Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Wednesday, November 11th, 2015
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Wednesday, November 11th, 2015
Brooklyn, New York

Now That The Walk’s Done

Well, our walk through a portion of the US northeast is now complete but the activity of trekking will not cease.  Like so many tourists who come to New York, walking over one of the multiple bridges is a must do.  I imagine the Brooklyn Bridge is a popular one and so our core group left Manhattan for Brooklyn via that causeway over the water.

We made our way to Schermerhorn Street where the temple of Radha Govinda is located.  There, darshan, or the viewing of the gorgeous deities, blesses the eyes and in the basement, you can secure a marvelous meal with a veggie nut loaf as one of the main features.

I had asked the boys who travelled with me for some or more of the 950 mile walk to make some comment about it.

Jake was with us for the last day.

Jake:  “While I was walking and focusing on the mantra, I was caring less about some of the physical pain I was going through.  The mantra has power.”

Mandala was with us for the last 2 ½ weeks.
Mandala:  “The walking really helped me to cultivate determination.”

Vivasvan was with me the whole time as my driving support person. He did a lot of walking as well.

Vivasvan:  “It was a life changing experience.  It makes you re-evaluate how you see things and brings you closer to people and nature.  I found out things about myself that didn’t reveal themselves to me before.  Overall, the walk was better than skydiving.”
The final cap that we put on the day was to honour Diwali, the Festival of Lights, at the Iskcon Towaco Center.  There, I spoke about Rama and the epic nature of His story.  Rama spent many steps trudging through the forests of India.

May the Source be with you!
4 miles / 7 km

Wednesday, November 11th, 2015
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Wednesday, November 11th, 2015

Brooklyn, New York

Now That The Walk’s Done

Well, our walk through a portion of the US northeast is now complete but the activity of trekking will not cease. Like so many tourists who come to New York, walking over one of the multiple bridges is a must do. I imagine the Brooklyn Bridge is a popular one and so our core group left Manhattan for Brooklyn via that causeway over the water.

We made our way to Schermerhorn Street where the temple of Radha Govinda is located. There, darshan, or the viewing of the gorgeous deities, blesses the eyes and in the basement, you can secure a marvelous meal with a veggie nut loaf as one of the main features.

I had asked the boys who travelled with me for some or more of the 950 mile walk to make some comment about it.

Jake was with us for the last day.

Jake: “While I was walking and focusing on the mantra, I was caring less about some of the physical pain I was going through. The mantra has power.”

Mandala was with us for the last 2 ½ weeks.

Mandala: “The walking really helped me to cultivate determination.”

Vivasvan was with me the whole time as my driving support person. He did a lot of walking as well.

Vivasvan: “It was a life changing experience. It makes you re-evaluate how you see things and brings you closer to people and nature. I found out things about myself that didn’t reveal themselves to me before. Overall, the walk was better than skydiving.”

The final cap that we put on the day was to honour Diwali, the Festival of Lights, at the Iskcon Towaco Center. There, I spoke about Rama and the epic nature of His story. Rama spent many steps trudging through the forests of India.

May the Source be with you!

4 miles / 7 km

Tuesday, November 10th, 2015
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2015
Manhattan, New York
The Finish Line…The Tree
We had yet to complete New Jersey before hopping on to a ferry for Manhattan, taking us towards our final destination for this walk.
Two more players entered our trekking arena; a local person, Bhakta Avatara, and Jake from Michigan.  Seven of us took boldly to the streets despite it being overcast with light rain.  Through Newark downtown we went.  And then we came upon bridges with walkways – rarely used. They take you over the river before reaching Jersey City.  Before we came to the posh and clean waterfront with new high-rises, we traveled through areas of human embarrassment – trash, rejected objects of food, coffee containers… We walked by a massive auto grave yard catching a glimpse of the symptoms of Kali Yuga, the age of forgotten values.
In Manhattan, the world of cultural power catches the attention.  We came upon an extraordinary memorial in honour of Irish settlers who took the long journey to the US in response to devastating famine.  Not far from there, just two blocks away, we observed another monument.  This one was to honour the departed souls of 9/11.  It was a huge square-ish run of water trailing down a dark deep well.  Very impactful.
Another one of those tiny miracles occurred when I was stopped in the street by another friend, Sudha Jiva.  He came at the point when the rain came more profusely.  Conveniently, we took shelter of his vehicle nearby where we could talk.
“Much work needs to be done”, we both concluded in regard to promoting spiritual renaissance, one that encourages us back to the land and simple living.
A kirtan chanting party was set for our last leg of the 950-mile walk in honour of our teachers (and specifically our guru Srila Prabhupada).  It began at Union Square and proceeded to Tompkins Square Park to its central point, the elm tree.  It was under this tree that our divine teacher inspired his first followers to engage in the prime function for the people of this age – celebration of sacred sound.  There was a small gathering that came to honour our humble event of walking from Boston to Butler and to New York.  I’m grateful that Abhiram, my spiritual friend, came to join us.  Not all of us hugged that very special tree but we all circumambulated it offering it the reverence and credit that it deserves.
I had the good fortune to speak about the glories of bhakti-yoga and our recent walk to a gathering at the nearby Bhakti Center.  I hope that I successfully took them out to the trail in an imaginary way through the woods and along the crazy highways to capture even for a moment the glory of introspective walking.
Although this walk is now completed, I will continue with more trekking and we’ll update you with more tales. Thank you all for following us.
May the Source be with you!
17 miles / 27 km

Monday, November 9th, 2015
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Monday, November 9th, 2015
Newark, New Jersey
Another One
A new pilgrim came on board today.  Esa is a 24-year-old guy from Chile and is an employee of Govinda’s veggie restaurant.  Here we have another real trooper.  He was the first one to rise and he also kept steady for the entire 24-mile trek on foot.
We all felt a rush of excitement as it is one of the last two days on this 950-mile journey of introspective walking.  It’s almost too hard to believe that this project is coming to an end.  The nature of trekking each day is that you just carry on without cessation.  Fortunately or not, we have to turn our attention to other devotional commitments and issues before dreaming and planning for the next circle.
The four of us trekked through Morristown, Madison, Chatham, and a whole string of boroughs and towns.  In Newark, our expectation to meet more pedestrians became a reality.  
I met Miss Kat.  “That is, with a K”, as she put it.  
She is a very outgoing type of person. 
“I’ve never met a monk before.  I have only seen them in the movies”, she said.
I also met a large-framed man.  When I asked him how he was doing, he expressed how he was happy to have a bed and home.  This is taken for granted by most of us, to have a home, shelter, food, family, and safety.
The little miracle of the day came when our small group came to a junction on Road 16.  We left the town of Madison going east-bound until we came to a complex roadway system.  We were uncertain how to move forward.  We sat against the ramp when suddenly I saw my dear friend, who I know from Canada, drive up.
He rolled down his car window, “What are you doing here Maharaj?”
Nilamani, who used to live in Toronto, was on his way back from work when he spotted us.  The funny thing is that he was on my mind all morning.  I knew that he lived somewhere in New Jersey now but I was uncertain where exactly.  As I mentioned before, walking on the road attracts a lot of attention and causes surprising interactions.
“Come to our house and have a break”, Nilamani said.
And we obliged.
In the evening we went to chant at Union Square in Manhattan.  It was outstanding to see how many people came forward to offer a small light to the image of Krishna and His mother, Yasoda, which was placed upon a small table, after being welcomed to do so as we chanted away.
May the Source be with you!
24 miles/ 39 km

Sunday, November 8th, 2015
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Sunday, November 8th, 2015
Washington Township, New Jersey
Something New
We were going along the trail off Road 513 when Tre’von, Mandala and I saw a couple dozen folks coming our way in the opposite lane of the road.  It was clear to us that they were one group.  Were they protesting?  As they came close to us, we could see that each of them, the participants, had some meditative beads in their hands.  In many ways they resembled us.
It was my monk’s instinct to talk to a male person near the end.  The female participants initially appeared a bit militant or at least reserved.  I admit, it surprised me to see so many pedestrians at the same time.
The team that was sharing the road with us was a catholic group from a local parish.  We started talking and exchanging our values.  I was glad to hear one of the persons say, “We all believe in the same God”.
The experience was so novel.  Never in my years of marathon walking did I randomly encounter a group of people in prayer or meditation, walking!  In India it is quite common to see folks on pilgrimage walking around Govardhan Hill or people on the route to famous Tirupati, and, of course,  walkers on the famous Camino in Spain.  You would expect pilgrims in these places but here in New Jersey?  It was fascinating to see.  I guess you could say that our two groups, the catholic group with the rosaries and we devotees of Lord Krishna with our japa beads, were inspiring each other.
After a sunny morning and an early afternoon of walking, which included trekking over brittle leaves through the woods, our crew drove to Philadelphia to the ISKCON center where I spoke about transcendence from the Bhagavad Gita, verse 14.26.
Let’s get genuinely transcendental.
May the Source be with you!
22 miles / 35 km

