Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Tuesday, May 10 th , 2016
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Tuesday, May 10 th , 2016

Moundsville, West Virginia

A Trail for the Future

On the previous day, at review time, I had suggested that the community construct a first class walking trail. Such a trail would be an incentive for introspective trekkers. You could go around armed with japa beads for meditation. You could do it solo or with a group. The trail would be inspirational and take you through valleys and highlands with switchbacks in between. You would be able to admire variant trees and vegetation along rocky slopes as well as the wetlands and creeks. The trail would stimulate adventure and also connect you to sacred spots, such as the major temple, the Palace of Gold, and the upcoming Radha Gopinatha temple. Various loops would comprise this trail, and would measure 2, 4, and 8 miles in length.

It was just a wish, and I believe it would be an attraction. The suggestion was well received.

Today I walked along McCreary’s

Ridge Road

. It simply reminded me with its treacherous nature, its speedy traffic, windy disposition, and no shoulder, that a japa walking trail would be well justified. I was looking at a possible route that could be as far distant from the road as could be.

I’m sure I’m not the first person to dream up such a trail, but I thought “Let’s get the suggestion out there, perhaps one day, such a route could materialize.”

A word of caution for anyone on a trail, this is the month of May, the ticks are in abundance. Even without me hitting the woodsy trail, I managed to have one cling on to me without my knowing. That’s another reason why it’s imperative to bathe at least two times a day if you can. One reason is to wash off, forever, any of those pesky little things that could cause Lime Disease.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Monday, May 9 th , 2-16
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Monday, May 9 th , 2016

Moundsville, West Virginia

Start a Project Today

The president overseeing the spiritual retreat grounds here in New Vrindavan is Jaya Krishna, who hails from Switzerland. He announced to the attendees that today is akshaya dristi, which according to the Vedic calendar is a good day to start a project. Jaya Krishna himself had planned it was the day he was moving his family into a new apartment. I guess he took advantage of the auspicious time.

I was also called into a meeting where a few of us began thoughts which were actually preparations for next year’s Festival of Inspiration, brain storming, or brahmin storming, you might call it. Seeing that Sunday night marked the end of the Festival of Inspiration for 2016, we ended up deliberating or assessing the program that was completed. And so the project for next year is already underway merely by talking about it.

Lastly, I had been rather up-in- the-air about my walking project since my anticipated support person from Florida just didn’t show up. I had mentioned to the Palace of Gold coordinator about my dilemma, and with a keen interest to help, he made a few phone calls, and voila! A new arrangement was in the making. With further assistance of Jaya Krishna, I was introduced to a 32 year old Gopal, who has that outgoing nature. He’s smart and enthusiastic.

“Here’s your new man, and we will provide you with the use of our van,” said Jaya Krishna.

“Bless you, Prabhus (guys).”

I would have Gopal’s assistance for the next 10 days along with the vehicle. At least it’s a good start, and today was the day to pull plans together. We would leave for our destination to begin the first day’s walk  – a walk that would take me across America.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Sunday, May 8 th , 2016
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Sunday, May 8 th , 2016

Moundsville, West Virginia

Walking with the Spirit

There was not sufficient time to trek down to the creek this morning. I asked some locals as to the creek’s name, but I met with the answer, “Just a creek.”

“Okay!”

This morning’s walking allotment of time was shifted to drama practice. The performance went very well; quite appreciated by all. The lodge was the venue for our performance of “KrishnaIs…” The crowd became wet with tears. It was the two scenes of Krishna’s interaction with His gopi friends and His communication with schoolmate, Sudhama, which struck hearts.

With the lapse of time in the day I found I could contemplate for the missing chance to trek a bit. Headed towards Moundsville via the local McCreary’s

Ridge Road

, I was lucky to meet Ananda Vidya, who enjoys the service of milking the community’s six cows. The local teens had gathered in Ananda’s home. One of them came out to greet me. I invited him for a trek.

