Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Wednesday June 7, 2017
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Fort Collins, Colorado

The Richer the Clothes

Last Sunday, my clothes went for a fresh dye, a richer orange. It was the kindness of the ISKCON Colorado monks who addressed my fading colours. I knew it to be an issue. The sun and regular washing take the life out of the colour.


The police who came to visit me today, on Rd. 74, made some remarks. One of them said, “You got the right colour. Drivers can see you from far away.” The other officer mentioned that it is the colour of prisoners.


As usual, police stop out of concern for safety.They have a point. Thus far, most roads leading into the  Fort Collins/Denver area are heavily trafficked. Car accidents rate high in Colorado compared to the rest of the nation.


It is rare to see a walker. It’s cars that are all pervasive. Cars, cars, and more cars. When I see a train with rail cars full of automobiles, I would like to shout out, “Send them back where they came from. We don’t need anymore.”


A road construction fellow also remarked, “Yeah, in the eighties I remember more people walkin’. It’s madness today, really!”


For a while I was in a cursing mode, condemning the world for letting cars on the loose and attacking the freshness of air, water and space. I managed to tame the lion in me by relaxing under some huge cottonwood trees and catching a whiff of a Russian Olive. And just when I had laid down on the grass, in my perceived area of privacy within a public park, then a fellow with a whipper-snipper came cutting the grass.


Will the operator accidentally cut off my tired feet? They are precious. I have need of them. So I got up and got out of the way, and proceeded to walk.


May the Source be with you!
20 miles

Tuesday June 6, 2017
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Ault, Colorado
Switching Roads

“Do you sleep in the ditch?” was his question.


“No, I’m not that austere. Someone sponsored a room for me and my supporting team.”


The man with the query was actually a police officer, who along with his companion, heard my explanation for being on the highway at such an early hour. I imagine police meet walkers like myself, from time to time—drifters, marathoners, maybe a monk, once in a while.


They did express to me concern about the speedy traffic and the meagre space in which to walk on Highway 14 in Colorado.


Traffic wasn’t the only challenge. 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. is mosquito hour. Aggressive! Here’s where the big trucks do work in your favour. The gusts of wind they stir up send the little pests off. Still, traffic was too much. It was for the possibility of road rage that we transferred to #14 Highway and entered the state south of us. The Highway 30 which we were on merged into Interstate 80, which is un-walkable. At times we have to ‘jump’ to a parallel road.


Rd 86, a gravel road,  became my new path. Here, I could hear hundreds of prairie dogs in full chorus. They do not bark at all. They sound like those squeaky toys that you squeeze. I also saw elk in the distance.


A regular program at an inter-faith centre at Colorado State University gave me a break from walking, to talking, chanting and dancing. I asked one of the attendees about his take on Krishna.

“He’s the ‘party’ God, isn’t He?”
Not quite, but we partied nevertheless. No drugs. No booze. Just good clean fun!

May the Source be with you! 
19 miles

Monday, June 5, 2017
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Burns, Wyoming

The Cattle and Me

The cattle and I were separated by fence and ditch, but they were following me, nevertheless. As I made my last three miles in this ranch country, on Rd. 213, the two dozen or so black-breed bovines got attached to me and I to them.


Coming down the dusty road was a white pickup with a local farmer behind the wheel. This farmer put the brakes on and observed the cattle tagging along next to me. The farmer made the turn and proceeded to meet me on the road.


It was a woman—a country girl. “But I’ve spent my time in the city. I prefer the rural life,” she said, after introductions.


I told her of my walking mission with its spiritual edge. And we both agreed that commonality amongst faith groups needs to be emphasized; in other words, the agreed upon universal truths need to be honoured. It was terrific to meet a farmer with an open mind. It is not always like that. Cattle are open. Why can’t humans be?


Gary was another person who came onto my track with me today. Gary is from The Pine Bluffs Post. He spent forever looking for me. Wrong road. Directions given to him were misinformed. Finally, he caught up with me and the boys in the village of Burns. He asked all the normal questions and I answered them, informing him that it is a great ‘spirit’ walk, one that I hope will inspire others.


“Simple living. Less cars. 1.25 million people die each year from auto accidents. We could do better. Walk and chant!”  The cattle walked.


May the Source be with you!

21 miles


Sunday, June 4, 2017
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Nebraska/Wyoming

A New State

“Dudes” is a popular steak-house restaurant in Sidney. I didn’t know of the busy clientele, until I conveniently sat on one of the provided benches in front of the diner. The workers there were extra nice. Two waitresses came out and asked me to sign the newspaper which featured Hayagriva and myself  on the front page.


“Can we make you a hamburger? It’s on the House.”


“Thank you, but I’m a vegetarian.”


They came back a minute later saying they could serve me a veggie burger which was made out of black beans. I really appreciated them going out of their way to be friendly, but I just had to decline. I was full of the delicious wraps the boys had put together.


Kindness is truly prevalent on some days. Experience shows that people I meet are anywhere from indifferent to positive in their response to our walk.


The above interaction with the “Dudes” staff was on Friday night. Today, however, Sunday, showed more of an aloof reaction from motorists. Fortunately, we did reach some milestones. I stepped into the state of Wyoming. We also took a drive to the vibrant Denver community for the world popular ISKCON Sunday feast. Lastly, Aaron, whom I met on Tuesday, decided to join our team.


Aaron is a young man at an interesting juncture in his life. He’s giving the spiritual approach to life a chance. The three of us, Hayagriva, Marshall and myself, have accepted him Ike a younger brother (for me a son).



May the Source be with you.


20 miles


Saturday June 3, 2017
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Kimball, Nebraska

The Superstars Around Me

This morning, like most mornings, I’m walking under the superstars, the actual stars. I’m alone with them, so it seems. Traffic is nil at this hour, 3:00 a.m. I have good company with the stars that shine brightly and watch over me.

Once these dazzlers start to dissolve with the sun’s awakening about 4:15 a.m., a fresh new batch of superstars appear, but first, with sound. Multiple birds—meadowlarks, doves, red-winged black birds, and a dozen more unknown to me—present themselves in full glory, in body and sound.

When it’s time for them to lull, as the sun intensifies, then a new group of superstars take over. My feet are happy with them.

There is one more set of companions that are with me each day. And that is the group of trains that pass by me. They are operative at any hour and since the highway I’m on is laid out next to train tracks, I feel like I have the train cars, the engine, cargo cars, and cabooses as my constant amigos.

The conductor waves at times when he sees me, or blows the train whistle. He and his other comrades must wonder what I’m up to, sticking to the road everyday. They’ve never stopped their operation to ask me what’s going on, but then I think it would be an unrealistic request to ask of them. Because I’m side-by-side with the Iron Horse on a regular basis and it enthuses me , then I consider the train a superstar as well. I can’t manage without them, what to speak of the Super Soul, God, in the heart.


May the Source be with you!


20 miles

Friday June 2, 2017
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Potter, Nebraska

A Day of Gold

There was a lot of excitement in the air. The Walking Monk made it to the front page of the Sidney Telegraph with writer, Brandon L. Summers. Excellent article! Thank you! 


