Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Wednesday, August 31st, 2016
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Wednesday, August 31st, 2016

Hastings, Ontario

Beyond Organic

Nick and I decided to hug the Trent River by walking along its edge, and heading to Govardhan Farms;  that included taking to a stretch of mean forest where every sticky object in the “bur” category clung to clothes and leg hair.  Yes, I’ve been going to “work,” so to speak, in pants and shirt.  The traditional dhoti isn’t always suitable in all environments.

The work I’m referring to is the weeding, once again.  Fil assigned me to the okra patch where tall weeds abound.  No problem.  I prefer using hands over hoe, and just yanking the guys out.  While Brihat is further down the garden finishing his rows of peppers, I have the frivolous company of kittens.  At several weeks old, the three of them are playful.  They lie down right next to the weed needing to go.  They take my hands as toys.  Unaware that work needs to be done, they become a happy nuisance.  Mind you, I don’t feel alone.  How can I?  Even the plants have life force.  They are living creatures.  Working with plants is therapeutic.

Fil takes pride in the fact that the harvest of his veggies are in the “beyond organic” classification.  This he justifies by the rationale that some organic food in the market is started with the use of pesticides.  Fil uses neem oil to address bugs.

Since being here, we three visitors are enjoying the delicious produce.  One major reason for our stay here is to endorse the natural ways of agriculture and gardening.  This approach is a mandate, culturally set by our guru who envisioned a better quality of life.

May the Source be with you!

9 km

Tuesday, August 30th, 2016
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Tuesday, August 30th, 2016

Hastings, Ontario

Get the Weeds Out

Our guesthouse is located on Front Street across from the noble Trent River.  The name of the place is “The Doors” and its owner’s surname is Morrison (no connection to the iconic Jim).  Skye is her first name, and she has accommodated Brhat, Nick and myself in a charmer of a space, in a building erected in 1860 (that’s old for Canada).

Skye spends seven months of the year in her native Canada, and the balance in India, which makes it a perfect fit for we three who have our hearts in spiritual India much of the time.  We love chatting with her about our shared time in the land of Bharat—a name for Mother India in a more ancient context.

We three monks spent some hours at Govardhan Farms, located on Friendly Acres Road.  We were committed to walking there—a good eight kilometres.  Once we arrived at the farm, we took to some mantrameditation with owners Fil and Sukayanti, then breakfast, and finally on to physical work.  Nick executed inside labour, chopping the day’s harvested tomatoes and then putting his hands to baking and cooking, while Brhat and I went weeding.  Brhat tackled the pepper patch while I got into the late-planted kale.

I found the pulling out of weeds to be a new form of yoga stretching—to the right, the left and forward.  Much of the activity was employed with a hoe.  The manual pulling of weeds was more effective than hoeing, which tends to rarely remove the weeds by the root.  The hoe also facilitated leaning.

It was fulfilling, an achievement; a good feeling after having tackled four lengthy rows of undesirable plants that challenge and choke the desirable ones.  I felt like it was pulling lust, anger and greed out of my heart.

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Monday, August 29th, 2016
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Monday, August 29th, 2016

Bancroft, Ontario

By Hills and Fields

Daivata was determined to take me on the trails he had carved out.  When the weeds come up, he “whacks them back” and takes advantage of the trekking to do his japa (chanting with beads for meditation).

He also encouraged me on a nature’s trail as an alternative; a worn out trail made by deer.  It runs half-way along the slope of Daivata’s hilly property.  We noticed cedar seeds being dropped from trees by squirrels perched high above.  They will come down to pick at those green seeds, separate them from their twigs and then munch or harvest them as morsels of food.

“Look out!  Here lands another bundle of them.  Watch your head!” warned Daivata.

Both today and yesterday, we took advantage of the great, fresh water in our midst—a dip in Eels Creek and York River.  We were inspired by a group of young guys in their mid-teens, who had plunged into the Otonabee River off a bridge the day before.

I commended them for being “old-fashioned” by being out in nature.  That made them feel good.  Unfortunately, they’ll likely renounce the more natural ways when it comes time to get their driver’s licenses.

Our final destination for today was in Hastings at the country home of Fil and Sukhayanti.  Here, I will spend some time in a guest house nearby, to offer help in the garden and with the cows.  Two monks had also come to join me—Brihat and Nick.

We’re going to do just fine.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Sunday, August 28th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Sunday, August 28th, 2016

Scarborough/Bancroft, Ontario

After

After a long absence from taking a step in the ISKCON Scarborough Centre on McNicoll, I had the deep pleasure to share company with this community of devotees.  Gracious as they are, they went out of their way to make a great meal, even when it’s not so easy to drum up preps for an Ekadasi day (every fort-night you have to fast from grains).  However, they came up with a feast.

The managers running this small unit, tucked away in a plaza, were apologetic.  “We’re sorry for the small turn-out.  There’s a big wedding going on which  most everyone was obliged to attend.”  Still, it was pleasing to see a fairly full house, where people came to listen to my talk based on Chapter 8, Verse 15 from the Bhagavad-gita.  The phrase that stands out in this verse is “this world is temporary and is full of miseries.”  It may seem like a negative remark coming from the words of Sri Krishna, but truth must be told.  He encourages us to move on to better places.

The plain unit which people refer to as their “temple” was now the place for me to take leave.  Daivata from Bancroft, a veteran Hare Krishna, who joined the culture in ’72 in Vancouver, had come to fetch me for a drive north and a visit to his rustic home and 16 acres of wilderness.

If readers haven’t picked up by now, I’m a monk, a rolling stone that moves and collects no moss.  Here outside the town of Bancroft is a slice of Vaikuntha (heaven) where what you consider “wild” is the norm.  A bear, a wild turkey, a wolf and a loon are occasional visitors to any side of the home.  Nothing to worry about.

“You can come and stay here when you want to be on a writing retreat and when Vishvadika, my wife, is in India for six months.”  Naturally I’m welcomed by this countryside couple any time, but to address what could be a lonely period, in the winter, for my devotee-friend, I believe I’ll take up the offer.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

 

Saturday, August 27th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Saturday, August 27th, 2016

Owen Sound/Maple, Ontario

The Real World

The Hanna kids are the kind of kids I like for their naturalness.  Their grandpa, my personal peer and friend, Garuda Vahan, the support person for my third walk across Canada, has done a marvelous job training both boys and girls in a more hopeful lifestyle.

Along with the late Krsna Karuna, his wife, their own offspring got to know the true dimensions of life and they have succeeded in passing on those treasures to the next generation.

By two dimensions, I mean the best that the physical and spiritual worlds have to offer.  The kids were exposed to and walked nature trails, swam the fresh-water lakes all around, and to spice life up, got to know kirtan, the ancient practice of chanting and drumming, serenading the Divine.

We did a bit of that today with Garuda’s clan, and also with dear friend, Drupada.  With Nanda, Dharma, Manasi-Ganga (all of Indian origin), Nick and I drove north to this Huron Lake-bordered town of 22,000 to explore with those not-so-stereotypical Canadians for a 5.5 km walk and a swim at the beach.

I say “not-so-stereotypical” because most folks ride in cars and indulge in gadget playing.  This group in Owen Sound has a weekly sanga involving food and chanting, and going to the out-of-doors.

I have personally been encouraging our Indian devotees to go for the Canadian experience, and so as a result, a mentor of theirs from Mississauga, Raja Suya, took the group on their first camping trip to the Niagara Escarpment, not so long ago.  With tents to house them, the thunder, lightning and rain of the night put everyone to the test.  In the end, the outdoor eating the next morning, and the togetherness, compensated for the evening scare.

I would like to say to everyone, “Put on a pair of shoes, get out the door and experience the real world.”

May the Source be with you!

10 km

Friday, August 26th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Friday, August 26th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Offering to Guru

I’m taking the liberty to present here my written offering of something called “Vyasa-puja” or the honouring of the guru.  The contents include mention of last fall’s walk.

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

On a recent 45-day pilgrimage through the northeastern United States, I had much time to contemplate. It was a walk to express my utter appreciation to you, with 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) under my feet.