“You don’t mind walking with a monk, do you?” I asked.

“No.”

“Bring the rest.” So they came. We had a great trek. It ended up being more of an herbal walk, I would identify plants and explain their medicinal properties. The group was quite surprised at the discovery of the green opulence in their neighbourhood. As everyone knows, when you are an adolescent, you may lack appreciation for your surroundings. As expressed by one young woman I met in BC sometime back, about her hometown, “This place sucks.” I was getting the feeling that that’s what these young folks were thinking about their place of habitat. By the time we finished having a candid look at the horticultural quality of the hills of West Virginia, the appreciation for the place went up a few notches for them.

Walking in the spirit of wonder, adventure and gratitude, is like a walk through the spiritual world.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Saturday, May 7 th , 2016
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Saturday, May 7 th , 2016

Moundsville, West Virginia

Point to Consider

I don’t take shorthand – probably should, but I can remember points that are delivered at a conference when strong and good messages filter through my fingers and the pen. I highly revere one of the speakers at the retreat here for his candid and thoughtful presentation. He quoted our guru, Srila Prabhupada, as saying, “Do not be upset with the instrument of your karma.”

In some order I will present to you additional remarks that I was able to capture with my own concocted shorthand. The messages are as follows, some of them being thoughts, and some are stats:

THOUGHTS

1. “Appreciation should be our driving force.”

2. “Service is the heart of everything.” – Sharpe

3. “Service is not a chore.” – Mother Theresa

4. “Find yourself in service to others.” – Gandhi

5. “There are two births – the day we were born and the day we learned why we were born.”

6. “If you are not challenged, you can’t change.”

7. “Are you a contributor or a consumer?”

8. “Humility is the solid foundation of all qualities.”

9. “The body is a PC – a pleasure centre and a pain centre.”

FACTS

10. “There are 108 stitches on a baseball.” (108 being an auspicious Vedic numerical figure.)

11. There is one suicide every 40 seconds globally.

12. 1200 teenagers attempt suicide every day.

Reasons for This Teenage Tragedy

1. Not having a spiritual foundation.

2. Very materialistic lifestyle.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Friday, May 6 th , 2016
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Friday, May 6 th , 2016

Moundsville, West Virginia

When I arrived at this country retreat, a good 600 km from Toronto, I was asked one usual question, “Did you walk here?”

To which I reply, “I wish.”

In truth, I piled into a van with other, what I consider, pilgrims, and made the not so long ride through great countryside. I would think that anyone who makes the endeavour to leave the concrete machine for a little green-time and space is headed for a healing. Here, in New Vrindavan, West Virginia, the healing also has much to do with hearing.

As shastra (scripture) states, “The sacred place has a primary purpose for being a place to learn – to hear.”

To hear about what?

About the Absolute.

Here you can admire the Appalachian world of mountains, trees, and other greenery. And, oh yes, there are those albino deer around here. They are completely white. This is the property site of New Vrindavan, which is an animal cruelty free zone. Deer love it here.

So do the pilgrims who came from Detroit, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and even Canada, like us.

Our group was comprised of four vanloads of the members of our troupe – set for a performance of the drama, “Krishna Is”. We are set for a weekend of practice and fun for our unique presentation to honour Mothers’s Day.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Thursday, May 5 th , 2016
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Thursday, May 5 th , 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Hint of Happiness

I took a delicious walk after which both Jonathan and I enjoyed some nutritious compressed juices.

Yummy!

I also set my eyes on a new book by a friend, Mohan Asthakala, AKA, Hari Mohan. It’s entitled, “The Yoga Zapper.” May I share an excerpt of this excellent read, about the hint of happiness through personal transformation for some American tourists in India?

The casualties littered the road side; huge lorries lay flipped over at depressingly

regular intervals along with broken cars and an occasional dead goat.

