Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Saturday, February 3rd, 2018
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Mayapura, West Bengal
Leaves to Travel

He did it the right way. Mahdu Sevita, a godbrother from Italy, told me he will take sannyasa (monkhood) in September. It is indeed rare and he mentioned to me that after decades of a successful marriage and raising a son, at age sixty-six, he will formally become a renunciate.

I visited Madhu at Hare Krishna Village about eight years ago. He has done outstanding work, sharing Krishna Consciousness in Europe and has run successful businesses. Now, in a sort of retirement, he will take to the path of simplicity. So I congratulate him.

A concern that some folks may have in regard to severing ties with one’s spouse, how can such an action be justified? When a person takes such a step, it should be understood that separation within a couple has not been fuelled out of malice but out of a consensual move to advance the two individual’s cause toward spiritual progress. Another important point is that tradition has it that the woman in the relationship is not left high and dry.

She is endowed with sufficient facility when her husband, in the sannyasa mode, leaves to travel the world. Usually the eldest son shelters her. Both husband and wife concentrate on their spirituality. The final years are spent in study, meditation, teaching and in surrendering to the Supreme, and in giving to the world—the people, animals, vegetation, and so on.

The above scenario is ideal and Madhu is doing it. It was not a spontaneous decision or an abrupt course of action. It was a well-planned, and well thought out decision.

May the Source be with you!

5 km


Friday, February, 2nd, 2018
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Mayapura, West Bengal
Sleeping Well

Drilling and tapping goes on throughout the day. It is not an agitating sound. I would rather that, than someone leading a chant off-key.

The noise mentioned was music to our Guru’s ears. Srila Prabhupada loved the sound of construction, and when you roam around anywhere near the centre or hub of activities in Mayapura, you can know that work is going on with the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. Work is going on progressively and on the 7th of February, a chakra (divine wheel of Vishnu) will be installed on the top of the dome.

“Don’t do anything else!” warned one of the organizers of this year’s festival. “It’s also Prayer Day!”

“Well, I can drink (tree sap) to that,” I said. “Prayer is one of the nine devotions, as it is listed by the saint, Prahlad.”

We (the drama troop and I) drank some nice tea after we drank in the name of Krishna in another one of those twenty-four hour kirtanas. Sponsored by the SMIS school, people turned up for the event. Our time slot was particularly lively. Of course, we had the artists with us. They are a lively bunch and are doing well with practices on the production “Many Mothers Many Fathers”. I feel blessed spending the six hours with them everyday. The story is unfolding so well. The main subject or character, Citraketu, is developing nicely. The script is set but the characterization by actor Gaura as well as the other characters are shaping up to be very real.   https://instagram.com/p/BewGXw9FA21/

May the Source be with you!

5 km


Thursday, February 1st, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapura, West Bengal
Under The Trees

Before sunrise, the trees shed tears of dew. They, and all other vegetation, accept a bath from the moon’s rays. Frenzy-like birds flit about from branches to ground to rooftops and out over the Ganges. Many varieties of them take to the freedom of the skies.

The boys and I took to a trail between the fields and arrived at Vaikuntanath’s, a bead salesman. He’s approaching eighty soon. He welcomed us with no lack of hospitality. As is expected, happily we chanted in their crammed but cozy living space. For that, our reward was a mini-breakfast with date ras to top it off. This drink is the sap of the trees, and most of the men with me had not experienced lips to the ambrosial nectar. It was divine.  https://instagram.com/p/BesVy4WFXyo/

At least it fuelled me for a special engagement. This time, the girls’ division of the SMIS school hosted myself and brahmachari assistant, Karuna Sindhu, for a theatre workshop. Yes, the girls are preparing two dramas for upcoming festivities and their teachers are saying they lack confidence.

“Okay, so I’ll do some warm-up exercises with them,” I expressed to Ajaya, the principal. It went well.

In addition to the time with the younger sector, I continually bump into peers—sannyasis (monks), godbrothers, and sisters. And let’s not forget the interaction with local pilgrims who come in the thousands everyday.

May the Source be with you!

6 km 

Wednesday, January 31st, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapur, West Bengal

Under the Blue Moon?

A big part of pilgrimage is the people. Pilgrim places have much to do with holy events of the past, even miracles, but what keeps a tirtha or holy place alive is the presence of the people.

One of my favourite monks from Canada is Karuna Sindhu. He and I went to visit Gaudiya, a  devout soul with origins from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Diabetes hit Gaudiya and thus sastra(scripture) tells not a lie in regard to birth, death, old age and disease.

It was good to see Gaudiya, who has lost weight since last time I saw him. He’s also working on reducing karma and says he is tired of hearing from pessimists. He would like to be free of unnecessary criticisms. Way to go Gaudiya! We wish you well!

Well! Well! What’s keeping me well in Mayapur is the connection with pilgrims, locals and engagement. Six hours a day I spend in the Samadhi auditorium for drama practices. If I were to invest that length of time in walking here in India, I would cover about twenty-six or more kilometres. That’s just not going to happen.

Everyone is talking about the blue moon, and a unique eclipse, not seen like this in over one hundred and fifty years. People were looking. No sign of blue. More reddish to be more accurate.

Lunar eclipses remind me of Chaitanya’s birth, something that occured right here in Mayapur in 1486. That makes Mayapur in particular a sacred pilgrimage place.

May the Source be with you!

5 km


Tuesday, January 30th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapur, West Bengal
A Day in the Dham

I have a steady team of boys to accompany me on the short jaunts in the morning—Trevor from Detroit, Amala from Denver, Omkar from Trinidad and Sukhie from South Africa. We clock it to a half hour.

Other walks through the day, all on campus, are from my place of residence at the Gada Building, to the Samadhi auditorium and back.  However, today we ventured off to Vaishnava’s condo for an excellent meal and a spontaneous chanting session.  Our host was quite happy.  Thank you Jagannatha Misra and Sachi, Keshava and Sunita, and Janaki for your presence.  https://instagram.com/p/BepYDGmFM7t/

After I left them, Dhruva and I went off to meet the older boy’s division of the Sri Mayapur International School (SMIS).  This time we offered a brief theatre workshop to include voice, improv, charades and emoting.  What can be done in a short time?  We engaged these young men in projection of body and voice.  Like all groups of people in the world, you find extroverts, introverts,  and perhaps middle-verts (those in between).  The exercises help the shy ones to break out of their shell while the louder sector can learn to tame themselves and tone down.  The idea or objective is to build an enhanced team spirit among the boys.

Their teacher is a lively person from Israel, Hari Nam.  When you have a good teacher he/she is a blessing.  The students, aged 10-16, are in a good situation.  I envy them and wish I had had an upbringing like theirs with sacredness at its inner core.

May the Source be with you!

