Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Thursday, June 23rd, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Thursday, June 23rd, 2016

Chicago, Illinois

Two Groups

This was a pre-planned trip, to back-track to Chicago in order to give an experience to two groups of youth.  After a sacred half-hour of song at the 4:30 AM mangal arati, young monks from the Lunt Avenue temple and I took to the streets, and then to the northern end of the water-front trail.  Joey, Jordan, Igor, Mitch and Marcel, all dressed in novice white dhotis and tops, accompanied Uttama and myself.

We walked.  We chanted.  They questioned.  I answered.

“I noticed you are very expressive in your speaking presentations.  How does this play into a humble devotional life?” asked one of the boys, meekly.

“I was once a very shy, insecure guy.  Still am, but I gained confidence through bhakti yoga, devotional service.  In any event, you should be who you are.  Be yourself.  Whether introvert or extrovert, maintain RESPECT.  You know the song?  (Implying Aretha Franklin’s song)”

My second batch of walkers was a group from a youth bus tour, originating from Florida.  Unfortunately we only covered a mile together.  It was a slow-but-sure stroll along the beach, and then up along the end of a pier.  They, like the first group, felt honoured to be part of a historic walk, one that goes from the east-coast to the west-coast.  Even though time allowed only one mile before my flight to Vancouver, Canada it was one mile with twenty youths that mean a lot to me.

“Try to absorb the power of the waves in the water, the smells in the air, as well as the temperature and feel of the wind.  What you perceive is the Krishna factor (God).”

So that, in brief, was my message to them.

May the Source be with you!


10 miles

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2016

Ottawa, Illinois

The Soul is Nomadic

We knew it would be a soaker today; so the weather report revealed.  Indeed, the rain came down quite evenly and consistently as Gopal drove me to the spot from where I left off the day before.

Was I prepared for the wetness?  Well, sort of!  I learned from my walk in Ireland that the dhoti (a monk’s lower garment) is prone to rip when you make a stride while the material is drenched.  It can be embarrassing.  I had little to worry about “being seen” on this Canal Trail, but I could not afford to have any torn clothing to worry about.

The solution?

I’ll go at it with merely my swimming trunks on, have sandals on my feet and an umbrella over my head.  The rain was warm.  Cold was not an issue.  I cautioned Gopal, “Don’t take any photos, please!”

He concurred– and laughed.

There I roamed, down a leafy trail with trees on both sides, thunder and lightning occupying the skies.  Millions of fire-flies lit up the dark, early morning.  I then met with so-called civilization (humans) some hours later, upon entry of a small city called Ottawa.  The rain lulled. I changed back into my robes.  At Washington Park I met Rick Koshko from the local radio station.

He came equipped with umbrella and mic.  The rain poured like crazy, but he asked questions despite.  It was an in-depth interview.  He even caught me saying, “I’m an oddball.  I’m a monk for life.  Somewhere in a previous life I was married and had a family.”  I implied that I got desire (for family, sex) out of my system.

During the interview a representative from “The Times” popped over to get a photo for his story.  He wasn’t about to stay.  The rain came down like Noah had ever seen.

This evening I spoke to a group of Krishna devotees in Naperville.  The theme was “The soul is nomadic.”  It always moves. 

May the Source be with you!

14 miles

Tuesday, June 21st, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Tuesday, June 21st, 2016
Seneca, Illinois

‘Walking Monk’ Makes Stop During Journey Across America

I walked the I&M Canal Trail, and came upon a narrow river to cross.  I fell, slid and landed by the river.  No scrapes or scratches.  I got muddied-up.  My cell was displaced for hours and so was I, displaced from my support person.  Call it a piece of adventure perhaps. 

Mike Mallory put out an article in ‘The Herald News.’ 

JOLIET – Bhaktimarga Swami sat calmly Monday morning as he rested in the grass of Joliet’s West Park with a water bottle at his side.

Known as the “Walking Monk,” Swami covers about 20 miles a day with only a pair of sandals separating his feet from the ground. He’s in the middle of the second leg of his journey from New York City to San Francisco.

“I started walking in Joliet today,” Swami said. “I found out the Illinois & Michigan Canal State Trail is here. That’s a piece of paradise. You see a heron every few minutes.”

Swami hopes to promote a “greener,” healthier lifestyle in America – one that emphasizes strong morals and ethics. Through outreach efforts along his path, he spreads his message.

“My purpose is to make the statement that we need to simplify life,” Swami said. “In many ways this walk reaffirms what we should be doing. Our bodies were made for walking. The question is, are we doing enough of it?”

He began this portion of the trip in May in Pennsylvania and plans to finish in early August in Nebraska. Next year, he will make his way to California.

Swami has walked across Canada four times, and isn’t opposed to battling heat waves and severe weather all summer if it accomplishes his goal. He said it helps develop a sense of austerity.