Formally, the trek was dubbed “Walking for Our Teachers.” My route took me from Boston’s Commonwealth Pier, where you first landed in America fifty-one years ago, to Butler, Pennsylvania, where you spent a good month, and then to New York City, where you began your mission, ISKCON, officially incorporating it in July 1966.

The society you initiated was a major milestone. The ISKCON Vaiṣṇava culture took hold, but not without trials and tribulations. Like a trekker walking the Pennsylvania mountain/valley terrain, over the last five decades, ISKCON has climbed and descended quite a few steep slopes.

In your endeavour to cement ISKCON within the modern world, you worked to make it a recognizable force grounded in culture and education, rather than merely another religion added to an already pluralistic world of faith. We shall now see how effectively we can continue to market the Prime Entity, Kṛṣṇa, and mold your marvelous  Society over the next fifty years. There is much work to be done.

If I may, I would like to present to you and to the society of devotees, my humble analysis of some of your contributions to the world, and what makes you unique.

The Cutting-Edge Guru

1. You pioneered the practice of kīrtana in the West, with emphasis on the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

2. You introduced to the West the culture of bhakti yoga, an ancient devotional lifestyle, with emphasis on serving the Supreme Deity, Kṛṣṇa.

3. You wrote and published books and articles, and established the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), presenting a scholarly Vedic library of writings on Eastern thought.

4. You established a worldwide spiritual mission registered as the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (ISKCON).

5. You became a strong and early voice promoting animal rights, especially the protection of the cow and the bull.

6. You strongly promoted a nonviolent vegetarian way of life (and were perhaps the first teacher of Vedic cooking in the West).

7. You introduced to the West the Vedic consecration of food as prasādam.

8. You promoted a God-centered agrarian culture, a back-to-the-land initiative centered on the family farm, and an eco-friendly existence.

9. You initiated the world’s first large-scale program of sanctified vegetarian food distribution to the needy in Māyāpur.

10. You strongly spoke out against drug and alcohol consumption as harmful.

11. You boldly promoted the science of the soul’s transmigration (reincarnation).

12. You strongly challenged atheism and Darwin’s theory of evolution, and constantly promoted the principle that there is a God, and that He is a person.

13. You introduced to the West the ancient techniques of arcana or pūjā, honouring the Divine in His sacred image.

14. You promoted the anti-racist sentiment by propagating the all-inclusive philosophy that all souls are equal, and that, “We are not these bodies.”

15. You redefined the word party: Sing the holy names! Dance! Play music! Eat karma-free food! No intoxication! No lewdness! Serve each other!

Also, Your Divine Grace was a major positive influence on history’s most popular rock band, The Beatles, especially on George Harrison, who impacted a generation, if not more.

For all of the above, I offer you the utmost reverence and gratitude.

Begging to remain your humble servant,

Bhaktimārga Swami

 

Thursday, August 25th. 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Thursday, August 25th. 2016

Toronto, Ontario

His Birth—A Draw

Many fans were rented, huge in size, ready to plug into sockets and then do their service of turning the air, and thus offer some relief to the thousands coming in on a hot, humid day.

Today is Janmastami, Krishna’s birthday.  It is a big deal and it draws the crowds, not only in India—the apparent place of origin for the big fest—but all over the world, where Lord Krishna stirs up excitement marking the day of His appearance.  Many people, as usual, attend the event of dance, drama, rituals, philosophy, food (unless you fast all day) and body heat!

When our building gets packed and the place becomes heated by humans in the month of August, it calls for AC or at least units that move the air.

I was absorbed for hours rehearsing the drama “The Witness,”a story based on a deity of Krishna who moves and walks to give testimony to a brahman priest.  Working with a crew of devotee-volunteers as actors, while running on an empty stomach (again, fasting), wasn’t so easy.  The sacrifice, rendered by the cast, paid off as we saw and heard the cheers of satisfaction at the end of the performance. 

It is a tradition that on Janmastami day, the followers of Krishna reflect and hear of Krishna’s acts of heroism.  It brings a whole amount of reassurance to those who take shelter of such mercy.  Krishna has fans, and then He has fans.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

 

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016
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Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Krishna Still Popular

A man with shoulder-length hair and a goatee stood on the steps of a shop along Yonge St.  He noticed me while I was on my evening trek and said, “Hare Krishna?  You guys were really popular at one time.”

The remark hit me with mixed feelings.  Hearing the words ‘Hare Krishna’ is always sweet, unless spoken in vain or in a cursing manner, which is rare.  The statement, “were really popular at one time,” sunk my heart momentarily.  It seemed to infer that we were once loved but are now forgotten.

Indeed, we were a curiosity 50 years ago, and for some trailing years, as well.  I pondered the idea that once you’re established, you lose your lustre.  That was a painful thought.

I nodded to the fellow, kept moving and got the attention of three young people affixed to the steps on the next shop over.  They were aroused somehow by the presence of yours truly.

“I love the colour,” the woman said, referring to my dhoti and kurta.

“Yeah man, I betcha it’s comfortable as hell,” remarked another.

“Sure is,” I confirmed.

Then these two spokespersons and the third, just kind of lit up.  They stood and came forward, making me feel almost like a celeb.  I was popular, in other words—at least for a few seconds—with the three people fussing.

I tried to see if the guy with the goatee noticed how a Hare Krishna can still be a sensation.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016
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Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

I Was Concerned

I was very concerned for this little guy, a skinny skunk, who was about to cross the street.  Defensive instincts told him, “Not now!”  The head-lights of the car and the sound of its engine were enough to deter the little fellow from crossing.  After the vehicle passed, the skinny skunk did delicately bee-line his way over to my side of the street, bringing us close together.

“Not too close!”  I pondered.

Now, he was scampering about in an area away from green trees, grass and bushes, while on the search for food.  He took more to a concrete trail.  I felt for him and wanted to guide him to a safer zone, more away from traffic.  I would not let him cross Yonge St., known for its merciless motorists.

The skinny skunk could hear me chant and see me walking.  I was trying to guide.  He went on the defensive at one point, and abruptly stopped and lifted his tail, prepared to spray his essential oil.  I halted.  I could see the clear Vaisnava-like marking running along his back, commencing at his neck.

What a terrific reminder!  He’s making me think of Vishnu with that white striping.  After one long block of his finding no escape from human imposition—namely the attached buildings: a bakery, a bar, a software store and such—he made a turn to the right, to a residential green zone.

I was happy for him—the skunk.  But, I wondered why he was skinny.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

 

Monday, August 22nd, 2016
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Monday, August 22nd, 2016

Burnaby, British Columbia

3 Kilometres Only

Nitai Ram, Marty and I put a few minutes of investment into adjusting lazy legs.  At least, I can speak for myself that the brief jaunt to the Chinese/Punjabi farmland nearby was warranted.

To explain my feelings on this, I have to say that when I come to a destination of festival-fun and people-needs, it eats up lovely time.  I can’t always take the people with me on a stroll and then talk about what’s on their mind.  I consider myself lucky to get a few moments to ‘breeze with ease’ on feet.

My biggest regret when attending something like the Chariot Festival in Vancouver (now passé by a day) is that I can’t reach all the folks I feel I need to contact.  It is for my sake and theirs that there be even a miniscule interaction.

So, today is wrap-up time, put-away-and-good-bye time.  Deborah, who had been waiting for Harinam initiation for some time received her diksha name—Saci Priya, “one dear to Saci, the mother of Chaitanya.”  She and family turned up to be there.  I also visited Jogender, a man of sincerity in service.  He heads up a security systems company.  He was telling me of recent break-ins, reminding me of crooks who lurk around.  Common are those people who move around with a back-pack. “Both men and women,” he said, “who carry a power tool for break and enter.”  His cameras catch people all the time.

Safety is a big factor these days.  Surrender to the Supreme and feel safe.

May the Source be with you!


3 km (only)

Monday, August 29th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Monday, August 29th, 2016

Bancroft, Ontario

Daivata was determined to take me on the trails he had carved out.  When the weeds come up, he “whacks them back” and takes advantage of the trekking to do his japa (chanting with beads for meditation).

He also encouraged me on a nature’s trail as an alternative; a worn out trail made by deer.  It runs half-way along the slope of Daivata’s hilly property.  We noticed cedar seeds being dropped from trees by squirrels perched high above.  They will come down to pick at those green seeds, separate them from their twigs and then munch or harvest them as morsels of food.