Motorists became aware, if they picked up the news before going to work. They reciprocated with a honk or a wave. After ten miles of trekking on the historic Lincoln Highway(#30), I was whisked away by the main driver of our team, Marshall, for an hour and a half presentation with students of the North Elementary Summer Camp in Sidney.


Colleen, the principal of the summer camp program, was happy to have me speak about my walking  adventures, teach a little yoga, do some voice exercises, and get everyone to sing and dance to some ancient mantras (maha or great mantras). The age groups were kindergarten to grade six. They were a bunch of darlings (and not rascals). Participation was excellent, like the article in the paper. But, for sure, these young folks hadn’t read the paper this morning. They have another life. I did receive dozens of appreciation cards. It shouldn’t be surprising that seldom does a monk come to town.

I hit the road again, on the fabulous Lincoln Highway, where in the mid-1800s, at least a half-a-million immigrants trekked here on the search for gold. Yes, the Gold Rush was on.

My gold for today was the news report, the students, and finally, two devout Krishna followers from the Denver community. The balance of the walk took Nidra, Jai Gauranga and myself to the town of Potter. What great companions they were!


May the Source be with you!


20 miles


Thursday June 1, 2017
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Sidney, Nebraska

Spurts or Pick-Me-Ups
“Hey, are you a Hare Krishna?” asked the husky, tattooed man at Legion Park.
“Well, yes, I am.”
“You guys were all over the place in the movies in the ’80s. I always wanted to meet one.”
“You’re in luck today.”
“Can I get a picture with you?” His son, Zack, took the photo and he told me we made his day. In reality, he made my day. I had one mile to complete to hit my target of twenty miles when I met him. The sun was strong. I felt divested of energy, but his interest in me and what I’m doing, gave me a boost. 
There are always these small spurts of interest that excite everyday. For instance, a long slithery bull snake coiled at the sight of me but I really wanted him off the road to avoid the disaster that many creatures meet under the wheels or the bumper of a car.
“Rattlesnakes are what you worry about around here,’ confirmed a state trooper, “and not the bull snake.”
Reading a sign outside a residence that says “Danger Men Cooking” was also something that excited me. 
Most important of all was a local eighteen-year-old Aaron, who joined me. It appears he’s at a juncture in his life and he displayed some enthusiasm toward what we are doing with the walk and our lifestyle. Aaron is an intelligent young man and is very philosophical. It was refreshinghaving him spend some time with us on the road. 
A special thanks to Jim and Jane of Chappell, who cooked for us, provided us with lodging, and drummed and chanted with us. 


May the Source be with you! 

20 miles

Wednesday May 31, 2017
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Lodgepole, Nebraska

Contact/Connect

Hayagriva picked up a turtle and the frightened little fellow peed on Hayagriva’s hand. It must have been his first encounter with humans. We let him go. Nature was generous to have us meet him.

Two antelope came onto our path, a male and a female. They stood there rather frozen at seeing two walking humans. Motorized people, they probably see plenty of. We were novel for them.

The air is dryer here as we move west; the soil more sandy. And the people are people.

Brian from the Sun Telegraph came out a second time. This morning he was equipped with a camera.

From the visit and kirtan by my two assistants, Hayagriva and Marshall, a friend was made in Peggy, the local librarian. She with Rhonda, grand-daughter, walked with me the length of the town of Chappell. My goodness, did the boys ever make an impact in this town!

I also met Aaron, from Lodgepole. Young and curious, he asked if I was Buddhist.

“No, but I am a monk, a Hare Krishna monk. It is from a tradition much older than Buddhism. Gaudiya Vaisnavism is the historical term.”

“You know, you don’t see a whole lot of monks around town,” remarked Aaron. He’s agreed to meet with us tomorrow for discussions.

Finally, we were booked to see Colleen, the principal of the North Elementary School summer camp. She’s lining up dozens of students for Friday’s events, which will involve our participation.

Walking and interacting with wildlife and mild people is an integral part of this trek across the U.S.A.


May the Source be with you!


21 miles


Tuesday May 30, 2017
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Chappell, Nebraska

Relationship Music

The two boys, Hayagriva and Marshall, went to Chappell (population 1000) to chant downtown. I suggested this as I know they enjoyed doing so in Paxton, Roscoe and Sutherland; old villages, if not hamlets. Taking a portable harmonium and mrdunga drum in hand, they gave a jolly boisterous performance in procession style (if you can do that with two) and around Chappell’s shoppers.

Two women approached the musician monks and one of them held up her hands as Diana Ross of the Supremes would do. “STOP! In the name of love.”

“What are you doing?” Asked the woman. “What’s going on?”

“We’re travelling monks, sharing sacred sound. We are spreading spirituality.”

“What do you mean by spirituality?” she continued.

Hayagriva responded, “Understanding who we are and our relationship with God.”

“That’s the word I was looking for.” She was pacified, felt the devotion from our young men and encouraged them to go up and down every street, singing.

One man saw the boys and asked a similar question and he approved of their answer and agreed to pay for some fruit they could use.

Hayagriva and Marshall were a hit in town. At the auto-parts place, they asked for a wrench to tune up the drum. “That’ll be 45 cents for the purchase,” said the clerk.

Meanwhile, I was putting on my twenty miles for the day, in the barren, but beautiful, setting, in the plains along the Lincoln Highway. Brian from the Sun Telegraph came to interview.

The three of us are simply planting seeds of bhakti, devotion. We are loving it!


May the Source be with you!


20 miles

Monday, May 29, 2017
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Brule , Nebraska

Memories, Memorials

The purpose of early trekking at 3:30 a.m. is to get the mileage in before the sun truly burns in the afternoon. Well, the plan paid off. By noon, I had completed the day’s quota of twenty miles.

Some highlights were the cool air and the cool coyotes. Their yipping and yapping was something to cause me to daydream. I reminisced about early morning singing as is done in our ashrams or temples. I would not say that these wild dogs compensate for my missing the chants by monks, but they did demonstrate togetherness, synergy and a sense of community.

Our gang of three are not totally absent of song and mantras. Daily we sing standard bhajans(devotional songs) in honour of the guru. And in the evening, our hosts, the Rajputs, had us sing for them in their living room at the Lodge American, their motel.

On this Memorial Day, I imagine there would have been music, song, and dance in a more patriotic tone. One van-load of American flags went from business to business, where they were propped up—those Stars and Stripes—as an honoured memory of deceased soldiers.

One of the two men got out and said, “So you made it halfway!(meaning the Lincoln Highway and halfway across America) I read about it in the paper!”

One state trooper parked on a side road as he saw me coming. He opened his trunk and grabbed with a firm grip, two bottles of water, and waited till I actually got to him. “These are for you!”

And I thanked him. I thanked him for checking on my safety. Like everyone else I meet, he received a mantra card.


May the Source be with you!


20 miles

Sunday, May 28, 2017
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Paxton, Nebraska
Animals

Last afternoon, I completed my walk at a farm where papa, mama, and baby bison were behind a fence on a rural property outside Sutherland.

Our day then began at this spot when Marshall put the high beams on to see our whereabouts. The lights dissolved their shyness and they moved on into the distance.