“Being exposed [to the elements] is part of it,” Swami said. “Every day it’s a new plan. If it’s going to be very hot, I might get on the road at 2 or 3 a.m., or walk in the evening if I have to.”

Swami, 63, also is walking to honor the contributions of his own spiritual teacher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, who arrived 50 years ago in America. At 70 years old, Prabhupada moved from India on the order of his teacher to promote God consciousness, or devotional bhakti yoga, to the English-speaking world.

When not walking, Swami flies to other continents to teach and spread the message. He is an instructor in bhakti, mantra meditation and interactive dance. He’s also scripted and directed dozens of performances based on sacred Hindu texts.

Next, he will travel along the Lake Michigan shoreline with others to a temple in Evanston before heading west to the Great Plains.

A caption of a photo reads: ‘Bhaktimarga Swami a Canadian-born Hare Krishna monk stopped Monday in Joliet on his walk from New York City to San Francisco to promote a strong spiritual foundation.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

Monday, June 20th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Monday, June 20th, 2016

Jolist, Illinois

I got Wet

It seemed a big decision in the beginning.  Should I or shouldn’t I?

I had been walking along a piece of paradise for the first stretch with Uttama, along the Illinois and Michigan Canal State Trail (I&M Trail) and loving it.  We were shielded from the sun.  Trees were lined along the trail.  The Great Blue Heron was ever present.  You never see them in a flock, but every so many meters you can spot a single one in solitude.  It would be perched on old drift wood in the canal.  An egert, also, like a lone yogi, would be there contemplating– on fish.

The canal boasts a rich history.  Dug mostly by Irish settlers, it became a major system of water locks (15 to be exact) that moved boats of cargo such as grain, lumber, coal, limestone, and even people.  Maybe thirty boats a day would ply through, a distance just shy of 70 miles, tethered and towed by a team of mules; until the steamboat was introduced in 1870.

Now the canal has transformed to mainly a still-watered swamp dynamic, teaming with energy of a different kind.  The bull frogs leap and plop into the waters as you walk along.  It’s their defense.

The beautiful aspect of the trail can be explained as a piece of peace – no traffic – only runners, walkers, and cyclists.  And we came upon it like an accident.

Now the question was, should I cool down by taking a dip in the Illinois River next to me?  It looks a lot more inviting than the canal water.  Yes, I will.  And I did.

May the Source be with you!

21 miles

Sunday, June 19th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Sunday, June 19th, 2016

Chicago, Illinois

Retreat Complete

Our retreat was complete in West Virginia, culminating with a crescendo at the final kirtanled by our dear friend Agnidev.  Of course there were the endearing farewells and goodbyes from all organizers and amigos of all kinds, as well as thank-you to God.

Gopal, Uttama, and I were set for a drive to Chicago, to re-convene our US walk.  The time passed by quickly.  My legs had a much needed rest.  But now the heart is craving to be out there on the road again.  Feet are eager too.

Hmmmm!  That phrase, “On the Road Again.”  It is constantly a principle of my life.  It brings to mind a song by the group ‘Canned Heat.’  Willie Nelson popularized the term with his lyrics, but I prefer the blues group ‘Canned Heat,’ with their song– released in 1968.  Oh well!  We chanted ‘Hare Krishna.’

After the eight hour drive and Gopal’s masterful cognizance of routes– evading those where you pay a ridiculously large number of road tolls near Chicago– we made it to Chicago’s Iskcon Centre on Lunt Avenue.  It was a fairly relaxed sleep for me.  The other two were confronted with congested, humid, stuffiness during the night.

It’s mid-June.  Summer solstice is around the corner.  The moon was strong and it will be a ‘hot one’ as one person expressed about the coming day.  It’s all God’s mercy.

May the Source be with you!

2 miles

Friday, June 17th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Friday, June 17th, 2016

Beverley, Ohio

In Beverley, On A Hill

We have left the road and hung walking shoes for the weekend.  Our small crew of three comprised of Gopal, Uttama, and I.  We were off to a promised, eventful alumnus of sorts.  Young followers of bhakti-yoga, a second-generation, are converging at a retreat in the hills of West Virginia.  I don’t have to walk there to be part of it.  Gopal is driving, and on the way we opted for a slight detour to see his mum.

I mildly chastised Gopal for not coming to visit her at least once a month.  Just because you are on a spiritual program doesn’t mean you can’t be grateful.  Of course everyone is busy, but let us all put attention to prioritizing.  Parents are important, especially if there is cultural congeniality.  What then prevents us from being personal?

Gopal’s mum is a gem.  She took this gutted house and put her elbow-grease into it.  She did the walls, ceilings, and floors.  She led us to her garden.  Wow!  If there is anything that makes a person more down-to-earth, it is developing your garden – a fast-growing hobby in America.  Her name is Dayna, a lovable personality.

By mid-day we had arrived at New Vrindavan, the retreat place.  Reconnecting with people, advising, taking advice – all of these activities consumed my day.  To my sadness, I could not even put in a mile.

