Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Toronto, Ontario Rectification: Possible There are more people than ever before walking the streets in Rosedale and doing so, safely.  My walking partner for several Sundays now is Nimai Nitai.  He’ll come down to our ashram/temple door at …

Toronto, Ontario Some Healing PracticesA doctor friend from Florida amicably suggested I hear “Nature’s Way of Telling You Something’s Wrong,“ by the band “Spirit,“ not that it would act as a panacea but perhaps to ponder on an obvious element of tru…

Toronto, Ontario A Cyclist   Let’s call him Bill.  I met Bill now for two consecutive days in a row—yesterday and today—at nightfall actually.  It was just after our neighbors banged pots and banged whistles outside their doors, an ind…

Toronto, Ontario Free Screening of HARE KRISHNA!View FREE! for a limited time onlyHARE KRISHNA! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami who started it allA 90-minute Feature-length Documentary“A stirring story!”— The Washington Post“An uplifting spirit…

Midland, Ontario Then and Now I managed a walk through Midland’s downtown which is under siege by a construction crew.  A big dig.  Perhaps water pipelines need to be replaced.In the 1600s this place was also under siege by a certain kind of…

Wasaga Beach, Ontario Best RestThe conditions for a perfect stroll next to the water, first by the river Credit, then Nottawasaga Bay was laid out as our providence for today.  It was at the bay that Jivan and I were taken by the still water bear…

Toronto, Ontario The Blue GreenSiberian squill—that’s the name of it. I looked it up after I saw this wondrous ground cover that’s blanketed front and back yards. It is a type of grass with a blue flower and it was just there, suddenly, a sign of spr…

Toronto, Ontario The Castle in the NeighbourhoodNimai allowed me to take the lead and direction for the early evening stroll. “Let’s head for Casa Loma, the castle that’s in our neighbourhood,“ I suggested. So we did and Nimai was so surprised that t…

Toronto, Ontario Rascal In MeAn invisible virus – not here to pleaseHas locked us all in a very deep freezeThe source of which is our very own faultMistreatment of animals is the cause of the haltThink of the chicks crammed in one place Think of the …

Toronto, Ontario A Good Time – Really GoodAt 2:45 a.m. on Avenue Road, I heard a female passenger remarking to a cab driver, from just outside the vehicle, “Oh look, there’s a real monk!”“Yeah, that’s a Hare Krishna! They’re nice people.“ Being only…

Toronto, Ontario I’m SorryI’m catching up, somewhat, on finding out how others are doing, in other parts of the world, in the wake of the Covid19 virus.  I called my dear friends in Cleveland, Paurnamasi and Mike. Mike was in the sauna.  Pa…

Toronto, Ontario Going Toward RamaWith the sun firmly in place for the entire day, it drew many people out on the sidewalks. And it was only Wednesday afternoon. If there is any good coming from the current shake-up, it’s getting people to do two opp…

Toronto, Ontario Questions!I make a point of taking a walk every afternoon. Reasons? I need the good Spring air. I need to connect with others who are feeling the same need, and I do it at a solid distance with a glance and a smile.With temperatures …

Toronto, Ontario Be Careful, Grateful, HelpfulI viewed the interview of Edna Boone, 100 at the time, and a survivor of the pandemic flu that hit the globe in 1918. She was ten when, after WWI, this deadly influenza came to her town in the southern st…

Toronto, Ontario About Animals and MeNow I was raised on a small farm. We had—on this ten acre piece of land—a house, barn, sizeable front yard, a garage for two vehicles, and an orchard to accommodate some apple, peach, plum, pear and mulberry trees…

Toronto, Ontario Some Pacing, Some ZoomingI only did some pacing in our temple room today, and chanted on my beads during that time. I kept myself grounded. The wet, gray weather of the outdoors didn’t necessarily beckon me. Besides, I was at the mer…

Toronto, Ontario The Tree Fight ClubFor the longest time, three raccoons were at each other in a vicious fight, clasping onto the flimsy branches of the huge tree outside my window. It was nighttime and this was before I retired for sleep. They snarl…

Toronto, Ontario The Earth Will Close DownA man of experience—meaning middle-aged—and dressed very finely, spotted me on the park bench where I was alone chanting on my beads. He came toward me, stopped at a healthy distance and asked, “So you a man …

Toronto, Ontario Virus on the WorldWalking along Spadina, to my right I observed a lovely Presbyterian church with a message out front: “The world is both beautiful and terrible.“ Minutes later, a cyclist with longish hair pulled over. “Didn’t the Bu…

Toronto, Ontario We Are AffectedI believe people should be careful in the matter of overdosing or over-exposing themselves to negative signals. Now that everyone is homebound, corona broadcast is very much in everyone’s face. Mass media is doing a go…