It was a day for animals—bison, cattle, birds, frogs, peacocks, even a hawk, and a bull snake. The snake was close. He was coming my way and I had to move.

There were party-animals, as well; two young men at 4:30 a.m. who when they spotted us, asked, “What’s goin’ on?” I encouraged Hayagriva and Marshall to chat with them. On the boys’ phones, they could display kirtans, chanting sessions, which the other fellows had never seen before. They were so intrigued with everything Krishna Conscious.

We also met Lawrence F. Wendelin.

“Can I give you a ride?” It turns out that Lawrence is a lay pastor for the Lutheran Church, and he was on his way to Church to deliver a sermon.

“It’s great what you’re doing because the world is quite crazy.”

“That’s very obvious,” Wendelin said softly.

I continued to stride along with my heart warmed up from the enthusiasm my two monk assistants were showing, by driving to the nearest town to execute kirtan itself. In the small towns of Sutherland, Paxton and Roscoe, they had never heard kirtan before. Those in the bars and steak-houses were laughing and smiling, and some were bewildered to see the joy exuded by Hayagriva and Marshall.

You can follow Bhaktimarga Swami on twitter @BhaktiMargaSwam (no i).


May the Source be with you!


21 miles

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Saturday, May 27, 2017
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Sutherland, Nebraska

Sour at First

I came upon this sign pegged into the ground by a farmer’s field. It read, “PRAYER is the best way to meet the Lord—but—TRESPASSING on this property is faster.”

The above message may not be the standard of hospitality in the Midwest of the U.S.A., but my small back-up team and I are getting samples of it here and there.

The other day, when I chose to tread the soft and more safe (or what I thought was safe) backroad, and what turned out to be a thru-way for serious ranching, we met up with a similar type of spirit. Two older men in a pickup stopped where Hayagriva and Marshall were parked.

“Having vehicle trouble?”

“No,” explained my two boys, “we’re with that guy. He’s a monk just passing through on a U.S. walk.”

“Not anymore, he’s not. Pick him up and take him the f___ outa here, before he gets shot!”

Those two neighbourly men then drove up to me and said, “Listen, thieves come here all the time. They come with guns. There’s bullets flyin’ in the air. And you got mean dogs on both sides of the road.” The message was clear—GET OUT!

“I’m just finishing my walk for the day. Thanks for your concern.”

On the other hand, this morning, the greeting by folks of a more temperate kind came through, including the arrival of media news—Tammy’s article on the North Platte Telegraph Front Page, and Kevin’s from the Lexington Clipper Herald, who covered the story of our walk, meant for over-all wellness.

I was also blessed by the presence of two individual cyclists who decided to walk it out with me. So I ended up with an environment of kindness in the end.


May the Source be with you!


20 miles


Friday May 26, 2017
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North Platte, Nebraska
Some Changes

As the sun opens up, revealing all that is around us at pre-dawn, we can see the topography slowly changing as we head west. From flat land, we venture through a more hilly terrain, but for the most part, Hwy 30, where we walk, is flat. Some wetlands start to appear where there is the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers.

Near North Platte, a canoer asked about my mission. It was a trucker who, earlier on, could have answered that. He heard the radio interview about my walk for wellness, both physical and spiritual. He offered me a Coca-cola. Alright, I can’t refuse to accept, though I have made a vow not to consume caffeine. In my mind, I decide I can pass it on to someone else. The can of drink was indeed cold, and it offered coolness to my hand and brow, as I rolled it over the sun-warmed areas of my head.

Tammy, from the North Platte Telegraph, agreed to meet us at the tiny airport, and there she asked many  relevant questions, not all to do with walking, but also with monastic life within a Hare Krishna context. I mentioned to her about our approach to spiritual life being from roots of an Indian origin, and our way is not the only way, just “a way.”  http://www.nptelegraph.com/news/regional/traveling-across-the-country/article_9438f81c-428e-11e7-abf8-eba04f1d738a.html


“Hayagriva, Marshall and I are vegetarian. No meat. No fish. No eggs. I was raised on a farm, a small family farm. We had animals including peacocks, pheasants, chickens, a cow, pigs and fields of clover. It was hard to eat the animals who you knew when they were alive.”

Tammy was full of good questions. Bless her and bless all the motorists of today, whether you honked or not, whether you waved or not, we wish you well.


May the Source be with you!


21 miles


Thursday, May 25, 2017
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Cozad, Nebraska
Touch History

The jolly farmer got off his John Deere tractor from tilling his field and came over until the ditch to the road was a barrier. He had a load of questions including “Where to?” and Where do you stay at night?”

“I have a support vehicle. The two young men, also monks, come out once in awhile to check on me and see if I’m still alive.” (Laughter!)

I asked him about this Spring’s growing season.

“I’ve never seen such a crappy crop in all my life.”

“I know farmers depend so much on nature and the Creator. Can I take your picture?”

“Sure!” Click!

Kelly Ninas from the Tri-City Tribune came out to see me from Cozad. He and I were standing by the road, but had to remove ourselves to make way for the trucks coming to lay new asphalt

I, with the boys, spent quite the quality time with Ellen Mortensen, of the Gothenburg Times, in the impressive little downtown of Gothenburg. I told her, as I did Kelly, that I’m walking to encourage getting back to basics and to balancing life, the physical and the spiritual. With journalists, I must always confirm I’m a Hare Krishna Monk and not a Buddhist.

Interesting about this town and Cozad is that we touched history here. The first highway in the world for automobiles, the Old Lincoln Highway, is here, at its midway point. Also in town is the original Pony Express station, established over 150 years ago. Men would carry parcels on horseback over twelve-hour shifts. Wild “Buffalo Bill” did a remarkable 320 mile stretch on one single ride. This also was a fur trading post.


May the Source be with you!


20 miles


Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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Lexington, Nebraska
The Place Was Cool To Us

Bob Brogan of KRVN Radio found me at the east end of town just where the sidewalks begin, and asked a number of questions including how we funded our operation. I explained that through some initial seed capital, speaking engagements, and the kindness of people along the way, we manage. And I gave the example of the woman who pulled along the shoulder of Hwy 30 and offered a ride. I told her I am walking to San Francisco and she pulled out a twenty.

Bob also wanted to know if we are aiming to create a specific awareness by doing this walk.

“Yes, I’m looking to promote a Walking Culture, being mindful, taking care of ourselves, and of course, there’s the spiritual side….” http://krvn.com/krvn-video/

Kevin, from the Lexington Clipper, also had a list of questions, and that was good. At break time, in a  park, we met Ann who works at a senior’s home. She was intrigued, and in her own funny way, slipped out the word damn, and then covered her mouth. She’s very animated in her conversation.

“We’re not offended. Our Guru (Srila Prabhupada) would use it sometimes in certain contexts.”

We also met Al on Road 759, way out in the country, where I prefer to walk to avoid the ‘Terrible Tilt’ of the highway’s shoulder. Al was all excited about the walk and talked also about the cattle business. I just walked past a massive number of beef cattle.

“How many do you have?” I asked.

“Here,” he said, pointing, “we have 35,000 and on another plot we have 21,000.”