May the Source be with you!

0 miles

Thursday, June 16th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Thursday, June 16th, 2016
Columbus, Ohio

Three Night Review

The last three evenings have been memorable.  On Tuesday Gopal and I were invited to ‘Krishna House’ located in Chicago, at IIT, where today students of mostly Indian origin crammed into a modest apartment to hear a story from the epic ‘Mahabharat.’  I also detailed some of the pilgrimage experiences.  A question then arose.

“Why are you walking across America?”

“To make America great again!” (I stole that line).

On Wednesday there was an engagement in a home in Calumet City.  Some Mexican fellows came to listen to the basics of eastern thought.  One of them, Donovan, asked, “What is the purpose of life?”

“To learn and to love!”  (An explanation was then given).

Finally, last night we drove to Columbus, to the ISKCON Centre situated near Ohio State University.  There, an eager group that routinely come together on Thursday nights lent their ears to the words of Saint Prahlad.  I was reciting his famous verse, “kaumara acaret…”

“Start spiritual life as early as you can,” is his message, “before you become entangled.”

We are lost but we can be found.  So begin the search and make life worth living.  Someone had also asked when I took to the life of a monk.

“Twenty-three years ago.  I have no regrets.”

May the Source be with you!

0 miles

Tuesday, June 14th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Tuesday, June 14th, 2016

Gary, Indiana

Down A Mulberry Trail

When I see a ripened mulberry tree, which is frequent enough, I do what my siblings and I did throught our orchard summer days.  I pluck at the fruit.  Some of the sweetened morsels stain my kurta(shirt).  Add that to the swirling formations of body-salt coming through from the sweat, and you come up with the copy of a cheap tie-dye job.  Despite all, I manage to, or try to, look neat and fresh on the job.  It’s always the reputation of your guru that’s at stake.  Never act or dress like a slob.

Incidentally, when I left the mulberry tree and beach, residential territory behind, I came closer to Gary, Indiana’s neighbourhoods.  I found it easy to befriend people.  One area, which was particularly socially-challenged, expressed its disposition like this:

I stepped over to a man, who was sitting in front of a barber shop.  We shook hands and I told him I’m walking to San Francisco.  Jim was his name.  I told Jim that this “hood” has a lot of people who walk.

“Hey, man,” says Jim, “when you’re on an overdose you won’t be driving a car.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”  It hearkened a sad laughter.

I also came upon a police officer, a woman, who was parked at a boarded-up, old gas station, which was adjacent to an abandoned shop, at the intersection where a stop light is no longer functional.  I wanted to let her know what I’m doing and why I’m here.  I stood right by her squad car with her in it, forever.  She ignored me and kept at her computer.  I left.  I asked myself, “Is everything dysfunctional?”

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

Monday, June 13th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Monday, June 13th, 2016

Dunes at Lake Michigan, Indiana

Walk, Don’t Run!

There were an array of trails I did sojourn– on the lakeshore of Michigan City, along dunes of some magnitude, then along the Calumet Trail, populated by puddles, and finally a stretch alongside Highway 12.

However, ZIP! Off we go to South Bend, back to Notre Dame University to meet Father Jim Bracke.  Our discussion was both light and grave.  I asked him about Martin Luther, the defected priest.

“That the Ecumenical Council II addressed this and admitted mistakes were made.”

I also asked him about the letter of the law, or going literal on scriptures but not on the spirit.  He confirmed that the spirit was more important.

I was also happy to hear that a men’s movement, of sorts, had arisen among the Catholics, concerning men taking more responsibility.

He had seen our style of beads (japa) before.  I was not there to preach, of course.  What was our team to tell him?  We were there to share, and in that light we offered him a copy of “Bhagavad-Gita As It Is.”

Now on my way to a massage appointment in Chicago, a woman at an intersection where I had crossed stopped her car and asked,

“Hey, honey, do me a favour.  Give me $2.50”

I could not share, because I hadn’t anything on me.

“You see, I’m a monk. I have nothing on me!”

“Really?”  She drove off.

Now Tony, who’s 62, did a good massage.  Once in a while he comes around to the Hare Krishna Temple to wash pots. When clients ask him about the best work-out, he shares a few things as follows:

1)    Walk, don’t run!

2)    Clean the house!

3)    Do some gardening!

4)    Eat veggies and greens

He was elated to work on my cross-country body.

“Ankle bones are perfect. That’s rare!”

And lastly, he remarked, “Your bones are dense, strong. That’s because you’re walking.”

May the Source be with you!

14 miles


Sunday, June 12th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Sunday, June 12th, 2016

Michigan City, Indiana

Hunted

Catching our initial glimpse of Lake Michigan, one of those grandiose great lakes, put an acceleration in our step speed.  Uttama and I had trekked through the last of serene-form country before entering into this– a world of cottages and their big draw– the lake itself.

Going west was our route.  Once we came upon the lake, it was our determination to follow the shoreline as much as possible.  Who wouldn’t?