At night the traffic became even more hair raising making no concession to darkness,

navigated by fatalistic drivers with no fear of death. The trucks, with 6 or 8 headlights

blazing, their sides painted with fierce female divinities carrying swords and axes,

careened down dusty, country roads at break-neck speed. But the next morning, away

from the large metropolis, came scenes of great beauty; hills garlanded with

shimmering green rice fields, snow-capped mountains reflecting in their blue waters.

In the evenings, they rested in tiny villages where small wiry men of the hills returned

home from fields, their lives following the timeless, primordial cycle of seasons, rains,

and crops. Stopping in these hamlets, we sensed the simplicity of the inhabitants

lives. Despite the poverty of their possessions, they showed little anxiety. Genuine

warmth filled the evenings; villagers shared songs and what little food they had

unhesitatingly. ‘What does it take to be like them’, he wondered, ‘What makes them

happy with what they have?’

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Wednesday, May 4 th , 2016
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Wednesday, May 4 th , 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Some Thoughts

That term we sometimes use, budding artist; came as a reminder from actually seeing the spring buds on my walk this morning. It became relevant in this way. Our evening rehearsal of our drama, ‘Krishna Is…,’ revealed a star to be born.

Vicky is a fairly young guy who is shy on the stage. But with a slight twist of the arm I convinced him to give it a try and he ended up having a good presence there. A budding artist perhaps?

It was at a park that we particularly noticed a lot of bird sounds. It’s inspiring, as the vibrations are awesome – very optimistic. One sound that was a little off-track was that of a woodpecker drilling against a lamp post. It really appeared like he was ‘barking up the wrong tree.’

The above scenario reminded me of how many people put themselves at their own disadvantage, simply by not doing what they ought to. Everyone should be following their natural codes. It’s what we call dharma, but how often do we find the opposite to be true? It is like the idiom of a ‘square peg in a round hole.’

What did concern me most about any oddity or victory of the day was the news of 80,000 residents of Fort McMurray fleeing for their lives. Raging fires are consuming this Canadian city in Alberta. I’m happy to see that our temple in Edmontonis stepping up and doing something to help some of these folks who have had to abandon their homes and jobs.

I feel for them. Hare Krishna!

May the Source be with you!

8 km

 

Tuesday, May 3 rd , 2016
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Tuesday, May 3 rd , 2016
Toronto, Ontario

The Path

I often tell people that they should explore their own city and that if you want to know the land you must walk it.

I then had to think, “Do I know my own turf?”  It surprised me when I came upon the PATH, an underground walkway leading to the world’s largest world of shopping and thruway. It’s seventeen miles of this and it’s called a marvel of subterranean engineering. The reason for this to exist has to do with the quality of soil. The rock floor that gets removed to create the PATH is something called, simply, till.

To me it was quite the discovery and it could be a great break for when the weather becomes icy and messy on a winters day. I do admit a slight claustrophobic feel. The air quality isn’t what you get outside, but I do like the fact that there is no hindrance by automobiles, no street lights and stinky garbage trucks. You can just zip right along on your feet.

Anyway there we were – Jonathan, Durjoy, and myself – breezing through the maze. The only minor hurdles are the push-bar doors that you come upon occasionally. The population of this underground is about the same as above-ground. As soon as we took that escalator to take us to the street level we felt the same density of corporate/shopper pedestrians.

To top off our experience, I met Billy James singing and strumming on guitar. Billy, with a golden voice, I‘ve known for years and now I found him singin’ away in the netherworlds, nay, the underground Path. I asked him for a request, “Please sing George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’ You know, it’s got the chanting in it!”

We had to run/walk. I hope he got to it after we left him.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Monday, May 2 nd , 2016
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Monday, May 2 nd , 2016
Toronto, Ontario

Full Day

It was a full day of service – devotional service. The clock struck at 10 pm and I suddenly realized that I devoted no time to walking. By now I should be asleep, but no, I have yet to walk.