Al was really friendly; kind to talk to me and the boys. Thus far, folks have been great to us, including the many Mexicans, and also Africans in traditional Islamic garb.


May the Source be with you!


20 miles


Editor’s note: Correction for May 23rd post. The Beacon Observer was misnamed as the Beacon Publisher. Our apologies for any confusion.

Tuesday, May 23, 2017
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Elm Creek, Nebraska
Sharing A Good Thing

The fellow who pulled over with his bicycle was curious and wanted to know what I was all about. He introduced himself by name and then said he was a Sioux.

“You’re the first Native person I’ve met since starting from New York,” I said, happy about meeting him.

“Well, you’re the first Monk I ever saw in my life,” he responded.

It was on this day, the same morning I was interviewed at Radio Station KGFW by Kyle. The talk went on for a good thirteen minutes. I took a break after pushing through a cold wind. Turkey vultures and I had shared the road, as well as rabbits, deer and possums.

The interview went extremely well and captured the attention of motorists—if not folks at home or in the workplace—through the radio waves. It caught Doug’s ears. He was on his way home from work and decided to walk a stretch with me, since part of the interview addressed the fictitious character of “Forrest Gump” who had people trek/run with him across the U.S. 

Doug, though, is more keen on the spiritual side of things, has read the Bhagavad-Gita, and has emailed me that he is enthused to go at it again. I also had a group of three high school grads walk with me for a short length of Hwy 30, the Old Lincoln Road, established in 1913. To spread the good word of pilgrimage, Michael interviewed me in Elm Creek for the “Beacon Publisher” paper. It’s about sharing a good thing.

What I should not fail to mention was my jaw-dropping reaction to a train load of army tanks and jeeps heading west. Just what is to come down the pipeline? is my question.



May the Source be with you!


18 miles


Monday, May 22nd. 2017
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Kearney, Nebraska

Frogs and Crickets Over Engines
I always prefer the sounds of frogs and crickets over the sounds of engines.  Those melodies of nature are what I usually hear when trekking in the early hours, around 5:00 a.m..  Today was different.  I walked on Central Avenue in Kearney (not like New York).  It was peaceful, broken up only by the rare motorist and two young, warrior-built types—zestful.

“How’s the walking doing today?  We read about you in the paper.”  That was gracious, considering people are a little reserved in this farm country.

Weather was great, about 58°F; perfect for sauntering.  It looked like we were going to see the sun for a change.  One more neat discovery—Hayagriva and I followed the main street in the town of Gibbon.  Bee-lining our way, the railroad service road was beckoning us.  This was favourable.  It’s soft with dirt, and relatively flat.  The terrible tilt of the Lincoln Highway’s shoulder was challenging, as is any highway with its engineered slant.

My body could feel the difference on the rail’s service road, which I couldn’t see from the other side of the tracks these last few days.  I took this route until I reached town.  At one factory, an employee saw me, as often happens.  “You’re not going to continue here?” he asked after I told him I’m on my way to San Francisco.  “There’s muddy corn fields ahead.”  Perhaps, he hadn’t noticed the road of the railway men.

By the afternoon’s end, I was meeting more people.  Ride offers came; of course, I politely bow out.  There’s gifts of water coming my way, too.  I don’t meet too many yogis, except for one fellow.  “I do it for my lower back,” said the motorist.

Such was a day of sunshine in a temperate climate.  Thanks to the “Shelton Clipper” newspaper for taking our photos and info.

May the Source be with you!

23 mi

Sunday, May 21st, 2017
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Omaha, Nebraska

The Attempted Suicide
Today was a day off.  Our alternator needed replacing.  The mechanic (not the boss) took $30 off the price from his labour because he liked our project of walking across America.

I was resting my gout foot (the left one) at our host’s home, Vanamali and family.  We sat together along with my crew of two to discuss the episode of Chaitanya, the Great Walker, and his dear associate, Sanatana.  Sanatana had traversed the jungles of Jarikhanda (Bengal), had bathed in some bad water and for lack of good edibles, he felt sick and contracted an infection.  The symptoms were painful itching sores, rashes and who knows what else.

The disease was challenging enough to the point where Sanatana wanted to give up his life.  At the upcoming Rathayatra festival in the eastern town of Puri, Sanatana thought to throw his wretched body before the wheel of one of the chariots.  When news reached Chaitanya, he approached Sanatana with compassion but firmly denounced such a plan as suicide.

“Your body does not belong to you so you have no right to leave your body.  Your body is sold out to others, in benevolence.  Besides, I have plans for you—to excavate the places where Krishna had enacted His historical pastimes.”

Sanatana heard the words of his master, Chaitanya, and as he did so, Chaitanya offered an embrace which Sanatana felt bad about.  “I’m diseased!”

Chaitanya was not deterred and forced the hug, saying that Sanatana was a good soul.

An exchange with the Great walker.

May the Source be with you!

0 mi

Saturday, May 20th, 2017
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Lincoln, Nebraska

Indoor Trekking
We had to backtrack some.  Marshall and I checked into an indoor walking track at the YMCA.  For practical reasons, the three of us, including Hayagriva, could not see ourselves driving to the Kearney area 2 hours away, then back three hours to Omaha for an evening program, and then back again for the next morning’s walk.  Secondly, I just wanted to stay dry and warm, so the indoor walking track did the job.  Too much rain and cold!

At twenty-two laps you cover a mile.  That brought Marshall and I to just under two-hundred laps.  We trekked clockwise and then counter clockwise.  We also chanted on our beads, but softly, in order not to disturb the basketball players in the same room but below us.  Our track was suspended.

I contemplated all the good folks I met on the road yesterday.  Good Samaritans.  One woman offered a ride to Kearney.

“I’m trekking it out to San Francisco.”

“Well,” she said, “yah have to have faith, otherwise you don’t have anything!”

“Agreed.”  I said, but I had faith in today.

The walking went well; so did the sanga in a beautiful South Indian temple.  Great attendance and different demographics of people.

Challenges came our way after the program.  Our van, the “Jaladuta Express” doesn’t operate.  On top of that I have a serious gout attack.  Very painful this time.  With some faith all will be resolved.

May the Source be with you!

9 mi

Friday, May 19th, 2017
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Wood River, Nebraska 
The Couple
The couple were standing fairly close to each other, a bit unusual for the three of us monks to see at 4:00 a.m., as we stopped for the light en route to our starting destination for the day.  I rolled down my window to get some air and we could hear the pair actually having a serious and loud argument; not a kiss.  For myself, I was reminded because I have chosen a different lifestyle, I don’t have to go through this type of entanglement.  A monk’s entanglements are of a more spiritual nature.

I met Jerry in the afternoon.  He was on his way back home to Pennsylvania.  He was pushing his bike, as the winds were too strong for peddling.  Packed onto and dangling from his bike were bags and boxes—in them his life’s possessions.  He reminded me of Johnny, whom I met by the Mississippi last summer and who was also drifting though the country, in wonder, or lost.  It’s easy to feel for such persons who are modestly displaced in society.  Johnny had slept in his vehicle during the rain storms and, after waking, noticed me.  I suggested to him a spiritual outlet.  “Try this mantra.”

