Author Archives: H.H. Bhaktimarg Swami

Sleep Got Interrupted

Oungre, Saskatchewan

Sleep got interrupted by some noise. Some creature was trying to poke its way into our tent at the Oungre campsite. I finally figured out what was trying to badger its way in. From the lamppost outside, I could make out its silhouette, it was the darndest cute little frog. His head was up and his legs spread out as he jumped his way up to explore our synthetic domicile. He would leap, attempt to clutch on, but he would either slide or just fall back. He tried various sides of our tent. I was just lying there less annoyed than amused.

Once it was time to rise, 4 AM, it was time to zip open that tent, zip over for a shower and zip on off to the road. The world of magic began once again. I was using my meditative beads to chant my daily mantras. It was a soft murmur of “Hare Krishna… “

From a distance shortly after sunrise, I could see a pack of coyotes running as in teamwork. Apparently local farmers sometimes lose their calves to these visitors. In any event it was exhilarating to see these wild dogs in some kind of action moving swiftly on their feet beyond the wheat field.

Daruka pulled over and had a cassette playing of Melanie, the popular folk singer of the late sixties, early seventies. The theme of this song seemed pertinent.

I Don’t Eat Animals

I was just thinking about the way it’s supposed to be

I’ll eat the plants and the fruits from the trees

And I’ll live on vegetables and I’ll grow on seeds

But I don’t eat animals and they don’t eat me

Oh no, I don’t eat animals ‘cuz I love them you see

I don’t eat animals, I want nothing dead in me

I don’t eat white flour, white sugar makes you rot

Though white could be beautiful, but mostly it’s not

A little bit of whole meal, some raisins and cheese

I’ll eat the plants and the fruits from the trees

But I don’t eat animals and they don’t eat me

Oh I don’t eat animals and they don’t eat me

Oh no, I’ll live on life, I want nothing dead in me

You know, I’ll become life and my life will become me

You know, I’ll live on life and my life will live me

It’s a great song and I remember it from over 4 decades ago. Thank you, Melanie, I also don’t eat animals.

Now the last portion of the day had Daruka, Billy and I attend ISKCON’s centre in Regina. I spoke from 9.11 of the Bhagavad Gita. The message was that divinity is everywhere.

28 KM

I’m Just West…

Torquay, Saskatchewan

I’m just west of Estevan, near a massive dam. Highway 18. The moon is above and in front of me. The sun sneaks up from behind. What clouds say, “You’ll be less intense today, we are here to veil you.”

The highway is lined with, from what I can make out, miniature sun flowers , actually Echinacea, and then there’s amaranth plants that ancient civilizations used as food substances. I’m glad to have their company. Muskrats are here, or what’s left of them after being run over. Caterpillars make their migration across. They have a better chance on the westerly portion of Highway 18, there’s less human traffic now.

A salamander sloths his way across. He’s absolutely adorable. With a tip of my umbrella I touch his belly. He swings his tail and actually swerves and makes a sound. I tried again to offer the softest touch, he reacted the same again and gave off a kind of a squeal. I didn’t know salamanders make noise.

I thought I would try my five finger Vibram footwear. It seems to work. The highway here is uneven, and pavement here is bumpier with a rough gravel surface. The feet like it, they like the grip.

Speaking about grip, let’s have a look at getting a hold on life. I meet a lot of young guys everyday, they are good to me, they are supportive, they seem happy and hard at work. One fellow gave me a container of cut watermelon just as I was getting so dehydrated. With some, we have some great chats about all the money they are making and about family and girlfriends and all. I make a point of them getting a grip on the term dharma, and what that means as far as responsibilities go. One fellow that I talked to was boasting, “I’ll just pick up a girl now that my ex is out of the picture.” I said, “You know women aren’t so cheap that you can just pick one up. They are valued just like you are valued.” It’s great speaking like a father to them. They really like monks.

In Torquay, the only village on today’s route, we met some great folks, especially a few bikers. I was curious to know what it’s like being on a Harley Davidson, “Check it out, Swami!” For fun, I sat there on the machine and had a good laugh. It seemed that the whole residential street was out there with us, meaning Daruka, Billy the parrot and myself. Everyone was looking at it and deciding whether the motorcycle was me or not. Ultimately consensus tells that I’m better with feet and the trail, and not putting pedal to the metal.

36 KM

On The Hour

Estevan, Saskatchewan

On the hour, local radio stations were announcing the trek across Canada. I was interviewed at their studios, so my voice came on briefly, but hourly. Facebook also went wild on the story. Responses on the road were tremendous.

One slim fellow pulled over. He caught the news. He showed me the photo of someone with a very prosperous frame at 350 pounds, “That’s me,” he said, “I had to get determined to lose all the weight.”

“That’s great. Now let’s try to decrease karma,” I said. He was right on board with my suggestion. Another motorist who had heard the news also pulled over at that point, and then another. We all got into deep down discussion. It was a huddle of sorts. One of the fellows was native. He had no trouble in accepting the concept of Creator, a higher power, a superior intelligence.

My response was, “Look at all this out here,” implying the beauty of the prairie as we stood at the edge of Estevan, known as the energy city, “when you walk through it all, all the 3D, all the smells, the colours and textures, it really enhances your appreciation for the artist behind it all.” Everyone there seemed to be on the same page.

“Do you guys accept Jesus?” asked the natives, “Is he the son of God?”

I began to respond, “If God’s the father for everyone… “ to which he completed the statement, “then we are also His son.” He got it. Even though the group of us were in the middle of going somewhere, in the middle of work you could say, we all seemed to be ready for a drum and mantra session. There was all this enthusiasm.

