Dubai/Mauritius
Largest Walking Event
I stumbled upon an article in the “Padayatra Worldwide Newsletter,” a piece written by Ekacakragram. The article is entitled, “Participating in the Largest Walking Event in the World”. While reading I reminisced like anything.
“In July 2001 a group of devotees, all dressed with dhotis, kurtas or saris, participated for the first time in the biggest walking event in the world: a four-day walk in the area of Nijmeghan in Holland. The event, organized by the Holland National Walking Federation, had been taking place for the past forty years. Depending on their age and gender, participants can choose walking three distances: 30 km, 40 km or 50 km. Of course one can do less, but they will not get an official medal from the Queen. Devotees went with harinama and prasadam, and danced and chanted for the entire 30 km, but it was a little too intense for the devotees and a little too much for the public.
So the next year we just did one hour of kirtan and chanted japa during the walk. We got many opportunities to talk with people during the walk, as there was nothing else to do besides walking. People got an opportunity to ask the questions they had wanted to ask for many years. There were about forty devotees and congregation members coming and going during the four days. Fifteen devotees walked the entire four days, including Bhaktimarga Swami. I took the opportunity to introduce him as a famous walker in Canada… Over the four days a total of 45,000 people participated in the three categories of walks. Everybody had to wake up at 2:30 am and assemble in the middle of the city at 3:30 am. It was a very special atmosphere to see many people ready to walk together early in the morning. It was such a nice experience having a mangala-arati and walking with many people, talking all day about Krishna. We have become well-known in the camping ground. It was a kind of holiday, exhausting physically but mentally very refreshing.”
May the Source be with you!
0 KM
Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami
Tuesday, March 24th, 2015
Monday, March 23rd, 2015
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Toronto, Ontario
Really Reaching Out
“Where attention goes, energy flows,” is the common phrase I hear from my dear friend Vaisesika. This “mantra”, if you will, he uses in reference to the personal commitment, thought and compassion he directs to those who struggle and are pushed to the edge of society. He gives attention to meeting people and sharing the wisdom of the Gita. People respond. Results are achieved.
In this connection I was thinking as of late about my dear God brothers and sisters that I shared time with in the early days of our spiritual endeavors. I was hankering more and more to see them, especially since the sudden departure of one American friend, Jnanagamya. At yesterday’s trip to Owen Sound I shared some time with Drupada and Garuda, both early birds in Krishna Consciousness in Toronto. Because I put attention to seeking companionship, through the ether a little miracle evolved. I had in the evening poised myself to give the Gita class by applying my last bit of tilak (devotional markings) to the body, when I received a call from sister Bhakta-vasya from Vancouver Island. I hadn’t seen her for years. Then out of the blue… this call.
It was 4:10 this morning and I received a call from our friend Premarnava from West Virginia. Again I hadn’t heard from him in years. At 5:20, Devata from northern Ontario called expressing his thanks for whatever in the past. Really what I experienced with this sudden flood of communication within this twelve-hour period was the intervention of some Divine force.
You know what? I’m going to try to give more attention to the right spots and then see what happens.
May the Source be with you!
3 KM
Sunday, March 22nd, 2015
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Owen Sound, Ontario
From Snow to Food
To Harrison Falls we went. Located on the environmentally sensitive Niagara Escarpment near its northern stretch in Ontario, this is an example of nature’s boast. The waters are of the Syndenham River System. It’s gorgeous. Before interaction with humans (even though scheduled to be with fellow bhakti-yogis), I felt it necessary on a daily basis to make a touchdown with Bhumi, the earth. I would declare myself a psychological disaster if I did not have a break from people. Down-time is a must.
Crunching along with footsteps over cracking snow and ice along a nearby trail were my Michigan associates, one benevolent soul from Brampton, and myself. From out-of-shade areas the sun gave instant warmth to our backs and its light reflection on the white surface below provided only optimism—Krishna’s mercy.
Our walking was terminated for our stop-over at a weekly Sunday feast held at the Hanna family’s. I was asked to speak of my pilgrimage to India but the highlight after the chanting was indeed the food. Sanctified as prasadam, it was contentment to the palate. The veggies and especially pakoras (veggie fritters) were lightly spiced with hing.