Saturday, November 7th, 2015
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Saturday, November 7th, 2015
Mansfield, New Jersey
New State
Yes, we moved to a new state this morning – New Jersey – after crossing the Delaware River at Easton.  From there, our route was on highway 52 and then 57.  Counting today, there are only four days ahead of us before coming to the finish line at Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan.  It will be something worth rejoicing for.
3:00 pm was the cut-off time for departing to the Big Apple (New York City), specifically 26 Second Avenue, the location of the first formal spiritual gathering held by Srila Prabhupada, our guru, in 1965, 50 years ago.  In many ways, the room at this address has not altered since that time.  At 5:30 pm people were trickling in during my lead on the kirtan.  An intro was presented by Atma Nivedan, a community member in this place.  The verse of the Bhagavad Gita that I was speaking from was 10.8.  In this text, it is expressed that a sincere seeker of the truth realizes the power of the Divine and responds by rendering service.  Yes, it is service to Krishna, who is within all of us, from where the perfection of life begins.
It was a fine list of questions that people came up with after the talk.  After a rich devotional meal, our crew made our way around the corner to the Bhakti Center where we were catching the last minutes of the Govardhan puja festival.  What are you supposed to do when eating at two places, one after the other, relishing such good food?
Going to and fro through New York by vehicle can be a challenge.  NYC is a somewhat foreign place to us all and we ended up there very late at night because of the events.  Our final destination for our accommodation was in central New Jersey at the home of Virat and Purva.  I took my final shower before retiring for the day and discovered a tick in my left shoulder. How did that come about?  Are those little things still active in November?  Tre’von and I had taken a snooze on the grass between some blue spruces and that is likely where the little fellow took on.  All and all, we had a great day. Krishna is kind.
May the Source be with you!
22 miles / 35 km

Friday, November 6th, 2015
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Friday, November 6th, 2015
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Surprises at Sizes
Hosting our team is Dhir Krishna.  He’s originally from North India and is now residing in Reading, Pennsylvania.  He and his family opened their house to us for a good night’s sleep, prasadam meals, and a program the previous night of chants and discussions from the Bhagavad Gita.  We spoke from chapter 10, text 11, about the power behind instinctiveness. 
Well received!
There’s a general power behind the instinct, intuition, creativity, inspiration, and so on.  The Gita addresses this and gives credit to the paramatma. 
Please explore.
Now for the walking.  Our team was surprised at the size of Allentown and it’s twin town, Bethlehem.  There’s people in these places.  One young Afro-American chap was curious when he cast eyes on my robes. 
“A religion or something?” he asked. 
“A spiritual tradition with roots from India.  I’m walking a 900 mile plus trek to represent the tradition, one that promotes peace and simplicity.” 
Another Afro-American dude pulled over from driving.  “Hey, I saw your aura and I had to stop and ask…”  He described himself as a director of films.  He wanted to take a picture.  When he came out of the car, his size and height were revealed.  He could have easily passed for a champ basketball player.
At Overlook Park, Chaz, from News 69 TV, came over for an interview.  This guy was a pro at what he was doing.  He could practically do acrobatics with his camera.  It was inspiring to see this.  I was pretty stiff at the time.  The interview was broadcast on TV on the 6 PM news.  Let’s see how motorists react to the broadcast tomorrow about a Hare Krishna monk who is doing some walking to the extreme.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 34 km

Thursday, November 5th, 2015
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Thursday, November 5th, 2015
Fogelsville, Pennsylvania
Lucky?
Recently I’ve been lucky if you can consider luck as a principle of reality.  Or, let’s say I was a recipient of kindness in the form of new pairs of shoes.  A box was sent from Florida by Ananta Sesa, a financialist.  The contents of the box were a pair of Keen shoes which are sturdy and airy.  We also managed to pick up a package that came from Pittsburgh.  Our dear friends Nitya Dita and Siksastaka delivered a pair of Oofos shoes which are light, soft, and bouncy.  Along with my current sandals (complements from an admirer in Spain), I can now interchange between varieties of footwear and make the ends of my two lower limbs happy.
While trekking Old Route 22, right next to Interstate 81, I received a good response from the motorists.  A man named Lance pulled over on the road right next to a pond where a pair of celestial-like swans were gliding.
He said, “My fiancée saw you passing by our home so I’m here to find out about you”.
We chatted.
I received a ride offer from Rob who was coming back from his work.  Of course, I declined.

Another young guy who was working on the road side and kicking fallen leaves from the sycamore tree was picking up traffic cones when he saw me.  I then introduced myself as a person sometimes referred to as a ‘moving traffic cone’.  He then remarked, “Ah, the colour! The colour you are wearing…”.  We laughed and chatted.
And near the Old 22 was a highway where a road construction crew was busy at work.  Some of those workers started moving traffic cones and gave hand waves and nods of approval for me to pass.  Wait a minute, did I say construction crew? Let me rephrase, it was more like a group of cheerleaders.
Andrew from TV 69 came to interview me as I was ambling alone on the last mile.  It was a day when you couldn’t feel neglected.
May the Source be with you!
22 miles / 36 km

Wednesday, November 4th, 2015
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Wednesday, November 4th, 2015
Strausstown, Pennsylvania
It Looked Like
It looked like a scene from ‘Gone with the Wind’.  There was a scarlet-red sky on the sunrise as we were walking on the road.  We approached a hill so the intensity of redness was half concealed. Tre’von was the first one to hear the sound of a horse’s gallop on the asphalt.  He, Mandala and I saw, as we ascended the hill, an actual horse, a carriage, and a passenger, an Amish man in a broad sunhat spurting just before us in rapid motion.  The horse reacted swinishly, surprised by our sudden presence.  We observed a magical silhouette with the passenger pulling the reins.  It was like Rhett Butler controlling an excited horse with flames and blaze in the background.  Wow!
There were numerous interactions with people since the weather was so conducive.  We met one mild-mannered man by the side of the road who was tending to his crop of white cedar.  We went into conversation.  The first topic was about young trees, then about the walking mission, and then about monks.
“Do monks believe in Jesus?”
“Yes, most definitely”.  (He lived like one).
“Do monks believe he is the son of God?”
“Yes.  God is the father so that makes Jesus the son”.
“But, for salvation, you need Jesus”.
“That principle we accept. You can’t receive salvation on your own. We need help”.
From here I dared not to get into further communication where one can be sure of a one-way scenario.  So it was time to wish this man well with his tree nursery.  I had to move on.
A glorious end to the day was at Gita Nagari Yoga Farm where I presented to the local folks who we met along the way for the last four days.  
This is the fruit of our endeavour.  Humans should come together to hear and discuss something spiritual, to chant, to eat and to leave for home with an enhanced richness and with books and beads in their hands.  
May the Source be with you!
24 miles / 39 km

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015
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Tuesday, November 3rd, 2015
Jonestown, Pennsylvania
Teacher on the Road
From Herr Street and 17th Avenue in Harrisburg, I moved to Walnut Street, then to Highway 22, and finally along Jonestown Road to the town under that actual name.  The trip began the way I like it, nice and early at 4.30 am.  I went along some retail streets with stores and plazas and finally reached the countryside.  At one point I was reminded of the power of chanting from a signage in front of a Christian church.  There was a quote from the Book of Romans: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
“Ok!” I thought, “I’m walking and chanting and not just walking”.
The sun came on strong and the temperature rose to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, unusual for early November.  I’m not complaining.  The light frost that had occurred on some of the days in October turned the leaves to a maroon hue and left them brittle to the point that the rustling sound was very pronounced when an entity, mainly a creature of fur, moved across them.  No quiet way for sneaking around.
My walking crew joined me eventually.  Vivasvan drove Tre’von and Mandala to the spot from where I walked to Swarata Creek.  I caught a nap there before forging ahead for the last trekking of the day to the east side of Jonestown.  
Tre’von is taking my lessons on Sanskrit songs and so I guess I could say I’m a teacher on the road.
May the Source be with you!
25 miles / 40 km