Balaram, who was sitting at the front steps, at his cell phone, noticed me making my way for that important daily mission.

“At this hour?”

“Yes, there was not the opportunity earlier, so now I’m off!”

I went south, towards Queen’s Park where big decisions are made for provincial matters. I paced by the hospital district and by the building where Dr Fleming discovered penicillin. I headed west on Wellesly and then to

Yonge St

, the street that becomes the runway for the three chariot festival every year. On Yonge there is also the Gay Pride Parade, and from Yonge I make my turn onto Bloor – where the St Patrick Parade takes place.

At Yonge & Bloor a woman crossed and offered her pranams upon seeing me. Nods and smiles from pedestrians continued to come my way which to me is an indication that life isn’t totally dissatisfying for people even for a Monday night. I like the fact that I can walk the street in safety and see some signs of life amongst the humans.

There appear to be people prowling, strolling, or pacing with great purpose. Few, I assume carry the pilgrim’s mind. It’s an observation and not a judgement because all the folks out here are actually spirits. They (we) are currently wanderers in the wilderness.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Sunday, May 1st, 2016
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Sunday, May 1st, 2016
Toronto, Ontario

The Beggar Who Wanted More

The beggar, a young man, had his cup in his left hand as he sat on the cold concrete. As I walked by him, his eyes looking upward, I could see a movement of lips, but his voice was muffled. Traffic noise restricted my hearing. I responded with a, “Sorry, I don’t have anything.”

The beggar retorted, “I didn’t ask for anything.” I stopped, and then said, “Well, then, how can I help you?”

“Are you a real monk?” he asked.

“For 43 years.”

“That’s awesome,” he said, “can you tell me about it?”

“Well, I’m committed to a lifestyle of higher consciousness – addressing the needs of the spirit, the soul. Essentially, we are the spirit, we are not this body.”

“What do you do and how do you spend your time?”

“I have a few things on the agenda which includes pilgrimage.”

With curiosity still kindled he inquired, “Can you explain about that, and what do you get out of it?”

I conveyed it involves walking, meeting people, getting very much in touch with the elements and getting in touch with yourself. “You begin to see in these travels that sacredness is behind everything. Where are you from?” I asked.

“Everywhere.”

“I mean, where were you born and raised?”

He said, “Lindsay.”

“Your name?”

“Darcy.”

“Darcy, please chant this mantra (I gave him a card with the mantra). Come over some time to our ashram. We can have a great meal together.”

“I’d like that.”

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Friday, April 30th, 2016
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Friday, April 30th, 2016

Bracebridge, Ontario

25 Years of Together

It was when I was a young teen, one Saturday afternoon, while I was sharing the washroom with my dad. He was shaving and I was taking my bath in the tub. A conversation began that he started. I don’t recall all of the contents, but I do remember how he said, “Don’t get married, John,” (referring to me).

He did not give an explanation to the remark as to why, when I grew to maturity, that this would be my best course. I did not respond. I do remember internally, however, being somewhat surprised by what seemed like an ‘out of the blue’ comment. Somehow I accepted the advice and responded within with an, “Alright.”

The above small tale of truths I conveyed to a wedding anniversary crowd. The lucky and happy couple of 25 years of togetherness is comprised of Rajasuya and Surabhi. Their two sons, whom I addressed in the crowd as princess due to their spiffy attire, were also there engaged in the celebration. The anniversary included a renewing of vows.

So, here we are – a couple of the tightly-bound kind juxtaposed against a lifelong monk, but we work well together. Rajasuya does my secretarial work, shared by a dedicated person from Vancouver, Nitai Priya by name. Surabhi helps me with donations in the matter of keeping expenditure receipts together. In this way we are serving together in the mission that promotes higher consciousness.

May the Source be with you!