Being Friday afternoon, it has something to do with the good cheer in the air. The sun’s out, everyone’s making money (remember, it’s oil country here), and now there’s a novelty, a monk to excite a few folks. Roxie, was kind to let journalists from the local papers, The Estevan Mercury and Lifestyles, interview me in her new age store called “Soul Hideout”. An amiable gal she is. Journalists were super. As usual writers want to know about motivation behind the walk, and behind being a monk. So, I give my brief bio, which includes the inspiration of Beatles music, a fascination for anything East Indian, and a strong attraction for the mysticism within monasticism. Bhakti, devotion, is the goal – devotion to the great artist.

I feel that for people to sometimes take you seriously, you may have to do something to the extreme. That’s why it’s a cross country walk and a 4th one. It’s a matter of walking the talk, isn’t it?

30 KM

We Love You

Hirsch, Saskatchewan

I left the campsite and found myself moving under the blue moon. At 4:30 AM all was calm and in some way, all was bright. The coyotes really sang out in response to the moon god, that then stirred up the local dogs. The howls outdid the barking though. The coyotes won out for making noise.

All around there were massive gas torches at the summit of stacks. The road started picking up with traffic – mostly trucks en route to oil rigs. Southern Saskatchewan is in an oil boom period. Fortunately many of the oil workers are kind enough to honk or wave or stop and encourage in some way. It seems that maybe that this is their first step at self realization.

On that note, here’s an excerpt which I read to Daruka as he was fixing sandwiches in preparation for our break time:

“The very first step in self realization is realizing one’s identity as separate from the body, ‘I am not this body, but am spirit soul’ is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter of saying, ‘I am not this body,’ but of actually realizing it. This is not as simple as it may seem at first.

Although we are not these bodies, but are pure consciousness, somehow or other we become encased within the bodily dress. If we actually want the happiness and independence that transcend death we have to establish ourselves and remain in our constitutional position as pure consciousness.”

-From Beyond Birth and Death by Srila Prabhupada.

With death, well, it came to a close call. It was about 8:45 PM when a motorist was speeding. An officer came chasing madly after him. The driving offender registered at 149 km per hour. While the officer ticketed the driver he kept his flashing lights on which caused other traffic to slow down and to move on the highway’s shoulder where I happened to be. It was dark. The oncoming driver didn’t expect to see a pedestrian, let alone a monk. He got shocked out of his wits and reported to the police, “Who is that guy?” This was in earshot.

Once ticketing was done, the officer drove up to me, who has been accosted by a cloud of mosquitoes by the way. The guy was nice and went out of his way to drive me to our encampment, a good 20 kms away. He admired the walking project and expressed his appreciation as we were driving.

Such was the response from people in general today, “We love you,” is becoming a regular mantra.

So now where was Daruka all this time, my support person? It was a small slip up. His watch stopped, and that caused a deception of time.

35 KM

Many People

Oxbow, Saskatchewan

There’s a remarkable migration of tiny frogs attempting the journey over the highway.  Many casualties occur I’m afraid.  They’ve got guts doing this, boy do they ever have guts.

It’s people that I meet like crazy.  The first person stops his vehicle, raises his iPhone for a picture and asks, “What’s up?”

“I’m on a walk across Canada.”  The fellow was impressed, he was very poetic.

“Holy _____ !  Good luck!”  At least the words rhymed.

The walk was news to this guy who works in the oil fields which are all around.  Many other folks were quite aware though – the oil riggers, farmers, students on holidays, seniors on chores.  It seems that even though I pulled of the road over a month ago to attend Canada and US spiritual fests, there was a buzz lingering about a roaming monk, and so the reception was phenomenal.

At one point a heavy rain came.  83 year old Mr. Swayze pulled over and let me into his passenger seat until rain let up.  Mr. Swayze, although retired, took up work again.  He was on his way to getting a bridge constructed.  He told me, “If you do nothing you start to deteriorate.  Since I took up this recent assignment, my brains got sharp again.”

Words of wisdom.

I walked through several towns, Glen Ewen was the name of one.  People were sitting outside a pub.  The owner offered water (of course, I won’t take hard drinks).  I went inside, so did all who were sitting in the sun.  They were curious.  All the walls were adorned with large pictures of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.  The owner, a woman, asked what I thought of Marilyn from a monk’s perspective.

“Overrated.  Not my idea of the emblem of true womanhood.”  The folks there respected my opinion.  They had oodles of questions.

“So, you’ve been celibate all your life?” asked the owner.  People were sipping beer and were in rapt attention.

“Yes.  When I was in high school I had one or two girlfriends.  I came close once but God said, ‘No, not now,’ (laughter).”

One fellow asked if he could be a monk and drink.

“You’d be a drinking monk (laughter).  No, as a monk, you learn self discipline.”

Back on the road again.  Numerous people stopped to talk.  It got to the point where it was hard to make progress as far as distance was concerned.  It was a nice problem, I’ll admit.

By nightfall, I got nearer to our campsite spot, an ideal location by the serene Souris River.  Daruka was anxious about my being late, so he went out looking for me.  A local woman, big hearted as anything, came on the search as well.  She figured out what we needed for our outdoor cooking.  She had gone home, brought rye bread, fruits, and a camp lamp to contend with the darkness.  Archie was her name.  The people I met were in great numbers, quite overwhelming.  Archie came at the end and showed an incredible level of devotion.  Thank you, Archie.

36 KM

Re-StartCarievale, SaskatchewanI landed in Regina. My marathon support man, Daruka, and the lovely, vivacious Billie, the blue front amazon parrot were there to see me in anticipation to re-start the prairie portion of a 4th walk across Canada.It took …

His Work

Vancouver, British Columbia

Before a flight, I love to walk. I took to some of the streets in San Jose alongside the commuter train. It was early- too early for any pedestrians. Only a cat was a stir. And then another one. Hunting could be good. Cats don’t herd but these two seemed to be on the prowl together.

Then a flight to Denver before Vancouver, would be my wing travel for today. A young seminarian boarded. Here he was all in black except for the exposed white collar. He sat right behind me. I was curious.