When navigation was switched over, between Uttama and Gopal, it was Gopal who became my walking companion.  One cyclist told us, “You’ve got the lake’s wind on your back.”  And so it was, a rather breezy, dynamic, and a not-too-hot amigo, in the form of wind, giving us blessings.

Now, before that experience, Gopal and I were puttering around, searching for a safe passage way to a more favourable trail.  While dodging the poison ivy, I noticed a poisonous copperhead snake we were about to accidentally step on.  It was a baby snake, and was conveniently camouflaged by its natural colourings.  Because he was small in size we didn’t take him too seriously, but he did expand his hood in defense, resembling a small cobra.

Personally, I found the whole affair exhausting, so I was pleased to find a “poison ivy free” path to a nicely shaded bike trail that seemed to stretch on for miles– because it did.

May the Source be with you!

18 miles

Saturday, June 11th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Saturday, June 11th, 2016

Elm Valley Road, Michigan

Sketches by Sitting Bull

It was a long haul, back-tracking to Ohio, Toledo to be specific, by mode of van transportation.  It was worth it, as we had a pre-arranged speaking engagement at a healing centre called “Ananya-Kai,”

People were transfixed, if not transported to the world of sacred walking, as I detailed my personal “Tales to Trails.”  There were a number of people who were already affiliated with the technique and tradition of kirtan, which was a component to my presentation.  These were also firm believers in past-life experiences, including a mother who was convinced her young boy was a victim of the Titanic.

Who knows?  Such things are possible!

As I said, it was a long drive there and back, but worth every minute of it.  The trip, however, cut into today’s walking, which amounted to a mere two hours.  We were off to nearby Niles (population 12,000) to see Debra Haight, of the town’s newspaper.  The interview was a few minutes shy of two hours, perhaps a record, and mutually we were enjoying every minute of that query and answer session.  She was very good at digging up background information.

Speaking of the past, in Nile you can stop by their quaint museum.  We heard that some original sketches are permanently on display by Chief Sitting Bull, and we found them awesome.  One of them I will feature on the walking monk instagram.

As written by Ernie LaPointe, about the grand warrior, “Sitting Bull: Tatanka Iyotake was a special person who cared for his people.  He suffered for them in the Sun Dance, fought for their survival, and gave everything he had for them.”

May the Source be with you!

5 miles

Friday, June 17th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Friday, June 17th, 2016

Beverley, Ohio

In Beverley, On A Hill

We have left the road and hung walking shoes for the weekend.  Our small crew of three comprised of Gopal, Uttama, and I.  We were off to a promised, eventful alumnus of sorts.  Young followers of bhakti-yoga, a second-generation, are converging at a retreat in the hills of West Virginia.  I don’t have to walk there to be part of it.  Gopal is driving, and on the way we opted for a slight detour to see his mum.

I mildly chastised Gopal for not coming to visit her at least once a month.  Just because you are on a spiritual program doesn’t mean you can’t be grateful.  Of course everyone is busy, but let us all put attention to prioritizing.  Parents are important, especially if there is cultural congeniality.  What then prevents us from being personal?

Gopal’s mum is a gem.  She took this gutted house and put her elbow-grease into it.  She did the walls, ceilings, and floors.  She led us to her garden.  Wow!  If there is anything that makes a person more down-to-earth, it is developing your garden – a fast-growing hobby in America.  Her name is Dayna, a lovable personality.

By mid-day we had arrived at New Vrindavan, the retreat place.  Reconnecting with people, advising, taking advice – all of these activities consumed my day.  To my sadness, I could not even put in a mile.

May the Source be with you!

0 miles

Thursday, June 16th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Thursday, June 16th, 2016

Columbus, Ohio

Three Night Review

The last three evenings have been memorable.  On Tuesday Gopal and I were invited to ‘Krishna House’ located in Chicago, at IIT, where today students of mostly Indian origin crammed into a modest apartment to hear a story from the epic ‘Mahabharat.’  I also detailed some of the pilgrimage experiences.  A question then arose.

“Why are you walking across America?”

“To make America great again!” (I stole that line).

On Wednesday there was an engagement in a home in Calumet City.  Some Mexican fellows came to listen to the basics of eastern thought.  One of them, Donovan, asked, “What is the purpose of life?”

“To learn and to love!”  (An explanation was then given).

Finally, last night we drove to Columbus, to the ISKCON Centre situated near Ohio State University.  There, an eager group that routinely come together on Thursday nights lent their ears to the words of Saint Prahlad.  I was reciting his famous verse, “kaumara acaret…”

“Start spiritual life as early as you can,” is his message, “before you become entangled.”

We are lost but we can be found.  So begin the search and make life worth living.  Someone had also asked when I took to the life of a monk.

“Twenty-three years ago.  I have no regrets.”

May the Source be with you!