Monday, November 2nd, 2015
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Monday, November 2nd, 2015
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
I Met Ben
I met Ben, a cyclist who worked for TESCORP in Zambia.  He stopped cycling for a bit just to talk to me.  He was curious about my clothes and, interestingly enough, he was familiar with the Bhagavad Gita, the most widely read philosophical classical text from India.
I was also fortunate to meet Charles at the West Susquehanna River.  He was also nice  Kind of a relic of a hippie, I would say.  He had read the book, ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ and was very much impressed.
“It was insightful”, he said.
But he expressed some disagreement with the worship aspect of the yoga culture.  He also said that he was not entirely excited about the worship practices of the local Buddhists in town.  He also denied the personality of God and simply wanted to settle with the universe.
“So you appreciate the universe, right?” I asked.
He agreed.
“Just appreciation alone is a form of worship in the mind.  It doesn’t require any special instrument to make use of it,” I expressed.
Charles certainly affirmed that he was an admirer of George Harrison and his music. We parted on great terms.
Two women, both with the same name, Christie, pulled over.  They recognized us from reading the article in the ‘Altoona Mirror’.  They were thrilled.
Amanda from the Patriot News came to meet us and take some photos on the bridge over the Susquehanna.  She was very creative with her camera and she was a beautiful and inquisitive person.
Lunch was at Nam Dev’s, a prominent member of our community in Harrisburg.  There, I met two of his employees who have become quite intrigued with the bhakti (devotional) approach to life.
Tre’von was a real hero.  He stuck by me practically every step of the way.  The temperature reached over the 60 degree Fahrenheit mark.  We both acknowledged that the power from above, Krishna, was with us, giving us His mercy on the walk.
May the Source be with you!
24 miles / 38 km

Sunday, November 1st, 2015
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Sunday, November 1st, 2015
Alinda, Pennsylvania  
Pain and Pleasure
Our walking party of three did more like sneaking along the highway.  It wasn’t exactly like riding on the back of the celestial serpent Vasuki.  Rather, it was quite an endeavour going through the mountainous area.  I would give credit to the engineers and construction crew who laid the asphalt that was good and recent.  Was there a shoulder to the road?  Hardly!  After an hour of puffing and panting, the road finally leveled off.  The traffic picked up eventually after the long Sunday morning slumber that followed Halloween adventures from the night before.
Each and everyone of us, the walkers, is encountering some pain.  Tre’von has an issue with his back and his right knee, Mandala has a muscle spasm in his right ankle, and Vivasvan, although not walking too much being our support driver, talks about an aggravating tick that he has burrowed into his thigh.  As for myself, well, I’m breaking in a new pair of shoes and there are some issues with my hamstring.  The shoes are good but it takes some time to adjust to them.  This evening a doctor and congregant from our community in Harrisburg will be diagnosing us and offering recommendations.
At one point in the walk, I grew fatigued and decided to go for a nap by the side of the road.  Tre’von was with me and was watching over me.  Sure enough, a concerned motorist pulled over. 
“What’s going on?”
We must admit, we looked a little bit odd on the Pennsylvania landscape.  Here you have this dude with dreads, Tre’von, and myself in complete orange in a horizontal position.  Anyway, the motorist went away somewhat satisfied by Trevon’s brief explanation.
By 2:30 pm, we left from Sherman Creek, the location for our final steps of the day.  Vivasvan picked us up and drove us to Harrisburg where the local Vaishnava community has recently acquired a church.  I spoke on verses 51-53 from chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita regarding the ways to seek self-realization.  No doubt, the ego is the major obstacle and that we addressed.
I was really impressed by the enthusiastic dancing one man performed during the kirtan.  Overall, I perceived a happy bunch here.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles/ 32 km

Saturday, October 31st, 2015
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Saturday, October 31st, 2015
Port Royal, Pennsylvania
Got To The Farm
Pandu, a father of six from the local area, decided to try to trek for a few hours.  We were all bundled up to address the 28 degree Farenheit temperature.  Moving upwards on an ascending road caused us to sweat to pieces and before long took off as many clothes as we had put on. 
Pandu covered a good 15 miles with us, which included a walk through one of those iconic east coast covered bridges.  Then, we all came to another milestone for this walk, the place called Gita Nagari Yoga Farm, a rural haven.  Here we were greeted by earnest kirtan performers, the young, old, and the strong.  Among them was Nandi, a young man from New Zealand and a tender to the bulls.  He brought along a massive one, a brown Swiss breed, to be part of the greeting. 
Our greeters followed our walking troupe all the way to the country-style temple of Radha Damodar.  It became a lively spiritual procession.  The bull also came along and even performed a dance step to the best of his ability. 
Also, since yesterday, we gained some unique company in the form of a cat who tagged along by our side for two miles.  Who the owner might be, we had no clue, so we allowed him to join the crew.  He became our fifth team player.  This predominantly black cat was sweet and lovable.  He would hardly make a sound.  That evening we were determined to leave him at the farm but in the morning as we were packing and setting ourselves up for the day’s trek, he requested us in his own way to be ‘one of the boys’.  We even gave him a name, Raj, which means ‘king’.  Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your relative outlook, during a segment of our stepping along on this quiet back road, his majesty got distracted, left us, and was not to be seen again.  He’s entitled to his own adventures, after all, he is the king. 
Two women from the Gita Nagari community joined us for the last leg of our walk.  One of the ladies narrated her story, that when she was young she had contemplated suicide. At one point she was preparing herself to jump from a high elevation.  Now, she had been following Buddhism and she had heard that Buddha was an incarnation of Krishna.  At that critical moment, she made a plea to Krishna within herself calling for help.  She decided against giving up, sought some followers of Krishna, stayed with them, and never left. 
Good girl!  Stick with it and don’t follow the path of Raj, the cat. 
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km

Friday, October 30th, 2015
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Friday, October 30th, 2015
Blacklog Valley, PA
Police Again
A man in a pick-up truck was passing by where Vivasvan was parked.  He rolled down his windows and warned him, “I’ll give you a heads up. The police are back there and they caught some prisoners”.
Vivasvan was wondering if this was the same scenario repeating itself again – The Walking Monk, wearing orange, has been mistaken for an escaped convict.
Sure enough, that was the case.  The police had received complaints from some suspicious people.  Two officers came to the place where Tre’von, Mandala and I were trekking.  I asked one officer if they could please notify all the police stations across the state of Pennsylvania about what we are doing so that we could avoid these kind of encounters in the future.
“I’m rather harmless”, I said facetiously.
“Of course you are”, expressed the officer, a little embarrassed.
The second officer volunteered to say, “Well, it is Halloween time but things still happen.  A few years ago we got a report that someone saw a hand sticking out of a car trunk.  We thought it was a prank but when we investigated it, it happened to be an actual body”.
What he was saying is that these things do occur; it is not simply that people watch too many horror movies.
Today I was also involved in a presentation at the religious department of Juniata College with Professor Susan Prill.  I was asked to speak about Krishna consciousness and ecology.  I quoted the first verse from the text, Sri Isopanisad:
“Everything animate or inanimate in this world is owned and controlled by the Supreme Lord.  Every living being is entitled to his or her individual quota and should not accept more than necessary, knowing well to whom everything belongs”.
One interesting thing that Professor Prill pulled out for us was an 18th-century, page-by-page, handmade, calligraphic presentation of the Bhagavata Purana with Sanskrit script and one-of-a-kind paintings.  We were somewhat wowed by that.
As far as the students were concerned, the response was very satisfying.  Some of the students insisted that they wanted to do some walking, and we happily received their company. Professor Prill also joined us.  She is very cool and she is also a vegetarian.
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km

Thursday, October 29th, 2015
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Thursday, October 29th, 2015
Mapleton, Pennsylvania
Mapleton By The Sand Mill
I had just trudged through thorny brush, gone up and down a steep ridge, through a low creek, over some train tracks, and finally on to a road which lead me to a porch of someone by the name of Jim.  It was here that I asked Jim, “Where am I?”  And Jim, rather delighted to be asked by a man in orange, responded, “You’re on Callowhill Street.”  Out came his mother, his senior by 17 years (both are rather elderly), to join us.  She was very startled to see me.  She went back inside the house and then returned with the ‘Daily News’.  “You’re on the front page.”
I had challenged the off-the-route trail to rediscover an old one, one that included a quaint iron bridge over the highway.  After a few warm moments with Jim and his mom, she asked me about my origin. 
“Ontario,” I said, which was followed with a remark,
“Toronto!  The Blue Jays!  They beat my New York Yankees.”  I admitted to not following baseball.  In any case, I admit that a game of any sort brings people together. 
Vivasvan, Mandala, and I, accepted an invitation from Daniel Hugh at the end of the day’s trek.  His place happened to be only two doors away from Jim’s in the small town of Mapleton.  Daniel works for correctional services.   We chatted at his home and sipped on apple cider.  Funny, but it was the first day since beginning this trek from Boston that I could not find an apple tree.  So here we were, sipping on apple cider.  Daniel also just got married.  Congratulations! 
The other major encounter with a human soul was with Dane who had just come up from down the river where he caught an 18 inch bass.  Another congratulations.  “Do take my card and enjoy the mantra on the reverse side.”  I left him leaving with what I consider a gift.  There are a few items that sustain me on this walk – my team members, my legs, my guru, and the mantra.  Once in a while, I get a chance to snatch an apple off a tree.
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km