“Where are you stationed?”

“Minnesota. I’m a seminary there but on my way to Virginia.”

“I’m rather surprised. You don’t see many young men joining the mission these days. Am I right about that?”

“Where I’m learning, the seminary is growing.”

I felt compelled to congratulate him. “Well it’s great to see young guys like yourself doing God’s work. God bless!”

“God bless!”

We had parted ways.

In Vancouver I was picked up by Hadai Pandit, a Swiss-born devotee, excited about his Brahminical initiation. A fire ceremony for the occasion was set up outdoors off of Marine Drive at the ISKCON Center. This is the second initiation one formally takes. The first one ushers a candidate into the order of Krishna Consciousness. The second one welcomes one to the privilege of the more intense work for God.

For the ritual I decided to balance the modest event, held on the grass, by speaking from 4.35 of the Gita. At initiation #1 you capture the essence of 4.34 wherein you take lessons and guidance from the guru and render personal service to the guru. The following verse sends the message that you assimilate the philosophy. It’s a kind of maturation.

As the verse indicates, “Now that you’ve absorbed the message, understand that all things are in Him and that they are His.” This ends my detour from the southern Prairie Highway. I’m itchin’ to get my feet back on the road.- Highway 18.

6 KM

We All Were HippiesSan Francisco, CaliforniaThe JFK Blvd runs through Golden Gate Park, the route for the 47th Annual Ratha Yatra, the Festival of Chariots. This is a milestone. Approximately that long ago hippies (young with flowers in their hair) dan…

Moving OnLos Angeles, CaliforniaA concrete man-made water way is what gave space for the Ballona Bike Trail, a route that Dhananjaya and I had now become partially familiar with. It looks like we were not the only ones aware of this quiet getaway. We …

Her Second

Los Angeles, California

Svavas has been the Krishna community leader here for many years. After I settled in at the sannyasi quarters of the LA community he showed me a copy of “Newsmax” August issue with a picture of First Lady Barbara Bush wearing a shawl from India. Draped around her shoulders it read in Devanagri script, “Hare Krishna.” We were both delighted by Barbara’s fashion statement.

My main reason for a rare visit to the City of Angels (It’s just not on my regular trail) was to award brahman initiation to a Cleveland woman residing in the community. Hari Lila, was a super fan of George Harrison when she got internet-connected with Ramachandra of London Ontario, running a website of the legendary Beatle. One thing led to another and Hari Lila eventually, through the initial boost of George’s devotional music, jointed the Krishna community here.

Hari Lila had earned this post of privilege on the strength of her sincerity and commitment. Svavas mentioned that she’s earned it.

It was a pleasure to meet Rick, her father, a Lutheran, who came to the fire ceremony of his daughter. She was given new additional mantra to chant as part of the job description and that was followed by a planned walk on Ballona Bike Trail, through the heart of Culver City, a path she daily cycles as physical output. Her Dad came along as well as other friends.

The expression of wheels that takes to religiously is her down-time from kitchen and temple duties. Overall I’m very happy for her for having so many encouraging friends. “We love her,” said one senior female devotee.

To her credit she has wrapped around her heart the Mahamantra, “Hare Krishna” and has mad it her life-line.

10 KM

Los Angeles, California

A concrete man-made water way is what gave space for the Ballona Bike Trail, a route that Dhananjaya and I had now become partially familiar with. It looks like we were not the only ones aware of this quiet getaway. We shared in this secret with a coyote who non-chalantly prowled his way (a portion of its length opposite to the river to us.) I Tried to gain his attention, “Hey Dude!” but he wasn’t in the least phased. Frankly I was happy he was just there. His very presence seemed to defy or transcend the human infrastructure around him.

The other day, I had the same feeling when at pre-dawn an opossum was making its journey at post-party time on the San Diego beachfront. For him the party just began as I followed his quiet footsteps from dumpster to dumpster. He was apparently doing his rounds.

For those of us who are fortunate to live the lifestyle in the monastic order, rarely a day goes by where we can ignore sastra, the written wisdom, wherever we go. In reflection on today’s Bhagavatam verses I was asked to speak on the final message of Chapter 11, Canto 7, regarding the Vedic four social orders. The Vedas convert the four social human types based on a person’s psyco-physical make-up. What I attempted to emphasize was that spiritually we are all equal, as servants of Him. Materially we are all distinct and simultaneously complimentary to each other.

Complimentary or not, I did mutually get on well with a guy at the LA Airport waiting for a flight to San Jose. He calls himself a skipper or a sailor who is well-travelled and works on boats. He was neighbours to Crosley, Stills, Nash & Young and helped them get their yacht adrift in those days. A firm believer in conspiracy theories, he clearly pointed out at the CNN screen in front of us and declared that tv tells no truth.

He expressed that he really liked what I was doing as a roaming monk, hitting trails on foot and meeting people. On a recent ocean voyage he took ninety boy scouts for an adventure. I asked about the outcome.

“They’re today’s kids, hooked on gadgets and know little of the outdoors. About a dozen caught on. It’s a shame, really.”

10 KM

Meet People

San Diego, California

Dhananjaya and I took to peripatetic activities. Out trekking took us along Pacific Beach, where we would later on go for a swim. Our ashram is located so close to sand and ocean and, as I’ve been told, our monks do take advantage of swimming opportunities when it’s more safe for monks. As one of them put it, “Outside the bikini hours.”

Dhananjaya and I were about to finish our term when two young guys and a girl came towards us trying to get our attention.

“Hey!” said one of the guys.

We stopped.

“What are you doin’?”

“We’re walking and meditating!”

“Can you walk and meditate at the same time?” ask the fellow in a slurred voice. (It was a party-all nighter.)

“We are doing mantra meditation. We try to tap into sound that is other worldly.” I asked them to close their eyes and listen to the mantra, “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna…” They liked that.