Speaking of storms, does the rain and nature’s drain, the wind, ever stop?  My trekking through Grand Island, Alda and finally Wood River was met with much of this.  At the same time, response from people was most positive.  Austin, of the “Grand Island Independent” had done a great article featured today.  I received a lot of honks of approval.  Some motorists stopped.  At one point, I made a wrong turn, ended up lost, with no cell, at a truck stop, and a woman who read the article went out of her way to redirect me.  Bless her!  http://www.theindependent.com/communities/aurora/walking-monk-crosses-nebraska-on-way-to-san-francisco/article_cd3e5b48-3c21-11e7-88a8-ef6326be2fca.html

Our troup of three backtracked by way of the Jaladuta Express, our van, to Omaha for a sat sanga amidst torrential rains.  People were so responsive here, too.

May the Source be with you!

20 mi

Thursday, May 18th, 2017
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Grand Island, Nebraska
It’s All In A Day
When the Bhagavad–gita, Chapter 2, addresses duality as a reality in this world, it is no joke.  We, our troupe, saw so much of it in the last three days, weather wise.  Day one, we saw sun.  Day two, we saw rain.  Day three, we saw wind.  Physically, we went through a roller-coaster.  It was hot.  It was cold.  Hail came down the size of diamonds at one point.  Hayagriva, Marshall and I met the extreme side of nature.  And there was a tornado twisting around the area, near Omaha, which was behind us.
Fun?  Yes!  Exhausting?  Yes!  Out of it, we are developing the robustness needed to continue on.

What did help to add to the fun was people—motorists honking.  Motorists stopping.  “Would you like a ride?”

“No, thank you!  I’m walking!”  And I’ll tell them why.  “No cheating.  I’ve got to walk the whole thing.”

Three newspaper reps came, from Aurora, and two from Grand Island.  To be interviewed by a Spanish paper was a first.  Norma from “Buenos Dios, Nebraska,” filmed the interview.  I could quote from the Gita and spell out the entire maha-mantraon that one. http://www.theindependent.com/communities/aurora/walking-monk-crosses-nebraska-on-way-to-san-francisco/article_cd3e5b48-3c21-11e7-88a8-ef6326be2fca.html

This is big cattle country.  Monsanto.  Corn culture.  Nice people.  Llamas.  Wild rabbits.  Raccoons and possums.  A baby possum’s head was the only whole thing left after an attempted crossing of Highway 34.

At the end of the day Hemant, our motel room accomodater, served great Gujarati food.  We got to know his teens, Kajal and Akash, better, and the three of us, Hayagriva, Marshall and myself, are getting to know each other better, too.  That can’t be helped.  Our life is in the van, that is, when I’m not walking.

May the source be with you!

15 mi


Wednesday, May 17th, 2017
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Aurora, Nebraska
In and Out of the Storms
Penner’s Garage in York reattached the engine shield under the “Jaladuta Express.”  The apparatus was dragging and scraping along the pavement.  We gave it immediate attention and talked to the boss of the garage.  He really liked our program, our monk mission of walking the country.  He screwed it back on, and for free.

The weather was a challenge.  Thunder storms and tornadoes ripped through much of Nebraska.  The three of us had never ever seen so many displays of lightning, sounds of thunder claps and then floods of water descending from the sky.

As the saying goes, I told the boys, “It was raining cats and dogs, and we were stepping into poodles.”  Marshall had never heard that one before.

Our new-made friend, Stephen Moseley, from the York paper, got back to me after yesterday’s interview.

“Bhaktimarga swami… By complete coincidence our Wednesday columnist, a local pastor, wrote his piece on the many benefits of walking, both physically and otherwise.  Blind luck is as effective as planning, apparently, though not as frequent…  I very much enjoyed our short time together.  Be safe.”

Steve also sent me the links to his and the pastor’s articles. https://goo.gl/MhkmlUand https://goo.gl/MMGVtH.  They are excellent material for reading and encouraging the walking and prayerful culture.

I did manage nineteen miles today despite miserable conditions.  I see it as an austerity program, which is always great for the monastic life.

May the Source be with you!

19 mi

Tuesday, May 16th, 2017
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York, Nebraska
First Steps: Second Half
There we were, Hayagriva and I, taking the first of steps on the second half of the U.S. walk.  I had finished the first half from New York to six miles west of Seward, Nebraska last summer.  Now I’m reconvening with support from Hayagriva and Marshall.
It was 4:38 a.m. when we took those first steps on Highway 34.  One motorist passed by us and he or she phoned the police about a couple of guys in orange jump suits.  This alerted the police to come as quickly as possible.  The officer, a tall, young constable, asked us to stay where we were when he got out of his vehicle.  He was friendly enough with his questions.  We told him we’re just taking a walk to San Francisco.  We proceeded on, and so did he with his duty.

Hayagriva and Marshall are new to my routine, but they’ve adapted quickly.  Together we walk, or drive, and chant and from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m., the boys go to the local town and inform media of our project.  They had instant success with Emily from “The Seward Independent.”

“Let’s go!” she said; so off she drove with a body guard behind her, in a separate vehicle, to meet me on the road for an interview. 

By that time I had already met Chad and son, O’Ryan, who stopped their Toyota truck to ask, “What’s your story?”  So, I gave it.

“I’m walking the US to encourage a walking culture—meditation and introspection.”

“Do you believe in reincarnation?”

“Sure, the Creator gives everyone a second chance to address the demons inside,” I said, to which he nodded.

The city of York also responded well.  Steve of the “York News Times” took an interview “tout de suite.”  He was great! 

May the Source be with you!

21 mi

Monday, May 15th, 2017
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Champaign / Omaha
Long Drive
A brisk walk for thirty-five minutes was all I could squeeze in before the long haul to Omaha, Nebraska.  Our Ford Freestar appears good on gas.  That is a tension reliever, for sure.
After eleven hours of driving on Interstate 80, we reached our destination, the home of Vanamali, our doctor friend.  I had time to reflect on the previous day, which was Mother’s Day.  In some unique way, I rendered some service to my godsisters in New Vrindavana, West Virginia.  It was lunchtime and the preparations were divine, for lips and tongue.  I had the great honour to take the preps around and carefully spoon out those great works of art in the form of prasadam (sacred food).

It was so heartwarming.  As a monk (a swami), I’m usually the recipient of kind gestures from many people, whether on my walks or during regular duties.  In a sense, it was a meagre gesture, but it was touching for my sisters who are all in their 60s or older.

“You don’t have to do that,” said one of the ladies.

“Oh, yes I do!  This is indeed a special day and mothers of the world, who are terrific, and nurture,  deserve every bit of reciprocation they are offered.”

These ladies, by the way, were like their brothers who pioneered a consciousness of Krishna in the western world.  Tomorrow, I begin to walk the first few steps of ISKCON’s 50th celebration.  Yes, love of Krishna made a stand in ’66 in the west, and in ’67 it actually went to the west coast when our guru, Srila Prabhupada so kindly offered a unique brand of bhakti yoga.

May the Source be with you!