5 km


Monday, January 29th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapur, West Bengal
Special Person

There are great luminaries (persons) to be remembered today.  Among them is Sri Nityanada, known for His kindness in reaching out to the populace.  Along with Haridas, His companion, He ventured door to door encouraging whomever would answer to begin to take to the sankirtan process.

He was very successful.  His wife, Jahnavi, also excelled in touching hearts.  She became a devotional inspiration—a guru—and their place of operation was this part of the world—Bengal.

Nityananda had a very unique character and was very charismatic.  He was also labeled with the nomenclature avadhuta—very aloof from the world; even eccentric.

He was compassionate to the lowly humans, those who needed a break in life.  The prime example was that of the two brothers, Jagai and Madai.  They were drunkards, womanizers and engaged in all kinds of shenanigans.

A large abhisheka was held in the temple in His honour—a type of bathing with rich honey and creams, all over His murti (deity).  The main feature was chanting, of course, with great food to follow.

I offered my short walks in dedication to Him.  https://instagram.com/p/BenBMTtl4fr/   I reflected on the big load He shouldered in terms of helping so many people, and as I was in that frame of mind, our walking party came upon a parked Tata truck with an unimaginable load of straw.  If there was one more straw added it might break the truck or flatten the tires.  It took on a lot.  This was inspirational! 

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Sunday, January 28, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapura, West Bengal
Miracle Oil

Bengalis love their mustard seed oil.  It has a pungent scent but when you investigate its phenomenally great benefits, it compensates for the strength of the smell. Locals put it in their hair. Apparently hair loves it. It’s also beneficial for the skin. Bengalis also cook with it. It’s recommended for internal consumption. Not much, but some.

Mosquitoes don’t like it so that’s a plus. Another advantage to its usage is that when a small amount is applied to the skin in the sun, it protects the skin leaving it healthy. I’ll have to remember that the next time I walk through Nevada.

Our guru, who is from Bengal, prescribed a tooth paste of primarily calcium carbonate, sea salt and mustard seed oil. I recall making a large batch for the ashram the year I joined (’73). The stuff is great for the teeth even as it whitens.

The massage man who came to oil me up yesterday and today, used the mustard seed extract. I got warmed up immediately. My knees, which have some poor blood circulation as of late, felt a relief. It’s true. It also acts positively on arthritis.

Let’s go down the list a bit further. It boosts your appetite. (I’ve tossed wild mustard leaves in my salad when going across Canada. Just plucked them out of the ditch.) Mustard oil fights bacterial infections, as well as fungal infections. It prevents phlegm, contains Vitamin E, and helps to treat colds, which there are a lot of in Mayapura right now. It’s a miracle oil!

May the Source be with you!

5 km


Saturday, January 27, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapura, India
Pouring In

It is the weekend and pilgrims are pouring in. There are folks coming from neighbouring villages and towns. I ask people, through the course of the day, about their place of origin or where their journey to Mayapura started from.

“Jaipur,” said one man. That’s a city in another state.

Mayapura draws people from all around and they come at different times of the year. My godbrother, Kala, from Canada, who lives here part-time said, “They come at Christmas.”

I’m in Mayapura to stay for three solid weeks. So far, weather is on the cool, damp side. Eating is good. Worship is good, although limited. We rehearse six hours a day, which cuts into standard morning temple activities. https://instagram.com/p/BebyKX9FB2i/

At 7:00 a.m., I can get my actors, who are largely students. Our opening warm-up session is actually a guru puja—a song in praise of guru—to Srila Prabhupada.  https://instagram.com/p/BeZMS0lFAax/

Walking is also going on but I have to be cautious. “Circulation in the knees is challenging,” said the massage therapist who worked well on my joints this afternoon. I never had a massage done by someone who sings his way through it. He actually has a good voice, and he calmed me with his lucid rendition of bhajans by great devout teachers. This was not the ordinary.

The standard Bengal mustard oil is giving relief to my knees which got mildly agitated while in the cold of the New Year’s Eve chant at Toronto City Hall.

May the Source be with you!

5 km


Friday, January 26, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapura, India
With the Fords

“You’re going to live for 200 years, “ said Ambarish as we were lunching in the dining lounge. “It’s because of all the walking!”

“I wish. I would love to live to see the world spiritually develop. I look forward to the progress that will be unstoppable in Mayapura.” I was referring to Ambarish’s great contribution to the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium construction.

Ambarish’s elegant wife, Bengali born Svaha, said of her husband’s great-grandfather, Henry Ford, that he was a serious man. He was vegetarian, didn’t gamble, drink or have promiscuous sex. She referred to him as Bhakta Henry, meaning Henry, who had devotion.

Ambarish then mentioned that Bhakta Henry would give literature to his friends on the topic of reincarnation. My appreciation for the great Henry Ford increased.

I also reminded Ambarish that my father used to do maintenance work on the Ford family’s hunting lodge. The family owned a property in southern Ontario’s fertile Thames River area. It was there that Ambarish used to hang out on a motor boat with a friend in their teenage years.

I would also be at the lodge with Dad but never when the Fords were around and thus I never met Ambarish, then Alfred, at the lodge.

We were having lunch and Dustin, the opera singer, popped by. He responded to my request for him to sing a song, on the plea of helping digestion, by saying, “I’m everyone’s jukebox.”

“I’m just joking, Dustin. Save your voice for another day.”

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Thursday, January 25, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapur, West Bengal
Mayapur Fullness

Young Sukhie (Sukadeva), age nineteen, from South Africa, has also arrived.  He and I took to the part brick/part dirt road to the region of the two queens.  By that, I mean the two elephants, Vishnupriya and Laksmipriya.  They appear to be both now fully grown.  It was Sukhie and I who could see them through the trees, even though it was early dawn. 

They are very passive in their setting.  What is calm in the holy dham?  Any place away from motorized conveyances.

I was invited to speak to the older boys in the school, SMIS.  They delighted in hearing of my road adventures: the bear encounters, people, the elements, the police, and mosquitoes.  The idea is to bring to the minds of these young men, a sense of a bigger world, a world to explore and to contribute to.  I have always felt travelling can provide the greater part of education.

I admire them, these eleven to sixteen year olds, who are learning in such a sacred environment, out in the country with its God-centric spirit all around.  It’s a great privilege.

Also, everything is kept so clean on the campus.  The grounds are well-maintained.  There are issues, however, of pop music blaring out from loud speakers into the wee hours of the morning from the village nearby.  That’s a tough item to sort out; at least hard to enforce so far as policies are concerned.

I enjoyed lunch with the couple Kala and Yashomati.  Over a meal of good food, all great relations are cultivated.

May the Source be with you!

5 km


Wednesday, January 24, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Mayapur, West Bengal
Mayapur Again

We hooked up at Delhi’s airport, then flew to Kolkata for a crazy taxi drive to Mayapura.  It was Pariksit, Parama, Karuna, and some members of our drama troupe who took the last leg of the journey together.  I was greeted by Keshava and swarmed with additional love by Vaishnava, Janaki, and Suniti, Canadians who spend the winter in India.  Also on board was Dustin Hines whom I took for a walk.