“Who is Krishna?” Is He the one with the many legs?” asked the girl who called herself Robin.

“No! We are looking at two arms and two legs and He is a celestial blue-like Avatar.”

“Oh yeah, okay?” said one of the guys.

Somehow I had a feeling that they would make it someday to our ashram on Grand Ave.

“The invitations on,” I said. I relayed this encounter to the monks seated in class in the ashram and also at my evening talk at the home of Pandava for a spiritual gathering. My purpose in doing so was to endorse the practice of going out into the neighbourhood in your devotional wear and see what friends you’ll make.

10 KM

A Button Popped

San Diego, California

Intuition told me that the day might have some bumps in it. Some signs seemed to indicate this. It began with having a button pop off my upper cloth, the kurta. Where it rolled off to, heaven knows!
Then, my plane arrived late. It first launched from San Francisco, where it was delayed due to thick fog in the sky. That then led to missing the plane to San Diego. Then, confusion with luggage; long lineups; praying and pleading for an earlier, new flight to substitute for the proposed one. I got a bit panicky for a bit. I was supposed to arrive in San Diego to award diksa (initiation) for a young monk by the name of Bhakta David.

Eventually, United Airlines found one seat available. Someone cancelled out! This meant I could fulfill an obligation. But, only my walking would suffer. For me, a day without trekking is not exactly a tragedy, but it’s a mild curse.

The landing at San Diego terminated the airport experience. David was at Arrivals with a big smile. We drove to the ISKCON ashram on Grand Avenue. Here, you’ve got a real live monastery with 15-20 saffron clad monks, mostly college grad young men. They kept me quite occupied. A fire ceremony was held, and Bhakta David received his new Sanskrit name Dhanajaya, a name that Krishna’s friend Arjuna is known by. A congratulations, Dhanajaya! My first personal assignment for him was to sew a button on my kurta.

0 KM

Insert Devotion

 
Vancouver, BC

There’s always something rustling in the bushes. There’s always something stirring in the swamp. You can hear the sudden swish, amidst the reeds, or an abrupt bloop – the sound of a mini-creature going for the dive in algaed water. These are nature’s responses to my loud prowl, lurking in their territory as I made three repeated treks down the same route in riverside.

The instinctive fear in the land and amphibious creatures astounds me. They are so quick to move and then they become so still. Humans are so far behind the rest of the species in such sharp detectiveness. In an attempt to excel in this, we use whatever brain substance to steer ourselves to inventions of devastating devices.

I could report on today’s glorious fest at Stanley Park, but that could detour us from the trails that I am determined to report. In reflection of the last twenty-four hours, my three treks in this delta strip left me in amazement over the concept of fear.  I first trekked alone. For my second, I was with an American devotee (the name escapes me) who walked the whole of India; and the third trek was with Sing Lung (dancer/actor from Toronto). Fear is so pervasive. It’s in all of us, so much entrenched. For the animal kingdom, fear translates into “will I be eaten?” For a human it’s, “Will I be ridiculed, criticized, character assassinated?”

How to address this reality of possibly losing your hide? What’s the optimum protection?
Bless the humble creatures, the lower brethren, who must live out their tenuous destiny. As humans, we have an obligation to protect their domain in order that they may be permitted to follow their natural course. Secondly, we have the opportunity to protect our spirit from moving in the direction of the world of Maya – this nagging world that sucks out our very life.
Let’s live life the best we can. Insert devotion.

11 KM

Loop It!Burnaby, British ColumbiaI had begun and ended the day with chanting, walking by Riverside, established in 1861. The river being referred to is the Fraser, a major water artery in the lower mainland Vancouver.Re-visiting the same route a second…

The WomanBurnaby, British ColumbiaThe woman at the Toronto airport was a passenger, ready to embark on the same flight as myself, destined for Vancouver. At the waiting area, she asked me that all too familiar question, “Are you a monk?” We began a con…

To Please Guru and God

Toronto, Ontario

Our guru, Srila Prabhupada always wanted to see his ashrams and temples look good, that they would be clean, neat and tidy. This was evident by the things he said and did. If need be, he would go at it himself to fix the problem or insist that his young and energetic students clean up whatever mess may have been created.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Cleanliness leaves a good impression, it also makes the atmosphere very conducive for spiritual activity. You want to have an atmosphere that is clean, both externally and internally for body and soul.

Our guru liked things first class. That attracts and this attraction ultimately would direct a visitor or seeker to Krishna.

Today was another day where neatness, colour and décor came to grace our temple. God and burgundy drapery was hung over the upper windows of the temple’s dining room called Govinda’s. The look in the end is gorgeous and is fit for a king in his palace. Of course, everything was done smartly and from a practical point of view, done within budgetary means.

This particular room is a 20 foot high ceiling space with Gothic arches and columns at their junctures. This room was also the original chapel for a Methodist congregation at the turn of the 19th century. Royal chambers they now resemble and are there to please guru and God. Visit Govinda’s for a great meal and ambience, feel spiritual; Monday – Saturday, 12 – 2:30 pm and 6 – 8:30 pm.

8 KM

A Question Came

Leamington, Ontario

A question came from one of our retreat members as we had some time to kill.

“When I approach people about this higher consciousness, they sometimes express disinterest, ‘The problem I have with all of you religious people is each one of you expresses the same self-righteousness. You say we are the only true faith or this is the highest form of religion or there’s the classic, only one way. How do I know which way is right? Maybe you’re all wrong.’ What kind of a response can I give these people that I meet?”

To answer such a sincere question, here’s my take on it.

Answer: As an objective and sincere seeker of the truth one can see that there are many many choices around there, around the globe, and people have benefitted tremendously from participating in the various spiritual functions. We would like to affirm that any system that brings you closer to the Divine is valid and can be honoured. Any program that especially subdues ego is to be praised, and blessed are those who have acceptance, beyond tolerance, for anyone whose approach is different from their own.