“Look out!  Here lands another bundle of them.  Watch your head!” warned Daivata.

Both today and yesterday, we took advantage of the great, fresh water in our midst—a dip in Eels Creek and York River.  We were inspired by a group of young guys in their mid-teens, who had plunged into the Otonabee River off a bridge the day before.

I commended them for being “old-fashioned” by being out in nature.  That made them feel good.  Unfortunately, they’ll likely renounce the more natural ways when it comes time to get their driver’s licenses.

Our final destination for today was in Hastings at the country home of Fil and Sukhayanti.  Here, I will spend some time in a guest house nearby, to offer help in the garden and with the cows.  Two monks had also come to join me—Brihat and Nick.

We’re going to do just fine.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Sunday, August 28th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Sunday, August 28th, 2016

Scarborough/Bancroft, Ontario

After

After a long absence from taking a step in the ISKCON Scarborough Centre on McNicoll, I had the deep pleasure to share company with this community of devotees.  Gracious as they are, they went out of their way to make a great meal, even when it’s not so easy to drum up preps for an Ekadasi day (every fort-night you have to fast from grains).  However, they came up with a feast.

The managers running this small unit, tucked away in a plaza, were apologetic.  “We’re sorry for the small turn-out.  There’s a big wedding going on which  most everyone was obliged to attend.”  Still, it was pleasing to see a fairly full house, where people came to listen to my talk based on Chapter 8, Verse 15 from the Bhagavad-gita.  The phrase that stands out in this verse is “this world is temporary and is full of miseries.”  It may seem like a negative remark coming from the words of Sri Krishna, but truth must be told.  He encourages us to move on to better places.

The plain unit which people refer to as their “temple” was now the place for me to take leave.  Daivata from Bancroft, a veteran Hare Krishna, who joined the culture in ’72 in Vancouver, had come to fetch me for a drive north and a visit to his rustic home and 16 acres of wilderness.

If readers haven’t picked up by now, I’m a monk, a rolling stone that moves and collects no moss.  Here outside the town of Bancroft is a slice of Vaikuntha (heaven) where what you consider “wild” is the norm.  A bear, a wild turkey, a wolf and a loon are occasional visitors to any side of the home.  Nothing to worry about.

“You can come and stay here when you want to be on a writing retreat and when Vishvadika, my wife, is in India for six months.”  Naturally I’m welcomed by this countryside couple any time, but to address what could be a lonely period, in the winter, for my devotee-friend, I believe I’ll take up the offer.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

 

Saturday, August 27th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Saturday, August 27th, 2016

Owen Sound/Maple, Ontario

The Real World

The Hanna kids are the kind of kids I like for their naturalness.  Their grandpa, my personal peer and friend, Garuda Vahan, the support person for my third walk across Canada, has done a marvelous job training both boys and girls in a more hopeful lifestyle.

Along with the late Krsna Karuna, his wife, their own offspring got to know the true dimensions of life and they have succeeded in passing on those treasures to the next generation.

By two dimensions, I mean the best that the physical and spiritual worlds have to offer.  The kids were exposed to and walked nature trails, swam the fresh-water lakes all around, and to spice life up, got to know kirtan, the ancient practice of chanting and drumming, serenading the Divine.

We did a bit of that today with Garuda’s clan, and also with dear friend, Drupada.  With Nanda, Dharma, Manasi-Ganga (all of Indian origin), Nick and I drove north to this Huron Lake-bordered town of 22,000 to explore with those not-so-stereotypical Canadians for a 5.5 km walk and a swim at the beach.

I say “not-so-stereotypical” because most folks ride in cars and indulge in gadget playing.  This group in Owen Sound has a weekly sanga involving food and chanting, and going to the out-of-doors.

I have personally been encouraging our Indian devotees to go for the Canadian experience, and so as a result, a mentor of theirs from Mississauga, Raja Suya, took the group on their first camping trip to the Niagara Escarpment, not so long ago.  With tents to house them, the thunder, lightning and rain of the night put everyone to the test.  In the end, the outdoor eating the next morning, and the togetherness, compensated for the evening scare.

I would like to say to everyone, “Put on a pair of shoes, get out the door and experience the real world.”

May the Source be with you!

10 km

 

Friday, August 26th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Friday, August 26th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Offering to Guru

I’m taking the liberty to present here my written offering of something called “Vyasa-puja” or the honouring of the guru.  The contents include mention of last fall’s walk.

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

On a recent 45-day pilgrimage through the northeastern United States, I had much time to contemplate. It was a walk to express my utter appreciation to you, with 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) under my feet.

Formally, the trek was dubbed “Walking for Our Teachers.” My route took me from Boston’s Commonwealth Pier, where you first landed in America fifty-one years ago, to Butler, Pennsylvania, where you spent a good month, and then to New York City, where you began your mission, ISKCON, officially incorporating it in July 1966.

The society you initiated was a major milestone. The ISKCON Vaiṣṇava culture took hold, but not without trials and tribulations. Like a trekker walking the Pennsylvania mountain/valley terrain, over the last five decades, ISKCON has climbed and descended quite a few steep slopes.

In your endeavour to cement ISKCON within the modern world, you worked to make it a recognizable force grounded in culture and education, rather than merely another religion added to an already pluralistic world of faith. We shall now see how effectively we can continue to market the Prime Entity, Kṛṣṇa, and mold your marvelous  Society over the next fifty years. There is much work to be done.

If I may, I would like to present to you and to the society of devotees, my humble analysis of some of your contributions to the world, and what makes you unique.

The Cutting-Edge Guru

1. You pioneered the practice of kīrtana in the West, with emphasis on the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

2. You introduced to the West the culture of bhakti yoga, an ancient devotional lifestyle, with emphasis on serving the Supreme Deity, Kṛṣṇa.

3. You wrote and published books and articles, and established the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), presenting a scholarly Vedic library of writings on Eastern thought.

4. You established a worldwide spiritual mission registered as the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness (ISKCON).

5. You became a strong and early voice promoting animal rights, especially the protection of the cow and the bull.

6. You strongly promoted a nonviolent vegetarian way of life (and were perhaps the first teacher of Vedic cooking in the West).

7. You introduced to the West the Vedic consecration of food as prasādam.

8. You promoted a God-centered agrarian culture, a back-to-the-land initiative centered on the family farm, and an eco-friendly existence.

9. You initiated the world’s first large-scale program of sanctified vegetarian food distribution to the needy in Māyāpur.

10. You strongly spoke out against drug and alcohol consumption as harmful.

11. You boldly promoted the science of the soul’s transmigration (reincarnation).

12. You strongly challenged atheism and Darwin’s theory of evolution, and constantly promoted the principle that there is a God, and that He is a person.

13. You introduced to the West the ancient techniques of arcana or pūjā, honouring the Divine in His sacred image.

14. You promoted the anti-racist sentiment by propagating the all-inclusive philosophy that all souls are equal, and that, “We are not these bodies.”

15. You redefined the word party: Sing the holy names! Dance! Play music! Eat karma-free food! No intoxication! No lewdness! Serve each other!

Also, Your Divine Grace was a major positive influence on history’s most popular rock band, The Beatles, especially on George Harrison, who impacted a generation, if not more.

For all of the above, I offer you the utmost reverence and gratitude.

Begging to remain your humble servant,

Bhaktimārga Swami

 

Thursday, August 25th. 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Thursday, August 25th. 2016

Toronto, Ontario

His Birth—A Draw

Many fans were rented, huge in size, ready to plug into sockets and then do their service of turning the air, and thus offer some relief to the thousands coming in on a hot, humid day.

Today is Janmastami, Krishna’s birthday.  It is a big deal and it draws the crowds, not only in India—the apparent place of origin for the big fest—but all over the world, where Lord Krishna stirs up excitement marking the day of His appearance.  Many people, as usual, attend the event of dance, drama, rituals, philosophy, food (unless you fast all day) and body heat!

When our building gets packed and the place becomes heated by humans in the month of August, it calls for AC or at least units that move the air.

