Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Toronto, Ontario   Tomorrow – A Birthday   The phone has been ringing off the hook. People are calling, asking about Janmasthami, the birth anniversary of Krishna, up and coming. Yes, tomorrow is the day, by the lunar calendar. The sad news …

Cherry Beach, Toronto   S in S   My topic, chosen by my godbrother, Guru Prasad, for today’s livestream was, “S in S” or “Steadiness in Sadhana.”   I quoted Toni Sorenson who wrote, “We don’t have to be fast; we simply have to be stead…

Christie Pits, Toronto   Latest Zooming   Since Thursday I’ve kept a special connection with Florida through Zoom. First of all I offer a regular “Gita’ class for some folks in Gainesville. With this group we are combing through this Divine…

St. Jamestown Toronto   A Jesus Look Alike   Chris is a Canadian, Catholic-raised guy who looks like Jesus. He came back from Thailand and India in the nick of time before Covid 19 slammed everything into lockdown. He, along with Sanjit, jo…

Toronto, Ontario   Hankering   I’m Hankering to be on the trail again Where there’s nature and, yes, women and men. A time for openness, interaction and then A harmony, a calm, like a pure state of Zen.   I’ve taken to walking the land …

The Annex, Toronto   Ego   From Bhagavad-gita As It Is, purport 13.8-12: “False ego means accepting this body as oneself. When one understands that he is not his body and is spirit soul, he comes to his real ego. Ego is there. False ego is c…

Seaton Village, Toronto   Trying   I was dwelling on the good feedback I received while on a Zoom call in the course of walking west on Bloor Street. I was given a general topic to speak on as part of a weekend seminar, the theme was “My Aut…

Seaton Village, Toronto   Japa and Nishdish   Today is the birthday of Balarama, elder brother of Krishna.  I have been happily busy, first with delivering a class, live, in person, to our resident devotees, speaking of His amiable cha…

Sandbanks P.P., Ontario   Resembled Balarama   It was dusk and it was rainy. Gyan, our driver, was smooth in his operation behind the wheel. In fact, the day went marvellously well, despite sporadic rain. It began early, at nine a.m., the…

Gage Park, Brampton   That Pretty, White Gazebo   The Greater Toronto Area has entered into its third phase of lifting restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. At Gage Park in Brampton, Stephen Philips and I could see how the public there…

Seaton Village, Toronto   Try to Fix A Mistake   I was ambling along, beyond The Annex, through the common neighbourhood, when I received a call from my assistant, Krishna Chandra.   “You have a zoom class, Maharaj!” He said on behalf…

Cherry Beach, Toronto   Swim Like A Fish   The water was great at Cherry Beach; a rather hot spot in the summertime. It’s a big draw during these sultry, sunny days. This was my first time swimming there. Parking is free. No drinking is al…

University of Toronto   Change by the Public   In the early days of the Hare Krishna movement, with us chanting on the street, we were regarded either as a sensation or in agitation. It all depended on an individual’s judgment of things. N…

Brickworks, Toronto   Beware: Poison   It happens just about every summer, I give a warning to the walkers, runners, campers and outdoor folks to be aware of the Covid-19 among plants — the dreaded poison ivy.   I personally know some…

The Annex, Toronto   Lake to Lake   Every alternate Monday I am scheduled for a philosophy/family/friend session at Ramsden Park. Corry, my cousin, her hubby, Eric and young Victor come together. As I was making my way to the picnic spot a…

Cabbagetown, Toronto   Wet Walk   Our very, very good cook, Dwarkanath, has got a very, very good grip on things. Of course, he must have a firm hold on the pots and pans he uses, and the ingredients; water, produce and spices all require …

Oakville, Toronto   Getting Around   I took great delight in one of those live stream MS Teams presentations with GEL, which stands for “Gita Ethics Learning,” an educational program to encourage a more holistic lifestyle. The lessons are …

Forest Hill, Toronto   Themes   We managed to sustain an evening mini-concert on our temple’s entrance steps. Three extra people joined us — Georgia from Mexico (her first time here) and two guys, both with the name, Victor.  The saro…

Dundas, Toronto   Green Wedding   We had merely walked a few metres down-hill, and then came to this lush section of a Carolina forest, on the Jon White Trail. This was the location of a sweet marriage between Cameron and Katie. What a spo…

The Annex, Toronto   Friend Making   “What do you think about this scamdemic?” asked the cyclist who stopped upon seeing me.   Before I was to say something as a response I knew I was going to dialogue with a radical-thinker, who has …