Now, how to know the right path? You are at liberty to scan all that’s available to you, and when you get to the Hare Krishnas just check out the delicious sponsored vegetarian feast, the drumming and the singing of ancient mantras and have a look and hear an ancient wisdom rich in philosophy. See the smiles and the happy faces, hear about a dancing God who’s also musical and tilts His head to a curious gesture that reads, “Won’t you celebrate with me?”

That’s how I would answer it.

10 KM

Pushing At PeleePelee Island, Ontario This area, my childhood playground, you could say, I left forty years ago. South Western Ontario is where life began for me in this body before heading for what seemed to be greener pastures. I pursued studies in…

Chilling at the BluffsScaraborough, OntarioThe cliffs or bluffs at Lake Ontario’s edge just east of Toronto are naturally impressive. This was the site of the 4th year anniversary of the sankirtan events that take place monthly. Resident monks and la…

Several of Our MonksUnionville, OntarioSeveral of our monks went for chanting on the streets in downtown Toronto. The city is abuzz with Carribana Festival fever perculating for the weekend.Providence had me go northbound for another type of chanting …

In Some WayNorth York, OntarioConnie and Pauline are both sisters of mine in their fifties, while Jordon, Connie’s son, is a young university-aged guy. They and I teamed up for a walk along the Don West River where water was gushing forth from the pre…

Insomnia Toronto, OntarioInsomnia hit hard once again. In addressing it I decided to put on my sneakers for walking. Before that, I donned rather large swimming trunks. Why? Well, it was raining out. Dhotis don’t always score well in the wetness. …

It just so happenedToronto, OntarioApurva is set on the harvest of lambsquarters now each day that we trek along in the morning. It was not the deliberate reason for going out, but if by chance we stumble upon the plant then he gets excited.Later this…

Some KilometresMontreal, QuebecI managed to cover some kilometres on the streets in Montreal’s east end. I love Montreal. It’s just that the east-end is what it is, for instance at some of the street corners a woman will stand there with tight clothe…

The Look At The Week

Ottawa/Montreal

We received our first serious rain this week, but the downpour didn’t really come until our last member of the group completed the course on the zip lining activity at Gatineau Park in Quebec. This activity was also scheduled as our last outdoor event before putting a cap on our trip.

We popped into the Ottawa ISKCON Centre for a meal and then kirtan before the 2 hour drive to Montreal, this was our destination to present our youth fest. I asked Philippe to orchestrate a rehearsal, a drum demo and then a kirtan while I gave a talk to the congregation on the simplicity of bhakti, devotion. I was so proud of the group’s presentation, it almost brought me to tears.

Here are some of the evaluations by the participants of KCAT (Krishna Canadian Adventure Tour) after completing a week of travel and devotion:

Emily (20):

“Living together in a van is a way to get to know somebody quickly.”

Attreya (13):

“I love the zip line place, also all the kirtan we had.”

Radhika (14):

“I learned how to be more patient.”

Philippe (22):

“Relished the association and every single fun-filled day.”

Ganga (14):

“We learned so much, like for example how to be together as a group. I really want to do it again.”

Aravinda (15):

“This tour was personal, thank you Kapil, thank you Maharaja.”

Devala (19):

“It kept my mind engaged. I think it would be nice to contribute in some way to the management of the tour.”

Hiten (12):

“After having this awesome time, it will not be my last one.”

Rsab (18):

“This trip helped me increase my japa (chanting on meditation beads) and gave me an exciting week of doing outdoor activities which I greatly enjoyed.”

Kapil (27, driver and organizer):

“Being in a smaller van it was easier to pack and drive. I noticed that everyone enjoyed all the activities and were able to bond amongst each other.”

10 KM

Kale Conquers

Colborne, Ontario

Kale – a miracle food full of nutrients and enzymes, took second position after Krishna today. Our KCAT group had the pleasure of visiting Adrian Quinn and family in Colborne. He is an entrepreneur who has capitalized on this green vegetable as a marketable and spiritualized edible. He built up a factory and went real organic on this hearty veg. He grows it right there on his land, harvests it, and takes the product to the dehydrator after dipping it in a sauce of cashew and sunflower seeds, then consecrates it and finally packages it before it hits the shelves in the health food stores. He now has a growing number of employees from the local area to see that all is executed. He also loves talking about this family business and how the endeavour is a step towards making the world a better place one kale chip at a time.

I felt that this stop on our trip would provide an educational dimension to our group’s collective experience. Adrian, also known as Arjuna, took a risk at this new venture, and the dream flowered into reality. Like any project, in order for success to play into it, there must be a dream and then there must be a team. Adrian is a firm believer in God’s mercy. For him, that is the final factor and also the original factor in achieving a result of substance.

Thank you, Adrian, for taking us to the field and showing us your crop of wonder – Kale

4 KM

Shaping, Achieving

Wiarton, Ontario

It has been quite some time since seeing Cypress Lake and the Grotto along the east coast line of the Bruce Peninsula. These are natural treasures to hike to and indulge in. They have become popular places for the folks from the city. The word is out that the coast line at the Bruce Trail is a true getaway.

We have come up with a name for our youth van tour and it is called KCAT, an acronym for the Krishna Canadian Adventure Tour. While the younger members like the shallow lake of Cypress with its warm water, and where they really can’t get enough of it, the entire group did however take full advantage of the deeper pristine invigorating waters at the Grotto. For me, the dip is like a reincarnation to a higher species. Still, I got a charge out of seeing species in the hundreds tackle the rugged terrain of jagged to smooth rounded rocks while circumventing the ancient cedars. I admit my browse at the Gita was intercepted by the cautious trekkers who got to take a break from boring city sidewalks.

Philippe was showing chords on his acoustic guitar as Priyam was listening and following on hi harmonium. As foot passersby were charmed by the music and adjoining lessons, they also got to hear the soft melodic maha mantra emanating from Philippe’s lips.