I was absorbed for hours rehearsing the drama “The Witness,”a story based on a deity of Krishna who moves and walks to give testimony to a brahman priest.  Working with a crew of devotee-volunteers as actors, while running on an empty stomach (again, fasting), wasn’t so easy.  The sacrifice, rendered by the cast, paid off as we saw and heard the cheers of satisfaction at the end of the performance. 

It is a tradition that on Janmastami day, the followers of Krishna reflect and hear of Krishna’s acts of heroism.  It brings a whole amount of reassurance to those who take shelter of such mercy.  Krishna has fans, and then He has fans.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Krishna Still Popular

A man with shoulder-length hair and a goatee stood on the steps of a shop along Yonge St.  He noticed me while I was on my evening trek and said, “Hare Krishna?  You guys were really popular at one time.”

The remark hit me with mixed feelings.  Hearing the words ‘Hare Krishna’ is always sweet, unless spoken in vain or in a cursing manner, which is rare.  The statement, “were really popular at one time,” sunk my heart momentarily.  It seemed to infer that we were once loved but are now forgotten.

Indeed, we were a curiosity 50 years ago, and for some trailing years, as well.  I pondered the idea that once you’re established, you lose your lustre.  That was a painful thought.

I nodded to the fellow, kept moving and got the attention of three young people affixed to the steps on the next shop over.  They were aroused somehow by the presence of yours truly.

“I love the colour,” the woman said, referring to my dhoti and kurta.

“Yeah man, I betcha it’s comfortable as hell,” remarked another.

“Sure is,” I confirmed.

Then these two spokespersons and the third, just kind of lit up.  They stood and came forward, making me feel almost like a celeb.  I was popular, in other words—at least for a few seconds—with the three people fussing.

I tried to see if the guy with the goatee noticed how a Hare Krishna can still be a sensation.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

I Was Concerned

I was very concerned for this little guy, a skinny skunk, who was about to cross the street.  Defensive instincts told him, “Not now!”  The head-lights of the car and the sound of its engine were enough to deter the little fellow from crossing.  After the vehicle passed, the skinny skunk did delicately bee-line his way over to my side of the street, bringing us close together.

“Not too close!”  I pondered.

Now, he was scampering about in an area away from green trees, grass and bushes, while on the search for food.  He took more to a concrete trail.  I felt for him and wanted to guide him to a safer zone, more away from traffic.  I would not let him cross Yonge St., known for its merciless motorists.

The skinny skunk could hear me chant and see me walking.  I was trying to guide.  He went on the defensive at one point, and abruptly stopped and lifted his tail, prepared to spray his essential oil.  I halted.  I could see the clear Vaisnava-like marking running along his back, commencing at his neck.

What a terrific reminder!  He’s making me think of Vishnu with that white striping.  After one long block of his finding no escape from human imposition—namely the attached buildings: a bakery, a bar, a software store and such—he made a turn to the right, to a residential green zone.

I was happy for him—the skunk.  But, I wondered why he was skinny.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

 

Sunday, August 21st, 2016
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Sunday, August 21st, 2016

Vancouver, British Columbia

Having Friends

Two walks of mini-distance made the day.  Victor and I ventured to the Fraser River.  A quiet trail of minor obstructions shaped the adventure on this first walk.  A railroad track, no real issue, provided a change of texture on the feet.  And at one point, I rocked and rolled by way of a stone that almost sent me on my butt.

At another point, Victor and I, with utmost care, squeezed through those outreaching and thorny blackberry bushes.  They love to cling and tear at dhotis, our lower robes.

There are two road intersections to this track.  That’s also fine.  You look both ways before crossing.  The soul is directing or rather the super-soul is impelling.  Life is precious.  Death (by car) is superficial.  “You are eternal,” is the message.

Walk number two was the grand procession from Granville Bridge to 2nd Beach at Stanley Park.  The city gives us two lanes in which to crowd ourselves along the way.  The obstructions and clearances are the devotees themselves.  Yes, while the kirtan—chanting and drumming—carries on happily, you step on each other’s feet most likely.  At the same time, it is those same steppers—who nearly yank off a shoe—that are your well-meaning friends.

You can’t live without comrades, after all.  My simple observation at Stanley, after the procession, was seeing the occasional lonely person stand and stare at the fun.  Sadly,they have no friends.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Saturday, August 20th, 2016
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Saturday, August 20th, 2016

Surrey, British Columbia

The Real Meet

It was advertised that The Walking Monk was to be at Zaklan Heritage Farm in Surrey at 13278 84th Ave.  It was a “meet and greet” between Noon and 2pm.

That was flattering, and I thank Lynne Murray for the promotion; but from my side, I would like to put a different spin on this charmer of an event.

I would say, “Meet and greet the plums and the grapes, the tomatoes (green-housed for starters), kale, chard, peppers, beets, corn. Be sensationalized by the colours, scents and tastes that are growing naturally.”  I mentioned only a few from the list of organic splendours on this ten acre wonder in the centre of urban,sprawling Surrey.

It was awesome meeting Douglas, who took a group of us around for a tour.  Chickens were fabulously fenced in, but by a fence that you could un-stake, shift over, and allow the hens to achieve fresher grass, and in return, some nitrogen from their manure is produced.

Douglas lives on the property.  He built a house that can also be shifted.  That’s nifty!

I always believed that a garden gives gold—produce you can eat.  The metal gold—you cannot.  Good food is the real gold.

As we left the good company of Doug and those inclined toward good food, and perhaps a different kind of monk who likes to make a “green statement” through walking, Doug prepared a bag of his best harvest for us.  It reminds me of something our guru, Srila Prabhupada, said, “When you give something from the garden that is real love.”

Thanks Doug!  Thanks Arlen!

May the source be with you!

Friday, August 19th, 2016
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Friday, August 19th, 2016

Burnaby, B.C.

Victor and I

Victor and I took a stroll near the ashram where Chinese and Punjabi farmers utilize every square inch of deep, dark, rich soil for produce.  We had just passed the garden centre, “It’s About Thyme,” when we heard the squeaking wheels of a grocery cart behind us.

Before turning around to confirm my guess, I thought, “Here comes a homeless person with his gathered wares.  Most likely he or she has a set-up called home, somewhere tucked in the bushes.”  Lo and behold it was a lost soul of sorts—a he—and he started talking.

“Are you guys Roman Catholic Priests?”

That was a first for that question.  At least, I’m often mistaken for a Buddhist, while fair-skinned Victor could be confused for a Muslim, with his white garb.  It goes to show that in our society of pluralistic faiths, not everyone sees the distinctions.

Our newly-made friend, John, looked in fairly-good physical shape, but you wonder how long before the elements or ‘habits made’ will wear him down.  I’m usually hit by compassion for people like John.  He probably could do better. Society likely has pushed him to the edge.  I do admire the simple life he’s chosen.

In the afternoon, Arlen came to pick me up for a talk at the Ram Mandir.  The topic was more exclusively “Tales from Wonderful Trails.”  I inserted Bhagavat philosophy and it was well received by all.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Thursday, August 18th, 2016
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Thursday, August 18th, 2016

Surrey, British Columbia

On Joy TV

I was at the Toronto Airport in anticipation of securing my boarding pass at the machine.  I was just waiting for the person in front of me to complete their pressing the screen, so I could move forward, when an airport attendant, an Afro-woman, approached me to help expedite the process.  She smiled and stretched out her arm as if to ask for my hard copy details for the flight to Vancouver.  I handed them over.

“Where to?” she asked, her admirable braided hair tied behind her, and glasses gracing her face.

“Vancouver!”

She pressed along and asked something unusual.

“What sampradaya?”

Sampradaya means lineage in terms of spiritual tradition.

To her question, I replied, “The Brahma-Madhava-Gaudiya-Hare-Krishna sampradaya.”  I elongated the name with “Hare Krishna” as that is more identifiable for the public.  “And you?”  I asked.

“I’m with the Sri sampradaya.”  This I found most interesting.  Time didn’t allow for more discussion.  I was happy to share sacred words with another person.

After landing and having a decent sleep, I was driven to Surrey where the “Joy TV” studio is located.  Harpreet Singh, a member of the Sikh tradition, hosts the show.  Our topic was happiness.  “Despite technological advancement, we find a world which is wrought with people of unsettling mind.  Therefore inner joy is to be sought.  Outer joy is temporal.”