0 miles

Tuesday, June 14th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Tuesday, June 14th, 2016

Gary, Indiana

Down A Mulberry Trail

When I see a ripened mulberry tree, which is frequent enough, I do what my siblings and I did throught our orchard summer days.  I pluck at the fruit.  Some of the sweetened morsels stain my kurta(shirt).  Add that to the swirling formations of body-salt coming through from the sweat, and you come up with the copy of a cheap tie-dye job.  Despite all, I manage to, or try to, look neat and fresh on the job.  It’s always the reputation of your guru that’s at stake.  Never act or dress like a slob.

Incidentally, when I left the mulberry tree and beach, residential territory behind, I came closer to Gary, Indiana’s neighbourhoods.  I found it easy to befriend people.  One area, which was particularly socially-challenged, expressed its disposition like this:

I stepped over to a man, who was sitting in front of a barber shop.  We shook hands and I told him I’m walking to San Francisco.  Jim was his name.  I told Jim that this “hood” has a lot of people who walk.

“Hey, man,” says Jim, “when you’re on an overdose you won’t be driving a car.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.”  It hearkened a sad laughter.

I also came upon a police officer, a woman, who was parked at a boarded-up, old gas station, which was adjacent to an abandoned shop, at the intersection where a stop light is no longer functional.  I wanted to let her know what I’m doing and why I’m here.  I stood right by her squad car with her in it, forever.  She ignored me and kept at her computer.  I left.  I asked myself, “Is everything dysfunctional?”

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

Monday, June 13th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Monday, June 13th, 2016

Dunes at Lake Michigan, Indiana

Walk, Don’t Run!

There were an array of trails I did sojourn– on the lakeshore of Michigan City, along dunes of some magnitude, then along the Calumet Trail, populated by puddles, and finally a stretch alongside Highway 12.

However, ZIP! Off we go to South Bend, back to Notre Dame University to meet Father Jim Bracke.  Our discussion was both light and grave.  I asked him about Martin Luther, the defected priest.

“That the Ecumenical Council II addressed this and admitted mistakes were made.”

I also asked him about the letter of the law, or going literal on scriptures but not on the spirit.  He confirmed that the spirit was more important.

I was also happy to hear that a men’s movement, of sorts, had arisen among the Catholics, concerning men taking more responsibility.

He had seen our style of beads (japa) before.  I was not there to preach, of course.  What was our team to tell him?  We were there to share, and in that light we offered him a copy of “Bhagavad-Gita As It Is.”

Now on my way to a massage appointment in Chicago, a woman at an intersection where I had crossed stopped her car and asked,

“Hey, honey, do me a favour.  Give me $2.50”

I could not share, because I hadn’t anything on me.

“You see, I’m a monk. I have nothing on me!”

“Really?”  She drove off.

Now Tony, who’s 62, did a good massage.  Once in a while he comes around to the Hare Krishna Temple to wash pots. When clients ask him about the best work-out, he shares a few things as follows:

1)    Walk, don’t run!

2)    Clean the house!

3)    Do some gardening!

4)    Eat veggies and greens

He was elated to work on my cross-country body.

“Ankle bones are perfect. That’s rare!”

And lastly, he remarked, “Your bones are dense, strong. That’s because you’re walking.”

May the Source be with you!

14 miles


Sunday, June 12th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Sunday, June 12th, 2016

Michigan City, Indiana

Hunted

Catching our initial glimpse of Lake Michigan, one of those grandiose great lakes, put an acceleration in our step speed.  Uttama and I had trekked through the last of serene-form country before entering into this– a world of cottages and their big draw– the lake itself.

Going west was our route.  Once we came upon the lake, it was our determination to follow the shoreline as much as possible.  Who wouldn’t?

When navigation was switched over, between Uttama and Gopal, it was Gopal who became my walking companion.  One cyclist told us, “You’ve got the lake’s wind on your back.”  And so it was, a rather breezy, dynamic, and a not-too-hot amigo, in the form of wind, giving us blessings.

Now, before that experience, Gopal and I were puttering around, searching for a safe passage way to a more favourable trail.  While dodging the poison ivy, I noticed a poisonous copperhead snake we were about to accidentally step on.  It was a baby snake, and was conveniently camouflaged by its natural colourings.  Because he was small in size we didn’t take him too seriously, but he did expand his hood in defense, resembling a small cobra.

Personally, I found the whole affair exhausting, so I was pleased to find a “poison ivy free” path to a nicely shaded bike trail that seemed to stretch on for miles– because it did.

May the Source be with you!

18 miles

Friday, June 10th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Friday, June 10th, 2016

West of South Bend, Indiana

In Around South Bend

Dave is a teacher from Buchanan, Michigan.  He teaches science in middle school.  We met while he was on his run, and me on my walk.

“Tell me about Hare Krishna.  I remember you guys in the movies at airports.”

“Well, we’re on the road now,” I said jokingly.

Motorists were responding to today’s article in the South Bend Tribune.  Under the heading “Monk Crossing USA on Foot” and sub-heading, “He touts meditative lifestyle by walking.”