Wednesday, October 28th, 2015
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Wednesday, October 28th, 2015
Williamsburg, Pennsylvania


For Mukunda
Today’s walk is dedicated to a monk who I adore very much.  Mukunda Goswami is his name.  He is currently in intensive care in the hospital in Australia struggling for his life.  I believe he is 73.
To tackle this day, which I held in honour of this great soul, I approached it (and the heavy rain) as a kind of sacrifice.  Along with Tre’von and our new team player Mandala, we took out our best water-resistant attire.  I even surrendered to wearing trousers and a plastic rain shell for practicality.  It wasn’t easy move through the unstoppable waters coming from the sky.  The liquid fell from above and didn’t let up until the last hour of my walking when I was alone.  Frankly, I felt that the three of us were like men at sea.
When my two companions pulled off the road to put a warm meal together (compliments to Paul for offering the use of his kitchen in his Bed & Breakfast), I ventured through the Lower Trail along the Juniata River.  Not a soul could be seen.  The rain seems to intimidate many creatures, except for some happy plants that I could see along the way.  The river’s waters rushed forward in a way that was inspiring but I just couldn’t keep to the pace of the flowing H2O.  Despite all efforts to stay dry, wetness still came through.  What to do?  You just have to accept it as an austerity.  And again, I’m doing this for Mukunda.
While water was very much the main feature of the day, the mantra emanating from the lips penetrated through all the predominating fluids.  Motorists somehow seemed to figure out that my walking had something to do with Russ O’Reilly’s article in the ‘Altoona Mirror’ as well as a broadcast on a local radio station.  The message was, “If you see a monk and believe in honouring our teachers, then give a honk.”  And that they did.

May the Source be with you!

19 miles 31 km

Tuesday, October 27th, 2015
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Tuesday, October 27th, 2015
Altoona, Pennsylvania
Exit & Entrance
Today, Karuna left for his trip back to India.  We will miss him.  He’s a great man for any travelling expedition. Last year he also accompanied me as we trekked on highways and trails through the Rockies in Canada.  Until next year…
A new recruit is joining us. Mandala, a young chap, also from Canada, will be joining us, giving some assistance and going for an experience of a life-time.  As mentioned before, “Walking is like breathing.  It is super and natural.  It conjures up simplicity, helps to clear the cob-webs in the mind, and brings you closer to the Divine.”
Now, with frost hitting us for a few consecutive mornings, our cherished organic and neglected apple trees we come across along the way are challenged.  The fruit has turned slightly mushed in some cases, closer to an apple-sauce texture.  Also, there is less craving for juices until the sun becomes present and there’s more of an interest for warming-type food.  I prefer sandwiches with fresh veggies and vegenaise over smoothies.
As it is for all days on the road, there is a need to push yourself.  As much as you love it, it requires endeavour.  The legs feel some strain.  Regardless, you have to ‘put pep in your step’ as Tre’von put it.  I don’t know if I can go so far as to say that this daily project is a labour of love for guru.  At the same time, I’m basically ‘lovin’ it’ despite the occasional impulse at the knee or stiffness in the thigh.  And I would also not go so far as to say that a yogic stretch can cure all. The body slowly gives way and the soul persists.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km

Monday, October 26th, 2015
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Monday, October 26th, 2015
Carrolltown, Pennsylvania
Nice Officer
Officer Smith ended up walking with Vivasvan and I for a few yards.  At that time, I mentioned to him how team work is required.  “In our tradition, with roots from India, people like me try to give guidance and direction.  We are pro-active.  In your role as a ksatriya, a member of the warrior class, you are re-active, assisting those who can’t follow the directives.”
The officer, who was really nice, remarked, “A warrior – I’ve never heard it put that way.”
There was more response from the public, a residual effect of the pilgrimage story being covered in the ‘Indiana Gazette.’  One woman we met told us she was on her way to pick up her sons, 17 & 4, to go out harvesting hickory nuts.  Another woman stopped her car right on the road while the traffic was lulled.  With tears in her eyes she asked if I was the one walking.  I said, “Yes!”  In the passenger’s seat was her son who was suffering from an anxiety attack and so she was bringing him to a gospel place of prayer.  I shook hands with him and encouraged him towards upbeatness.
“The sun is shining.  Just look up.  There’s God.”
Naturally I prayed for him.
Our gracious host for the evening was a family from Gujarat who manage a ‘Quality Inn.’  For the evening stay, there was no problem.  For an evening meal, no problem.  Then I proceeded to say something from Chapter Nine of the Bhagavad-gita.
“Currently we are all duratma which means we are a bit crooked.  We must strive towards greatness – mahatma.”
May the Source be with you!
23 miles / 37 km

Sunday, October 25th, 2015
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Sunday, October 25th, 2015
Indiana, Pennsylvania
James Stewart Showing Us
There was a pleasantly long interview with Brittany of Renda radio today.  In the course of her 
questions, she came up with a classic one, “Of all your experiences in this walk, what stands out?”  And so, I had to think swiftly of what was dominant.  I thought in terms of today.  Since Indiana is the hometown of superstar actor James Stewart, with a sizeable museum dedicated to him and a local airport also in his name, what came to mind was what I read today. Here was a leading man for a number of decades, and yet, as a silver screen hero, he was also a hero off-screen.  He was married to one woman for his entire life-time and didn’t flirt with other glamour queens.  In other words he held a high calibre of morals and so I thought that that would be inspirational for people.
I went on to explain to Brittany that my walk is to promote a higher state of consciousness and if such moral values can be achieved by our deeds, whether past or present, then as a human race we can boast that perhaps we are advancing on some level.
The interview flowed smoothly.  So did today’s walk. The moderate temperature in the upper 40’s and lower 50’s as well as greetings from motorists and home-owners who happened to see me and Tre’von ambling along made it so.  At one point a couple of women pulled over and mistook me for being one of the Tibetan monks who are visiting town to demonstrate a mandala.  
“What’s that?  Other monks are in town?  Oh well, the more the merrier!”
In the evening, our crew drove to a group meeting in Pittsburgh for a summary presentation of the Bhagavad-gita.  The simple and brief explanation behind the wisdom of the Gita is to know the Divine and hence find out more about yourself.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km

Saturday, October 24th, 2015
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Saturday, October 24th, 2015
Butler, Pennsylvania
One Mile
I always consider it a sign of good fortune to see a creature of unique features.  As our crew left on Limestone Rd. for Butler, 3 deer crossed the road.  But that is not unusual to have happen in this part of the world.  What was astonishing was, the one to lead the others was a total albino, meaning no pigment, a rather gorgeous white-furred beauty.  Wow!
More fortunate for today was, while in Butler, Don & Tony (2 current managers of the Cubs Hall, the former YMCA where our guru was staying in 1965) gave a group of close to 200 attendees for today’s event a guided tour of the place.  To show their generosity, Don and Tony donated the metal desk they figured our guru used in his room when he stayed at the Y.
The attendees came from Philly, Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Cleveland, Florida, Toronto, and of course Butler.  A queue of speakers briefly shared reflections after a chanting procession down Main St. in the rain.  The procession took us on foot to the former Agarwal residence (the Agarwal’s sponsored our guru, Prabhupada, when he came to America) and then to Grand Hall for the speeches, more kirtan, and the food we call prasadam (blessed food).  Prabhupada used to walk almost a mile twice a day from his room at the Y to the Agarwal residence to cook for them, do his laundry, and meet people.  When he would do his laundry, he would use their sink or bath tub and spread the cloth outside on the grass to dry.
It really was a day to relax, take a break from walking, and meet friends.  Oh, and how everyone danced.  It was a joy to behold.
Our full appreciation goes to Jai Krsna and Vrindavan, two top-notch devotees from the New Vrindavan farm, who organized and financed the magnificent event. 
May the Source be with you!
1 mile / 1.6 km

Friday, October 23rd, 2015
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Friday, October 23rd, 2015
Elderton, Pennsylvania
The Sun Drew Mist
As the sun drew mist into the air, Karuna, Tre’von, and I could hear regular gun shots in the not-so-far distance.  It’s deer-hunting season and one couple, while driving down en route to their hunting destination, came upon us.  The woman pulled out of the van requesting a photo.  I guess you could say, “A funny thing happened to me in the forest.  I met a monk.”
En route towards the college town of Indiana, Tre’von and I met a biker who deliberately went to the store after seeing us.  With a big heart, he picked up two well-intended sandwiches – cheese and ham – along with lemon water.  As vegetarians, we just couldn’t surrender to the meat but I believe in my heart and soul that the man gave with all his heart.  We accepted his package with its contents and carried them for some good distance before we had to renounce.  I will not forget the joy of the donor’s face when he offered his gift.  Will he be blessed?  God will see to it.
At a crossroads in the town of Elderton, I was moving on the green light when a stopped motorist yelled for attention.  I looked and he asked, “Do yah take donations?  I read the article about you.” I went up to the driver.  He gave a bill and asked, “This will help you with your travels?”
“Why, thank you!  Thank you, so much!”
The response from the public has been phenomenal.
Our evening was spent at the West Virginia farm community, New Vrindavan, where I spoke about ‘Tales from Trails’ and how I hold my guru, Srila Prabhupada, totally responsible for the mercy that comes our way.
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km