I also was able to highlight ‘pilgrimage’ and its benefits.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Wednesday, August 17th, 2016
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Wednesday, August 17th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario


I Want to Give

I pondered the activities of the few days since I’ve come back from the U.S. walk.  I looked at the catching-up that had to be done.  I followed the program which begins at 4 a.m. in the ashram and appreciated the great privilege that it is.  I answered phone calls, tended to e-mails, Instagram, etc. and  planned a drama for next week’s major fest, Krishna’s Birthday.  I sat in a meeting for brain-storming, did some counselling, pep talks, and delivered classes.

What was missing?  What was not included in the life of a responsible Krishna monk?

“Of course!”  I thought.  An idea popped into the head.  “Hari Nama is what is amiss!!”

“Hari Nama” is the short term for public chanting.  It was an easy sell for the few ashramresidents around.  It appears it is not on the regular schedule for some reason or another.

Our small group of six meandered through the Annex neighbourhood,headed for destination Bloor Street, a block from the Bata Shoe Museum.  A patch of grass that forms a serene parkette became our asana(seat).  Once we got to drumming and chanting, we realized what had been vacant from our daily regimen.  It is this sharing of sacred sound that gives us life.

Not so long ago my Irish friend, Pragosh, told me about one of his favourite songs by Neil Young, born in this grand town, Toronto. “Heart of Gold.”  Interpret the lyrics as you like.  The song begins with, “ I want to live/I want to give.”

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Tuesday, August 16th, 2016
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Tuesday, August 16th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Night Nectar

There appears to be a more leisurely mood amongst people in the evening.  Philosophy, in its most fundamental form, can be somewhat more digestible before one retires for the night.  The following is what I encountered during my trek after sundown.

At Davenport and Bay, two young women came up to me and asked, “Can you tell me something?”

“Yes!  We are not these bodies.  We are spirits.”

At that point, a cab-driver whom I know, Uttamananda—my support person for May & June—honked his horn behind me to get my attention.  I was happy to see him.  I had a quick exchange and pulled back to give attention to the girls.

“So, that cab driver is the superior intelligence, the spirit.  The cab is a machine, the body.  The driver and that which he drives have to be differentiated.  You are the spirit, and the body is what you are driving.”  They expressed their thanks.

I moved on to amble by Bloor Street.

“Hi!” said the young fellow, “I’m Mathew. I’m an undertaker.  I meet people from different spiritual paths all the time.  When the bodies come to me, they are all the same.”  He and I had more to say.  It was profound.

Further west on Bloor, and another fellow began speaking, which encouraged me to stop walking.

“I read a book on Buddha.  It was deep.”

“Actually I’m a Hare Krishna monk,” I clarified. “We believe the body is different from the self.  You are a spirit, a power house.”

The fellow listened.  He called his buddy.

“Hey, listen to what the monk is saying.”  So I repeated my words.  The friend pulled off his hat, stroked his hair with his hand as if to digest my words.  I left them with that.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Monday, August 15th, 2016
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Monday, August 15th, 2016

Surrey, British Colombia

The Walking Monk in Surrey with Tales from Cross-Canada Trails

I was slightly confused as to identifying which place to put at the top of the blog.  The origin of the article below, by Tom Zillich, comes as a pleasant surprise.  It’s Surrey, British Columbia, and it’s a buzz about the U.S. walk from the Surrey “Now” newspaper:

The last place you’d expect to find a guy nicknamed “The Walking Monk” is in a car heading toward Chicago.

So apparently Bhaktimarga Swami does not walk everywhere, despite the moniker he’s earned for hoofing it across Canada an impressive four times.

The Ontario-born Swami, who finished his last such trek in 2014, is currently halfway through a similar walk across the U.S., in another effort to promote a “more car-free, carefree lifestyle.”

This week, he’ll be in Surrey to attend a pair of events, and the Now caught up with Swami – known as John Peter Vis before he adopted a monastic way of life back in 1973 – via cellphone as he motored down an interstate in Illinois earlier this week.

“Yesterday was a momentous day where I stopped at the midway point in America, in Nebraska, and now I’m making a return journey back to Toronto, ultimately, my home place,” Swami explained in an interview on Monday (Aug. 8).

“It’s a pleasant day and we’ve had a great trip so far doing half of the U.S. The whole idea is to reconvene next spring and do the second half, the western part, heading west.”

Two decades ago, in 1996, Swami set out on his first cross-Canada walk as something of a 100th-birthday tribute to a mentor of his. Putting his “feet and heart together” that year, he started in Victoria and made it all the way to Cape Spear, Newfoundland, with many stories to tell.

“I’d always wanted to see Canada closeup,” he recalled, “because before I was a monk I hitchhiked or flew and took buses, things like that, but I wanted to see it the way it was done by the ancients, you know, the way you should do it, especially because it’s a kind of birthright for a monastic person to do this kind of thing.”

He enjoyed the “CanWalk” experience enough to complete three more cross-country journeys in years since.

“I went through a lot of pain, physical,” Swami admitted. “The biggest challenge of all is walking on an angle – it’s like walking on a beach. But nevertheless, everything else compensated for that (pain), including meeting fantastic people, meeting characters, being confronted by black bears, grizzlies, whatnot, and finally I became an addict; I like it, gotta do it again.”

His first coast-to-coast walk was documented in “The Longest Road,” a 2003 National Film Board of Canada movie about the Trans-Canada Highway.

While in the U.S. recently, a spell of hot weather prompted Swami, 64, to experiment with nighttime walking, starting at 9 p.m. and ending at 3:30 a.m.

“It was quite nice (in Omaha and other parts of Nebraska), you know, as long as you had a safe area to walk through, on trails, basically,” he said. “You’re not allowed to walk on the freeways, so the choices in America are a secondary highway or a back road.”

In Surrey this week, Swami will make an appearance at Ram Mandir (8473 124th St.) on Friday evening, Aug. 19, and is also scheduled to visit the market at Newton’s Zaklan Heritage Farm on Saturday, Aug. 20, from noon to 2 p.m.

Across Canada these days, he shares his “Tales from the Trails” at community centres, yoga studios, libraries, schools and other places.

“It’s always an adventure and you don’t know what you’re going to deal with on the day ahead,” Swami related.

“What happens when you’re walking is you start to appreciate the little things around you and everything becomes significant,” he added. “Those of us who are obsessed with the fast pace of life, we just don’t even know what’s in our midst. By walking, you pick up on fantastic details out there.”

In one photo of Swami, the Now noticed he wore a pair of Croc sandals, and asked about a possible endorsement deal from the footwear company.

“There was something happening there with Crocs, yes, on my third walk across Canada,” Swami elaborated. “They sent me a pair, and that was the best I could do,” he added with a laugh. “I found other footwear, though, that was superior, but I do resort to my Crocs once in a while just because they’re pretty lightweight.”

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Sunday, August 14th, 2016
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Sunday, August 14th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Those Who Came Forward

I’m back in my home-base, but still keeping up my daily walking,while fingering through my beads numbering 108, and moving my upper and lower lips–as well as my tongue–to utter the name of Krishna.  Whenever I travel, these mechanical, mental and spiritual outputs are there.

I re-connected with Yonge St., the strip from Bloor to Dundas, known for its characters.

Near Dundas, a Caucasian young person, with hair pulled back to form a bun, came up to me and began talking in a rather incoherent way.

“Are you on drugs?”  I asked him.  Indeed he was, as he expressed so in a non-confessional way.  For him, that’s his life.  I mentioned to him to do himself a favour and pull out of it.  “Then life can begin.”

Our conversation got cut short when another fellow, this time an Indian–who was obviously also ‘on something’–addressed me with, “Hare Krishna!”  He said it several times and continued with words that made no sense.  Still, he was zealous and maintained a smile for the reason, I guess, that he’s talking to a sadhu, of sorts.  I indicated that I had to proceed, although I perceived he was liking the attention.

A young Black chap then came to stand in front of me, and in a facetious way, bowed at the waist respectfully, demonstrating some kind of reverence.  I took the gesture to not be coming from the heart, so I didn’t take him too seriously.