The article is by Selena Ponio, and here we have it:

A distance of about 3,000 miles lies between New York City and San Francisco. People tackle this distance daily with planes or cars, but one man’s goal is to savor every mile and meticulously chip away at it by using a different method of transportation — his Crocs.

Bhaktimarga Swami, fondly known as “The Walking Monk,” passed through Mishawaka and South Bend on Thursday on his journey from New York City to San Francisco. Swami is completing this trip over two summers and is currently in its second phase. He walks 20 miles a day, all with the purpose of promoting a more introspective and ecologically friendly lifestyle.

Garnered in bright orange robes, Swami, a Hare Krishna monk, was anything but subtle as he walked west along Jefferson Boulevard, having departed from Elkhart earlier in the day. He said he believes walking solves a multitude of problems related to both physical and mental health and provides vital down-time dedicated to introspection.

“Your appreciation is enhanced and you’re humbled by what you see because you’re going through the elements,” Swami said. “You develop a tougher skin when you’re walking and at the same time your heart softens.”

Born in Ontario, Canada, Swami has walked the entire length of Canada four times. He has also walked through other countries such as Ireland, Trinidad and Israel.

Swami occasionally has a support person with him or followers who join him briefly, but for the most part he walks alone. However, he said, from a spiritual perspective he never feels alone.

Swami said walking is important for its meditative qualities and also to allow time for an individual to reprocess a day’s information. Speaking in front of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame, he related his advice to students, and said that learning should not just be an absorption of information, but a reiteration of it.

“Take a little time for exhalation, and that comes best in the form of walk,” Swami said. “Before you’re put in the world of action, before you lay it all before you … reiterate what you’ve learned.”

May the Source be with you!

21 miles

Thursday, June 9th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Thursday, June 9th, 2016

Mishawaka, Indiana

Johnny, the Mechanic and Others

We met Johnny, the mechanic.  I couldn’t hear what he was saying over the traffic noise.  He was definitely addressing myself so I and Gopal decided to cross the street in order to make things audible.  While working on a vehicle he repeated himself, “That’s an interesting dress you got on!”

“They’re actually robes.  I’m a monk.”

“Oh, yeah!?  Are you on your way to the monastery?”

“Not really,” and then we explained.  He broke away from his work and we shook hands as best as we could through a meshed metal gate.  Uttama was near.  He parked the van and came over with two publications, one of them was “Chant and Be Happy,” he passed them over the fence to Johnny. Elated to receive them, he gave a $20 bill and said, “Get some water with that!”  He chuckled.

At the university campus of Notre Dame we paid a visit to the Basilica if the Sacred Heart.  The interior is awe-inspiring.  There we arranged to meet Selena Ponio of the “South Bend Tribune” for an interview.  She asked for the purpose behind the walk and that opened up to a deeper explanation than we presented to Johnny.  We had the time to do so.

“I’m doing this to encourage introspective walking and, when the opportunity arises, to speak about the secret combat,” the battle within– with the demons inside: lust, anger, and greed.

Gopal and I ventured on for the last leg of today’s trek.  We left the sidewalk to enter a pub, but only to get some fluid– water– and to discharge. Otherwise I have no business being there.  Sure enough, we made friends.  Sitting at the bar was Dave.  He knew the protocol.

“Namaste!”  He said and put together his palms spontaneously.


May the Source be with you!

21 miles

Wednesday, June 8th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Wednesday, June 8th, 2016

Bristol, Indiana

Slow Down!

The theme of the day was like the lines from Simon and Garfunkel’s song which goes, “Slow down, you move too fast.  You’ve got to make the mornin’ last…Hello, lamp-post, whatcha knowin’…”

As Uttama and I approached the area of Bristol we witnessed quite the frenzy and frequency of cars zipping by.  The sudden drench of rain didn’t slow down traffic, nor did it slow me down.  Uttama vied for standing under a tree but I know from experience that you’re better to keep going because that means keeping warm.  Fortunately Gopal came with the van to fetch Uttama.  I stayed on and I witnessed, once again, the fast pace of life.

One man, with that corporate appearance, pulled over and asked if I could share some wisdom.  My response, “We’re human and we’re meant for walking and being spiritual.”

The fellow said, “In this area, where there are the Amish, they insist on a slower pace of life.”  And that is so because in the madness of traffic the Amish of the old order passed by me with horse and buggy.  It is totally accepted by the big truck people and the young guys in Cameros – they slow down.  I might also add, that the Amish ride in style.

Later I met a sweet young woman in her middle-age who was walking, and we converged at the same juncture on highway 120.  She spoke about her philosophy, “I walk every day because I want to be fit to serve the Lord and others.”