On one rock shelf someone accidentally had left their camera behind. It was interesting to view people’s curiosity at the sight of the lost item, and yet, draw no notion towards “finders keepers, losers weepers”. They walked right by knowing it belongs to someone. Our KCAT group members have become comfortably like a family. The sharing spirit contagiously is taking on a great shape. Even last evening our coordinators for the day, the Hannah family, staged a mantra rock concert. At that time, Philippe graciously slipped in with his mic’ed harmonium. Devala and Aravind also put their instruments, mrdanga drums to the live sound of the band Rajasi, and the fusion was phenomenal.

We are achieving what we set out to do, building up friendship and confidence amongst the youth in a Krishna Conscious environment. To spur on this spirit the group spontaneously executed their own creative rock sculptures of deities and balanced configurations. Creative it was.

14 KM

Shaping, Achieving

Wiarton, Ontario

It has been quite some time since seeing Cypress Lake and the Grotto along the east coast line of the Bruce Peninsula. These are natural treasures to hike to and indulge in. They have become popular places for the folks from the city. The word is out that the coast line at the Bruce Trail is a true getaway.

We have come up with a name for our youth van tour and it is called KCAT, an acronym for the Krishna Canadian Adventure Tour. While the younger members like the shallow lake of Cypress with its warm water, and where they really can’t get enough of it, the entire group did however take full advantage of the deeper pristine invigorating waters at the Grotto. For me, the dip is like a reincarnation to a higher species. Still, I got a charge out of seeing species in the hundreds tackle the rugged terrain of jagged to smooth rounded rocks while circumventing the ancient cedars. I admit my browse at the Gita was intercepted by the cautious trekkers who got to take a break from boring city sidewalks.

Philippe was showing chords on his acoustic guitar as Priyam was listening and following on hi harmonium. As foot passersby were charmed by the music and adjoining lessons, they also got to hear the soft melodic maha mantra emanating from Philippe’s lips.

On one rock shelf someone accidentally had left their camera behind. It was interesting to view people’s curiosity at the sight of the lost item, and yet, draw no notion towards “finders keepers, losers weepers”. They walked right by knowing it belongs to someone. Our KCAT group members have become comfortably like a family. The sharing spirit contagiously is taking on a great shape. Even last evening our coordinators for the day, the Hannah family, staged a mantra rock concert. At that time, Philippe graciously slipped in with his mic’ed harmonium. Devala and Aravind also put their instruments, mrdanga drums to the live sound of the band Rajasi, and the fusion was phenomenal.

We are achieving what we set out to do, building up friendship and confidence amongst the youth in a Krishna Conscious environment. To spur on this spirit the group spontaneously executed their own creative rock sculptures of deities and balanced configurations. Creative it was.

14 KM

No Cars?

Sauble Beach, Ontario

One of our prized monks in Canada, Karuna Sindhu, spends half his year in India, and half in the land of maple trees. He was kind enough to send me an article which he thought would give with my way of thinking.

Meet the one city in America where cars have been banned since 1898
By: Stephen Messenger thetreehugger.com on July 18, 2013, 3:26 p.m.

Mackinac Island, where cars have been banned since 1898.

When early automobiles first arrived on the scene in the late 19th century,
few people could have imagined that they would one day take over the world. In fact, some towns found the noise and exhaust from these novelty
‘horseless carriages’ so off-putting that early cars were actually outlawed
in some places.

In time, of course, restrictions were lifted and the car soon became
ubiquitous across the country — but there is still one place in the United
States that has yet to change its mind. Meet Mackinac Island, where cars
have been banned since 1898.

Located just offshore of mainland Michigan, in Lake Huron, Mackinac
Island and its namesake city have long been a favorite spot for a relaxing
getaway. So, when automobiles first began to arrive, loudly sputtering along
the island’s once-quiet roadways, startling horses and spitting out smoke, it quickly became apparent to locals that this new invention was not for them.

One resident at the time was quoted as calling cars “mechanical monsters” —
clearly not a glowing review.

Wikipedia/CC BY 2.0

Naturally, in 1898, the Mackinac village council moved to outlaw the
automobile before the monsters had a chance to take over:

Resolved: That the running of horseless carriages be prohibited within the limits of the village of Mackinac.” — Mackinac Island Village Council,
July 6, 1898

Such legislation might seem quaint and old-timey, but in Mackinac, it has
yet to be repealed. So what is life like in a place where one of the most
impactful inventions in history has been outlawed? Well, it’s quite nice,
actually.

Although the small island is home to only around 500 people, in the summer, that number swells to 15,000 during tourism season; aside from a couple of emergency vehicles, there’s nary a car to be seen. Transportation on Mackinac is limited to walking, horse-drawn carriages, and bicycling — a pleasant departure from the car-centric society that exists beyond its
borders.

“The air is cleaner and injuries are fewer,” writes Jeff Potter, who
published an article about Mackinac. “Island residents are healthier due to
the exercise. There’s a cherished egalitarianism: everyone gets around the same way. They also save a tremendous amount of money that would normally go to commuting by cars.”

10 KM

No Cars?

Sauble Beach, Ontario

One of our prized monks in Canada, Karuna Sindhu, spends half his year in India, and half in the land of maple trees. He was kind enough to send me an article which he thought would give with my way of thinking.

Meet the one city in America where cars have been banned since 1898
By: Stephen Messenger thetreehugger.com on July 18, 2013, 3:26 p.m.

Mackinac Island, where cars have been banned since 1898.

When early automobiles first arrived on the scene in the late 19th century,
few people could have imagined that they would one day take over the world. In fact, some towns found the noise and exhaust from these novelty
‘horseless carriages’ so off-putting that early cars were actually outlawed
in some places.

In time, of course, restrictions were lifted and the car soon became
ubiquitous across the country — but there is still one place in the United
States that has yet to change its mind. Meet Mackinac Island, where cars
have been banned since 1898.