As I said, “Characters!”  But I wouldn’t put them down entirely.  They were the ones who came forward, out of all the pedestrians on Yonge St.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Saturday, August 13th, 2016
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Saturday, August 13th, 2016

Pelee Island, Ontario

Ways of Nature

It is astounding to see the ways of nature.

Yesterday, we witnessed an entity in the form of a catfish exiting the water.  This morning, the reverse occurred.  It was not a catfish, but rather a large black water snake who slithered from the trees in front of us, moved over the sand, and slipped into the shallow shore waters of Lake Erie.  It then disappeared into the depths of the fresh water.

We were also terribly humbled by biting stable-flies.  Nature came on then with another of her forces.  After a dry spell, running a month in duration, a near-drought in Ontario, Ohio, and the surrounding vicinity, was dispelled.  Rains and rainbows made their visitations.  On our return journey to Toronto, I delighted in reading from “Memories,” recollections from devotees about our dear guru, Srila Prabhupada, as those welcoming rains came down with a passion.

Every journey, especially an auto-driven one, needs its breaks.  I suggested to our crew, “Let’s check out one of my favorite locations on the planet—Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”  With me were Nimai-Nitai, originally from India, Elona from Latvia, and Katrina from Russia.  They were not aware of the historical significance of this place.

As a person on foot–or one who most often likes to be–I have the opportunity to learn of past tragedies and victories.  Historicalplaques and places are everywhere.  Check out the Underground Railway, Josiah Henson, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

May the Source be with you!


5 km

Friday, August 12th, 2016
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Friday, August 12th, 2016

Pelee Island, Ontario

Driven!

He had whiskers and was no more than a foot in length.  He was tanned and wiggling his way along, moving by will and not wave.  It was time for him to go.  Providence had told him so.  He had had the lake as his habitat for ‘who knows how long’ and now he was beach-bound. 

A group of us, in retreat on the island’s east-side, were ready to indulge in prasadam, a sacred picnic, when we saw this catfish coming our way.  At first glance, I thought “Is he hungry?” as he ignored the kids a-splash all around him, and ‘bee-lined’ his way to dry sand.

He was determined to hit air, to lie on that sand, die, and hence–end a cycle.  The water kept pulling him in, in small lapping waves, but he fought to remove himself from the H2O, and succeeded.  He keeled over and did what I’ve seen massive carps do when they’re aged.  They exit from the water and camp at the beach, passing away in seconds or maybe minutes.  For this catfish, it was about two minutes.

What’s next for him?  A new body awaiting his spirit?

He was pulled by nature, and behind that, a divine power.  Perhaps it was the same power which compelled those people coming from the winery, to dance with us at our dusk kirtan.  We wrapped up the day by the dock with not a swim, but with receiving a wondrous wind while I led that timeless mantra and produced a tal on the drum.

I was surprised at the zealousness shown by the folks who sang and danced.  But then after their sips and swigs of grape-juice-gone-WOW, it’s understandable.  We devotees from Ohio, Michigan and Ontario, were inspired to see the full-on participation.

Everyone, everything, is driven by divine force.

May the Source be with you!

1 km

Thursday, August 11th, 2016
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Thursday, August 11th, 2016

Pelee Island, Ontario

Back to Kilometres

I showed my birth certificate at the Sandusky, Ohio ferry terminal, ascended and sat in the top, outside level of the boat, destined for a small retreat at Pelee Island.  I was surprised to see the swift response by the Afro-American devotee couple, Avadhuta and Agnihotra, to come and join me after my invite just hours before.

We sailed under myriad-blue-toned clouds, caught a breeze from Lake Erie’s kindness, and chatted with the couple.  Once settling ourselves after docking, we drove in their van around the entire island, measuring its distance.  It is 23 kilometres riding the coastal roads. That was great!

We stopped in at an outdoor café for a custom-made, vegetarian pizza (no other option).  We were pleased to meet the cook, Riki, a devotee of nature who had met members of our crew last year.  She has been reading the “Bhagavad-gita,” Krishna’s divine words.  She is the wife of Matthew–who has to work on the mainland–and is the mother of Camilia, age nine.  She teaches yoga, by the way, to some of the residents on this island which has a population of 125 in the winter (expanded in the summer).

Truly it’s great to be in a place where there are no billboards and no lamp-posts.  You can see the stars in the sky, and  tonightin particular  was unique, because you could maximizeyour  meteor-gazing.  I bumped into a couple and scared them to death with my presence in the dark.  They had counted over one hundred meteors shooting in the sky.

May the Source be with you!

12 km

Monday, August 8th, 2016
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Monday, August 8th, 2016

Princeton, Illinois

A Few Steps, A Few Memories

Our team of Gopal, Mandala and myself, set out on our return journey.  We were headed east in our Toyota van which we named Vamana, a name for an avatar meaning “the one who makes great strides”.  We spanned the states of Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois, arriving at destination Chicago for a day’s stay, before continuing.  Oh, how we shook our heads in disbelief, wondering how these hundreds of miles were just recently covered on foot.

We took a break at Princeton for our two drivers to catch a nap, and I took the opportunity to walk east on 6.  It was time to reminisce on recent doings. I thought about the beautiful people who had hosted us and organized sangas, or gatherings of devotion.  They rarely get a swami coming to town; so while our pedestrian troupe (the three of us) were around, they milked us like a contented cow, with questions and requests for mantras. Their children, too, loved to listen to the wisdom and pastimes of Krishna. How gracious they all were!

At the edge of Princeton, where I walked, is the old homestead of abolitionist, Owen Lovejoy, who fought for the liberty of slaves. This was also the stomping grounds of President Ronald Reagan. I’ve come upon birthplaces of other celebs, besides U.S. Presidents, on this walk, like actors John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart. Illustrious company, I suppose.

At the side of one corn field waited two young ladies, cousins, who stopped to meet and offer me water. They called me a “celebrity.”  That’s a far cry. Maybe a “celebrant.”

This walk isfor 50 years of Hare Krishna in America.

May the Source be with you!

3 miles

Wednesday, August 10th, 2016
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Wednesday, August 10th, 2016

Cleveland, Ohio

Returning Things

Now that the walk is put to rest for the time being, it is a matter of tidying up and putting away, or giving away (as gifts) some of the items that were part and parcel of our paraphernalia meant for the travels.

At an evening sanga (gathering), I gave away some literature for good reading, a stockpile we had left over after sales.  The group in Cleveland was really fanciful by the offer of Steven Rosen’s book “Christ and Krishna.”  Rosen is one of my favourite authors and the book is excellent.  As I was passing them out, I received donations, against the printing costs anyways.

One of the items we were to return back to its owner, with whole-hearted obligation and appreciation, was the Honda van which we named Vamana.  Rene is a true sweet-heart for lending it to us over this period of two and a half months.  We wanted to return it in as mint a condition as possible.  This entailed internal and external cleansing.  Mandala did a great job with that.  A rear window was replaced by us after someone had bashed that area and snuck inside while we were parked in Des Moines, one night.  We also  gassed up, and Mandala and I went to the Lube Shop for an oil change.

This last item was a good experience in terms of the thorough, friendly nature in which the auto crew handled themselves.  As said, they were friendly, and concise.  And quick!  I was inspired. 

“Now this is the way a spiritual organization can be managed,” I thought.  And if I could add, the tone of empathy in dealing with clients/congregants/seekers could be added.

May the Source be with you!

0 miles

Tuesday, August 9th, 2016
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Tuesday, August 9th, 2016

Chicago, Illinois

Now That This Half Is Over

About the sweetest thing I experienced from this stretch of the U.S. walk was to receive a letter from my spiritual brother, who’s also a monk—Jayadvaita Swami.  The words were encouraging.

“Well, you’re doing the healthiest thing in the world and making a valuable spiritual contribution by your example.  Happy walking and happy chanting.”

I’ve calculated to have just completed 1,232 miles or 1982.7 kilometres from Butler, Pennsylvania to Seward, Nebraska.  There’s another 1,594 miles to go to make it to San Francisco.  For now, I’ll hold it as a dream until I return, in the spring of 2017, to exercise the second half of the U.S.A.