I was also able to make it back in time for the feast at the big city, Toronto. Here “gourmet-like” was the food which was fine. Bless the cooks they did their very best. It’s hard to cook for four-hundred people. Before the crowd and before eating I actually feasted through my ears. Yes I found hearing myself read was relishable. Don’t get me wrong! It’s less of an ego thing. It was the content that counted. I was reading of the boat adventure of our guru when he first came to America 50 years ago. Astounding to hear.
May the Source be with you!
4 KM
Saturday, March 21st, 2015
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Brampton, Ontario
Okay! So!
Okay! So how did the day run for me? Well, it really starts with the acknowledgment of the guru. At 4:25 AM I entered the temple room and offered my obeisance to the deity of him, Srila Prabhupada. The doors then opened to the deities of Krishna. Once again – obeisance.
I asked Nandini Radha, one of our female devotees to lead in the chanting session. This was followed by a beautiful ritual called Tulasi puja, the honouring of a sacred plant. Who could ever claim that we have nothing to do with the green movement?
We (the residents and guests) then participated in japa (mantra meditation), followed by a bhajan (devotional song) and then honouring of the guru, I then conducted a class from the Bhagavatam and on the topic of the virtues of dharma (principles), chastity and the shortcomings of being shameless after commiting some wrong. Guilt can be good.
A meeting was held with leaders of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), amongst Krishna Conscious leaders, that is.
Vitaliy and Ananda Rupa, the couple soon to be married, drove me to Brampton for a second meeting, this time of devotee men, who are poised to raise funds for the huge temple in Mayapura, India. This went well.
Finally after some phone calls with Vancouver and the endeavor towards some restructuring there, we took the time for physical relief – walking. Hart Lake was our venue and although it is the first day of spring officially, practically it is questionable. The air was fresh and brusque. It made us hungry and sleepy in the end, making it all a perfect day in bhakti (devotion).
May the Source be with you!
4 KM
Friday, March 20th, 2015
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Scarborough, Ontario
The Honor System
It’s always an honor to be asked to give some kind of presentation to a group of young souls trying to have some spiritual fun. Gopinatha’s Fun Camp is actually hosting a four day out-of-school (I was going to say “out-of-body”) experience for kids off of school for the March break. I was given a half hour to stimulate twenty plus children and indulge them in a lesson from the Bhagavad-Gita.
9.26th verse was chosen to explore. Herein Sri Krishna makes a point to His recipient, Arjuna, “If one offers to Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it”. The kids masterfully responded to a memorization of the verse and for fun, we involved them in acting out the verse in English.
Highlights: When we portrayed picking a flower, young Mukunda, age 6, protested, “You have to offer it to Krishna before you smell (the imaginary flower)”. Okay, Mukunda, you are right.
“Which fruit should we imagine to pluck?” And one of the boys suggested, “Why not a plum, (since in Sanskrit) it sounds like one?” He was referring to phalam.
It was a second honor to be interviewed in the evening at TET TV studio in Scarborough, a three-part series for an audience of young teens mostly, so I’m told. The topic? “Sex, Drugs and Rock’n’Roll”, the Three Stooges to vulnerable adolescence. I used that terminology only because the sad joke is youth-hood. I had fun with the questions and I hope I didn’t come across too much like an old fuddy-duddy.
May the Source be with you!
7 KM
Thursday, March 19th, 2015
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Brighton, Ontario
By Water, Animals and Earth
Vitaliy, Ananda Rupa and I were fortunate enough to capture the sun’s sneaking over the eastern horizon, better still, over the calm lake at Petticoat Park just off of the Rouge River System. Here earth meets water with hard water in between. The last of winter’s white and crystal residue can be found at the beach that we did traverse for a stretch. Trees also became our fascination as did their visitors. A woodpecker and mate were vigorously stripping some bark, I imagine to access insects.
Our trio moved onto a farm where kale is harvested, washed, dipped and dried before packaging. To show us around the rural factory and farm were Fil and Sukhayanti. But first we got acquainted with family members – bulls, cows, sheep, goats, donkey, cats, dog. A step in the barnyard with alfalfa pellets in hand and you’ll find that suddenly you are very popular. The goats in particular go beyond the alfalfa. They start chewing your coat, shirt, pants and shoe-laces.