3 km

Sunday, May 14th, 2017
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Moundsville, West Virginia
U.S. Walk
By 4:00 p.m., our U.S. (short for United States) Walk was set to begin by making the long journey from Moundsville in West Virginia, going over Ohio State after crossing the Ohio River, then Indiana, and on  to Champagne, Illinois.  This was all done by the Jaladuta Express, a “Ford Freestar” van, with navigation by Hayagriva and driven by Marshall.  This is my team from Canada—a team of three.  We are going to complete the second half of the U.S. walk this summer.
On our way back to the starting point, the three of us discussed planning.  We’ll have to check out my Go-Pro for pics, acquire a road atlas for the States—in addition to the oft-times evasive maps found on our cell screen—and a host of other projected duties of support once walking starts.  We also reflected on the good weekend in New Vrindavan, with Marshall behind the ‘sound’ of our production, “Mr. Puri.”  With a full house in the community hall lodge, we found the audience was most entertained the previous night.  People came forward to say it was the highlight of the FOI (Festival of Inspiration).  And on the evening before that, Balarama, from Toronto, performed his magic of dancing to my reading of “Narasimha Kavacha,” the words of Saint Prahlad, and an excerpt from the Brahmanda Purana. 

I also conscripted Bhakta Bray, a young father in the community of New Vrindavan.  He is a trained actor, and we both read the parts to “Hiranyakasipu Meets His Maker.” 

Krishna Ksetra’s script is light and, once again, entertaining.

All is good!

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Saturday, May 13th, 2017
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Moundsville, West Virginia
Progressiveness
Just one month ago, the Yoga Shala was inaugurated right here in New Vrindavan, West Virginia.  The “Wheeling News Register” put out an article in the “Life” section detailing the opening of this new facility which should be a draw for those on a health and spirit kick.
This is a progressive move for any ISKCON centre in the world—starting from scratch, raising the funds, and constructing a building where wellness can be experienced on the levels of mind, body and soul.  There has been incremental interest within the Krishna community to support, or rather, receive support, from the yoga system taught by Patanjali, and discussed by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita.

I can say for sure that if anyone attempted such a project just ten years ago, it would have been met with some opposition.  Why?  Well, a culture of disdain has festered toward yoga poses, yoga breathing, etc. considering it inferior to chanting mantras and executing Vedic rites.

There is something fallacious to the judgement that yoga is illusion (maya).  Something has not been assimilated properly with our very own philosophy.  Something is amiss.  Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, on various occasions, encouraged health approaches through yoga, tai chi and standing-on-your-head in the park.  Such exercise offers a good balance.  After all, health and well-being are required in order for one to execute bhakti-yoga, service to the Creator, the creation and its creatures.

So, bravo to the heroes who established this Yoga Shala, which resembles a rustic chalet.  They have a vision and may they blaze a trail.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Friday, May 12th, 2017
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Moundsville, West Virginia
Feelin’ Guilty
I do, at times, feel very guilty about not putting in the kilometres / miles I should in the course of a day.  My excuse in places like the New Vrindavan community is that the demands are high for personal attention from friends and students who have converged here for the FOI (Festival of Inspiration).  I am also taking precious time to work with an under-rehearsed cast for our drama, “Mr. Puri.”  I figure “people are first” in the priority list, and with that mind-set, I forget sometimes what I need to do for myself.  That’s either sacrifice or foolishness.
From our stay in West Virginia, our small team of Hayagriva, Marshall, and myself—all monks—will head for Nebraska to reconvene my walk across the U.S.  The second half of the trek from New York to San Francisco is to be completed.

I did bring with me some reading material about walking, which delineates the benefits of this natural event.

·       Walking refreshes the mind, reduces fatigue and increases energy.

·       More than half the body’s muscles are designed for walking; it is a natural movement that is virtually injury-free.

·       Walking provides an enjoyable time for sharing and socializing with friends or family.

·       Regular, brisk walking can reduce elevated blood fats or blood pressure and improve digestion and elimination.

·       Walking strengthens bones and helps prevent or control osteoporosis.

·       Walking relieves stress and tension.

·       Brisk walking trains your heart, lungs and muscles to work more efficiently.

May the Source be with you!

2 km

Thursday, May 11th, 2017
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Butler / Moundsville
Going Through
Going through customs with our vehicle was more of a breeze than I thought it would be.  Our Canadian contingent of monks, consisting of Hayagriva, Marshal and myself, along with Balaram, a Toronto member, arrived at the American Peace Bridge customs gate. We handed over our passports for inspection and all was good, including for Balaram, who is Mexican born.
With the new or latest federal administration in the U.S., there have been more stringent and tough policies exercised on foreigners as of late.  The ultimate question arises, facing all of those who pass borders, including,“Who are you?” and perhaps, “What are you doing?”

Now, here we can get a bit philosophical, in answer to the fundamental query, and say, I am a spirit and I’m trying to reform.”  An answer like that would not go over too well with any exacting authority.

We decided after leaving customs and putting in some miles through New York and Pennsylvania states, that a break in Butler, Pennsylvania, would be a good idea, given that it was here, where our guru, Srila Prabhupada, humbly began the whole mission of Krishna Consciousness.  When I passed through Butler in the fall of 2015, on foot, my support person, Vivasvan from Detroit, met an historian from the Butler Library.  He was a senior, well-read person, who was quite surprised when told that Butler, with its one month stay by the swami, before breaking ground in New York, was the actual birth place of this world-wide movement.  “You mean it started here?”

“Yes,” replied Vivasvan. “In September of ’65, it all began.”

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Wednesday, May 10th, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario
Sweet Guy!
Today marks the birthday of Dharmaprana.  If you ever want to meet someone who is super-positive then that would describe him.  He turned sixty-eight today. He suffered a stroke years ago, which hampered his speech and movement, but such occurrences never soured this man.

Dharmaprana is actually a monk residing in our ashram in Toronto.  He manages to get around with his daily walks.  I believe he sustains himself through the routine walking in the residential and downtown areas.  Whomever he meets, always receives a heartfelt greeting from him.  It could well be that one of the reasons people like to visit the ashram / temple is because of him.  He’s very good at reminding people to be not only optimistic but spiritual, as well.  He gets you to say, “Hare Krishna,” “Prabhupada,” and “Radha Ksirchora Gopinatha (the presiding dieties).”  He keeps us on our spiritual toes.

Naturally, a birthday party was thrown in his honour.  The prasadam (food) was ultra-rich, with cake and everything North-Indian style, and lasagna added on.  It was so rich that it warranted a walk (for me).  I took to the neighbourhood which is full of pretty, well-maintained Victorian homes.  The sidewalks, houses, and trees of the area are like Dharmaprana himself, in that they’ve been around for a while and are sweet.  Yes “sweet street” might be a way to describe Roxborough Street and the safe, clean and surrounding areas where we are located.

Thank you, Dharmaprana, for the happy day.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Tuesday, May 9th, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario
What They Said and Did!
The folks I met on the way from the ashram to the corner of Yonge and Dundas downtown, had lots to say.
 “I love what you’re wearing,” said the woman as she passed by me near College Avenue.

“Hey!” said the man near Yonge and Davenport, as he was smoking a cigarette.  “I’m your neighbour.  I just live across the street from you guys.  I should come in and pay a visit.”