“Good girl!” I thought.  She hit it, spot on.  She was going at the speed of 3 miles per hour – my speed.  It is a pace that’s more calm than all the traffic.  Keep singin’ it, Simon and Garfunkel.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016

Howe, Indiana

We Were Proud

We were proud of the fact that Uttama and I, with Gopal’s driving help, were able to kickstart today’s trek before 4 AM.  A chill set in overnight, but that’s what compels one to walk faster.  We moved at a desirable clip.  When there is a cool snap throughout the day, your bodily intake changes.  You get hungry, as opposed to thirsty.

Lightly salted peanuts has always been a favourite snack on these long treks.  They are cheap, delicious, protein-powered, and they make you feel grounded.  If organic – that’s the best.

I share delectable items with those who travel with me.  For lunch it is left-over items – today we had avocado/olive sandwiches.  I gave Uttama my thumbs-up on his creation.  It goes down so well in as much as the spaghetti did at supper-time, prepared by the same chef. 

It is Chandrashekar, 64, my godbrother from the area that gave us a family summer cottage for three days as our rendezvous and rest stop at night.  We relax at this Harrison Lake State Park; read, write, check emails, and take a leg massage.

Massage, stretch, rest, and swim (or shower) are what the legs and feet crave after a full day on the road.  Walking is a rhythmic routine, whose glamour has been obscured by machinery.

Ah, yes, the machinery.  Gopal and I trekked along the 120 and were dwarfed by the irrigation machines.  We might criticize farmers for being too high-tech and letting machines do everything for them, but I see they are not lazy in the least.

Come to think of it, Krishna grew up on a farm.  Life was more simple then.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

Friday, June 10th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Friday, June 10th, 2016

West of South Bend, Indiana

In Around South Bend

Dave is a teacher from Buchanan, Michigan.  He teaches science in middle school.  We met while he was on his run, and me on my walk.

“Tell me about Hare Krishna.  I remember you guys in the movies at airports.”

“Well, we’re on the road now,” I said jokingly.

Motorists were responding to today’s article in the South Bend Tribune.  Under the heading “Monk Crossing USA on Foot” and sub-heading, “He touts meditative lifestyle by walking.”

The article is by Selena Ponio, and here we have it:

A distance of about 3,000 miles lies between New York City and San Francisco. People tackle this distance daily with planes or cars, but one man’s goal is to savor every mile and meticulously chip away at it by using a different method of transportation — his Crocs.

Bhaktimarga Swami, fondly known as “The Walking Monk,” passed through Mishawaka and South Bend on Thursday on his journey from New York City to San Francisco. Swami is completing this trip over two summers and is currently in its second phase. He walks 20 miles a day, all with the purpose of promoting a more introspective and ecologically friendly lifestyle.

Garnered in bright orange robes, Swami, a Hare Krishna monk, was anything but subtle as he walked west along Jefferson Boulevard, having departed from Elkhart earlier in the day. He said he believes walking solves a multitude of problems related to both physical and mental health and provides vital down-time dedicated to introspection.

“Your appreciation is enhanced and you’re humbled by what you see because you’re going through the elements,” Swami said. “You develop a tougher skin when you’re walking and at the same time your heart softens.”

Born in Ontario, Canada, Swami has walked the entire length of Canada four times. He has also walked through other countries such as Ireland, Trinidad and Israel.

Swami occasionally has a support person with him or followers who join him briefly, but for the most part he walks alone. However, he said, from a spiritual perspective he never feels alone.

Swami said walking is important for its meditative qualities and also to allow time for an individual to reprocess a day’s information. Speaking in front of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame, he related his advice to students, and said that learning should not just be an absorption of information, but a reiteration of it.

“Take a little time for exhalation, and that comes best in the form of walk,” Swami said. “Before you’re put in the world of action, before you lay it all before you … reiterate what you’ve learned.”

May the Source be with you!

21 miles

Thursday, June 9th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Thursday, June 9th, 2016

Mishawaka, Indiana

Johnny, the Mechanic and Others

We met Johnny, the mechanic.  I couldn’t hear what he was saying over the traffic noise.  He was definitely addressing myself so I and Gopal decided to cross the street in order to make things audible.  While working on a vehicle he repeated himself, “That’s an interesting dress you got on!”

“They’re actually robes.  I’m a monk.”

“Oh, yeah!?  Are you on your way to the monastery?”

“Not really,” and then we explained.  He broke away from his work and we shook hands as best as we could through a meshed metal gate.  Uttama was near.  He parked the van and came over with two publications, one of them was “Chant and Be Happy,” he passed them over the fence to Johnny. Elated to receive them, he gave a $20 bill and said, “Get some water with that!”  He chuckled.

At the university campus of Notre Dame we paid a visit to the Basilica if the Sacred Heart.  The interior is awe-inspiring.  There we arranged to meet Selena Ponio of the “South Bend Tribune” for an interview.  She asked for the purpose behind the walk and that opened up to a deeper explanation than we presented to Johnny.  We had the time to do so.

“I’m doing this to encourage introspective walking and, when the opportunity arises, to speak about the secret combat,” the battle within– with the demons inside: lust, anger, and greed.