Who is Dustin? It seems that just about everyone in Mayapur knows Dustin.  His tenor operatic voice is being used in many venues for chanting on the Mayapur campus.  In fact, next to my room in the Gada building, I sat with Marshall, my support on last summer’s U.S. walk, when Dustin’s voice was on the iPod.  “I know those vocals!” I thought.

I like to take people I know along the Tarampura Road out back, then the trail parallel to the Jalangi River.  “ Here are the trees they tap for the sap,”  I pointed out to Dustin.  “And these are rice paddy fields.  There is mustard growing.  Soon the coriander will manifest.  Perhaps they are ready for harvest.  I just haven’t seen it yet.” https://instagram.com/p/BeZnO6flWpz/

I ventured into the temple room with Dustin when the mic came to my mouth.  “Lead!” Said the chanter.

“Okay!” And I flung the mic to Kripanidhi, another pilgrim from Canada, and we alternately sang.

Yes, here in Mayapur, we reunite with so many friends.  Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, encouraged an annual visit to such sacred places as Mayapur.  It is a battery charger.  As Dhruva from Montreal, who is also sharing the room with Marshall, said, “It is a necessity.”

Yes, a break from mundane doings!

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Tuesday, January 23, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Delhi, India
Chaitanya

My name was called over the loud speaker at the International Gates in Toronto’s Airport. I went to the counter and was informed that I had been upgraded. Okay! Some secret admirer? Krishna? I accept!

The passenger next to me, a young family man, is from Alabama and going on to Bangalore for business. He asked about my order and I was happy to explain.

“I adapted to an old tradition from India, a form of yoga called bhakti. Our guru came over from India to New York in 1965 to introduce this ancient but relevant way. Our beliefs are based on the text Bhagavad-Gita (song of the Divine), where warrior and wiseman have a dialogue over life-and-death matters. Sri Chaitanya, born in the late 15th century, is a great teacher in our lineage.”

My newly-made friend was listening and said, “I’ll look it up.”

When he went to sleep, I pulled out the latest book by Steven Rosen aka Satyaraja Dasa, a favourite author. I read from the third chapter of his book  Sri Chaitanya’s Life and Teachings where the opening lines define the great motivator and king of kirtan, himself.

“Who is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu?”  At the risk of seeming evasive, the answer depends very much on whom you ask…. Joseph T. O’Connell, an expert on Bengali religion and culture wrote of the traditional Gaudiya Vaishnava perspective: “During Chaitanya’s own lifetime, it became axiomatic among his closer devotees that he was in some fashion Hari/Krishna (Krishna with feelings and the complexion of Radha, descended in human form.”

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Monday, January 22, 2018
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Toronto, Ontario

It’s Who You Know

The acclaimed “Hare Krishna” film documentary is playing at the Cineplex downtown but I’m going to miss it.  I had the pleasure of seeing it in Nevada City this last summer.  The other reason for not viewing this masterpiece this evening is that I have to catch my flight, Air Canada Flight 42 to Delhi and beyond.  I’m on my way to holy destinations.  To be more precise, it’s Mayapura that I’m going to.  This is the birthplace of monk, Sri Chaitanya, the king of kirtan.

Laksman drove me to Pearson Airport to assist with extra luggage—costumes and props for our production “Many Mothers, Many Fathers.”  The personnel at the check-in said, “You’re over-weight.  You’ll have to transfer some content to the lighter bag (a duffle bag, in fact).  Laksman and I proceeded to go and do that transfer. They have a weigh scale facility and counters for adjusting your baggage. An employee came over, a familiar face—someone I had met at the airport before.

“Never mind this. You don’t have to deal with this nonsense. Here, I’ll check you in. You’re ‘The Walking Monk’, aren’t you? I’ve read your blog,” said the accommodating lady. She continued, “You travel a lot, don’t you? I’ve seen you around. Hare Krishna!”

Naturally, I was elated by this, and I would have been even more exploding with joy had she said, “You travel a lot…I’ve seen you walking.”

Anyway, good enough!

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Sunday, January 21, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Brampton, Ontario
Humanity In Two Days

At the day’s end, I took that stroll down Yonge Street through a light drizzle—a winding-down of sorts. The day was long and the extension to it, the day prior, made it impactful.

Godbrothers and Godsisters came together to remember Rsi, aka Rick Hobson, who recently passed away. His sister, Sandra, came, as well as his stepson, Kailash. What we recalled of Rsi was this soft-spoken, but humerous side of him. Those of us from the Toronto community credit him for being a pioneer of book sales of the Bhagavad-gita, distributing prasadam in Govinda’s, in addition to being a receptionist.

Dear Rsi, you won’t be forgotten.

Within these last two days, I have been approached by varying individuals to pray for them concerning illness, relationship issues, exams, and for someone perishing. Lots of prayers. This activity, of course, is a component of devotional life.

An “Evening of Bhakti” held in the temple room drew a crowd of kirtan lovers. I also had dinner with Ritesh, a tabla master, along with partner, Melissa. And one outstanding event to write home about was the grand opening of a new centre for ISKCON Brampton, located near Dixie and Derry Roads.  Wow! What a turnout! Great food! Congratulations to all the hard-working devotees including Radha Gopinatha, Aindra, Nimai Nitai, and families. They now have a spacious facility with two levels, plenty of parking and plenty of potential to make it a centre for education, science and culture.

Worship is a small fraction of the building’s purpose. It is here to help people cultivate their spiritual consciousness.

In Toronto, I introduced to the crowd, Baladeva, aka Barry Brown, with his new book, Humanity: The World Before Religion, War and Inequality.

May the Source be with you!

4 km


Saturday, January 20, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
A Vandalistic Act

I made a police report on an act of vandalism today. It started off like this: “At approximately 10:40 a.m. today, Saturday, 20th of January, 2018, a man known to us, of medium build, about 6’1” in height, entered the temple room while I was sitting in the southwest corner area. He is white and has wavy/curly hair of brown-to-reddish colour. He wore brown pants and a sleeveless see-through top of purplish colour…”

After he entered the temple room today, he did a prostration before a statue of our guru and then wandered briefly about, making odd grunting sounds like those of a caveman. I got up and addressed him saying that he had to leave the premises…

“After he stepped outside, he picked up a rock (sometimes used to hold doors open) and tossed it into the arched, double-panelled window in the door, leaving the glass severely cracked and damaged. Looking out, I saw him going eastbound on Roxborough Street. I contacted another temple resident who called the police. They arrived about twenty minutes later. When asked by an officer, I indicated that we would like  to press charges for this act of vandalism. I would say that this individual is mentally unstable and unpredictable in action…”

In hindsight, the incident could have been worse. A rock could have been hurdled at one of our members and there could have been bloodshed; possible death, God forbid. This was my reflection as I returned from my night walk with Jaya. I peered at the glass, all cracked and fragmented.

