Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Durban, South AfricaBack to Home AffairsThe Minister of Home Affairs for South Africa, spent two hours with us at the Festival of Chariots.  Honourable Siyabonga Cwele and I bonded in a certain kind of way, as he was the person who saw…

Durban, South AfricaGodly DelightsThere was this incredible nature’s light show last evening, the likes of which none of us had ever seen before.  I’m talking about extraordinary cloud formations in the night, lit up by constant flashe…

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Durban, South Africa90% ThereAt the Johannesburg Airport yesterday, a young black Uber man, accustomed to securing passengers at arrivals, saw me and was about to make his pitch.  Before he could complete a sentence, I said, “I already…

 Pretoria, South Africa Slight LimpPeople are noticing a slight limp in my walk.  It’s been there for a little while now.  I would attribute this imperfection in my movement to the long distances of walking on roads where the shoulders …

Durban, South AfricaAllow MeAllow me to give you a little flavour of South Africa.  Mangoes are sweet.  So are bananas.  Papayas, too. It all depends on the season.  The people are sweet too.  Howe…

Durban, South AfricaLove FeastBeing Sunday means you have a feast at the local Krishna Centre.  Indeed in that program is a talk by some guest speaker.  That was me.  It was planned ahead of time.  Rasa, whom I c…

Durban, South AfricaBack On the First FlightIn some way, I try to entertain myself on planes. This time, enroute to Durban, I immersed myself in a book, Karma Nation, by a devotee friend, Mohan Ashtakala (aka Hari Mohan), published by BWL Pub…

Istanbul, TurkeyTired but Tolerant TravelEveryone I know or talk to, on any lengthy air trip, comes out looking and feeling like a zombie.  Of course that’s so because we are not meant to be in the air.  The only person I know who s…

Toronto, OntarioPlaysI’m off on Turkish Airlines to participate in (actually to direct) yet another drama called, “Grandsire,” regarding the life of General Bhisma.  It is another one of those stories of a Vedic tragic hero.  I’m go…

Toronto, OntarioWent For a Night Walk  ©Bhaktimarga SwamiWent for a night walkStepping through every blockWith street lights litI passed by he and sheAppearing happy to beThen saying that magic wordSweeter than the best birdIn this chill of e…

Stratford, OntarioSwans, Stars and ShakespeareIt was an opportunity for one of those Tuesday excursions, when Jay had a day off and he could be the driver and companion for Connor and I.  Today’s mission was to visit the Patels in Stratford, …

Brampton, OntarioChanging WorldVatsal is an outstanding brahmacari (monk) from Moscow, and he’s spending a week with us in Toronto, which means the number of Russian-born bhakti-yogisfrequenting the temple ashram is increasing.  It’s a d…

Owen Sound, OntarioCountry EnergyThis morning, I introduced a couple—whom I’m going to marry in November—to the land of Georgian Bay.  He is Raul from Argentina, and she is Judy from Cuba. They were wowed by the beautiful countryside, an…

Oakville, OntarioPacked DayI could get no foothold on a walking trail today. My movement was by car to various locations.  All four places were people’s homes.  There is a thirst to hear a swami talk.  It is part of p…

Vaughan, OntarioHitesh and IHitesh and I went zig-zagging east-west on residential streets right near the ashram. We took that whole hour to talk much about things we had gone over before.  A review—such as:1) Politics are everywher…

Toronto, OntarioThursday Afternoon Thursday afternoon.  It’s sunny.  People are out.  It’s winter-coat weather, but not for me.  I feel lucky, rather free.  Here on Bloor Street, at a time when the…

Toronto, OntarioTalk In The ParkA conversation like this does take place from time to time when trying to pull someone out of the world of maya, matrix, illusion.”But the taste is so good!” says the newcomer.”What taste?” I ask.”The meat.  I …

Picton, OntarioA Look At a HogOff we went to another farm initiative; this time a set of twins, Graham and Dhyana Chandra, have decided to leave the city, buy a plot of land with house, barn and workshop, and settle there.Jai, Connor and myself dropped…

Toronto, OntarioAnother CenturyI should have asked for his name.  He was precious.  Connor and I were on a mid-afternoon walk through Rosedale when an elderly gentleman in a trench-coat and hat, and carrying two bags of light grocer…

Scarborough, OntarioWild MindOkay!  So I did some pacing in the Toronto temple room before heading out to the ISKCON Scarborough Centre.  It’s quite interesting that the Toronto Yoga Show is so popular, and as a result, we are churn…

