, which became this morning’s class at our temple’s ashram. Bhagavatam 10:87:14. It is a profound message:   “The śrutis said: Victory, victory to You, O unconquerable one! …

Toronto, Ontario   Your Day Full   We have begun to dedicate our staircase Kirtan (chanting session) to Gopal Krishna Goswami, who is stable in health but still under threat of the virus. We are confident that this pure sound will make its …

Wasaga, Ontario   We Pulled Up   Vishal, from Toronto, and I pulled up at Jiva’s beach home, just after ploughing through a massive puddle of storm water. I had informed Vishal of the scary news, that another one of our senior monks was te…

Ballantrae, Ontario   New House — Go Spiritual   Kishor and Nita, as well as their son (a master chess player) and daughter, made a great move. It became official, or at least a spiritual venture, today as it was the blessing of their new ho…

Seaton Village, Toronto   Clothes   There were bright moments, even minutes, of the day. For instance, Sanjit was kind enough to take me to Cherry Beach once again, for a physio session. By that I mean submerging in the water for some time,…

Christie Pits, Toronto   From Wind to War   From Christie Pits Park we took ten minutes for contemplation. Sanjit, Chris and I sat on a bench, tilted our heads back and did a bit of stargazing. The moon, Jupiter and Saturn were close to eac…

Toronto, Ontario   From All of This       “Govinda’s,” the dining facility, which some people call “the restaurant,” was open today for the first time since the Covid-19 closure, and patrons are back. It has been a pati…

Christie Pits, Toronto   Exercising for the Exercise   Knee extension, leg extension, glute stretches and clamshell are all exercises I under took today, as physiotherapy for better walking performance.  Paramahansa and Krishna Chandra…

Christie Pits, Toronto   Radha on the Road   Today is a warm-up for tomorrow’s dedication to the goddess. Her name is Radha and She is the eternal partner of Krishna. Krishna has many queens but She, Radha, is the special one. We are not in …

Gananoque, Kingston, Belleville   House Hop Jagannatha   The sleep was deep in the Prime Minister Suite and after that morning shower, which has become more or less ritual, my window to the south revealed a flowing, wide Saint Lawrence, sh…

Milton/Etobicoke   Being Inn   It was sweet going from home to home with Savyasacin, not by foot, but in his red Jeep, following the caravan headed by Jagannatha deities. It is the Covid version of the Chariot Fest and, because it is relativ…

The Annex, Toronto   Moving Machinery   A very nice young man from Guelph, by the name of Paramahamsa, came to check out my walking habits and address any physical pain—should I have any. As a professional therapist he was most helpful, es…

Midtown, Toronto   Bridges   The life of a monk is so much about building bridges and closing gaps. The endeavour one takes is to connect jivas to the Divine; bringing two worlds together.   I have always admired bridges—those who engin…

Rosedale, Toronto   A Mask with a Print of God   A package arrived. It came from my sister, Rose Ann. It was kind of her. She sent a homemade mask, crafted by her own hand. The print on this Covid 19 mask is of Radha and Krishna, so I was im…

Toronto, Ontario   Meditations   Our group of resident monks were reading from the book, “Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead”:   “The queens addressed the mountain as follows: ‘Dear mountain, you are very generous. By your gra…

Toronto, Ontario   Dark Moments   I am writing to contend with a sleepless night, A pain more bothersome than a deep, sharp bite. And I know there are supposed to be remedies out there, Been tried again and again I may silently declare. E…

Toronto, Ontario   Myself and Women   Every other week I meet with my cousin Correy, along with her husband, at the park to philosophize, to spiritualize. Our discussions go deep and our sessions finish with the three of us coming out feelin…

Scarborough, Ontario   Mini Ratha   If you don’t know the famous song, “Scarborough Fair” by Simon and Garfunkel, then I do believe it’s time to get musically familiar with the iconic, idyllic piece. It’s magical, easily defines the dreamin…

Niagara Falls, Toronto   Out of the City   Rudradeva took me out of the city to Niagara-on-the-Lake, after we met with Vaishnava to open a bank account for our registered ISKCON Niagara. I was taken to see another property. Unbeknownst to m…

Terra Cotta, Ontario   Got Around   I got around today, but not too much. That Credit River, running through the hamlet of Terra Cotta, is full of prana, living force, although it’s a tiny flow of water that meanders for about 100 kilometres…

Toronto, Ontario   Finish With Stridulating   I took an early stroll, going through a residential area, where the homes are particularly well built with strong foundations and thick walls standing so solid. I was thinking that I would like m…

Toronto, Ontario   Your Picture On the Wall   A picture of you came my way, All framed and looking good, With pilot-type cap, shawl on shoulder, Head tilted up as far as you could.   A pujari gave it with intent, To be hung onto the wal…