May all prospects of illusion be shattered like that.

May the Source be with you!

4 km  


Friday, January 19th, 2018
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Toronto, Ontario

Air Weather

Radha from Argentina is a fairly recent arrival to Canada, and like all of us, since New Year’s, has gone through an interesting deep freeze.  She was sitting at the bottom of the stairs in our ashram, when I happened to make one of my rounds through the building.

“Oh, how are you?”

“I’m fine,” she said.

“You’re surviving the extremes?”

“Yes, but now it’s good.”

“It’s now in the plus-Celsius.”

“I like it,” she remarked, vouching for the conditions of the previous two days.

“Weather here in Canada is very dramatic. You never know.” I thought of the famous line from “Forrest Gump: “…life [is]…like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’”

It surely is a merry-go-round, or maybe even a roller coaster. Remembering the weather I braved outdoors with Jaya, on a slow walk in the neighbourhood, I found the air, with the movement of wind, to possess such great prana, or life force. It reminded me of the Spring in Radha’s country, in Buenos Aires which means “clear air.”

Clear air has just got to be one of the greatest gifts of all. It’s taken for granted so much. Mentioned in the Gita as a major purifier, it is life giving, by nature. It is to be appreciated. It is something which we should be most grateful for.

May the Source be with you!

2 km

Thursday, January 18th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Brampton, Ontario
Got A Call

Uber picked me up for a fast drive to Brampton, to a lawyer’s office, to sign papers for securing a new location for an ISKCON Centre.  It will be ours—a unit in a plaza on Steeles Avenue—and much larger than our current rental place on George Street.  The papers were signed and a grand opening happens on Sunday.

On my way to the lawyers, I received a call on my cell.  “Nevada” showed up on my screen.  Oh, that must be someone I met on last summer’s walk, I thought.

“Hello!”

“Yes, hello! I met you at the Shanti Ashram near Silver City and I need some advice.  I’ve been a Kali follower for three decades.  I was given a mantra by a guru.  Would you suggest I stick to that mantra to respect the Goddess?”

“Yes, I think I remember you.  It’s great that you have a mantra and you just might stick to it, but I’ll tell you, frankly, that I derive a lot of pleasure from the maha mantra.  You might add this mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

“Here’s a definition of this mantra: ‘O awesome Creator, please allow me to be of blissful service to You and Your creation.’”

I don’t know that my caller, a woman, would take to heart my suggestion, but at least I had the privilege to give some advice to the powerful combination of the sounds in the great mantra of deliverance.

“It’s a mantra that expresses ‘giving’ as opposed to ‘taking’.”

She appreciated the talk. 

“Call me anytime!” I said.

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Wednesday, January 17th, 2018
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Toronto, Ontario
A Good Old Game

I got a little bold today with walking.  Temperatures have risen to a greater level of tolerance and my seized-up thighs were able to handle the more and more relaxed climate.  I walked out of Simon’s clinic, a place where Simon did some great work on me, with, once again, needles.  The left knee is irritable and when Simon, a man who knows his stuff, examined it, he saw there was an unwanted curvature to my left leg.

I immediately could identify the culprit or cause of this irregularity.  It is that notorious TT, the ‘Terrible Tilt’.  This last summer I struggled with walking the slant of the road’s shoulder.  Naturally, months of this will take a toll.

“Am I the only one with that curve or crookedness?”

“No! You’re not!” And that’s all Simon said.  It reminded me of a game as a kid—Simon Says.  So Simon says, “Sit down!”  So I did—this is not now a game.  Simon says, “Breathe in.”  So I did.  Simon says, “No, collapse.”  I did.  Simon says, “Breathe in.  Chest out.  Then collapse.”  I did all that Simon said.

I was feeling better after all he said.  With confidence I trod east on Bloor Street near High Park for some good city blocks.  I did thank Simon, by the way, and paid a modest fee.  I felt like my old self coming back with a minor limp.  I swore to myself that from here on I’ll avoid the TT and stick to level trails.

Keep that in mind Monk!  I take shelter of Krishna.

May the Source be with you!

4 km


Tuesday, January 16th, 2018
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Montreal, Quebec
The Arotika

Practically every day of my life I walk to the nearest temple, regardless of distance, for the 4:30 a.m. arati, whether it’s down the hall from my bed or a few blocks away—as in Mayapura.  The exception would be on long walks where there may not be a room or building for honouring arati.

What is an arati?

It is a presentation of paraphernalia offered to the Supreme—things such as incense, a small dhiya (flame), water, flowers, etc.—all to symbolize appreciation to the Creator.  One very special part of the presentation is the offering of sound, a sacred sound—mantras.

Always done at an early hour, before sunrise, the arati sets a tone for the day.  Like any other day it is a space in time which is meant for ‘giving’.  The arati’s begin with the blowing of a conch, even before the mantras begin.  In many ways, this signifies the start of the day.

During the time of arati a small bell is consistently ringing by the shake of the priest or priestess’ left wrist.  Each article of paraphernalia is presented to the presiding deity of Krishna in the shrine.  With the right hand there is the wave or motion of the article being presented to the deity—usually in the form of a circle.  For instance, the article can be held and, with a circular sweep of the hand, directed in circles of three to the face, two to the chest, four to the feet, and seven swirled around the entire deity’s form.  The arati is completed with a final blow of the conch.  This morning Nandini Radha opened the curtains, blew the conch and proceeded with the arati ceremony.

May the Source be with you!

1 km


Monday, January 15th, 2018
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Montreal, Quebec
Some People

I spent some time conversing with my Quebec friends, including Gokul, Bhakti Lata from Jamaica, Gord from northern Ontario and a few more.  Anubhava is one of my favourite Canadian leaders.  He administrates, but maximizes more on ‘doing’.  Currently, he’s doing carpentry and making extra space above the auditorium stage.

Madri came to Krishna Consciousness about four years ago.  She arrived with plenty of insecurities in life but much of that is now behind her.  She has built up so much confidence.  She keeps herself occupied.  She’s blossoming.  I’m happy for her.

Gokul and I lunched together.  They make good prasadam here in Montreal—although eggplant curried veggie preps don’t always hit the mark for me. It was something I consumed in the evening.

I was satisfied to deliver two talks today here in the ISKCON temple/ashram, the second one concentrating on one of those beautiful flowing verses from the Bhagavad-gita.  From Chapter 2, verse 20—I will avoid the Sanskrit or Roman transliteration for brevity’s sake and in English, not French. Sorry.

“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time.  He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being.  He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval.  He is not slain when the body is slain.”

The verse was discussed.  We had our eggplant and we went to rest.

A thought came to mind, as crazy as it was.  I had the image of Napoleon; his right hand concealed in his waistcoat.  Was he secretly chanting on japa meditation beads?