Toronto, Ontario Be Determined As I ventured west on Bloor Street,  a woman asked me for change just outside the Dollarama.“I’m sorry,“ I said, “I don’t have anything.“At Bathurst, I crossed over to head back in an easterly direction, and at Bru…

Toronto, Ontario Walker’s ResponsesIf I didn’t get to the outside for that daily walk, I would feel utter cabin fever. In a prison. So, while the sun is at optimum power, I feel I must burst out the door.I observed interesting behaviour from fellow p…

Toronto, Ontario Some Anger On the WalkI walked to the old house, 187 Gerrard Street, which was a temple at one time. Forty of us lived there in that three-storey building with a basement; the first place I lived in the city. I came here specifically…

Toronto, Ontario To Go InsideToday is 20:2020. And it is not an ordinary day.I announced to our small crew of monks that as of tomorrow, there will be a shutdown of the temple, due to the coronavirus. “Oh yes, the duty service will go on, the cooking…

Toronto, Ontario In the AnnexIn the Annex I’m walkingMoving and not dockingRow upon row a Victorian homeWith cars lined just like a comb.As I stroll here BroI see the status is “pro“Got it made for sureThey are far from poor.Wish I could meet themThe…

Toronto, Ontario Don’t Shut Down My FeetThey can shut down the accessory stores, the banks, the taverns, the offices and the factories, what of the schools, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, libraries, and only keep open the essential shops.&nb…

Hamilton, Ontario Can’t Be All That BadAs the sun was stretching it’s rays toward the east at late afternoon, I passed by several pedestrians, all having something to say, except for one, who whistled. One woman, to another, said, “ It’s St. Patrick’…

Toronto, Ontario Something Good Will ComeOne of the most benevolent of functions is to plan and organize a kirtan, especially in tough times.  Kirtan is, in many ways, another word for ‘healing’, a nourishment for the soul.Billy and I were talki…

Scarborough, Ontario I Love StIt was nippy but nice.  The sun was strong and people were cheery going down, or up, Yonge Street.  I took to the west side of the street, going north, because that’s where the sun was angled.  I was doing…

Toronto, Ontario Corona and KarunaI was invited to ‘Kirtan Toronto’ in location—Richmond and Spadina—at the residence of host Rikin (aka Rasheshvara Madhava) to conduct a chant-and-chat session.  He told me it would be a small gathering, I guess…

Toronto, Ontario How We ReactI was enjoying the food (prasadam) in Govinda’s Restaurant, and at a time when there were several other people also pleasing their palates and soul.  I was just coming to a closure of my meal.  Everyone was quit…

Toronto, Ontario Stretch and WalkOne way to address the dreaded coronavirus is to build up your strength and resistance.  I hear that many of the victims of the disease are travel related.  I believe that if you put your “pedal to the metal…

Toronto, Ontario Brahmana’s TalesIt was a blessed day in a simple kind of way.  By morning, we opened up a new chapter from the book Bhagavatam, Canto 10, on how Krishna gave special mercy to His old classmate, Sudhama the brahman.  It just…

Toronto, Ontario Dreaming About the Yukon When I visited the Yukon, not so terribly long ago, I received a small gift—a key chain.  Attached to this key chain is that iconic image of backpacking prospectors, struggling up a steep snowbank by way…

Toronto, Ontario Panic ModeI noticed something peculiar about some of the shoppers as I walked with Corrado to our favourite chanting park, Bellevue Square.  I spotted several people carrying toilet paper.  I believe that some folks are cau…

Brampton, Ontario Approaching This AgeSunday is that day of the week for spending hours with community.  It started off for me at the ISKCON Brampton Centre with everyone singing in unison, and also as far as possible, physically moving together…

Toronto, Ontario Think Less.  Do More.I was happy to be part of the wedding reception for Damodhara, Gujarati born practitioner of bhakti yoga.  He resides in Sudbury, the place where I lived when I met Krishna monks who changed my life.&nb…

Stouffville, Ontario About OthersWhen I was in Mayapura, India, I saw a piece of myself on someone’s table.  I’ll clarify.  An artist had a booth where he was displaying his wares—copies of painted portraits of bhakti-yogis  Well, I wa…

Toronto, Ontario The SunThe sun was beckoning to me in the second half of the afternoon.  It shone strong like a laser from the westerly direction.  It was directly blinding me, as I ambled along Bloor Street, and it created silhouettes of …

Toronto, Ontario Back in the SwingBack in the swing of things.  I’m walking on the streets to be nice to this body, a vehicle of honour.  With our bodies, we express ourselves best, or worst.  At best, we serve humanity, nature and the…