Orillia, Ontario   Opportunities   To complement walking, swimming is one of those activities on the top of the list. A most pleasant person from Stratford, Jaya Gopal, picked me up from the big city to bring me to Lake Couchiching, one of…

Christie Pits, Toronto   Individuals   Before I took my walk today I was sitting, and across from me was our senior-most monk who resides in our ashram. His name is Dakshin, a native of London, Ontario, and he became committed to bhakti, d…

Christie Pitts, Toronto   Breezes   Most days, on which I embark on my evening trek, I have a destination in mind to go either east, west, north or south. Sometimes I have no pre-arrangement so I let the wind talk to me. If the air current…

Christie Pitts, Toronto   Meeting Michael   I never met Michael before but he seemed to know us. Just to make sure he had the right group in mind, he asked, “Hare Krishna?”   “Yes indeed,” I responded.   Then Michael, a man about…

Cabbagetown, Toronto   Past and Present   Zoom calls to different global locations and kirtan sessions going abroad are occupying some of my recent days. The endeavours towards publications are also engaging. There are four works in progress…

The Annex, Toronto The Night of the Skunk A generous rain came down upon us tonight. It canceled out our daily ten minute kirtan at the steps of our temple ashram. It subsided at 10:30 p.m. and, after a snooze, I…

The Annex, Toronto   Our Idea of Leisure Walking   Judging by the amount of people in cafés and outdoor bars, things are opening up. At least that’s what Jivan Mukta, my walking companion for tonight, and I were observing. The problem with…

Deer Park, Toronto   To the Beltline   Sanjit and I decided to take a night walk going north to the Yonge and Davisville area, where walkers, runners and cyclists know the Beltline only too well. It was a former railway track and is now a …

Toronto, Ontario   Palestinian Couple   “We have some questions,” asked a curious young couple, modest in appearance and child-like in inquisitiveness, as I sat there in the centre of the park. I slid over on the bench to make room for the…

Kensington Market, Toronto   Disgusted   Raccoons can be seen during the day or night, but, like most party animals, they seem to prefer the nocturnal time of a twenty-four hour cycle. On my return journey from Bellevue Square Park, I hear…

Greater Toronto Area Honouring the Distancing In what is normally an event with 30-40,000 people in attendance, the Festival of India/Chariots was down scaled substantially due to the epic Covid-19 epidemic. That’s the reality today—learn to adjus…

Toronto, Ontario Getting Ready My tooth—the left crown—popped out during my meal yesterday. I was lucky to book an appointment today for a temporary fix-it job at the dentist. I sat on the chair, which was elevated upward, with my h…

Brickworks, Toronto Healthy Voyage A newly-made friend, Victor, and a friend of his, showed up at the temple ashram to join me on my night walk. As usual, we took time to admire nature’s features along the way. To begin with I pointed ou…

Toronto, Ontario   Night Mopping   I was on the phone with Jaya Govinda from Vancouver who said he was taking a break from the wet weather. “I went more inland to see some sun.“   “We have plenty here (referring more to the east). We …

Brickworks Park, Toronto Warriors Saint In dedication to Bhakti Caru Swami  It’s hard to fathom,That it could be so,But warriors do enter,And charge into battle,And may not return—A matter of death and dignity.Because of the lo…

Toronto, Ontario   Tonight’s Walk and Sit   Tonight I met Jake who very much misses eating at Govinda’s.   “It’s not that having a take-out wasn’t nice. I just like eating the meal inside and sitting back and taking in the peaceful a…

Headwaters, Ontario   Clean Consciousness   I was on two zoom calls this morning with Trinidad, Tobago, and Guyana as the first, then a second call with Brampton. During both online communications, I presented details of the first Ratha Ya…

Christie Pitts, Toronto   Brother of Gentle Demeanor   This morning His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami passed away.   Oh Brother of gentle demeanor, I am your irrefutable junior. When I look at all you’ve done, Nothing short of making that …

Queens Park, Toronto   To the Sane   The other day, when I walked with Nick eastbound on Bloor, the street lights allowed for seeing all that happens on the sidewalk. By observation the night hours do often bring out the craziest elements…

St. Jamestown, Toronto   Disarm   Sanjit and I took, as our route, the Ancient Trail currently known as Davenport. It is a winding roadway—the edge of an escarpment where Huron-Wendat natives trekked and met explorer Etienne Brûlée. It’s h…