“Yes!  You should.  It’s your home.”

“I will.”

Near Yonge and Charles, four south-east Asians were standing, grouped together.  I offered my pranams (hands together).  I was checking; if they’re Hindu, they will respond.  They did.  Each one put hands together.  “ISKCON?” asked one, indicating that Hare Krishna is very popular in India, where they just came from.

“Are you Gujarati?”

“Yes.”  They were surprised at my guess.

“Surname Patel?”  Again, they were surprised.

“Come to our temple.  It’s your home away from home.”

One block away, I met a group of Caucasians.  One fellow from the group said, “Buddha!  Namaste!”

I said, “Krishna!  Namaste!”

On my return to the ashram at Roxborough, a homeless type said, “Yah know, this world is transitory.  Nothin’ permanent here.”

“Agreed!  One hundred percent!”  I was pleasantly surprised to hear this from him.  “You have some realization.”

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Monday, May 8th, 2017
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Toronto, Ontario
Ownership
Karuna, Luv and I had a good reason to be out.  Spring is in the air.  Blossoms beckon.  Dandelions demand.  Yes, attention must be given to the colours of the season.  And the smells as well.  So we put on our stinky shoes and sauntered through Rosedale.
“It’s pretty affluent here, isn’t it?”  Luv asked.

“Yes, and it’s quite safe.  People in the neighbourhood have seen us for years.”  Then I realized I’ve been walking the area and claiming the territory for much longer than most people who’ve lived here.  There’s something to be said for walking a trail over time.  You feel it’s yours.  In reality it doesn’t belong to anyone, including myself.  Remotely, with Bhagavan as distant proprietor, and closely, with Paramatmaas the in-dwelling person, it comes as false proprietorship to anyone who stakes claim by paper or personal presence.

In the Gita, the appropriate line that conveys the reality of the situation goes as follows: sarva-all, loka-places, maheshvara-great owner.  Sarva loka maheshvara.  This is listed as one of the items that is the component to inner peace.  Everyone is looking for peace and it will most naturally come when peace arises from within.  It begins with appreciating genuine ownership.

There is nothing you can take, or hold in your arms and walk away with, especially with regard to the body at the time of departure.

May the Source be with you!

3 km (only)

Sunday, May 7th, 2017
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Burnaby, British Columbia
The Perfect Trek to Take
Adriano, from Brazil, and a host of other walking enthusiasts, joined me for a trek along Byrne Creek, a place well known as a habitat for coyotes.  Adriano is relatively new to our Krishna culture, but has been attending the Enchant sessions, in Vancouver, which are conducted by Krishna devotees.  I consider him very genuine in his pursuit of spirituality.  It’s gatherings like this, the stroll by the creek, outside of chanting sessions, where he’s seeing our more casual side.
Right alongside the walking, is talking.  They are two activities which are so compatible with one another.  The only thing that can possibly create some clumsiness in our discussion is the needed attention to where we are stepping.  The trail is not totally flat.  It’s a terrain of ups and downs, and there’s fifteen of us.  You just have to observe the presence of the persons in front of you, or the one behind you.  Single file.  There’s other people sharing the trail.  It is Sunday, after all, and the weather couldn’t be better.

I see and greet regular Canadians, Eastern Europeans, Chinese, and Hispanic folks along the way.  I see them first, since I’m taking the lead on our petite safari.  In fact, our whole team makes acknowledgement of the other trekkers through the common courtesy of saying, “Hello!  Good afternoon!  Namaste! Or Hare Krishna!”  Greeting someone with warmth in the course of the day is a yogi’s obligation.  It’s a symptom of being sattvic, even saintly.

Adriano had lunch with us and to provide him with more experience, he stuck around for the Sunday program and to view the drama presented by the Saranagati group.

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Saturday, May 6th, 2017
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Vancouver, British Columbia
What Do You Think?
The topic of discussion at the Bhagavatam class was a lesson from Canto 7, given by monk, Narada, who has a large waterfall named after him in the state of Washington.  Narada is speaking to the righteous king, Yudhistir, about the impartial nature of the Divine.
The students of the academy from Saranagati Village were there to listen and to appreciate the topic on “the fairness of God.”  The major point being made was that every soul is given an equal opportunity.  This is the initial offer.  The sad element behind the disposition of equanimity displayed by the Supreme is that the independent and free-minded soul makes bad decisions.  Yes, “bad” leads to “sad.”

Indeed, some people, whom we observe, appear to have a raw deal in life—bad karma.  Somehow or other, during the process, some lifetimes ago, we all fell from grace and went onto the wrong track.  However, there is a way to redeem oneself.

“What do you think?” I asked the group from Saranagati.  “What are the steps one can take to improve one’s life?  How do you make a negative become a positive, karmically?”

Hands shot up accompanied by their answers and suggestions.

“Eat prasadam(blessed food).”

“Take up chanting with feeling.”

“Look at everyone as a soul.”

“Familiarize yourself with sastra (Vedic wisdom).”

The list could go on with:

Be fair in your dealings as God (Krishna) is fair, and it’s always more healthy to put the blame on yourself.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Friday, May 5th, 2017
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Vancouver, British Columbia
Sharing the Gita
Through an Instagram message, one of the attendees remarked, “Incredible experience listening to Bhaktimarga Swami break down the Bhagavad–gita and end the day with a beautiful mantra and dance.  Thank you for sharing your light and wisdom.”
And so it was that eighteen soon-to-be-certified yoga teachers had, included in their yoga training, a three-hour crash course with me.  So I opened up by telling them the background of the Gita and the dialogue between the supreme mystic Krishna, and a warrior friend, Arjuna.  It is a message of transcendence—of beyond the body (BTB)—and of moral obligation, both running parallel.

“Because we are made up of both the physical and the spiritual, this is referred to as atma.”

I discussed with the group other key words such as dharma, karma, samsara, and even the word yoga, and their meanings.

“The Bhagavad–gita” is a seven-hundred-verse poem, power-packed with the philosophy of life, which addresses topics of doubt, uncertainty, depression, the ways of nature, and how to overcome such apparent deficiencies.  When applied through the channel of bhakti-yoga, amazing results are sure to follow.

One of the elements of bhakti-yoga is kirtan(chanting).  This we did.  And danced as well.  The group was most enthusiastic.  We did run into trouble—time.  There was just not enough of it.  The three hours went by in a flash.

I want to thank Emerson for inviting me to share what I know of the Gita.  And thank you, Kevin.

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Thursday, May 4th, 2017
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Venables Valley, British Columbia
Giving and Taking
Yes!  May the 4th be with you!
Rohini Kumar, from Mexico, and I stuck to the major road, which isn’t really ‘major’ at all.  Dirt and gravel.  Yes—country style.  Our steps were heard by the keen ears of wildlife.  A few metres ahead of us, a coyote dashed across our ‘minor’ road.  He was in a frisky mood, maybe even more than playful—passionate.

Not more than ten seconds later, a deer bolted past.  Perhaps there was a connection between the two.  Both species can be fairly active at this hour of the dawn.