We are informed that each barnyard animal has his or her own temperament, character or personality. To put that in slightly different perspective, all souls carry their own individual karma, if not, the karma carries them.
Our final venture for the day was Presqu’il Park and its wetlands. A group of swans took solitude here. I sometimes think swans make better yogis than us. These massive birds sat on calm but cold waters, forever, so it seemed.
May the Source be with you!
5 KM
Wednesday, March 18th, 2015
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Toronto, Ontario
The Guru “Without”
A couple came up from Michigan and we but relished a stroll in the park. We were just catching up from where we left off in conversation from their last visit. For continuity’s sake and for the sake of learning what we haven’t already, we talked about devotion. Frankly we are all students of life and it makes sense to dedicate a portion of the day to topics that centre on the self, the soul.
I had another person come today wanting to know the need for a guru who is also a topic in the line of devotion. In this day of self-help when someone may convince you that “the guru within”, common sense, or intuition may be sufficient for achieving spiritual strength and understanding, why seek assistance from anywhere else?
The fact of the matter is that while we may apply some intuitive power, any one individual lacks all the intelligence needed to be able to accomplish all things. We are simply not God. We are born with flaws and frailties. A guru “without”, however, has much experience, gives guidance, gives inspiration, gives wisdom and measures progress made.
If someone wants to become a great athlete, cook, businessman, whatever, that person can make a lot of effort in any respective direction, but it doesn’t hurt to take assistance from a source that has a proven background of success. Please check 4.34 from the Bhagavad Gita and the illuminated purport by Srila Prabhupada.
May the Source be with you!
1 KM
Tuesday, March 17th, 2015
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Toronto, Ontario
It’s March Break
It’s March break, which means so many young folks, especially those from the secondary school level, the teens, are out on the street. Despite a wind with a biting cold, they were out on Yonge Street downtown, ‘where all the lights are bright’, and ‘where everything’s waiting for you’. Nick and I were making our way to the evening Bhakti Lounge kirtan event. Pedestrians were moving at a good clip, it’s the way to keep warm. One tall fellow, who looked like a Punjabi, blurted out with an enthusiastic, “Hari Bol!” which means, “Chant the name of Hari (God)!” He passed by so quickly that I couldn’t recognize him. Oh well, a man of mystery.
Kirtan at the lounge went well, followed by a vegan dinner where we had time to mingle with those who choose to take a break from the material world.
My return to the ashram was the same route, Yonge Street, where all the lights are even brighter now that nighttime is upon us. It was Dimitri who accompanied me, when the same man of mystery uttered once again, “Haribol!” in the most jovial way. From the crowd of pedestrians emerged this same fellow from before. He stopped. He was a little shy and tried to hide his cigarette with hand behind his back.
“You don’t know me, but I know you. I was one year old when I had my birthday party in your temple, so my parents tell me. I’ve seen you over the years, haribol.” We shook hands in a hearty way. It was a good exchange. For me, hearing haribol from a happy face changes the way I view this street of big time maya, illusion.
May the Source be with you!
7 KM
Monday, March 16th, 2015
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Toronto, Ontario
Clearing Clouds
The middle aged musician strumming gently on his guitar while singing away, he had his own self styled attire, a hat which was a cross between an American cowboy hat and an Australian bush or slouch hat. Over his body was draped something in the family of a poncho. He sported long, sandy coloured hair. An artist? Yes. Eccentric? Yes, I’d say so. It was an instant judgment on my part.
He stopped playing and singing as Chaitanya Mangala, our Brazilian monk, and I, came close to him while on our walk on Danforth Avenue. He started talking. He spoke in an intellectual/philosophical way, yet coherent it was not. I basically nodded, agreeing to his remarks which rattled on. I couldn’t get a word in. I could sense though, that he approved of us. We were different, and so was he. The one radical can understand the other radical.
I find that when there is a lacking in communication, speech wise, then I just slide in a mantra card. That, then, does the magic. After all the mumbo jumbo the fellow was uttering, he finally came out and said the two Sanskrit words, Hare Krishna. The mantra seemed to clear any cloud of confusion for both him and us. It’s just doing its job. It works like the sun and burns away the fog.
May the Source be with you!