Located just offshore of mainland Michigan, in Lake Huron, Mackinac
Island and its namesake city have long been a favorite spot for a relaxing
getaway. So, when automobiles first began to arrive, loudly sputtering along
the island’s once-quiet roadways, startling horses and spitting out smoke, it quickly became apparent to locals that this new invention was not for them.

One resident at the time was quoted as calling cars “mechanical monsters” —
clearly not a glowing review.

Wikipedia/CC BY 2.0

Naturally, in 1898, the Mackinac village council moved to outlaw the
automobile before the monsters had a chance to take over:

Resolved: That the running of horseless carriages be prohibited within the limits of the village of Mackinac.” — Mackinac Island Village Council,
July 6, 1898

Such legislation might seem quaint and old-timey, but in Mackinac, it has
yet to be repealed. So what is life like in a place where one of the most
impactful inventions in history has been outlawed? Well, it’s quite nice,
actually.

Although the small island is home to only around 500 people, in the summer, that number swells to 15,000 during tourism season; aside from a couple of emergency vehicles, there’s nary a car to be seen. Transportation on Mackinac is limited to walking, horse-drawn carriages, and bicycling — a pleasant departure from the car-centric society that exists beyond its
borders.

“The air is cleaner and injuries are fewer,” writes Jeff Potter, who
published an article about Mackinac. “Island residents are healthier due to
the exercise. There’s a cherished egalitarianism: everyone gets around the same way. They also save a tremendous amount of money that would normally go to commuting by cars.”

10 KM

Viewing/Contemplating

Cambridge, Ontario

Sign reads, “Trespassers will be eaten”. That sounds menacing, if not dangerous, but may the truth be told here at the entrance of the African Lion Safari.

Our group made the morning outing in anticipation to meet just a fraction of what the Vedas conclude as the world’s 8,400,000 species of life. The “safari” is a drive through (with windows closed of course). First you view free roaming animals such as llamas, then lions, then monkeys who tend to take a free ride on your vehicle’s hood. There’s more, elephants take their bath in front of a crowd, that’s something we humans would have no tolerance towards.

We spent the afternoon walking on a stretch of the Bruce Trail, the country’s oldest foot path, and refreshed ourselves at Sherwin Falls. A good physical experience.

Dear to the hearts of everyone is the kirtan sessions that we have before we set out, and what we end up with as we wind down before eyelids shut at night at the home of our hosts Aindra and Prema Gaurangi for some of that chanting and a reading on the life of Krishna. That was really special as we took it to an engaging interactive level.

For me, personally, a deep contemplation on the morning’s lesson lingered inside of me. The fourth canto of the series Bhagavatam spoke about enemies during warfare and how at the end of the day there would be a mutual friendly come together before resuming ultimate combat to the death the next morning. This burying-the-hatchet at nightfall was always an extraordinary concept for me, such is what we also read about in the Kurukshetra war. This program appears somewhat a balanced approach as far as war craft is concerned. It’s interesting, very interesting.

10 KM

Viewing/Contemplating

Cambridge, Ontario

Sign reads, “Trespassers will be eaten”. That sounds menacing, if not dangerous, but may the truth be told here at the entrance of the African Lion Safari.

Our group made the morning outing in anticipation to meet just a fraction of what the Vedas conclude as the world’s 8,400,000 species of life. The “safari” is a drive through (with windows closed of course). First you view free roaming animals such as llamas, then lions, then monkeys who tend to take a free ride on your vehicle’s hood. There’s more, elephants take their bath in front of a crowd, that’s something we humans would have no tolerance towards.

We spent the afternoon walking on a stretch of the Bruce Trail, the country’s oldest foot path, and refreshed ourselves at Sherwin Falls. A good physical experience.

Dear to the hearts of everyone is the kirtan sessions that we have before we set out, and what we end up with as we wind down before eyelids shut at night at the home of our hosts Aindra and Prema Gaurangi for some of that chanting and a reading on the life of Krishna. That was really special as we took it to an engaging interactive level.

For me, personally, a deep contemplation on the morning’s lesson lingered inside of me. The fourth canto of the series Bhagavatam spoke about enemies during warfare and how at the end of the day there would be a mutual friendly come together before resuming ultimate combat to the death the next morning. This burying-the-hatchet at nightfall was always an extraordinary concept for me, such is what we also read about in the Kurukshetra war. This program appears somewhat a balanced approach as far as war craft is concerned. It’s interesting, very interesting.

10 KM

Light in the Night

Calgary, Alberta

Sleep was not going to be an easy task last evening. It became a blessing in disguise. I pulled myself off the mattress and ambled my way outside at the east end of Calgary when I opened my eyes to a marvelous display of the northern lights – explosions of light energy flashing about against the sky’s backdrop. It’s nature’s exhibitions like this that puts one in awe, and perhaps even reverence towards the Maker or Creator.

I had trekked along on a bike trail that looped when I spotted this wonder by nature. The trail ended up at a retail strip area where I came upon a nightclub which pulsated some rave music. Through a window I could see young folks gyrating to the gutsy thump of the music as the lights flashed with diverse colours meant to heighten the ecstasy of it all.

Little did the dancers know that something much more exciting was happening from above. When I actually passed by the main door of the club, a crowd was ‘hanging out’ on the street level mildly intoxicated. They could also not see the wondrous display from heaven. For them the center of life was encircled around the nightclub. At night time street lights naturally blur or obscure what is in the sky, and that includes the northern lights which I understand is a play of the sun’s rays within an electromagnetic field in the ether.

Hey, the club dancers were really missing something and I guess in a way I felt for them. What seemed to be more important to them is finding themselves within some conjugal relationship. Okay, so be it. Meanwhile, my connection with nature’s light show and its source became more than a beautiful momentary reality, it’s something to be appreciated.