Gopal and I ventured on for the last leg of today’s trek.  We left the sidewalk to enter a pub, but only to get some fluid– water– and to discharge. Otherwise I have no business being there.  Sure enough, we made friends.  Sitting at the bar was Dave.  He knew the protocol.

“Namaste!”  He said and put together his palms spontaneously.


May the Source be with you!

21 miles

Wednesday, June 8th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Wednesday, June 8th, 2016

Bristol, Indiana

Slow Down!

The theme of the day was like the lines from Simon and Garfunkel’s song which goes, “Slow down, you move too fast.  You’ve got to make the mornin’ last…Hello, lamp-post, whatcha knowin’…”

As Uttama and I approached the area of Bristol we witnessed quite the frenzy and frequency of cars zipping by.  The sudden drench of rain didn’t slow down traffic, nor did it slow me down.  Uttama vied for standing under a tree but I know from experience that you’re better to keep going because that means keeping warm.  Fortunately Gopal came with the van to fetch Uttama.  I stayed on and I witnessed, once again, the fast pace of life.

One man, with that corporate appearance, pulled over and asked if I could share some wisdom.  My response, “We’re human and we’re meant for walking and being spiritual.”

The fellow said, “In this area, where there are the Amish, they insist on a slower pace of life.”  And that is so because in the madness of traffic the Amish of the old order passed by me with horse and buggy.  It is totally accepted by the big truck people and the young guys in Cameros – they slow down.  I might also add, that the Amish ride in style.

Later I met a sweet young woman in her middle-age who was walking, and we converged at the same juncture on highway 120.  She spoke about her philosophy, “I walk every day because I want to be fit to serve the Lord and others.”

“Good girl!” I thought.  She hit it, spot on.  She was going at the speed of 3 miles per hour – my speed.  It is a pace that’s more calm than all the traffic.  Keep singin’ it, Simon and Garfunkel.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016

Howe, Indiana

We Were Proud

We were proud of the fact that Uttama and I, with Gopal’s driving help, were able to kickstart today’s trek before 4 AM.  A chill set in overnight, but that’s what compels one to walk faster.  We moved at a desirable clip.  When there is a cool snap throughout the day, your bodily intake changes.  You get hungry, as opposed to thirsty.

Lightly salted peanuts has always been a favourite snack on these long treks.  They are cheap, delicious, protein-powered, and they make you feel grounded.  If organic – that’s the best.

I share delectable items with those who travel with me.  For lunch it is left-over items – today we had avocado/olive sandwiches.  I gave Uttama my thumbs-up on his creation.  It goes down so well in as much as the spaghetti did at supper-time, prepared by the same chef. 

It is Chandrashekar, 64, my godbrother from the area that gave us a family summer cottage for three days as our rendezvous and rest stop at night.  We relax at this Harrison Lake State Park; read, write, check emails, and take a leg massage.

Massage, stretch, rest, and swim (or shower) are what the legs and feet crave after a full day on the road.  Walking is a rhythmic routine, whose glamour has been obscured by machinery.

Ah, yes, the machinery.  Gopal and I trekked along the 120 and were dwarfed by the irrigation machines.  We might criticize farmers for being too high-tech and letting machines do everything for them, but I see they are not lazy in the least.

Come to think of it, Krishna grew up on a farm.  Life was more simple then.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

Wednesday, June 1st, 2016
→ The Walking Monk

Wednesday, June 1st, 2016

Grosse Point, Michigan

Vehicle Switch

While on a patient wait for our navigator/assistant, Gopal, to switch vehicles for the next stretch of our walk, a television interview was arranged for me.  Robert Taylor, host of ‘Out of the Ordinary,’ with MWTV, and co-host, Pamela, wanted to know about the passion for trekking across the US.  Our mics were hooked up with cameras in place.  The sun acted as natural light.  We were seated on wooden stools with back support, looking much as if they were directors’ chairs.  One of the camera men brought an umbrella to shoo away red-winged black birds, they tend to make their shrilling sound.  We were seated in the back yard, on the grassy edge along glorious Lake Sinclair. 

The questions were, “Give us a little background of yourself.”  “How did you enter into monkism?”  “Why the walk across America?”

The grass below us was present, the sun was strong, but tolerable.  I felt like I was actually on the road.  The answers to the questions went along these lines:

“The idea behind doing extensive walking is to make a strong green statement, and also about stepping more into the zone of reality.  20th century humans (now 21st) have had their feet off the ground too long (about 2 feet, actually, when you’re in a moving car).  And perhaps, with the head too much in the clouds, if not in the sand.  It’s time to hug our feet on the ground again, and grasp reality in the form of getting back to good old values, such as God, work, play, family, community, and ultimate freedom.  Let’s clear away the cobwebs from the mind.  There are spiritual solutions to material problems.  Walking and meditating can combat our ills.”

May the Source be with you!

3 miles