5 KM
Sunday, March 15th, 2015
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Toronto, Ontario
Get Straight
The weekly Sunday Feast, or our Open House, continues to attract pilgrims, meditators, congregations, and the curious. This event goes on at Krishna Centres all over the globe. Here, in Toronto, there’s no exception.
A young woman by the name of Emily called, asking about kirtan. I let her know that this is the main feature of our Sunday Feast. She informed me that she hopes to come.
“Will it be your first time coming?” I asked her.
“Yes.”
“Great!”
“You know I’m there by my yellow hat,” she said. I informed her of the time.
“6 PM”. And she came. I could spot her in a crowd of about 300. Her yellow wool headpiece did stand out. So as I was about to move to my seat to deliver today’s message to the crowd, I approached her, “Emily?”
“Yes.” She has the biggest smile. It just so occurred that I couldn’t find the time or arrangement afterwards, but I could see that our resident nun by the name of Nandini Radha did have some words with her.
This is one of the main components of the Sunday Feast, it’s people (‘People…’ Barbara Streisand). There’s people who are searching, people who want the peace of mind, people who ask themselves, “Why am I in this world? What is life’s objective? What is my calling? Who am I really?” I did speak in my pravachan (talk) about our guru, Srila Prabhupada, and all he had done to deliver kirtan to the world. I believe this connected with Emily. It appeared to me that Emily and her accompanying friend had a good time. I do hope they come again.
After the feast, the usual cleanup took place, or should take place. I, amongst other things in the tidy up routine, went around to straighten out the pictures that had been shifted accidentally when people brushed against them. After all, we’re here in this world to straighten out some things. It’s the human obligation.
May Source be with you!
5 KM
Saturday, March 14th, 2015
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Brampton, Ontario
Two Black Dudes
I had walked toward Brampton en route to a satsang in someone’s home when off on Eglinton Avenue, I was approached by a couple of black dudes. They were in a black van and they tooted their horn indicating they wanted to talk. They lowered the window, and I could see the interior was black. The two men in the car were in black, their caps were black. The only thing I remember that wasn’t noir was the earring on one of the guys’ earlobes. It was imitation gold.
The passenger was very curious, “Didn’t I see you yesterday in Yorkville (a swanky part of town)? Like, what are you doin’, man?”
“That was me, and now I’m here, walking. I’m a monk, walking. I walked Canada four times.” To this remark, the two looked stunned. I gave them my card, which has on the flip side, the maha mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
With an invite to our temple and Govinda’s restaurant, I left them, and with their further questions answered. I hope I’ll see the two black dudes with their glistening earrings in the future, perhaps even at our temple. My point in relating this, once again, is that when you go out in devotional garb, opportunities occur.
There were other areas that I happened to cover on foot today in Etobicoke and Milton. I passed by their various religious institutions, the bulk of them being Christian. There’s one place that promotes themselves as being a venue for miracles. It’s near the Toronto airport. I was tempted to go inside to see if I might experience a miracle, but then I thought, “What the heck, I have miracles happening in my life all the time, big and small.”
May the Source be with you!
7 KM
Friday, March 13th, 2015
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Etobicoke, Ontario
Show You Love Thy Neighbour
“Love thy neighbour as much as thy self.”
You’ve all heard this phrase from Jesus. It’s a good one to put into practice.
It happened yesterday that I walked in the neighbourhood of our ashram when I passed by a window display of an art shop whose owner I had known. I haven’t seen Don for a long time. He opened up shop 26 years ago, and has been running a successful business selling his and other artist’s works. I thought to do the neighbourly thing, the human thing, stop my stepping , drop in and say hello.
Don’s hospitable wife mans (or womans) the shop, and graciously lead me to the basement where Don is often at work. As usual, he’s got this smile. We started talking. He asked me if I noticed the main painting on display. “No, sorry, I didn’t notice,” I said.
Don said, “It’s by…” (and I forgot the name, but it’s someone who collaborated working with Andy Warhol. Don informed me that it’s probably worth 5 million.
“Is that right?” He went on to talk about his passion, his art, and I could see how he was loving it. I told him of my recent trip to India and of pilgrimage. It was a mutual, neighbourly exchange worth much more than 5 million. I know if I sped by Don’s shop in a car, I wouldn’t bother checking in on Don, but because I was on foot, I had every reason and opportunity to be human.
“Hare Krishna, Don.”
May the Source be with you!