10 KM

The Not Yet Named Summer Tour

Hamilton, Ontario

Our short little bhakti road show in the prairies had been completed and we had flown back to Toronto on the previous day. Now, a second tour began, but this time it’s the replacement of the annual youth bus tour that I’ve been on for the last several summers. Kapil, a young bank employee from Alberta came to be chauffer and coordinator to a 12 seater van for a fun tour through Ontario and Quebec. We filled the seats with what I consider to be future leaders for our spiritual mission. I’ll be there for a week as well as Kapil whom we refer to affectionately as Captain Kapil or Cap Kap for short.

My time with Cap Kap and passengers is an investment for the future. Let these young folks have a good experience, fun and discipline mixed together in a spiritual environment. We have two boys from Florida, three girls from Montreal and four boys from Ontario. This is an opportunity for a younger set to get to know a monk more, and me them.

We took to a speed boat along with Korean tourists in the Niagara River through class 5 waves. We took to viewing the falls in full admiration of them. We finally finished with a rich meal at the home of Giri Jadhava, a dear friend who was my captain for travelling on the sankirtan mission in the early 70s. We all cooled down in a swimming pool and he and I reminisced about our days on the road including an amiable encounter with the legendary Vishnujan Swami, a pioneer amongst Krishna monks when we stopped in Baltimore, that was sweet.

Our crew is musical and so we have already begun to take full advantage of their gifted natures by encouraging kirtan, a panacea for the age.

Let there be mantra power that endures throughout the generations.

5 KM

The Not Yet Named Summer Tour

Hamilton, Ontario

Our short little bhakti road show in the prairies had been completed and we had flown back to Toronto on the previous day. Now, a second tour began, but this time it’s the replacement of the annual youth bus tour that I’ve been on for the last several summers. Kapil, a young bank employee from Alberta came to be chauffer and coordinator to a 12 seater van for a fun tour through Ontario and Quebec. We filled the seats with what I consider to be future leaders for our spiritual mission. I’ll be there for a week as well as Kapil whom we refer to affectionately as Captain Kapil or Cap Kap for short.

My time with Cap Kap and passengers is an investment for the future. Let these young folks have a good experience, fun and discipline mixed together in a spiritual environment. We have two boys from Florida, three girls from Montreal and four boys from Ontario. This is an opportunity for a younger set to get to know a monk more, and me them.

We took to a speed boat along with Korean tourists in the Niagara River through class 5 waves. We took to viewing the falls in full admiration of them. We finally finished with a rich meal at the home of Giri Jadhava, a dear friend who was my captain for travelling on the sankirtan mission in the early 70s. We all cooled down in a swimming pool and he and I reminisced about our days on the road including an amiable encounter with the legendary Vishnujan Swami, a pioneer amongst Krishna monks when we stopped in Baltimore, that was sweet.

Our crew is musical and so we have already begun to take full advantage of their gifted natures by encouraging kirtan, a panacea for the age.

Let there be mantra power that endures throughout the generations.

5 KM

Light in the Night

Calgary, Alberta

Sleep was not going to be an easy task last evening. It became a blessing in disguise. I pulled myself off the mattress and ambled my way outside at the east end of Calgary when I opened my eyes to a marvelous display of the northern lights – explosions of light energy flashing about against the sky’s backdrop. It’s nature’s exhibitions like this that puts one in awe, and perhaps even reverence towards the Maker or Creator.

I had trekked along on a bike trail that looped when I spotted this wonder by nature. The trail ended up at a retail strip area where I came upon a nightclub which pulsated some rave music. Through a window I could see young folks gyrating to the gutsy thump of the music as the lights flashed with diverse colours meant to heighten the ecstasy of it all.

Little did the dancers know that something much more exciting was happening from above. When I actually passed by the main door of the club, a crowd was ‘hanging out’ on the street level mildly intoxicated. They could also not see the wondrous display from heaven. For them the center of life was encircled around the nightclub. At night time street lights naturally blur or obscure what is in the sky, and that includes the northern lights which I understand is a play of the sun’s rays within an electromagnetic field in the ether.

Hey, the club dancers were really missing something and I guess in a way I felt for them. What seemed to be more important to them is finding themselves within some conjugal relationship. Okay, so be it. Meanwhile, my connection with nature’s light show and its source became more than a beautiful momentary reality, it’s something to be appreciated.

10 KM

Last Day On The Blitz

Calgary, Alberta

I went to bed by 10:30 PM the previous night. Before sleeping I offered a prayer to Krishna, “Please wake me up at 2 AM,” and that’s what happened.

I fit in a measly 3 km before we took to highways 7 and then 9 en route to Calgary. Our blitz through the prairies with our road show is on fire. We are moving. By 4 AM, we had, as planned, set the keys in the ignition for an 8 hour drive to Calgary’s Festival of Chariots. We made it just in the nick of time. The route was 8th Ave. This year’s procession was featured with a flat bed arrangement upon which sat our kirtan chanting group. This device worked wonders. It allowed our chanting group to conserve its energy instead of trying to play an instrument, sing and walk all at the same time, trying to keep at a steady clip.

Bhakti yogis love chanting. They’ll do it in a crowd or even when it’s relatively quiet like the downtown of Calgary today which has very little presence of pedestrians, at least on a weekend. All went well.

We put a tail end spin to the evening with more chanting at the house deck of host Radha Madhava. We also took some minutes with a talking stick method (a pink pen) to reveal our minds about the prairie blitz amongst our performers. One person, Philippe, expressed his realization that the culture our guru created is one that whoever we meet, that was devotional, open up their doors so graciously so that we could rest and eat. He mentioned that we were made to feel totally at home.

I think it’s a significant point. For many people their house is their home and it’s not really a home for others unless they invite you. As long as you see yourself as the steward to your place of residence then naturally you’ve captured the hospitality mood.

6 KM