May the Source be with you!

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Sunday, January 14th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Montreal, Quebec
Transit to the East

I had booked a train because experience tells that in the days of extreme winter weather, a train has no delays.  The ‘iron horse’ (the train) plows through it all.  However, my trip to Montreal saw something different.  There were delays. https://instagram.com/p/Bd9-0O7FEtG/

During those delays, and otherwise, I peered out the window from seat 15A, Car 6 of Via Rail, quite often.  For anyone who knows this route, you get some pretty good views of massive Lake Ontario.  There’s abundant trees and fields, and I could see cleared walking trails alongside bush and creek areas.  It was enticing.  The sun shone and all of nature looked clean.  I even viewed young boys on a natural ice rink where they were skating and carrying hockey sticks.  How endearing!  How Canadian!

I saw, through my window frames of peace, 19thcentury buildings—at least the backs of them—and to a past with the vision of towns of long before. Very Victorian! I appreciated the train stations themselves. Before the automobile, they meant everything to people. It was nostalgic to see it all.  A former life—or lives, and there perhaps—made me fall in love with those former hubs of activity.

I arrived in Montreal to be greeted by Dhruva.  I took a shower, ate some wraps and was rushed to the main temple hall at Pie IX Blvd., a snow-occupied world.  By morning, the snow will be removed for ample parking.  Each and every one of us are required to remove the snow from our hearts, as well as the street.

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Saturday, January 13th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Vaughn, Ontario
Application of Our Faculties

As Doctor prescribed, I need to relax those legs, apply the Ayurvedic oil and take digestive aid in capsules (organic).  “With that, you’ll get better.”  And so I’ve been complying.

In the meantime things must go on.  Correspondence.  Counselling.  Planning.  Leading a chanting session before a crowd in Vaughn.  Also, there was an appreciation lunch for the cast of “Many Mothers, Many Fathers.”  We watched a video of the January 1st performance.  Not bad.  A one camera angle shooting doesn’t do justice but we thank Sati for putting it together.  We see the embellishments that the play carries, and many saw where there is need for fine tuning.

For the pleasure of guru and God, one puts their best effort forward and keeps striving for excellence.  Endeavouring toward improvement keeps a person alive, otherwise you are facing dry routine.  It’s a matter of application of the heart that brings us beyond the mechanics.

When leading the chant at the large home of one particularly sizeable and extended family, we asked participants to use their voice, hands, heart and smile.  That combination of our faculties seems to work.

We also applied leg power—dance—and got the crowd to form circles of fun.  After all it was Saturday and you’re supposed to have a fever—“Saturday Night Fever,” is how the Toronto Star described our ecstatic dance procedures at the Sunday Love Feast back in the early 80s.  A John Travolta film, if I’m not mistaken.

May the Source be with you!

1 km


Friday, January 12, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Etobicoke, Ontario
Gain and Loss

Sometimes the best way to get out to the suburbs, like Etobicoke to meet my appointment, is by way of the subway—commuter train—to the end of the line.  There, your host for an evening home program will be waiting.

My host, Narahari, who’s from South India, was waiting at the western-most point of the line, the Kipling station.

The subway system is unfamiliar to me.  I rarely take it, but due to traffic congestion on Friday afternoon and the tough weather conditions, this was the practical way of doing things.  I arrived at Narahari’s in a  timely manner, and a great discussion ensued regarding the symptoms of one spiritually progressed.  What are the signs you look for?  Great program.

It was this morning at 6:45 a.m. that I received a call from Karen who was grieving that her husband had passed away.  Rsi was a good friend of mine and it is not yet known the cause of his departure.  It’s a buddy who will be missed.  More info will come out regarding some bio.  My guess is that he was 63.

A few words: Rsi first became a monk in 1975 when he joined the temple with some friends from London, Ontario.  He had an interesting way with people.  Soft-spoken and with quite the photographic memory on “the old days,” he really supplied you with details.  He was a pioneer of book sales—books produced by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT).  His name was Rick Hobson when he first came.  Also to his credit was his hospitality at the temple/ashram, serving as receptionist and dishing out prasadam—sanctified food.  There’s more, but for now I must pray and chant.

May the Source be with you!

2 km


Thursday, January 11th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Scarborough, Ontario
Getting the Needles

I went with my gut and decided that Ayurvedic acupuncture was the way to go—a response to not being able to trek for about a week.  Walking has become a strain.  Something is wrong.  Thighs seized up?  Did I jump too hard, up and down in front of Toronto’s Old City Hall at New Years, to then conjure up some fault in the knees?

Vicki, whom I’ve known since he was a little young rascal climbing the temple walls on Sundays, had started up with his Dad the Anupama Ayurved Wellness Centre on Tiffield Road in Scarborough.  That shows evolution doesn’t it?  He grew up. https://ayurvedcentre.com

He gingerly stuck fifty pins in various places, from head to toe, including my knees.  When he applied a heat device over my knees to start with, there was immediate relief.

“Your knees are cold,” he said, before he started procedures.  “There’s a vata buildup.”  Vata means air or wind—gas.  The pins or needles were to stimulate movement—get the blood flowing.

Lying on my back on the heat-blanketed bed put me into a good sleep.  I felt subliminally that I was going to walk decently again, without a limp.

Vicki was kind and didn’t charge.  It’s his way of reciprocating with the work of a monk.  As he proceeded to conclude the procedure, all fifty needles had to come out.  Yes, there was some blood.  “That’s a good sign.  Now where’s the 50th?”  He and I felt around but couldn’t detect it until I got up off of the bench.  My dhoti (lower garment) held it in one of its folds.  Out popped the needle and on walked the voodoo doll.  Yay!  I can walk with some improvement.

Thank God!  Krishna you’re awesome!

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Wednesday, January 10th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
Lined-Up

I lined up an appointment with an ayurvedic healer for tomorrow, to have a look at my knees.  We all have to see to the anatomy of ourselves—see a mechanic from time to time.

I’ve been avoiding physical activity and resorting to a room almost as if in a hospital.  I find it is a great time for introspection and healing.

I look at someone like our Hanuman, cleaner of our temple room.  He, more than anyone else, knows and feels that when you clean the temple you are cleaning your heart.

There he stood, Hanuman, at the entrance way, with his bucket of water and mop.  The dirt he picked up resembles a dark chocolate drink.  Hanuman is not in the best shape, physically.  He had surgery years ago when a pin was driven in his knee.  It pains him at times, however, he goes on with such conviction that he’s an inspiration.  https://instagram.com/p/BdzYevgFr5C/

I was in the temple room chanting away with the Wednesday kirtan when he came over and asked if the group chanting on the carpet would move so that he can mop that particular area.  I suggested he let it go, that we were all immersed in the mantras and that what he did do was sufficient.  He graciously complied.