9 KM
Thursday, March 12th, 2015
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Wednesday, March 11th, 2015
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Tuesday, March 10th, 2015
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Monday, March 9th, 2015
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Brussels/TorontoWhere They Don’t KnowBalaram, Mandala, and I left India for the friendly skies. Leaving India means you leave the land that knows. For instance, we went through customs where you get searched by an officer. Because of …
Saturday, March 7th, 2015
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Noida, IndiaVanity Reference I was asked to give the class from the Bhagavatam. I was happy to extract some details from the life of Ajamil (from Canto Six) wherein he abandons irresponsibly wife and family for an existence of rajas (passion) and tamas…
Friday, March 6th, 2015
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Vrindavan/NoidaWar Zone? It felt like a war zone, really it did. With Holi festival upon us major attacks of coloured powder venture your way. Tourists and pilgrims come to Vraj (Vrindavan) to experience the full tilt of, in the minds of some, an exhil…
Wednesday, March 4th, 2015
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Vrindavan, IndiaAgain In VrindavanThe drive is not long to Vrindavan, just about 2 hours from Noida. Before conducting a theatre arts workshop, I thought that we, as planned, could slip in 2 days for some purification in Vrindavan, land …
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015
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Noida, India In The Corporate City On the road. At the airport. In the air. On the wheels again. That’s how our day looked before the afternoon catch-up rest in Noida. Our group of mine got excited about doing something spiritual by the end…
Monday, March 2nd, 2015
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Mayapur, India The Seed Giving Doctor I got to know Uddhava from a former visit to Tirupati in South India. He comes daily to my room offering me a method of seed therapy. In addressing slow weakening knees (I’m 62), the kind soul, a do…
Sunday, March 1st, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaCrowdsMost of the senior monastic people, what we call sannyasis, have left Mayapur for other pilgrimage sites in India or have left for their areas of responsibility in their respective places on the globe. The numbers of pilg…
Saturday, February 28th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaLast DayIt’s the last day of the month but dates as we (humans) have established according to the movements of heavenly bodies like the sun and moon, mean as little to certain creatures in the dhama (sacred ground) here in Mayap…
Friday, February 27th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaIt Started At the Shoe RackAfter a modest morning walk I was destined for the Pancha Tattva Hall and then the adjoined Radha Madhava Temple. There is an arrangement for parking your shoes. For those we call Srila Prabhupada di…
Thursday, February 26th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaA Cool Black DudeEvery year at this time a large group of us get to honour one of our favourite monks. Bhakti Tirtha Swami, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He became a prominent figure in Princeton University before he decided to…
Wednesday, February 25th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaThe Main Thing”At the most it’s one and a half kilometre, please join me,” I encouraged one of our Canadian pilgrims.I was set to do this short trek and I like the company. Krishna Balaram, the pilgrim referred to is a bee keeper ba…
Tuesday, February 24th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaWe Treated and Cheated OurselvesWe had treated ourselves to a PPP (Post Production Party) with Del Ray pizzas and natural ginger soda water. This was to honour our second consecutive successful performance of “Blue Mystic.” Ou…
Monday, February 23rd, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaBest TrailThe best walking trail in the area runs close and parallel to the Jalangi River. “Best” for me means the quietest, most scenic, most interesting. To my knowledge it has no name. Locals may have a term. Le…
Sunday, February 22nd, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaFirm FeetMy legs are well looked after. A brahmacari (monk) from Ujain, gives daily massages before the night’s rest. Normally I get a decent reflexology session by walking the uneven terrain (not today unfortunately…
Saturday, February 21st, 2015
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On the Roof
On the roof of the education building, the Chaitanya Bhavan, a priest had prepared a havan, a small sand-pit arrangement. It was paraphernalia all set up for a fire ceremony to acknowledge two candidates for initiation into our Vaishnava culture. And I must say they are very excited about this personal step forward.
Luke is the father of one of the candidates. His son, Philippe Lussier, has been aspiring for this moment, and was anticipating that it could happen in his dad’s presence. Luke is Canadian and it’s his first trip to India. Michelle, his friend, to accompany him, just loves it here.
The other candidate, is Jon Strickland, from the USA. He had served with the Marines and he finds the devotional regimentation of Krishna Consciousness to be very second nature to him.
