Sunday, June 12, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Together Event

Vivaan, who’s 8, the son of my hosts in Lorette, shared with me a quote he loves about the forest – “You won’t get WIFI here but you will get connected.” I like that. I think we’ve all had incredible connections with the solitude of trees all around us.

For this morning I did not have the honour to be in the midst of green giants but did have the privilege to trek on a dirt road, to see the open prairie sky with Vivaan’s grand-uncle who is seventy-years-old but his 8. This is freedom.

At 2 pm an event of a spiritual nature began at a banquet hall off of Notre Dame Ave. in Winnipeg. It was an inaugural ceremony for beautiful deities of Gaura Nitai (short for monk, Chaitanya and married saint, Nityananda). Th program involved song, dance, drama, awarding youth and feasting. I was truly surprised to see Philip, whom I hadn’t seen for thirty-nine years since his days in Toronto. He’s been residing in Winnipeg for years with his sweet wife and grown-up son who’s studying to be a lawyer. They all came for the event. Philip always had a love for Krishna Conscious philosophy and life-style. I’m so pleased to see that he still embraces it all.

Also, I was thrilled to see Daruka along with his pet parrot, Billie. They were my support team for one and a half walks across Canada. Post-pandemic brings us altogether. It is a great time of reunion and restart. Thanks, Vrnda and Visvambhar, for the happy event.

May the Source be with you!

4km


 

Saturday, June 11, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Lorett, Manitoba

To A Great Flatness

Lat week my travels led me to Quebec and before that the Maritimes, where all those places are mountainous, at least hilly, but today, after a good flight to the Prairies, I landed on ultra-flat terrain. A nice change. In fact, levelness reminds me of where I was born and raised, in southwestern Ontario.

With the fine arrangements of Vrnda and Visvambhar my greeting party at Winnipeg’s Airport brought me to the countryside in the town of Lorett, population 5000. Members of our Winnipeg community converged at the two-acre property of Amit. What a great bunch of people.

This occasion was Amit’s house warming. This is a new place for the family and, to celebrate, he wanted a devotional group with guest, The Walking Monk. It was sit-down and relax time. He asked for a class, a kirtan and then a mini Chariot Fest at the front lane.

Kirtan chanting went on, then I asked for a book. He put in my hands the Bhagavatamand I started to flip through the pages randomly when my fingers stopped at a verse. My eyes landed on verse 1.19.33. I read it for my own perusal and it was as if Krishna guided my finger. It reads as such:

 “Simply by our remembering you, our houses become instantly sanctified. And what to speak of seeing you, touching you, washing your holy feet and offering you a seat in our home?” The purport by our guru, Prabhupada, is particularly powerful.

I spoke and then we conducted our mini version of Ratha Yatra. All went well. By the time of retiring for the night I looked at my phone. A Gita student of mine from Hamilton called. We spoke and he was concerned why Toronto’s parade is cancelled. “If the pride parade happens, why can’t ours?” “Good point!”

May the source be with you!

1 Km


 

Friday, June 10, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

Christie Pits, Toronto

Spotty Green Spaces

 

Life in the ashram gives regular birth to a fresh challenge for a monk. This day is called Nirjal Ekadasi. “Nir” refers to “no.” “Jal” refers to “water.” On this ekadasi,reserved for a grain fast, residents have the option to abstain from eating altogether and that includes no liquid. It’s an annual happy trial.

I admit to eating and having some juice to provide some fuel. I counted giving seven classes today. I just needed the energy. Krishna will understand. I also gained some power from a one-kilometre loop through Ramsden Park.

How lusciously green it is in this park.

Later in the evening, after the seventh class, I took to Bloor Street. I walked by plenty of cafes, including one called “The Poop Café” and on that strip, which is frankly quite lively and not terribly decadent, I passed by another green space – one of the many cannabis stores. One of them (maybe all of them) has a sign which says, “Open.”

For me it’s a “no.” I abstain from that as well.

One homeless chap, who called me by name, just at a time when a motorist shouted out “Hare Rama,” wanted to talk. Of course, I’ve known this fellow for years. He told me he just lost his mom, from New Brunswick.

“What is her name?”

“Zelda,” he said.

“I will dedicate some chanting (holding out my beads) to Zelda.” He was grateful.

Then I met Brian, whom I hadn’t seen for years. “Well, I’ll be…” he said while slowing down on his bicycle. Brian was a support person for me on my first walk across Canada in 1996. We talked some, maybe two kilometres, catching up on life. Our conclusion was, “Let’s enjoy the green space left. Condos will be coming up.”

May the Source be with you!

7 km


 

Thursday, June 9, 2022
→ The Walking Monk

243 Ave. Rd., Toronto

Stop and Smell

 

You have all heard the saying, “Stop and smell the roses.” It’s a phrase that was used often in the ’60s (not sure if it had anything to do with hippie flower power). The message is hurry and worry less. Simon and Garfunkel, the exceptional duo singers, put it this way in their piece Feelin’ Groovy. “Slow down, you move too fast. Yah gotta make the mornin’ last.”

In any event, whenever I trek with the boys through the residential neighbourhoods, where great pride is displayed in individual landscaping, we check out not only the roses but any flowering bush, for that matter. I guess you could call it flower-hopping. It’s quite remarkable how diverse are these precious creations. Not only are they fragrant (almost enough to get you high), but their varied shapes, textures, and colours are enough to convince you that you’re in Svargaloka, heaven.

When city councils decide to adorn the downtown with les fleur fragrant, they enhance the beauty of the place and also have a positive effect of bringing down the crime level. Wow! What power they have!

My dad was a flower man. Being Dutch, he had the touch. And what about all those gorgeous images of Krishna in Goloka, the spiritual realm, with all the living colour of soft petals of exotic flowers? It’s stunning, really.

May the Source be with you!





 

ISKCON Relief Ukraine Update- Week 15
→ ISKCON News

Week 15 June 15th, 2022 ISKCON Relief – Figures   Devotees from Europe, as well as other parts of the world, have tirelessly continued their sincere endeavour to help devotees from Ukraine to find shelter, care, and support. The following figures are for week 15 of this devotee care/relief effort.   ISKCON Relief –  Food […]

The post ISKCON Relief Ukraine Update- Week 15 appeared first on ISKCON News.

Teachings of Lord Caitanya
→ Dandavats

The teachings of Lord Caitanya can elevate human society to the topmost platform of spiritual activity. Such activities constitute the goal of human perfection. Illuminating knowledge can be acquired from the teachings of Lord Caitanya, and by such knowledge, one can advance in spiritual existence. Lord Caitanya therefore teaches direct worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa, whoRead More...
(This post has been viewed 7 times so far)

This human form of life is very rare
→ Dandavats

“This human form of life is gotten, we have received, after many, many births. These people, they do not know. It is very rare. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura sings, manuṣya janama pāiya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā suniyā viṣa khāinu. Hari hari viphale janama goiṅu. He is lamenting, ‘My dear Kṛṣṇa, I am so unfortunate. IRead More...
(This post has been viewed 16 times so far)