I see inspirationists all the time.  They are a horn of plenty.  They are around everywhere and they don’t have to be limited to humans.  Animals also have a life and sometimes save lives.

Hanuman, the original, is a human/ape—extremely devoted.  Check out this beautiful picture of Sita and Hanuman by artist Sanjay Patel.  Beautiful!

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Tuesday, January 9th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
Next To My Room

Next to my room at 243 Avenue Road is another room where sanghas(gatherings) are held and where our guru, Srila Prabhupada, had met guests in 1976.  In front of the arched window is a divinely carved image of Krishna made out of wood. 

It is there for us to remember Him.  This is His roopa—form.  Krishna is God.  He’s a person referred to often as the Supreme Personality.  Look at Him and you will feel someone is next to you—someone who is soft on the heart.  His pose is like one holding a flute, making Him musical.  It also implies He can move and dance.  His form is well shaped.  https://instagram.com/p/BdwVHW8lhnW/

My dear friend, Vaisheshika from California said, “It’s a great image to chant gayatrito.”  Gayatri is a group of mantras chanted at dawn, noon and dusk; prominent times for meditation on the Divine.

In another tradition it is sometimes said that one should not worship strange images.

Krishna is not strange.  Get to know Him.  He also walks.  Is a car strange?  Is your apartment strange?  Your partner?  No!  We just get familiar with what in the beginning is strange.

In this wooden image, Krishna is smiling.  We can also smile because the image seems to be telling us to do so.

I’m glad to have this image next to my room.  I pass by it several times a day.  I’m blessed.

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Monday, January 8th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Burnaby / Toronto
Young Seeker

Rene is a young seeker who describes himself as a “free soul.”  His free soul-ness has recently brought him to Krishna.  I handed him a set of japameditation beads.  He left his set in Mexico where he resides.  Vancouver is a stop-over.  Next he’ll be in Japan.  Free soul for sure.

He came to my door at 4:00 a.m. after a rain-full walk on steep Royal Oak.  Outside my door I heard a strange sound, something like a dog had come from a swim and was shaking off the water.  That was Rene jiggling rain off his umbrella.  Then I heard his knock on the door.

Precious guy!  He’s serious about his spirituality and has been asking questions galore since I came to British Columbia.  But now I’m leaving and I hope Rene will remain in touch.

I left Vancouver in the dark at 7:30 a.m., and arrived in Toronto just before the sun goes into hiding at this time of year.  At 4:00 p.m. he was slowly descending.  The stay in Vancouver was fine.  Being home is fine, especially with Ugresh offering the best massage for a pair of legs that have been unsteady (knee challenge) since New Year’s.

A kind fellow in Vancouver handed me an excerpt from the American woman known as “The Peace Pilgrim,” who had walked the U.S. almost seven times before her death in a car accident. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Pilgrim

“All of a sudden I felt uplifted, more uplifted than I had ever been.” She said this one morning while walking.  “I knew a oneness with the rest of creation… And most wonderful of all a oneness with that which permeates all and binds all together and gives life to all.  A oneness with that which many would call God.”

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Sunday, January 7th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Burnaby, British Columbia
Listen, Reach and Leap

My defective left knee and the ongoing rain has made it restrictive for doing a daily stroll.  However there is no limit to the amount of service one can execute.

I was content to sit and receive an old friend, Jagadish, who is my senior in devotional terms.  He converted to Vaishnavism in Buffalo, New York, well before I knew anything about bhakti-yoga­.  He was always a calm person, a leader, a guide, an inspiration, and still is.  Currently he looks after his handicapped son, Nirmal, who years ago suffered after falling out of a tree, and also receiving serious burns from the spill of hot fluid from a commercial kitchen vat.

When I talked with Jagadish, I could appreciate his strong belief that family must help its members in all circumstances.  He also enjoys chanting.

After Jagadish’s visit, I was driven to the household of a young Brazilian family, where their six-month-old daughter was ready to receive her first grains.  A priest, that’s me, spoon feeds the child in a small ceremony called anna prasana.  Part two of this program is to lay out a book (shastra), such as the sacred text Bhagavad-gita, and next to it a small pile of coins.  Tradition has it that when the child is set to crawl and make a choice to touch either the book or the coins, it may determine their future inclinations.

Our little girl reached out for the coins.  Family and visitors took delight.  Her older brother by three years, Ravi, and I also got on well.  Later for the Sunday crowd, people were leaping for the stars, it appeared, during kirtan, and reaching new heights, I felt, at class time.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Saturday, January 6th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Burnaby, British Columbia
Good Saturday

I’m amazed with what a quiet, tiny little lady from Mauritius can do.  Nishta is that wonderful person I’m speaking about.  Within practically twenty-four hours, she drew a crowd of people on a Saturday, when most folks have their parties and programs set. To cause everyone to readjust venues and events after listening to an enticing voice like Nishta’s, was an extraordinary feat, but she did it.

Her living room was going to be the place for a sanga, but as interest grew her modest quarters were not able to hold the capacity crowd.  With the local temple across the street, she shifted gathering places.

Now I was to be the honoured guest, Bhaktimarga Swami, also known as the ‘Walking Monk’. I was introduced as such and to a hefty crowd of young children, all the way up to mature adults.  The challenge is to keep the whole cross-section of people happy.

My strategy in such circumstances is to keep the kids charged up, and then you will win the hearts of all.  The reading and charades of the “Killing of Dhenukasura” were a triumph.  Then I opened up the floor for a Q & A that went very well.  More adults participated in this.  Questions were superb and relevant, keeping in the context of spiritual growth.

By bedtime I was happily fatigued when Manu and Rene both took a crack at my legs, massaging with as best an effort as possible.  I’ve been limping, remember?

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Friday, January 5th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Saranagati, British Columbia
Family Life in the Valley

You might wonder if a monk has any interest in family values.  The answer is a resounding, “YES!”  At least this one finds it a favourite topic.  My hosts, Partha and Uttama, and I carried on with a casual discussion on the strength and stability behind a solid family unit.  Everyone wants it but the rate of separation within couples is astounding.

“Let’s get behind it,” is their method,  and I might add, that to their credit, they are world travellers who present seminars on successful marriages.

One admirable couple in the valley are Mark and Sunny who are putting the finishing touches on their own designed home atop a mountain.  Mark has built it himself with local materials—pine, fir, cedar and more.  Their two kids are loving their domain.

Bala Krishna and Hari Lila, living at the north end of the valley, are the most progressive growers of edible plants.  Called Bhumi Farms, their endeavour in living the organic life and providing fantastic veggies and fruits is enviable.  Of course, at this time of year one resorts to more root cellar food.  A visit to their patch and pad of Krishna consciousness is what I always look forward to.

From Bhumi Farms, I trekked—yes, the roads have been cleared—to Manu and Satarupa’s place, another home on the way to rustic completion.  Manu is a fine cook.  I was a little overzealous on the local “Fear the Heat” peppers sprinkled on my soup.  Some dilution of the prep made it less intense.