Thursday, October 22nd, 2015
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Thursday, October 22nd, 2015
Ford City, Pennsylvania

Credit Goes to the Media

The Leader Times and the Butler Eagle came through with good articles
about the walk celebrating and honouring 50 years since our guru,
Srila Prabhupada, came to the area.  During that time, he spoke at St.
Fidelis Monastery in nearby Herman.  Now it is a school for boys.  The
three of us walked by it before the sun peaked over the horizon.  Once
the sun revealed who the three people were, especially the
saffron-robed one, the honking and stopping of motorists began.
Home-owners and restauranteers came out to greet us because of the
attention brought on by the media.  A staff of a dozen or so people
from a popular Italian eating villa stood in line to offer
congratulations.  I was touched.  And of course, everyone wants to get
in on a photograph with a monk – that’s a rarity.

A family from Florida drove all the way up to join us for a three-day
experience on an American pilgrimage.  The only thing was that our one
mile venture at the end of my day’s trek turned out to be a happy but
dragged-out stretch due to the minute or two of ‘connecting’ that
people wanted.

Off the feet and into the vehicle, we zipped for an evening happening
at an art gallery in Pittsburgh.  In this former
steeltown-now-gone-soft-

hardware-city, we participated in a lively
kirtan and I talked from 5.18 of the Gita.  It was day number 2 for
evening chanting in Pittsburgh.  These were perfect endings to perfect
days.

I recall one gentleman who, during the day, had taken his Great Dane
Rotweiller for a walk down a quiet trail, saw me, and stopped to talk.
Later, he was well-informed on what I was doing through the media.  He
mentioned that next to his home there once was a monastery.  It
appears the monastic order may be on the decline in America, being
that it was the second time for this kind of story in one day.

The man’s dog demanded attention so he received my petting under the
snout.  After the chat, the man admitted that we both had to part from
each other, so he turned to his dog and said, “Okay, the man has to go
to work now.”  When I heard that, it struck me that this is my job.
At the same time I realized I enjoy very much my work (pilgrimage).  I
would rather consider it play.

May the Source be with you!

21 miles / 33 km

Wednesday, October 21st, 2015
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Wednesday, October 21st, 2015
Butler, Pennsylvania

What’s so Special About Butler?

My very competent support person, Vivasvan, navigated a route that
would avoid busy traffic.  A connected series of quiet gravel and
paved roads was the perfect lead into Butler, Pennsylvania – a true
milestone for this pilgrimage.

Karuna Sindhu joined Tre’von and I for a stretch.  Yes, our party is
growing happily.  It seems that some young men are attracted to the
program.  Another one joins us on Saturday.

Now, back to Butler and the significance this tiny city has for our
spiritual order (known in theological terms as the Gaudiya Vaishnava
tradition) which has roots in India.  The Vaishnava culture dates back
thousands of years.  One of the major teachers in this lineage from
the medieval period in India is Sri Chaitanya, himself, a well-known
walker, who promoted adoration for the Divine in the form of Krishna.
The most recent exponent of this form of spiritualism is, in lengthy
honorific terms, known as Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – or
Prabhupada for short.

It was he, Prabhupada, who came to Butler in 1965 – 50 years ago.  He
took accommodation at the then YMCA, now the Boys’ Cubs Hall on McKean
St.  Prabhupada spoke at the Y as well as the Lions Club and St.
Fidelis Monastery in nearby Herman.  It was here in Butler, at the
mature age of 70, that he planted seeds of bhakti (a form of
devotional yoga) before he moved on to New York City where a following
finally took hold.

When I entered Butler today and made my way to the old YMCA, I met a
rep from the Butler County Eagle Paper and a local radio rep.  The
news was later announced that the Walking Monk had come to honour his
teacher, Prabhupada.  My emotions did arise.

I shall attempt to make a list of Prabhupada’s accomplishments after
my own humble deliberation:

1) Forerunner of kirtan culture, or introducing chanting to the West.

2) Introduced bhakti-yoga, an ancient devotional lifestyle to the West.

3) Wrote, presented, and published a scholarly line of Vedic
philosophical texts (including a translation of the Bhagavad-gita)
forming a veritable library on Eastern thought.  Established the
Bhaktivedanta Book Trust to print these books.

4) Introduced a new line of vegetarian cooking.  Perhaps the first
teacher of Vedic cooking in the West.  Taught how to consecrate that
food as prasadam (where, in Judaism, such food is known as Kosher and
in Islam as Halal).

5) Forerunner of animal rights, ie. Cow and bull protection

6) Introduced to the West the ancient technique of seva puja,
honouring the Divine as a sacred image.

7) Forerunner of the science of reincarnation.  Spoke boldly of the
soul’s transmigration (sourced through his books).

8) Reinforced agrarian life, ‘Back-to-the-land’ living as an
ecologically-friendly alternative, ie. ‘Gita Nagari’ in Port Royal, PA
& ‘New Vrindavan’ in Wheeling, West Virginia.

9) Reinforced that God is a person, hence, he challenged atheism and Darwinism.

10) Promoted anti-racism through provocative, profound statements like
‘We are not these bodies, we are spirits.’  All-inclusive policies
towards men, women, and people of all races.

11) Spoke strongly against drug intake, alcohol intake, and gambling –
hence saving lives.

12) Established a world-wide mission called ISKCON, commonly known as
‘Hare Krishna.’

These and other contributions can be considered as benevolent for
improving and adjusting life-styles in the West.  We are grateful to
the founder of Iskcon, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 km

Monday, October 19th, 2015
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Monday, October 19th, 2015
Rural Valley, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania People

Bill was right on the road to greet me.  He shook my hand and I remarked that he’s got farmer’s hands, big and callous-like.  It was a compliment of course and he took it that way.  “Well, more like coal miners’ hands,” he said in good fun.  We talked and I could see he was a very God conscious man.  In fact, he asked for a blessing since he’s having kidney issues.  He removed his hat, I placed my right palm on his forehead and recited a Sanskrit mantra for protection.  He was grateful.

I also came upon two country folks at the side of their yard.  Two gentlemen.  They had been looking with an eager eye as to what I was all about.  Handshakes again.  “I’m Bhaktimarga Swami, Swami for short.  I’m a monk and I’m walking.  I started from Boston.”  Surprised, they were.  They offered iced tea.  We chatted.  One of the fellows said, “Only Catholics have monks, right?”

“Actually, there’s a whole history of monastic life within Hinduism and Buddhism, big time.”

I asked them if they were familiar with Hare Krishna and the response was no.  I asked if they had heard of Broadway’s production, ‘Hair’.

“Yes!”

And so that was their reference point.

Further down the road I met some teenage Amish girls with dresses and bonnets.  They were gathering walnuts on the side of the road.  I could see they were shy.

“Hello, how are you?  What do you do with them?”

“We make pies with the walnuts and cakes.”

“God bless,” I said.

Not but ten minutes later on in my walk, there was a team of horses, two in number, that were yoked to a wagon standing stationary at the side of the road.  Right next to them, in a corn field, was an Amish farmer along with two women who were manually breaking off corn and tossing it into the wagon.  I asked if he could toss me one for a souvenir, so he did and suggested that they are good for corn bread.

“Thanks, God bless.”

In Pennsylvania country I see it’s much to do about family, food, work, and God.   That’s good.

May the Source be with you!

21 miles / 33 km

Sunday, October 18th, 2015
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Sunday, October 18th, 2015
Earnest, Pennsylvania

Kirtan Inside Outside

Bandhur atmatmanas tasya…

I referenced this quote from Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad-Gita for a group of soon to be yoga teachers at Penn State College.  We are talking here about the mind and how it can be your best friend or worst enemy.  Another verse describes how the mind can either degrade or elevate the consciousness.  Therefore, the message is to harness the wild mind and to direct it to a progressive higher consciousness.  This chapter has all to do with meditational yoga.  I explained “In order to benefit from yoga in full, the Gita recommends an insertion of bhakti, devotion, into the practices.”

I was happy to see and hear everyone take to the process of kirtan, chanting, and lest we forget – dancing.