12 km

Friday, April 29th, 2016
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Friday, April 29th, 2016

Norwood, Ontario

Two Bulls and Two Angels

Jonathan and I were strolling. A man and his dog went out of their way to catch up to us, pursue us might be a better phrase, out of curiosity.

“What sect do you belong to?” asked the man.

“Hare Krishna.”

“Oh, yes, I was in India, in Varnasi, last year.”

“That’s one of the few places I’ve missed on my travels there.”

The middle aged man continued, “The first day I got there, I shook my head and said, ‘Boy, oh boy, what a mess this place is.’ But on the 5th day there, I was enchanted. I don’t know, there’s something about India that’s magical.”

And that’s still the attitude that most visitors have about the land of Bharat(India).

Jonathan and I had been in the ravine when we had the brief encounter with the man who visited India, but it was our visit today to the Norwood Hastings area that took us to India. There, along the Trent River, an hour and a half from the city, is Govardhan Farms, a 50 acres haven of grass, hills, a house, and a newly born set of bulls sweet like anything. Their names are Gopinath and Ananta.

What gives the place the spiritual magical feel is not just the Sanskrit names and the peaceful atmosphere, but the presence of a set of twins, two little angels, and for the love of me, I just can’t remember their names. I know that this forgetfulness is merely a display of ignorance, but the proud parents are Fil and Sukhayanti. You can catch a photo of the two little darlings whose names I can’t remember on Instagram, ‘thewalkingmonk’.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Thursday, April 28 th , 2016
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Thursday, April 28 th , 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Forces of Nature

Today’s hike was in a different ravine from yesterday’s. The creek, at its base, goes underground at one point beneath Mount PleasantCemetery. During my last venture here, and comparing it to today, I am clearly reminded that nature shifts big time, meaning the water within the creek desires to change course. It’s not as drastic as the erosion that I’ve seen by the Ganges water in India, but it’s noticeable enough.

This just reveals to me the forces of nature and how powerful they can be. Man’s attempt to check a deliberate whim of a tiny rivulet such as this one doesn’t always work. Fair sized boulders have been laid out to make the creek behave, and planted trees of various sorts have their roots planted trying to keep soil in place. But here again, it’s not going to be a cent percent job. I can’t help but refer to a line from the Gita where Krishna says,

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā

(Material energy is very forceful. It is Divine, and it is an emanation from the Divine).

“Keep that in mind,” I have to convince myself. The winds of nature can change in any direction, and at any moment. Be fully aware of its ever altering ways. We also seem to swing from moments of joy to moments of melancholy and back again. That is the pattern set by the Creator, and there’s often times so little you can do about it. It’s almost futile, like trying to stop death itself.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016
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Wednesday, April 27th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Two Talking

Jonathan has been living in Edmontonand recently spent some quality time at our ashram in Montreal, for some training in devotional life. He is now slowly making his way back to Edmonton as a more experienced man after having lived like a monk. His stopover in Torontois for seeing family and a chance to see our humble self. He agreed to join me on a trek down the ravine – a mere 7 kms after his 5 hour bike ride from Kexwick.

I was impressed with his physical output.

As we pulled along we talked much about food and healthy eating. He recently just came off a master cleanser, a popular fast. And so, our parlance was rather typical of what you would expect from anti-pesticidal, anti-genetically modified food fans.

Let’s agree that the quality of food today leaves much to be desired. Considering we live in the age of Kali (age of deceit), we can expect imperfections, and we shouldn’t harbour on food forever, so let’s get beyond that.