Gopinatha and Ananda from Colorado are into health, and presented a talk on the panacea of good diet to include chanting.  Their experiment, where they surveyed volunteers on chanting the maha mantra over a period of time, produced remarkable results.  They shared that with us in the Govardhan School.

Good Stuff!

May the Source be with you!

6 km


Thursday, January 4th, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Ashcroft, British Columbia
To Hope and Beyond

En route to the village of Saranagati, set in the mountains, is the town of Hope, a juncture where many roads emanate from.  It was here that our small party of four stopped at the Town Pantry for a refuelling of the stomach with liquids.  This town is also the location of the shooting of “Rambo,” a film about bandana-strapped Sylvester Stallone.  Never saw the movie.  Not interested really.  The good thing about it is the name of God is in the title—Ram.

While Nitai Ram, our driver, went for the water and juice, I started trekking on Hwy 1.  It brought back so many memories.  I recall in ’96 the bridge repair crew toiling away in the not-so-pleasant rain.  I remember entering into the depths of the Fraser River Valley, and imagining the Gold Rush enthusiasts trekking this same route that I was on, only they had no clear trail as I have now. https://instagram.com/p/BdnkU2dFxie/

Well, let me take that back.  The countryside here is snowbound; another world from mild Vancouver.  It’s piled quite high.

Road signs starting at Hope give a warning, “Oct. 1st-Mar. 1st Snow Tires.”  If you operate a truck through this region, then chains are required.

With care, Nitai drove Nishta, her daughter Govinda, and myself up Venables Valley Road and parked at Manu’s pad for dinner.  Then we proceeded to Partha and Uttama’s place for a sanga, a gathering of Vaishnavas, mostly traditional Canadians who settled here in the 80s and 90s.  I gave a report of what I had been doing as of late—walking across the U.S.; moving about in Cuba.  It’s all been good today.  The chanting we did.  The conversation.  The spring rolls and chow mein.  Very complete.

May the Source be with you!

3 km


Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Coquitlam, British Columbia
Being Smart About It

I find people who follow the path of bhakti oftentimes ride on too much sentiment and set aside the practical implementation of things.  Sometimes it’s too much heart and not enough smart.  But the smarts, or intelligence, are there—a little dormant, though, at times.

To give one example, at the ceremony of what’s called arati, which entails an offering of articles to the deities of Krishna, such as a flower, the pujari (priest) places the flower, after offering, at the ledge of the altar in order for observers to receive.  These flowers that are acquired are shipped in from afar and they lack scent.  One person amongst the observers at the aratitake that unscented flower to the various nostrils of the other attendees for a sniff.  It’s a nice gesture but is it intelligent when there is no fragrance?

Another example is the pujari offers incense to the deity and then places the aromatic stick close to his/her standing position.  Incense has been known to be carcinogenic, especially in an enclosed room.  Personally, I feel there’s a brighter way to do things than to have the incense fumes going up, once again, the nose.

There are other examples.

Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, was very practical and would make adjustments.

Another example, since the midnight kirtan at Toronto’s City Hall, with the combination of coldness and maybe not the best shoes contributed to my sore left knee, causing a limp in my walk, I took to simple yoga stretches to pursue a healing when just sitting to chant wouldn’t necessarily provide the required relief.  We need the balance; both yoga and yajna (sacrifice, ritual) are good.

May the source be with you!

4 km


Tuesday, January 2nd, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Vancouver, British Columbia
“Chants To Dance To” CD

The recording for a CD, “Chants To Dance To,” occurred at the Kolkata ISKCON, twenty-two months ago.  Sorry for the delay.  It was done live in the temple of Radha-Govinda by Ekalavya.  It was decided that the voice of my humble self, the ‘Walking Monk’, was not up to par in a professional studio.  The recording did well amidst an excited group of brahmacharis—monks—at the devotional facility on Albert Road.

Nimai Nitai from Brampton is the project co-ordinator and Nitai Priya from Vancouver did the cover art design.

It’s not perfect.  It was not rehearsed.  Spontaneity would be the way I would describe it.  Ekalavya, my dear friend, held a recorder to tape my voice, and here it is—a burst of enthusiasm.  May listeners be compelled to dance.

Dancing and walking are some things I’ve been limiting to a minimum.  I’m in a limp for some reason or other.  So when arriving in Vancouver I thought to hammer it out in my Kyboot shoes.  It helped.  Once healed I probably won’t dance to the CD.  I’m just not fond of hearing myself, even though the project was completed in dedication to guru and God.  I know I should try to see it that way.  A lack of self-confidence may be a factor in it all.

In any event, the CD is released and it is a devotional offering.  I hope you like it.  Proceeds go to the grand opening of a new ISKCON Cultural Centre in Brampton, a place of higher learning and culture.  The community will be moving from the current rental unit.

May the Source be with you!

6 km


Monday, January 1st, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
On Day One

The New Year started early and with a bang, for a number of us.  The fireworks exploded overhead, heard but not seen.  Our group of chanters were stationed in the front of the Old City Hall, and in that position it’s hard to see the sky getting lit up with momentary sparkle and colour.  Our kirtan, amplified with two marching drums, obscured the sound of the fireworks.  Like usual, we began making our sound before the countdown.

As people poured in—headed for the sight of the explosive noise which emanated from the New City Hall—they passed by us and knew we were having fun and that they were invited to join in the elation once the count-down ceased.  Many were chipper.  Booze and weed invaded our space.  That was okay. We were drunk on the holy name.  We were even, and we were one in the sound.  Everyone, whether follower or not, was immersed.

That was our morning, which started early at midnight.

Nighttime was with another crowd.  Our own.  We staged our drama, “Many Mothers, Many Fathers,” about the life of Chitraketu.  In Krishna’s name, I would say our cast did marvellously.  Feedback was very positive.  It was such a morale booster and such a sense and brain pleaser.  The story ends on a note of forgiveness.

And that’s the way to start the New Year, with a clean slate.  We all commit many wrongs throughout the year, but if we can crawl into January with straw between our teeth—in humility—we have a better chance to make the coming twelve months bright. 

Let’s have a good beginning to our year.

May the Source be with you!

0 km


Sunday, December 31st, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Brampton / Toronto
New Year Messages

This was my final visit to the Brampton ISKCON centre on George Street.  It will be relocated to 173 Advance Blvd., Unit 41/42, near Dixie and Steeles, in our very own facility.

I spoke to the group of New-Yearlings, and proposed that, as a resolution, we all make concrete efforts to build and maintain good relationships amongst ourselves and in general, humankind.

I proposed the same idea to a Toronto crowd.  Here are some of the points I made in the class:

What does it mean to be devoted?  It means we are clean in our relationships.  We must endeavour for that clean heart.

Build relationships with people.  Knock down some walls here and there.