It was a fine morning, a bit misty, up there on the flat roof. The sun from a far distance, attempts to pierce through. I counted five raindrops to brace my shaven head. Jon sports a beard, a green light I gave him as an actor in our drama. I spoke from 16.5 of the Bhagavad-gita, wherein Krishna identifies with the qualities of divinity declaring them as the road to liberation. The qualities contrary are sources of bondage.
In my role as the guru I like to see in all the initiates that they become, or rather remain in this life, as at least, sensitively moral, if not, then better still, lovers of the Creator.
Joh took on the Sanskrit name Jnanagamya in honour of our recently deceased dear god-brother. Philippe accepted the name Pradyumna. Got bless them!
May the Source be with you!
5 KM
Friday, February 20th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaHoly Holy Holy is His NameA sincere friend from London, Canada forwarded an excerpt from John Michael Talbot, founder of a monastic religious community.”My soul proclaims the greatness of the LordAnd my spirit exalts in God my SaviourFor …
Thursday, February 19th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaJust That PlaceMayapur is just that place where you meet old acquaintances and anticipating that even new ones to become lasting friendship connections. Everyone here is a pilgrim in residence or have come from afar. You meet …
Wednesday, February 18th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaBe Smart About Your Spiritual FervourIt is quite astonishing to hear of another death today. However you measure this one, auspicious or not for a relatively small town the frequency seems high.This time it was a young man from the …
Tuesday, February 17th, 2015
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Mayapur, India
Lesson On Life
Phil’s dad came from Canada to see his son. Also from Quebec, to be more specific, is Michelle. Both Luke and Michelle happened to visit India for their first time.
Their arrival was timely for more than one reason. Yesterday was day one of the Kirtan Mela, the chanting fest. Pilgrims from around the world, have come to indulge in what is usually an unforgettable event. The couple had come to peak, out of interest, the portion where I took the lead in singing but also in dancing. The half-hour slot I was given, turned out to be a dance lesson in as much as singing (it had been a year’s wait for this opportunity).
For Luke and Michelle it had also become their first exposure to a cremation. Just as one of the very saintly women from Mayapur, Manarupa, had passed away yesterday and was cremated, a second person, Gnanagamya, a friend of mine from the USA, also departed today. That came as a surprise to the community. Cancer had taken his life, and now residents took full advantage of sending him off.
Here again I was to lead the chant, and in the procession. The couple from Canada, and even I – had come to witness the cremation. It was a first for me as well, seeing it all in the raw format as opposed to the sophisticated arrangement of the West. It was quite the eye-opener as the sun began to decline behind the horizon at the Ganges. As Phil said, “A lesson on life” was observed.
Can one be consoled from the experience such as this? We just need to recall the Gita’s message that we are not these bodies.
May the Source be with you!
6 KM
Monday, February 16th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaHit By A MonkOne swami gave me a slug. Yes, in truth I got hit by a monk in the left brow and cheek. It was not ill-intended. It was an accident but at the time it felt a hard blow.What actually happened is that at the f…
Sunday, February 15th, 2015
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Mayapur, IndiaFrom Tongue to NoseCashews and figs are my breakfast. During meetings my colleagues and I enjoy a snack bar with water right out of the dab (coconut). Other juices are freshly made pomegranate, sugar cane, lemon, and bael.&nbs…
Saturday, February 14th, 2015
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Mayapur, India In and Out of the Dust The two lovely ladies were taking a beating. Mayapura’s two elephants lay there in the dust receiving a kind of massage from the trainer. He takes a burlap sac and strikes the body of ea…
Friday, February 13th, 2015
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Mayapur, India The Sun, Movement and Heat I pondered, “Morning and walking are still the perfect couple.” Pre-dawn, dawn itself, and a piece of post-dawn are the perfect trio. Walking, chanting in the shower of sunshine is t…
Thursday, February 12th, 2015
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Mayapur, India A New Book One of my monk friends, my senior actually, showed up the other day. He came down the trail near the brahmacari kitchen. He has that distinct build, rather thin, and walks with a grave smo…
Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
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Mayapur, India The Best of Lunch The best of lunch are the chapatis that are pulled up by way of a device from one floor below. Perhaps these flat-bread circular wonders are offered optimally with and without ghee (clarified butter). We usu…