Let’s talk of sadhana, spiritual things, mantras and such which serve to liberate. After all, a conversation needs balance. Jonathan was happy to oblige me. The trek through the raving went speedily, or so it seemed, because our talk was very engaging.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Tuesday, April 26 th , 2016
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Tuesday, April 26 th , 2016

Calgary/Toronto

The Experts Were All Wrong

Once in a while I’m compelled to insert an article from a good old fashioned newspaper such as The Globe and Mail, especially when it has relevance to our lifestyle, and when it takes you home. The excerpt has to do with food, and food has much to do with walking, and vice versa. The article is called, “Pass the Butter, the Experts Were All Wrong” subtitle – “For Decades We’ve Been Told a Healthy Diet is a Low Fat Diet – Not So, Research Shows” by author Margaret Wente:

“When I was a kid the milkman came right to our back door. He brought us white glass bottles of rich whole milk, and thick sweet cream… That was in the 1950s. Nobody was fat, except for one lone girl at school who everybody picked on. Most kids ate like horses and were as skinny as rakes…

Then experts came along and declared that all that fat was killing us. Whole milk was banished from children’s diets so they would not develop clogged arteries and heart disease in later life…

The results were not what they had hoped. Obesity rates soared but heart disease did not subside. The biggest villain of modern diet isn’t fat, it’s sugar and carbohydrates…

There is the investigative work of journalist Mina Teicholz (author of ‘That Big Fat Surprise’ who is persona non grata among the nutrition establishment), but the establishment is still deeply embedded in the status quo. Reputations and careers are at stake; plenty of leading doctors have diet empires of their own… “

Food for deep thought – thought on how we get duped.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Monday, April 25th, 2016
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Monday, April 25th, 2016
Calgary, Alberta

Two Guys and the Worms

On the Greenway Trail we did tread, but in some spots it was more like a hop. With fresh spring rain that had come, earthworms were appearing out of their hiding; they tried their very best to make the crossing over the pavement. They just don’t always make it across, however. The obstruction for them is human trampling. I don’t believe it’s totally intentional for us to squish these guys, they are a little hard to spot as they crawl along at snail’s pace. One might be careful not to accidentally split one in half. Contrary to popular belief, when a worm is cut, the two parts don’t necessarily continue on living as two worms, only one part survives. In any event, Gaura Chandra, Radha Madhava, and I, were prudent and danced around the humble creatures.

It was day number two for speaking at RMCA in the Bridgetown area. There I met Griffin, who is from Austin, Texas. He uses his feet, since he is a runner, and he is making his way to Vancouver (not by running) to participate in a marathon run when he reaches his destination. I was impressed to see him with a bead bag containing his meditation beads. Chanting and running are important to him.

After our morning walk, I also had the pleasure to meet Curtis, a local chap, a yoga student, an athlete. We met at Gaura Chandra’s home. This guy is quite sattvic, thoughtful, polite – rare in today’s world. Curtis is a bare-footer, he gets around with his feet in the raw. I caught a glimpse of his soles, they looked pretty red and healthy. Curtis really enjoyed the kirtan we had in the living room.

To Griffin, Curtis, and the earthworms, I wish you the very best.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Sunday, April 24th, 2016
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Sunday, April 24th, 2016
Edmonton/Calgary

Everything Connecting

The steps to the house lead to the front yard footpath which lead to the sidewalk, which lead to an endless lane, which lead to a trail in a park, which lead to a gravel pathway, which lead to a winding forested dirt trail, which lead to a road crossing, which lead to a paved trail, and which ended up at the school yard.

All this ‘new’ territory for me in RutherfordHeightsbecame a small wonder which became almost the same wonder as I reversed direction in order to get back where I came from. The big illusion of the discovery is that the mind tries to convince you that you found it all. In reality, city planners had it pegged out before you even knew these city walkways were manifesting.

I guess it’s a little like some of our ancestors discovered the new land, North America. Europeans declared, “We discovered it,” but people were already residing there. And before those First Nations resided there and made, perhaps, some unofficial declaration, the Creator knew all about everything, even before a worn trail was to come into existence, about every mountain and valley, and how they would change over time through nature’s evolving and eroding ways.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Saturday, April 23rd, 2016
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Saturday, April 23rd, 2016
Edmonton, Alberta

A Day for Chapattis

Bala, Anish, Venkat, and I took to the WhiteMudPark trail. When I entered, I knew I had been here before, a giveaway was those familiar chickadees that flit through the spruces and hang around even in the winter. Like any other creature in the woods, they try to cash-in on a good meal.