Thornhill / TorontoThe Uber ManRuben was our Uber driver to get to the Prasher home. From Africa, but now in Toronto, he took a real liking to Connor and I and our lifestyle.  During our conversation, we spoke about books. Ruben see…

Toronto, OntarioWalk to YogaStephen, Connor, and myself  headed straight south on Avenue Road to the Yoga Show.  Yes, it was happily on foot that we stepped, and it was very much in a straight line, except for a curve at Queen’s Par…

Toronto, OntarioTwo PeopleRichard Longley, a well-educated lovely man and journalist, spent two and a half hours with me, asking a few questions.  Of course, he was curious about my long walks, but his real purpose in visiting was to take pho…

Toronto, OntarioIndoor EcstasyAlthough the weather was just perfect for a stroll, I was confined to our building, the temple.  That is not a bad deal, necessarily, because there are at least four sections of the place where I can conveniently…

Tottenham, OntarioK is Boss, I am DasThe above phrase is something I expressed several times today, in a morning class, at an evening class—Tuesday sangha—and in the afternoon on a trail.K refers to Krishna.  Dasin Sanskrit, means servan…

Toronto, OntarioWe All Touched Air…Tom, Billy, Connor and I took to the ravine. It did not come as a surprise to us, that we would be dealing with several-months-old snow that’s on its way out. I personally deliberated on the curious stages…

Brampton / TorontoWalking / PresentingThis morning, I ventured along through the Yorkville district, and it was early—1:30 a.m.  Parties were just subsiding and the few stragglers, you might say, observed my monk apparel.  I mention…

Toronto, OntarioBack In Regulated FashionBloor Street, west of University Avenue, is what it always has been for decades, and coming back, after a month’s stay in India, let’s me see that it has persisted.  For all but the iconic Honest Ed’s …

Delhi / Copenhagen / TorontoLong TripI’m all for direct flights—India to Canada—and that was our (Connor and myself) intent.  You’ve heard the saying, “Man proposes. God disposes.” There is this problem with the Pakistani airways, and so…

Vrndavan, IndiaMoon Full and BeautifulIt is the full moon.  On this day every year, by lunar movement, we celebrate the birth of the most outstanding mobile monk, Sri Chaitanya.  He was born 533 years ago in Bengal and made a point …

Vrindavan, IndiaSpiritual FoundationI stepped into the Krsna Balaram temple and was asked to lead a kirtan.  I took great pleasure in doing so.  After that kirtan for honouring the guru, a person came up to me—a familiar f…

Radha Kunda, IndiaWalking As A WorshipLast evening a group of us (some of our actors), two Floridian devotees, and two additional monks from Canada, decided early next morning (today) to do the walk around Govardhan Hill.  Included in our gro…

Vrndavana, IndiaTen Of UsTen of us drove down the smooth Yamuna Expressway to Vrndavan.    https://www.instagram.com/p/BvG3yrrgEKu/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=n3ekjhgspjo1   Vrndavan is special.  I…

Noida, IndiaCould Not Have BeenThere could not have been a more appreciative audience.  We staged, “The Queen’s Secret” in the evening, to a paid audience. Yesterday’s was sponsored.  The big temptation, for anyone in the 21st&…

Noida, IndiaMy Only WalkingMy only walking today consisted of the circumambulation of the Krishna deities of Radha Govinda.  If you do that too much at a certain speed, it could make you dizzy. I took breaks during this early time before full…

Kolkata / DelhiRun for FunThe tiny portion of walking turned into a sprint at the Delhi Airport, when Keesh and I took to a competitive move down the runways and to the exit. Frivolity struck despite my sixty-six-year-old body, which took up the c…

Mayapura, IndiaWithin Walking Distance We TalkedWithin walking distance of Mayapura is the village of Sarasvat Gang, which is situated along the Jalangi River.  There my roommates, of Suite 505 of the Gada Building, and I were invited for lun…

Mayapura, IndiaGood LessonI was poised to start the chanting as lead singer for the temple’s mangal arati, when a young man came to the mic in front of me.  Some miscommunication I suppose.  I had been asked on the previou…

Mayapura, IndiaI Do At TimesI do at times make use of the elevator on my way to the meetings.  I don’t want to be late.  To join me on the lift was a delivery man with a bag full of coconuts and a pail of sugar cane juice. &nbs…