Vivasvan, Tre’von, and I then rushed to the farm community of Gita Nagari near Port Royal.  Arriving in the nick of time, 4 PM, for the Sunday Open House.  We were warmly greeted and taken to the temple building where the microphone was placed before me for leading another kirtan and then class.  I was keen to keep some continuity in my message.  I spoke on Chapter 6, again, entitled ‘Jnana Yoga’, wherein determination, patience, and disregard for mundane things which arise from mental speculation, were topics for discussion.

People at Gita Nagari are more familiar with kirtan than the first group.  Nevertheless, it was enjoyed at both sessions all the same.

Whether indoor or outdoor, kirtan, chanting, has its natural attraction.  When Tre’von and I took to trekking earlier on in the morning, we came near a barn with a cow sticking her head out curiously to see us.  We both broke into another song beginning with the name Govinda, a name for Krishna referring  to Him as the tender of the cows.  The cow came out of the barn to listen and then a herd followed and remained still as if they were yogis themselves, motionless and serene.

May the Source be with you!

12 miles / 19 km

Saturday, October 17th, 2015
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Saturday, October 17th, 2015
Westover, Pennsylvania

A Pull

“Maya, get back here!” shouted the owner of the pitbull.   This young female dog named Maya was definitely after me and her master was calling her back.  It was necessary for him to come right up to me in order to stave off Maya.  She was not listening too well to orders even when the lady of the house yelled “Get over here!” with her raspy voice.  I asked the owner if he knew what Maya meant.

“No I don’t,” he said in a confession-like tone.

“It’s a Sanskrit word meaning ‘illusion’.”

“Well, she’s illusion alright,” he retorted, now gaining some control over her barking and threatening.

It was a crazy road to be on. Vivasvan and I were scolded for being on what GPS identified as a walking trail by a teenage boy in fatigues and crossbow in hand who told us it was not.  The boy I managed to shake hands with and talk with but the oncoming overbearing dad was different.  The stern message was clear, that we were to turn around and get out of there NOW!!!

It was so evident that deer are the actual target these days during hunting season.  At the front of one household, a deer’s carcass was hung from a pole and an open bucket was set underneath.  In the early hour of the day, the first hour, as I was walking with my safety vest on, a vehicle swerved away from me and wheeled over onto deer road kill.  This sent the contents in the air.  An explosion of guts, you might say.

I trekked through trails and roads today that were clearly in State Game Lands but like all the other hunters in the vicinity who wear luminescent orange, I’ve got myself fully covered with the colour.

Even though a vegetarian pacifistic monk may feel some discomfort in all of this, I will refrain from judging.  I feel the power of the mantra that I’ve been singing, the prana from the clean air, the prana from the crisp organic apples I would chance upon, and just the anticipation that I’m getting closer and closer to the city of Butler where our guru, Srila Prabhupada, first launched the bhakti movement in the west, I feel choked up at times and with tears in the eyes, a pull comes to the heart.

May the Source be with you!

22 miles / 35 km

Friday, October 16th, 2015
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Friday, October 16th, 2015
Tyrone, Pennsylvania

Shooting Stars

Shooting stars we saw.   We viewed with awe.  Our walking route also called for a section through the forest.  The kicking of leaves, which created a hissing sound, and moving shadows conjured up from our flashlights spooked Tre’von in the darkness of the early morning.  We could still see the stars above but they were blinking because of the effect of passing through the trees.  Owls were making their sound.  These were great sensations. 
Paul had made a jovial deal with us the night before, “Come to Mass with me in the morning and I’ll take you to the newspaper place for a story.”  Paul, our B&B host, placed this loving condition on us which, to us, was irresistible.  We sealed the deal.  We like both of the venues and their people.  We sat in at the Christian service and then ventured off to the Herald, the local paper, for an interview.  This was followed by visiting a new-age shop which was newly opened.  We happened to be there just before the ribbon cutting ceremony.  There I met briefly with the local senator.  I told him of our guru’s benevolent work and how he came to the US fifty years ago from India and launched the Hare Krishna Movement. 
I asked him, “How are things?”
“Lots of problems,” he said with a smile.
“I can imagine,” was my response. 
From that downtime in Tyrone’s downtown, I proceeded onto the highway going up the mountain and entered into deer hunting country.  1600 acres are allotted for the hunt in this area.  At one point, a young fellow, plumber by profession, pulled over and graced us with a donation.  He liked what we were doing and then happily received from us our favourite mantra, the Hare Krishna mantra.  He wanted to invite us to his home but he remarked, “My wife would think I was crazy.”
May the Source be with you!
21 miles / 33 km

Thursday, October 15th, 2015
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Thursday, October 15th, 2015
Pennsylvania Furnace, Pennsylvania

On Top of the Hill

While walking down cool downtown State College, one café was playing the local radio station broadcasting through the speakers.  It just so happened that the chorus of My Sweet Lord was playing as I passed the café.  Yes indeed, the sound of George Harrison’s voice came through on the chorus of that beautiful musical piece at that moment.  What are the chances of that happening?  I took it as a good omen.  What else about State College?   It’s where you find Pennsylvania’s largest university.  Two young female students working on a film project spontaneously had me in a queue for questions about pumpkin picking.  The camera started rolling:
“Have you ever picked pumpkins?” was the first question.
“As someone who grew up on a farm, I’ve harvested about everything, except for pumpkins.”
The interview started off light but it became more grave as we moved along and started to discuss about my purpose for walking.  The notion of pilgrimage was discussed.  The interview was done and personally I believe that the girls were charmed by having a guy answering questions in pumpkin-coloured attire.
Our evening in Tyrone, a town of 5,000 plus, was something to remember.  We took a chance to stay at a bed and breakfast called ‘Stoney Point’, a sort of old mansion on top of a hill.  We found out later on that this place was rated as the number one B&B in the state, number 3 in America, and number 14 in the world.  It’s no wonder because Paul, the host, is a real human with a big heart.  This place had charm.  The ambiance was great and it’s not what the three of us in our team are usually used to although we’ve been very lucky to stay at temples and people’s homes and on occasion, a motel.   
It was great to pull out our dolak drum and to chant in the living room with Paul and other tenants in the house.  It was as if the wood of the fireplace got lit up by the stroke of a chant.  The place became so cozy and warm.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km

Wednesday, October 14th, 2015
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Wednesday, October 14th, 2015
State College, Pennsylvania

Day Is Dung

I was raised on a farm, have visited India in her rural parts multiple times, and so I’m used to dung.  My morning walking partner, Tre’von, is a city boy and is not used to the horse caca on the road’s shoulder.  I told him, “Just get used to it.  Some of the stuff will get trapped in between the treads under your shoes.  You have to live with it so you might as well love it.”
We started our trek at 5:45 AM, an hour when the sun has not yet woken.  We are somewhat moving through heaps of the stuff due to the Amish horse-driven carts coming through on the sides of the road.   Because it’s dark, it’s hard to see when the heaps are coming forward.  We just have to accept it. 
The area is all about land and animals.  A team of mules was pulling a machine for corn harvest.  They are natural work animals.  Some Holsteins came to greet us until the electric fence opposed further forwardness from both sides.  White horses and beef cattle were also curious about us. 
But the creatures of the wild, the undomesticated ones, had a hard time with the road.  We’re talking about raccoons, possums, deer, skunks, and porcupines.  Even the fast fox has no chance against the more rapid formidable machines which we call trucks and cars. 
At one person’s driveway, two huge black pigs were milling around.  They were held in check by three Doberman pinchers.  The dogs appear to be the fence for the pigs, otherwise, those oinky creatures would be venturing into the traffic.  The dogs became a bit distracted from their work when I was walking by their property but then a stocky woman, I assume the owner, called the dogs off from going after me.  I guess she was their fence, thank God.  Cyclists drove by and there were also two motorists who stopped to offer a ride on different occasions.  In most cases, such persons are more curious than anything because most people have this notion that someone in robes is most likely on a mission, a walking mission, a pilgrimage of sorts.
May the Source be with you!
20 miles / 32 km

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015
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Tuesday, October 13th, 2015
Woodward, Pennsylvania

Back Again

So many people have written upbeat songs about being on the road again.  What comes to mind is my dear friend, cross-country walker Michael Oesch, who likes Willie Nelson’s rendition.  Well here I am, once again, at one of the places I like to be – the road, the trail.
After being picked up at the Pittsburgh Airport, where they were playing classical music over the speaker, which I liked, Vivasvan and Tre’von came to drive us to College State where we slept for the night.  We then drove to the spot where I left off from four days before at Buffalo Valley Trail, a parallel route to Highway 45.
The trek started with a drizzle, though rain never became a big issue.  At one point the sun blazed through before overcast sky hit us again.  Tre’von stayed loyal to my every step for 18 miles.  Then, I finished solo with an extra four miles under the feet.  It was at this point that a police officer came to see what was up.  It was another one of those things where someone called in, being suspicious of a guy in orange, the colour that prisoner’s wear in jumpsuits.  This simply became an opportunity for me to talk and make a friend with the officer.  He resembled strongly the features of fellow monk, Sridhar Swami. 
A real milestone for our team today was to hear Tre’von master his memory of mantras.  I had been teaching him while trekking the two mantras in honour of guru.  He took the bold step to ask to learn the mantra for Pancha Tattva.  This he learned, with a breeze.
I observed that he likes to rap and at times breaks into a dance step while we travel along.  Traffic is not anything that hinders his spontaneous mood and frankly, I don’t get embarrassed despite the conservative Amish countryside we find ourselves in.  At one point, he played from his phone James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’ which ended up being an ideal pacey piece of music for walking.  