Those cute feathered objects, creatures of the Prime Entity, Krishna, were out on their version of a scavenger hunt. You can play along with the game, just provide some bird edibles and hold them in the palm of your hand. We tried small stones and placed them in that palm suspended in the air. One feathered fellow used my hand as the landing base, inspected the goods, but was not interested. He flew off.

Fortunately, Anish brought a bag of broken off chapattis, some raw rice, and millet, thinking that some of the animals out in the forest would be interested, animals such as squirrels and birds. We found that we didn’t score well with rice, nor the millet. The chapatti material, which is prasad (consecrated food) broken into small bits did attract the chickadees. Their able pointed beak would grasp them with ease. They would take off to a nearby branch, perch there, and gobble up the flatbread crumbles.

The little guys were very happy.

Bala, in particular, worked really hard that day in the food department, especially in its preparation. By evening time he had cooked up a large batch of chole, chickpeas in sauce, rice, halava, chapattis (this time not crumbled up). A salad was also added, all prepared for the group at the event, Spirit Matters.

Yes, we all indulged in food and in mantra. In many ways we were like the chickadees.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Friday, April 22nd, 2016
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Friday, April 22nd, 2016
Edmonton, Alberta

Burn Sage and Sweet Grass

I received from Marquis or North Ontario, a letter of a send-off nature for the kick-start of the coming journey across the US from New Yorkto San Francisco. Likely, the trek will start on May the 10th or 11th of this year at TompkinsSquarePark. It will be made official within the next few days. It will be a walk to commemorate 50 years of the Joy of Devotion. Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, came to America from India in ’65, and then registered the International Society for Krishna Consciousness a year later in New York City.

I’m seeking blessings from all the readers to make this hike a successful one. Doubts emerge from time to time. Please pray that my legs will hold out okay. As I trekked with a friend, Bala, today in a nearby park, I felt some strain on an ascending trail. So Marquis, a true friend from First Nations, and a walker himself, wrote:

“Enjoy your walk, and don’t party too much in New York!

Will definitely say a prayer and burn some sage and sweet-grass for you! Good luck, and may the universe look over and give good grace on this journey, as I’m sure it always is.

Sincerely,

Marquis.”

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Thursday, April 21st, 2016
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Thursday, April 21st, 2016
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Purple Gaze

The colour purple suddenly flashed into people’s faces.  Popular musician, Prince, passed away and, as far as I know, his fans affiliate him with that hue.  I confess that I’m fairly ignorant of the pop star for two reasons.  Number one, he’s after my time.  I joined the renounced order at age 20 in 1973.  As far as I know, Prince was unknown at the time.  Secondly, as a monk you just don’t go and pursue that genre of music or stage performance.

Bless his soul, though.

It was just interesting, and likely not a coincidence, that one of our guests at a home program tonight was all in purple.  It was not intentional for this person whom I met once before, goes by the name of Purpley Pauline.  She regularly dons herself in this colour– that’s just her.  At the home of Visvambara and Mahasundari, a small group of us were discussing the story of Prince Dhruva, which is really a story about determination.  Purpley Paulina was really enjoying it.

I can see that Paulina is a determined person with her shades of purple, including her hair, hat, and lipstick.  She was very consistent in this.  I just didn’t peer in detail at the rest.  I could appreciate her listening skills, her willingness to sing along with us, and her relishing the simple pasta that we had on hand as our meal.

When chanting with Purpley Paulina, I did not bother to ask her about her preference of colour.  We stuck to the issue of Krishna Consciousness, and the need to paint our life with the various colours of the rainbow, the full spectrum of the various ways to serve the self (the soul) to service in Krishna.

May the Source be with you!

5 km