It was today that I sat for nine hours in a meeting, with minor breaks at different times.  The feet hardly did any work.  It’s awkward, and it doesn’t make for great sleeping conditions in the night.

At 6:30 p.m. Praharana, a godsister from Canada, and I, delivered a talk on youth empowerment.  Some of the highlights were “when we became renunciates we were young,” (average age of people joining in the early 70’s was anywhere from 18-24), and “take responsibility when you’re young.”  And finally, we spoke about Krishna appearing ‘young’ in His pastimes.  His childhood and youth are to be adored.

May the Source be with you!



0 miles

Sunday, August 7th, 2016
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Sunday, August 7th, 2016

Tamora, Nebraska

‘The Walking Monk’ Hangs up Shoes in Nebraska

Allison Sommerfeld, #4165, a police officer, pulled over and offered to shake my hand.  She read the following article in today’s “Journal Star” by Lindsay Esparrago:

Bhaktimarga Swami has trekked across Canada four times covering over 17,000 miles on foot.

Often known as “the walking monk,” Swami followed his first walk from his homeland of Canada in 1996, by traveling across Ireland, Israel, the Fiji Islands, Mauritius, Trinidad, Guyana and other countries, to promote simple living and peace.

It was in 2016 when the 63-year-old Hare Krishna monk told himself, “If I don’t do the USA, I’m not a complete monk.”

So he’s living up to his reputation as “the Forrest Gump of Hare Krishna,” he said with a laugh.

In honor of his spiritual teacher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada and his contributions, his decision to walk was final.  Prabhupada brought the Hare Krishna tradition to the U.S. at the age of 70.  The walk celebrates the 50th anniversary of his guru’s introduction of “green style living” to the 50 states.

With his bright orange robe— often mistaken for an orange prison jumpsuit— and his tan, go-to Crocs, he embarked on his 3,000 mile journey from New York City to San Francisco.

But on Saturday night, after his stay in Lincoln, Swami has decided to put his U.S. excursion to rest until next summer, when he will return back where he started in Lincoln and continue on to San Francisco.

He thought Lincoln’s “middle of the country” location was the perfect stopping point for now.

His reasoning is simple, much like his lifestyle.  Beyond his marathon walking and duties as a monk, Swami keeps himself busy as a Bhakti yoga and mantra meditation instructor.  He’s also a playwright, producer and director of live “morality theatre” — productions based on enlightening tales from ancient India.

“I’m just breaking it up,” Swami said.  “I have a lot of other responsibilities as a monk. It’s a pretty busy community.”

His choice to stop after he reaches York on Sunday has nothing to do with a nervous breakdown or his legs giving out, he said.  Each day he walks 20 miles in about 10 to 12 hours, sometimes getting up as early as 3:30 a.m.  Even when the hills get tough, his body doesn’t quit.

Swami said walking long distances does anything but remind him of his age.  In fact, he swears it makes him feel younger.  Sending a message to the youth is one of his main explanations as to why he chooses to walk.

“I want to encourage a healthy lifestyle,” he said.  “We move really fast and we need to slow down.  Everybody knows that, but we all need reminders.”

His reminders often come in abrupt ways as he’s walking along highways, dirt roads and bike trails.  Aside from encountering at least one police officer each day and scheduled speeches and programs from time to time, many people come up and question him — his chance to spread peace and knowledge.

Who he calls his “support person” is one of the youth he has influenced to live spiritually.  So much, that 21-year-old Mandala McAllister came from Canada this time around to join in on the adventure.

McAllister drives a van a few miles ahead of Swami, checking on him every three miles to see if he needs water or any assistance.  But even the 21-year-old has tried to keep up with Swami’s pace and failed, McAllister said.

But the interactions and lessons are all the same, he said.

“There’s so many nice people to meet,” McAllister said, “and I get to spend time walking with the monk.  He helps me out with my spiritual life.  It’s a really different experience from experiences of today’s day and age.”

It’s all about the people for Swami, too.  Since his departure in the spring, Swami raved about peoples’ hospitality.  Not once did the two have to camp out because strangers always offered a place to stay.

Swami said he resonated with his stopping point of Nebraska, much to his surprise. The cornfields and “farmers’ country” reminded him of home.  Though he observed constant change in Nebraska — rural and urban, conservative and liberal company — he said he also noticed “stability in this part of the U.S.”

His journey isn’t over and neither is the conversation he’s started.  Swami thinks he’s done just enough to pick back up where he left off in Lincoln next year.

“If you just drop little seeds of interest, you get people to think more about the other side of life,” Swami said.  “Giving them a little hint goes a long way.”

May the Source be with you!

6 miles

Saturday, August 6th, 2016
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Saturday, August 6th, 2016

Seward, Nebraska

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Police authorities continue to remain an integral part of our cross U.S. walk.  A well-built officer came to “check me out” just as I was about to enter the small city of Seward.  He admitted that he liked what I was doing.

“I’m always pushing the fitness model to my associates.”  The officer was telling me he has to restrain himself from going overboard with his hype.

On parting, I mentioned that the police have been awesome in taking interest in our pilgrim project.

“That’s good to hear,” said the officer, considering there’s been some negative publicity going out toward police in America, a lot of it having to do with racial issues.  Everyone’s heard the case of an officer who shot a motorist who was merely reaching for his wallet.  The fellow died.  The passenger, his girlfriend, filmed the whole thing.

When Mandala was waiting by the side of a dirt road at mid-day, with the intent to serve me and co-walker Chaitanya Chandra, with water and fruit, a heavy-set, stereotypical, “tough” sheriff pulled up to see what was going on.  He came to the passenger’s side of the van.  When Mandala turned to grab for his ID, the officer shouted, “Hey, stop moving!”  He was ready to reach for his gun.  “What are you doing here?” asked the officer.

“I’m just waiting for The Walking Monk,” implored Mandala.  The sheriff slowly relaxed and left.

May the Source be with you!

21 miles

Friday, August 5th, 2016
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Friday, August 5th, 2016

Lincoln, Nebraska

People Coming Through

The Bluebird Bike Trail took me into the city of Lincoln—Nebraska’s capital.  No fuss with traffic, but with horse flies—yes.

For a second consecutive day, lunch was in the home of Hemant Dessi, proprietor of the La Quinta Inn.  Generous as he is, he also is giving Mandala and I accommodation in the hotel.  In every way, the man is pious.  He also hosted two members of the Swami Narayana group.  They were from a Chicago chapter and sat comfortably in the living room while we were enjoying our meal.  The two monks, also in rather intense orange attire, had not come prepared to eat, but we did engage in light conversation with them–they use the title “sadhu” before their names, just as in our tradition we use the term “swami” after our spiritually-given names. 

They were pleasant.  I suggested that we all, in our different ways, advance the cause of raising consciousness.Them, and the entire Gujarati community, and lest we forget, the north, south, east and west members of the Indian community, who are so eager to serve and take care of lodging, food and other financial needs.

When interviewed by Lindsay of the “Journal Star” from Lincoln, I was able to say, “Lindsay, since I began this walk, we did not have a problem with securing a room for any night.”  Either it has been an ISKCON temple, a Krishna devotee’s home, or a Hindu household which has supported our need to rest our weary bodies at the end of the day.  We are grateful!

May the Source be with you!

14 miles

Thursday, August 4th, 2016
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Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Eagle, Nebraska

Inside Out

As mentioned, we have broken into night-time walking.  En route to our starting point, an officer stopped us.  Apparently, Mandala (the driver) went 20 miles over the normal speed through town.  Well, it was hard to notice there was a town.  It was tiny.

The officer went through the usual procedure, asking for papers and license.  Mandala complied and as he was handing over documents, despite the darkness, the officer noticed the passenger.  Up until now it looked like a $240 fine was coming Mandala’s way.

“Oh, are you the Walking Monk?” the officer asked.  “They told us you were coming this way.”

Now, I would have to admit, the officer, from the beginning, was one of those stern and cold types.  Meeting someone different, however, seemed to lighten him up a bit.

Mandala and I were both relieved that, in the end, no fine was due us.  Just waving!

Whew!