May the Source be with you!

22 miles / 35 km

Monday, October 12th, 2015
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Monday, October 12th, 2015
Mississauga, Ontario

Sorting Out The Trails

“Since the Supreme is the origin of all facets of life, including ourselves, where does hate come into the picture?” asked Raj as we stepped through the trees on a trail near his home.
Raj had been questioning this for years, wondering how hate or contempt could be a component of God’s personality.  As we were walking, he and I discussed how Krishna, in His pastimes, eliminated demonic forces.  Yet, it appears that hate or malice was not necessarily found in the character of Krishna during the time of His subduing such nasty forces.  Raj insisted, “He doesn’t show hate but where does this hate come from since whatever is within us can be traced back to the Source?”
While I was looking deeply within for the best way to respond to Raj’s wonder, we had to make choices as to which path to tread.  All trails were laden with autumn leaves but some were broad in width while some were less defined, obscured, and less travelled.  We chose to tackle them all.  We found other people from the same neighbourhood doing the same type of exploration.  Searching for answers through adventurous avenues might be a very good thing. 
Here is the gist of my contribution to Raj’s query.  The Absolute (God, the Divine, whatever is your preferred terminology) is definitely the root or the seed behind all things good and bad.  Yes, even when Krishna does some of His dissolution work, He invokes some anger but with a charm that moves the emotions.  It is executed in the spirit of detachment.  Now, why is our hate so strong and so vindictive at times?  In other words, why are we so extreme?  What comes to mind is something that our guru, Srila Prabhupada, and his guru explained.  It goes as such:
All things in the material world are perverted reflections of the spiritual world.  Here’s one example to illustrate our malicious intentions.  When a rod is placed in a pool of water, the image in the water is refracted or distorted.  Similarly, whatever we do in this world tends to get twisted and our attitude becomes extreme and this happens by choice.  Choice is another trait we have inherited from the Supreme.  Our obligation is to just get clean, to go for a purging.

May the Source be with you!

1.9 miles / 3 km

Sunday, October 11th, 2015
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Sunday, October 11th, 2015


Pigeon Lake, Alberta

Smooth Synergy

I feel myself to be very fortunate, being in the best company. Through culture and like-mindedness, I feel very cuddled in the huddle of community spirit. I believe that many many people, especially in the capitalistic world, lack the community experience and find themselves to be so very alone.

I know we have written of this before but once again, the moose (of which you will find a fair share of here in Alberta) are happy campers being alone. Humans, however, have that angle in life which calls for social intercourse. To humans I say, “Be human and not a moose on the loose.” Take the goose, for instance, here we find another creature (also common enough in these parts) that flock together.

The gathering of devotees of Krishna from Canadaat this year’s Annual General Meeting in PigeonLakeare an incredible, stimulating, and inspiring group of individuals. It appears to me that they have a heart to discuss and then implement actions that can add color to the world. No, I am not saying we’ll save the world no more than I’ll admit that we are better than everyone else. We are all in the same boat shifting within varying lifestyles the activities of eating to sleeping, to mating and defending.

What I would dare to say is that, as a monk in the Krishnaorder, we can offer a mild reminder about the spiritual component of life. I really like it how our guru, Prabhupada, put it when questioned by a reporter from the Butler Eagle News in Pennsylvania (and here we set no boundaries between the US and Canadian border),

“If Americans would give more attention to their spiritual life, they would be much happier.”

Well, our group of leaders who converged at the lodge at PigeonLake, chanted, talked, ate, and slept with spiritual motives in mind. It brought about a beautiful synergy I hope is the type of synergy that can more readily be shared amongst others.

 

May the Source be with you!

0 miles / 0 km

 

 

Saturday, October 10th, 2015
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Saturday, October 10th, 2015


Pigeon Lake, Alberta

Mud Feet

Everyone needs a little downtime. I’m getting mine at PigeonLake. Yesterday, I had flown from Pittsburgh to Chicago, on to Edmonton, and then finally driven to a rustic looking resort where a European settlement began 175 years ago on PigeonLake. In this countryside retreat, called Rundle House, you can find bison bones on display which were found in the area along with a massive tooth left from a mastodon. Personally, my interest is strong in this. There is also a plaque on the wall with a quote on creativity which reads,

“The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.”

No author is credited here.

To fill the rooms of this building and some additional cabins are our members of Iskcon, the leaders actually. Here at this year’s annual gathering for Canada’s Thanksgiving, important strategies were discussed with messages along the lines of “what gets measured gets improved” and “the difference between a dream and a goal is a written statement”. Presentations were truly inspiring.

Now, PigeonLakeis quite sizable and at one point in the day it was 20 degrees Celsius. I was tempted to go for a swim but by the time our meeting ended, that idea seemed less appealing. I did, indeed, stroll out to the water’s edge or what I thought was the water’s edge. The 20 foot wide beach was actually a depth of black muck. I sunk but not deep. I had seen enough old Tarzan movies in my youth to know what to do when stuck in quicksand. I leapt out fast, grabbed on to something and didn’t panic, knowing well that we’re not talking about some African soil here. Basically, I was happy to use my legs on this feet-easy day.

Frankly, it’s hard to sit at a chair for hours when your feet are accustomed to trekking 20 miles per day. My resolve is that it is short term. It is an austerity which is never a negative action on the part of a monk.

May the source be with you!

0.5 miles / 0.8 km

 

Friday, October 9th, 2015
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Friday, October 9th, 2015


Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Never Seen The Stars

“I’ve never seen the stars like this before,” remarked Tre’von.

“You must have spent your whole life in the city,” I guessed.

“That’s true”, he said and then he started to rap something along the lines of,

“Your ego says you’re such a big shot

When you see the stars you’re not even a shot

Not even a spot

Not even a dot…”

He was really liking the early excursion, making our way through small hamlets under the ever-changing sky. He was appreciating the brahma muhurta hour, the time before sun up . He told me Einstein called it ‘the genius spot’.

The sun had just come and Matt from ‘The Standard News’ came by with a recorder. It was question time. “The Daily Item” news also sent a rep who took notes.

“Why notepaper and a pen?” Vivasvan asked when he caught up to us with his van.

The reporter said, “If I record, I’ll have to listen to it all again. I just take notes.”

As the questions went on, Tre’von took the liberty to grab Vivasvan’s camera and then walk a few metres to the gathering of local farmers huddled around representatives of the controversial Monsanto. With camera in hand Tre’von posed challenging questions regarding the tampering of God’s seeds. Monsanto’s rep attempted to respond to radical Tre’von’s cutting queries.

I wasn’t there to hear the dialogue but my daily companion put his warrior self out to action and then relayed back to us the stirring points that were exchanged.

The final little rendezvous place along Buffalo Valley Trail Run was the termination spot for my walking today. We then rushed to Pittsburghfor my flight to Edmontonfor the weekend. I will miss magical Pennsylvania.

 

May the Source be with you!

18 miles / 29 km

 

 

Thursday, October 8th, 2015
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Thursday, October 8th, 2015


Danville, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg

It wasn’t long into the swing of our trek today that media attention came our way. Tre’von and I were ambling along through the fog on bustling Highway 11 when Vivasvan informed us that WHLM radio wanted to have an interview at the station.

Okay. And so we went to Bloomsburg downtown. It was great to see some pedestrians downtown walking or rather, off in a dash to work. Seeing pedestrians is sometimes quite rare in these parts.

Following that interview, the ‘Press Enterprise’ newspaper with their rep, Mike, came to see us at the highway for more questions. I felt that Mike took our pilgrimage to be a very different kind of story. A photographer also came by, snapping shots to include the traffic in the background.