Wolves have come into the area, wounding one of the dogs.  One instance happened up at Mark’s place and displayed a clear intent of one wolf to prey on a puppy, but it only managed to get close.  One of three dogs leapt in, in time to save the young one, but in the course of that anticipation of danger, the dog (maybe the mother) got injured and had to go to the vet.

Yes, nature can be nice, but a parallel runner to harshness.  That’s what Mark and I spoke about and Rohini as well.  The great reality about nature is its duality.  Rohini was employed as a tourist guide in Mexico’s desert.

“The main concern there was snakes, rattlers and a few more things,” he said.

“I’ve seen rattlesnakes here in the valley, as well,” I mentioned.

Sure enough, one of my godsisters was struck by one last year.  She needed treatment from the ‘human vet’. 

Such is the world of nature.  Very giving. Very taking.

May the 4th be with you!

4 km

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017
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Venables Valley, British Columbia
Here and There
They are just short jaunts from the home of Mahidhara and Nandini to the school in the valley.  Every time I come to the village of Saranagati, I make it a point to attend their morning program, where a dozen children meet to greet the deities of Krsna-Balarama.
A recording of the song, “Govindam,” is played, and each student brings forth, one by one, a small branch of a sapling with blossoms, leaves, or both, to be presented to Krsna-Balarama.  The item is offered with the right hand and waved in a circular fashion, clock-wise, around the two forms, and then placed by the feet of the two images as an offering of love.

When I attended school in rural south-western Ontario, we stood up and sang the Canadian anthem, “O Canada.”  There was also a period of time, when we would stand in allegiance to the Queen and sing, “God Save the Queen.”  My goodness, she’s been around for a long time. Her coronation was in 1952, the year I was born.

Back to the students of Saranagati—I led them in a song, “Nam Kirtan,” by Bhaktivinode Thakur, whose message is to implore the soul to surrender to the Supreme.  No particular social status is required.  Anyone from any background, from any mood or attitude is encouraged in the joyful submission through chanting.

So chanting I did, with the students.  Eating lunch with the group was also included and play practice of the presentation they will make in Vancouver this weekend.

I completed my blissful day with an extra stroll to Yoginath’s home where we read about the contemporaries of Kirtan King, Chaitanya.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Tuesday, May 2nd. 2017
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Venables Valley, British Columbia
Hip! Hip! Hari!

 

 

Hip Hip Hooray!

Today is my day.

I went for that walk

By the lake and the rock,

Passed by the school

In the air that’s been cool,

At the end of the valley

Where few come to rally.

In the peace of the day

A monk there does stay,

In a cabin of wood

Being solid and good,

We then had a chat

In comfort we had sat,

And talked to agree

Then knowing we disagree,

But came to a point

That indeed we are joined

Under the umbrella of one

And difference, be done.

It’s Chaitanya’s rule

Deny and be a fool,

In harmony we run

Whether a cloud or the sun.

Hip Hip Hari!

Chant!  Be jolly!

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Monday, May 1st, 2017
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Cleveland / London / Toronto 
Let the Fog Clear

“I overheard you say you’re walking across the States?” queried the passenger next to me, while on our stranded plane.  Our Air Canada aircraft didn’t land in Toronto but in London, Ontario.  He was destined for London, the U.K.  Maybe he never heard of this London in Canada before.

I was on the phone with one of my Krishna Friends, outlining my summer adventures, explaining the re-starting point at Seward, Nebraska and heading for San Francisco.  The passenger was intrigued.

“You walked Canada as well?”  We got to talking between announcements coming over the intercom concerning our flight mishap.  The reason for landing at the unintended spot was the dense fog in Toronto.  And was it ever!  Visibility zero.  It was dangerous.

Our consciousness can be like that—full of haze and craze.  Lacking clarity of purpose is quite commonplace for the lost souls of today.  Allowing and wanting fog in the head to clear is where we start anew.  It’s natural to want clear direction in life, but patience needs to be implemented.

Our plane load of passengers was at a stand-still.  What next?  My passenger-friend told me that once he lands in Toronto, he may be re-routed to Calgary, four hours west, and then from there he will fly to London.  That is what was recommended for him.

“That’s crazy,” I thought.  Even with walking, in most cases, you could bee-line your way to your destination.  Then again, sometimes even walkers must tread around a lake, a swamp or a mountain.

Only patience and planning is required.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Sunday, April 30th, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Olmsted Falls, Ohio
April Showers Give People Powers
It was great to meet Kelvin, an artist.  It was great to meet Felicia, studying to be a rabbi.  There were other new faces at Krsnanandini’s place where she and her Muslim husband, Tariq, hold kirtan gatherings on Sunday.
I led a discussion there, in Cleveland, from chapter 5, verse 18 of the Gita, which speaks about equanimity.  “Spiritually we are all equal.  Physically we are complementary.”

The gathering was composed of black, white and brown hues, of young and old, of new faces and of familiar ones.  The group liked the verse we discussed because we were diverse and yet we’re one.

After the chant, the chat and then the chaat (as in spice) our group went to the playground in the park.  Yes, young and old.  The old took to the benches for chanting.  Dancing ensued.  One chap was a great mover of limbs, torso and head.  It was a second gathering—one indoors, the second outdoors.

The weather was phenomenal, 86°F.  Leaves and blossoms were exploding with joy from rain yesterday and sun today.  It was a day for nature to show off.  Mike and Paurnamasi took me to Grand Pacific Junction, a real charmer of a place—vintage village set next to Rocky River, a haven for walking near.

Watch out for the poison ivy.  Smell the garlic mustards and the honeysuckles.  Cleveland, as a city, has lots of deciduous green.  It’s awesome!  So are the people.  We all just need to give up bad habits to be replaced by good ones.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Saturday, April 29th, 2017
→ The Walking Monk

Oberlin, Ohio
Nice Fest Despite
Oberlin College, situated in the town of the same name, hosts a mini-parade every year in the spring.  Featured annually in this line of floats and other participants is the Jagannatha cart and the Krishna devotees.  But unlike most years of all-day fun and glory, this one was a bit odd with drizzle and rain, dampness and cold.
You could clearly see a resilience in the whole presentation, however. Young artistic type of people, whether organizers or dressed-up as clowns and alien creatures, transcended the weather.  And the devotees of Krishna, most notably Akilananda (69), demonstrated their admirable side.  Akilananda is a  multi-tasker extraordinaire, and the constructor and innovator of the cart, with its hydraulic lifting device for the cart’s dome-shaped temple. And with the means to raise and lower the vehicle onto a larger wagon at disassembly time, he astounds us all.

On top of that, he still does the physical lifting of the parts, but as usual, as in any of these events, he gets by with a little help from his friends.  Those of us from Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit and myself from Canada, were recognized by way of our chanting, and the featured cart, usually referred to as the chariot, was recognized by its presence alone.

I was quite impressed with the turn-out—although small—by the umbrella-ed forces.  Nice people!  College town!  Community spirit!  All that good stuff makes a difference in today’s world, where loneliness, depression, and confusion seem to have reached new heights.

By the way, the prasadam provided for the public by ISKCON members made a second difference.

May the Source be with you!

3 km