Krishna is like a magnet and He is attracting the iron filings—the devoted.

Krishna is the ultimate weight-lifter—Govardhan.

Part of our adventure is to be knocked around a little bit, then we take the humble position.

Don’t let a disagreement turn into an argument.

My mountain of ego is blocking my sight of Guru and God.

If you want to get strong in your Krishna Consciousness then get deep into sadhana.  Sadhana, spiritual regimen, protects us.

To deal with human nature we have to be strong.  We have to be kind.  Let’s display strength in strong relationships.

May the Source be with you!

Happy New Year!

7 km


Saturday, December 30th, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Ajax, Ontario
Good Crew, Good Brew

I was quite amazed by the turn-out of family and supporters for Kiran, age twenty-four, who was recently deceased, the cause being car collision related.  Hundreds of people came, mostly from the Guyanese community, to attend the last rites ceremony, done Vedic style in a crematorium/funeral home in Ajax.

The love which emanated from parents, siblings and friends was quite powerful.  Upon hearing the eulogy, I could understand he was quite the kind-hearted type and you could see the reciprocation pouring out.  I wish I had known him better.

They are good souls who enter into the course of your day to make your day.  And so, after the funeral, my world, for the rest of the day, was filled with mostly the younger set, the cast and crew of our production of “Many Mothers, Many Fathers.”  A good crew.  A good brew.

What a co-operative group it is, an international one, consisting of Canadian born to Israeli, Ukrainian to Mexican and Indian.  The story, “Many Mothers, Many Fathers,” is centered around a king—Chitraketu—of the Surasena dynasty who lost his son to poisoning.  Out of the tragedy comes a reconciliation of jealous exchange and conflicting relations.

The young boy, Nimai, six, who plays the dead son, is stunningly good at doing just that—playing dead.

I guess we all do that—play dead—for the soul (the real me) does not perish.

May the Source be with you!

3 km



Friday, December 29th, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
Cold

I spoke to someone from Florida today, Dattatreya, a magician, and he told me they have a cold snap like everywhere else in North America.  Temperatures there are at 3 or 4° Fahrenheit.

“Imagine then how we are doing up north?” I asked.

In speaking to others, Mother Nature appears to be showing an ugly, fierce side.  In Fort McMurray, the plummeting figure was -54° Celsius, outdoing the lowest temperatures of the furthest north.  Fort McMurray is the place in Alberta known for its oil enterprises, with its tar sands nearby.  That news came from Abhidheya in Vancouver.

Then Savyasacin of Brampton told me last night at our play practice that Toronto and other cities around are speaking about possibly cancelling the New Year’s celebrations due to such intense, frigid situations.

The conditions are such that I’ve not been bearing the extreme outdoors, but I’ve been taking those walks of mine inside our temple room.  It seems to work, although the air quality outside is probably better.  Probably sterilized.  It’s quite remarkable just how extreme it can get.

Mother Nature, you definitely have some might.  Thanks for teaching us tolerance.  It takes me to Verse 2:14 from the Gita.  “The dualities of the world need to be accepted.”  It’s a lesson in life.

May the Source be with you!

4 km



Thursday, December 28th, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
A Loss, But Not Lost

A young man, Kiran, 24, a member of our community, suddenly lost his life in an auto accident while on his way to work.  While this may be just another one of those news items, one that we often become insensitive to because it is a story repeated over again and again, it really shakes the ground you stand on when it’s close to home.

“Kiran used to attend the temple when he was much younger,” said his distraught mum, Srimati, when I spoke to her over the phone.  “The car spun out of control when someone hit him.  It’s very hard.”

You could hear the pain in her voice as we conversed.  It’s understandable.  A soul comes into your life, is your dependant for a quarter of it, and so the attachment is very real.  Then if you have one of those families where the lifestyle is a wholesome one, your dependant starts doing things for you and eventually a beautiful reversal takes place.  In your senior years, he/she looks after you.  You have him/her and you have God.  You’re not lonely and you’re attached to the love given.

It then becomes difficult to have one such person suddenly drop out of the picture, although the Divine friend, God-in-the-heart, remains as a blesser and a guide.

We, the friends of the family, are compelled to be totally behind you and support you through prayer and mantra.  There are many folks in this world who lose family through mishaps of a shocking kind and we give our hearts out to you.

May the Source be with you!

5 km


Wednesday, December 27th, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Brampton, Ontario
The Girl and the Gita

Cinnamon buns, pudlas—an eggless omelette—dilled scalloped potatoes and beetroot-carrot juice were on the menu.  “And black beans as we have on the east coast,” remarked cook and host, Nirmana, at her home shared by three generations of family.

Nirmana is a regular Canadian girl who became a registered nurse and married into an Indian family.  She and her husband, Sahil, have a beautiful one-year-old daughter, Manjari.  I’m indeed happy for her.  I recall first meeting her in New Brunswick when she first showed receptivity to bhakti yoga.  I was giving one of those “Tales from Trails” presentations, when, in Woodstock, at a wellness centre, a young woman came to hear.  One thing led to another and it all led to an attraction for a different lifestyle.

She is such a qualified person and at the same time has a simple nature.  She reminds me somewhat of the verses we read today from the Gita, chapter 17.  Here they are—three of them—verses 14, 15 and 16:

“Austerity of the body consists in worship of the Supreme Lord, the brāhmaṇas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother, and in cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence.  Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.  And satisfaction, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purification of one’s existence are the austerities of the mind.”

May the Source be with you!

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Tuesday, December 26th, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
Thank you!

After hours of drama practice on a newer production, “Many Mothers, Many Fathers,” about the life of King Chitraketu, I needed to go for that—guess what?—walk, of course.

Ranesvara and I set out for Yonge Street.  The cold blast was initially like some monster biting off our faces, but then our bodies adjusted and we were okay.  After all, we live in a world of adjustment and it is on these terms or within this state of mind which allows me to keep going.

For fun, we also trekked through the Eaton’s Centre, Nordstrom’s and the Hudson Bay stores, all one long strip of allurement.  Most of what we see are clothing outlets.  I find it strange that youth put so much energy into attire and yet everyone often ends up wearing very drab and dull, greys and blacks.

Fashion should mean colour, frills, accentuated shapes and designs.  I find sarees and even Indian men’s wear to be stylish, but that’s not what I see.  Most people here are dressed up as if in mourning.  As if, “Are you going to a funeral?”  That’s today’s modern fashion, as far as I’m concerned.

I would like to take this opportunity, now that the year’s end is near, to thank wholeheartedly the following people who have been so helpful, this year, aiding in my personal efforts to advance the cause of Krishna via the Walking Monk network: Rajasuya, Abhidheya, Nitai Priya, Dhruva, Nick Pereira, Ananda Rupa, Vivasvan, Hayagriva, Marshall, Dharma, Manasi Ganga, Curtis, and more.

May the Source be with you!

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