Yes, the traffic, that is part and parcel of the whole walking experience, the sharing of space with creatures much bigger than you – trucks and cars. Fortunately, a more subdued road lay open for us, a quiet one along Hemlock Creek all the way to Danville. Here, life seems almost perfect. Country homes are smartly maintained with trimmed grounds all around. The occasional farmer passes by in truck and sometimes someone in a car, maybe en route to the office. On this stretch of the trek, I met this down-home couple on the front porch of their house. The woman was actually sitting there with a display of her own grown veggies up for sale. For one dollar you could go away with three whopper tomatoes. When I approached her for the purchase, I could understand that her speech was impaired. She rapped on the living room window to get her hubby’s attention. Bearded and in coveralls, he came out to greet. The charm of this simple couple was almost too much. Here are quite the remote people making a modest living for themselves from their tiny rural dwelling.

The one other outstanding feature today was bumping into an older Indian gentleman clad in traditional white dhoti right here in conservative small city Pennsylvania. He couldn’t speak a word in English but what he did say a few times in absolute ecstasy was “Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna….”

 

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 km

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Wednesday, October 7th, 2015
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Wednesday, October 7th, 2015


Berwick, Pennsylvania

By The Farms

It is easier to make the gradual climb up a slope of a hill than to descend. We humans just don’t have a good brake system built within us. Coming down just isn’t so easy. Other walkers and runners say the same thing.

Perhaps we can take this as an analogy on life. We might think that the way down is a breeze, that it’s the easiest mode of travel. Yet, it’s the challenges in life that give strength and tough skin, so to speak. Perhaps the balance of both makes sense. Different muscles get activated on both the ascending and declining ordeals. Let’s consider these physical blessings happening in these two ways. Enjoy those hills, as we are in Pennsylvania.

Tre’von and I found the hills to be splendid when daylight became present. It’s farmland now. There’s corn and soya fields and there’s animals. We even saw the first sign of Amish communities. Eventually, we made it to a small city, Burwick, and then on to Highway 11, a dreaded stretch of passionate motorists.

Amongst friends we made were two ladies from ‘The Standard Speaker’ newspaper who caught up with us at the local Mexican taqueria place. There the proprietor became an instant amigo with us in exchange for the veggie plate he gave us. We presented to him Iskcon’s official simple cookbook, ‘Higher Taste’. He was grateful.

Perhaps the lightest part of the day for me was receiving a call from an acquaintance struggling with drugs but who now, after the 12-step process, is doing much better. I would say that at all costs one should stay away from harmful drugs as stimulatingly promising as they may be. Too many people’s lives are destroyed by such intake and that holds true for alcohol as well. To those items — stay away! Stay away!

 

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 km

 

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Tuesday, October 6th, 2015
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Tuesday, October 6th, 2015


Freeland, Pennsylvania

More of the Same Greatness

Our walking began where we finished the day before, at a beer store. There was pretty much a repeat of the previous day in the sense that the early hours brought some attention from motorists. This time some heavily accented New Yorkers pulled over to wish well my pilgrim message. Frankly, that’s what pilgrimage is meant to do – try to make a statement towards slowing down.

Our host for the three nights, Rupa Vilas, did even more than he’s already done, which included rising early enough to fix our small team with some breakfast. Then, he provided us with provisions galore. In addition, he gave himself. Nearing the end of my day’s quota for walking, he drove quite a distance to catch the last mile with me on foot as a walking companion.

The day reached 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Perfect. A walker’s paradise and as everything moderately cooled down, Vivasvan drove Tre’von and I to a monastic retreat for the night. It is known as an Ishan retreat. It’s a residence for nuns and priests. This group enjoys the chanting of Hare Krishna while they concentrate their life and focus on Jesus. There’s a willingness on their part to see beyond the walls of religious institution in order to reach the more profound state of God consciousness. Though Jesus remains for them the principal person of honor, Mary Magdalene, his wife, is revered as their female divinity.

This gracious group fed us after exchanging words and giving us a tour of a gorgeous facility used for worship. Devotional mingling and as mentioned, residential stay.

How kind they are.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 km

 

 

Monday, October 5th, 2015
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Monday, October 5th, 2015


Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania

A Lot of Care

Samantha cared. She, like so many rushers (people in rush hour), was going at the usual crazy speed down the 904 Highway at Mount Pocono when she managed to pull out of the wave of cars. Seeing the opportunity to do a horseshoe move (or in regular driver’s parlance, a u-turn) she turned and, facing the opposite direction, landed herself on the shoulder of the road. There, birthday boy Tre’von and I, who am also sharing the same anniversary, were walking. I actually turned 63 today.

Samantha rolled down the window as we got close. It was obvious she wanted to speak.

“Do you want a ride?” she asked.

“Thank you but we’re on our way to Butler, Pennsylvania, and then to New York City. This is a walk on behalf of our guru, the founder of the Hare Krishna Movement. 50 years ago, he came to America.”

“That’s great! No ride then? Can I offer a donation?”

“Sure.”

So she did and with a smile on her face and a mantra card in her hand she wished us well and then drove off, caught in the madness of the car rage.

Shortly thereafter, the ‘Pocono Record’ newspaper responded to our message for our happy story. There was one call that came to us and then a second for an interview as well as a photographer who came for a photo shoot at TobyhannaLake. Hence, you have the makings of an article to come. As the day passed by, I saw birthday blessings showering on Tre’von. Rupa Vilas, our host, presented him with a watch. Vivasvan presented him with a card of personal good wishes and a CD of devotional chants. My contribution or birthday gift is continual lessons on pronouncing new mantrasthat I hope he will abide in for the rest of his life.

May the Source be with you!

21 miles / 33 km

 

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Sunday, October 4th, 2015
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Sunday, October 4th, 2015


Birchwood Lakes, Pennsylvania

The Moon’s Crest

The moon’s crest was above and, as twilight snuck in, a gorgeous world opened up to us on

Snowhill Road

. It was a realm of rain-cleared air, serenity, and colors of all kinds. The sky was a blue blue, not tainted by urban air in anyway. Trees, some tall and some small, graced each side of the pavement, blessing us with shade and shielding us from wind. And you can capture with your eyes, as I did, fleeting deer, squirrels, porcupines, and wild turkeys. There was also a migration of these intensely orange salamanders.

I was with Vivasvan, my support guy, when we noticed a tiny one an inch and a half in length making his way across the road. I wanted to come down to his humble level in an attempt to stroke him gently on his back. I poised myself for this but heard a car coming. I rose and saw it was actually a van hauling a residential vehicle. It came closer and I feared for the young crawling fellow’s life. We could do nothing. The wheels of the van missed him but the wheels of the trailer did not. I looked in horror at his head getting crushed…. Ohhhhh!

Harsh is nature. Fragile is the self. Relentless are the machines. Callous is man. Helpless is the individual.

Those were our emotions or reactions over the mini drama. However, we had to carry on walking. The day was warm in terms of what the coming hours offered but I was also a trite disappointed over the motorists’ indifference. Not one person stopped to talk. Experience tells that that will change tomorrow. Let’s see.

We were thrilled to be hosted in the home of Rupa Vilas, AKA Richard Mason, who was a major mentor for me when I decided to go the way of the monk back in ’73 at the Torontoashram. I’m indebted to him deeply.

 

May the Source be with you!

23 miles / 37 km

 

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Saturday, October 3rd, 2015
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Saturday, October 3rd, 2015


Delaware State Park, Pennsylvania

Never Seen Such a Group

A constant rain fell upon us for a four hour hike within hilly Pennsylvania before the drive to today’s destination at Old Forge. The occasion was the opening of a yoga studio situated in an old renovated railway station. A cargo train still goes by on a daily basis. The station’s interior itself is smartly done up to accommodate the spiritually enhanced. Father Bill, who frequented Iskcon’s Laguna Beach center years ago, is teaching yoga in the premises along with other persons who conduct presentations on meditation, yoga, and prayer. Father Bill embraces Christian liberalism. He asked that I speak on a topic that would cover the concept of bhakti, devotion, and how it is a form of yoga that entails a relationship with God. He also asked that I express the nature of God as Radha and Krishna, the Divine Female and Male. I did as he asked, along with expressing the superior or essential element of yoga and that it is not just a physical exercise – ultimately it involves a profound love for the Supreme.

Kirtan (chanting) was the most important component of the presentation and ended up being an inclusive exercise. For everyone, that experience probably topped the joy of eating prasadamwhich was so kindly provided by devotees who prepared and delivered the outstanding feast from Iskcon Philadelphia.

I can say with full honesty that I have never seen a group of such gracious, smiling, and appreciative people in an American setting. I felt, along with team players Vivasvan and Tre’von, that we were not in a physical place or even at a train station. We were transported to another realm primarily because everyone approached and engaged in kirtan in a surrendered mood. It was a thrill to see a nun in full regalia, that is, in the traditional nun’s habit chanting and dancing in our circle.

 

May the Source be with you!

10 miles / 16 km

 

Website: www.thewalkingmonk.net