Taking to the bike trail, in the dark, after the trail-end of a tornado storm whipped through the area, was rather exhilarating.  I was surprised to walk head–on into a massive spider web with its web-designer crawling all over my neck.  Remember, it was pretty dark, but that was the worst of it.

I came to one conclusion about self-analysis.  There’s more darkness inside of us than what is outside.  I began to chant at that point, hoping to turn myself inside out.

May the Source be with you!

16 miles

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016
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Wednesday, August 3rd, 2016

Elmwood, Nebraska

For “Walking Monk” a Long, Hot Trek

Mandala and I decided, or rather the fireball (the sun) decided, that we would tackle night hours again.  The evening breeze was enlivening as we left the Omaha area and headed towards Lincoln, Nebraska.

Local radio had covered our story and so did the Omaha World Herald Newspaper.  Under the title above, Maggie O’Brien wrote:

“The Walking Monk” made a stop in Omaha on Tuesday as part of his journey across America to celebrate his faith and promote an active, healthy lifestyle.

“It’s about going back to the basics,” Bhaktimarga Swami said.  “Like Gandhi said, a simple life, high thinking. I see this as doing both of those things.”

Swami, 63, is a Hindu monk from Canada. He is walking from New York to San Francisco to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hare Krishna religious movement, which emphasizes spiritual well-being and clean, simple living.

Swami changed his name from John Peter Vis when he became a monk in 1973. He wears an orange robe and black Crocs on his feet.

He considers walking an ideal form of exercise, he said, because anyone can do it, and it allows time for self-reflection.

This tour is broken into three parts.  He started last fall in Boston, went to New York, then into Pennsylvania.  The second leg started again in Pennsylvania over Mother’s Day weekend and took him to Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Nebraska. He arrived in Omaha on Tuesday.

Next up is Grand Island on Wednesday, where he’ll stop his journey before completing the third leg of the trip next summer.

Swami, who also practices yoga, said he started walking long distances to get away from the chaos of the world.

He has walked across Canada four times.  He’s also trekked through Ireland (he said it was wet), Israel (dry), Ghana (hot) and Trinidad (humid).

It hasn’t been easy walking through the Midwest, he said.  Swami usually gets up at 4 a.m. to beat the heat and averages about 20 miles a day.

“It’s been a hot, sweaty summer,” he said.

May the Source be with you!

19 miles


Tuesday, August 2nd. 2016
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Tuesday, August 2nd. 2016

Cherry Hills, Nebraska

What the Blazes!

Maggie asked me if I had ever been in Omaha or Nebraska before, now that I’ve officially walked into the city.

“When we were growing up, on Sunday we would watch Mutual of Omaha’s TV show ‘Wild Kingdom,’ about African wildlife.  That is my reference to Nebraska,” I said to Maggie, one of the journalists with the Omaha World newspaper, the major paper in the state.  She was interviewing me.  We both had a good laugh.  I guess she has friends in the yoga industry because she also knew that OM is a sacred Sanskrit word, and I said, “If you were to further analyze, Maha mean–” to which she jumped in with “Great!”

Maggie O’Brien went on to write a beautiful article about our walking mission.

Now, what about our walking mission through Omaha and region?  Mandala, my support person, and I had decided that walking during the course of the day was too much.  I started trekking through a rain storm to begin with.  Then the weather turned into a densely humid, sun-blazing dynamic.  Unbearable!  Rainstorm! Sun storm! Brain storm!

“Let’s try night-walking,” I suggested.  “There’s this lengthy bike-trail called Keystone Trail.  It’ll be safe and we can walk it in the cool night.”

Mandala was game and so we set out on the adventure.  The sun sank at 9 p.m.  I hit the trail.  Mandala was there for me, pumping me with juices and water at intersections.  Though temperatures didn’t go below the 80’s for some time, and muggy weather persisted, we pushed a six and a half-hour, non-stop trek and completed it at 3:30 a.m.

Jaya!

“Jaya” means awesome, in Sanskrit.

May the Source be with you!

19 miles

Monday, August 1st, 2016
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Monday, August 1st, 2016

Omaha, Nebraska

In Any Case—Kind

I hadn’t quite entered the largest city of Nebraska, nor truly entered the state yet, but being that our hosts live in Nebraska, some time was devoted to milling around the edges of the city of Omaha.

I met Ray at a gas station.  Ray was curious, warm and inviting.  While gas was being pumped into his boss’ vehicle, Ray came toward me to ask, “A monk?” 

A friendly dialogue started from there.  He introduced me to his co-worker who was in the driver’s seat and just outside the driver’s seat, with the door open, a young woman known to him for two days–as Ray explained–started being frivolous.  By that I mean, necking with Ray’s friend, quite out in the open.  She even gently grabbed him in a certain region in a kind of lover’s horse-play.  It was a scene monks just don’t usually view.

Ray and I went on about the simplicity of a monk’s lifestyle as a renunciate.  He was keen.

“Can I be a monk?”

“Oh you could.  Your buddy’s got a ways to go (Laughter).”  My remark didn’t halt the frivolity.

This reminds me of a time when I went to a costume house to purchase items for a theatre production.  It was in Gainesville, and a couple–customers who came to rent or purchase–mistook me for being part of the staff, dressed-up.  The woman was particularly all over the man, in love, but in the shop.  He figured it out that I was a customer and a genuine monk.  So he told her, “Chill, I think he’s the real thing,” respecting my vocational position.

Anyways, the couple of today showed less shame, but I won’t judge them in any major way.  They were kind to me and that seems to matter.

May the Source be with you!

12 miles

Sunday, July 31st, 2016
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Sunday, July 31st, 2016

Panora, Iowa

Before Omaha

Either before or after they pass me, most cyclists don’t have a clue as to who or what I represent when they see the saffron/orange cloth from the distance.  Some, however, I could hear saying, “Monk” or “Swami” while in their own conversation, far enough away that they think I’m not hearing them, but I am.  I even heard one cyclist remark among his peers, “We’re supposed to say ‘namaste,’ instead of ‘Hi.’”

In the very least, passersby with their fast bikes take note that “here’s someone a little different.”

When I met Dave, 61, retired, he asked about my stance on Christ.

“He’s the perfect son!”  I stated.

“What made you leave Christianity?”

“I never left.  I added on Krishna.  The fundamentals are the same.”

Dave agreed.  The values are universal.

Sam, I also met for the second time on the trail.

“I looked you up on the internet.  You’ve been to all kinds of places,” he said.

“Like Ireland, where it’s so wet?”

“Yeah!”

“And Israel, which is so dry?”

“I’m sure!”

I explained that as a sanyasi, a monk, there’s an obligation to see the world.  With that, I implied that we view the world from the angle of sacredness.  The world is divine, after all.

May the Source be with you!

14 miles

Saturday, July 30th, 2016
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Saturday, July 30th, 2016

Redfield, Iowa

I Start

I start when the crickets are in concert and when the owl can be heard, but not seen.  It’s true.  I can never discern which tree he’s perched upon when I begin those early steps before dawn cracks.  Sometimes I become oblivious to sound, to the point where I’m convinced there is no sound outside of my murmuring mantrasbefore the tree residents show presence.  I feel it’s so silent that I start to hear human voices in the distance.

In this case at 4:33 am, as I was leaving the quaintness of town Perry, I did hear voices—real ones.  Quite early for cyclists!”  I thought.  But there they were, and there they went.  Two women, helmeted for safety, with bikes lit for any objects ahead.

So I became an object, and not one to be objected to.  We all share the trail here.  That is the culture established on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.  On Saturday hundreds of cyclists tread the trail.  All other creatures cross, or crawl, or hop, or fly, or leap the trail.  Rabbits, chipmunks, skunks, coyotes and more make their move.  No, I haven’t seen a raccoon yet, strange as it is.

Those that don’t have the capacity to move, but stand gloriously as they offer their looks, smells and tastes.  Blackberries, wild plumbs, choke-cherries, apples, mulberries, elderberries, and all herbal wonders line this path.  There’s a serious community present.  And the cyclists?  They move fast but are ever courteous about space.

They, the cyclists, runners and walkers, I’m convinced, are the happiest people.  Line them up against a wall of motorists and they’re no comparison.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles