Monday, December 24th, 2018
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Thunder Bay, Ontario

The Sex Change

At the quaint Vedic Cultural Centre, a cozy group of us reflected on the story of Vishnu taking on a gender-change as Mohini Murti. Canto Eight of the Bhagavatam relays the story of what is now a popular topic. To allure the demons and distract them from snatching the immortal elixir called amrta,Vishnu assumed the form of a Divine female. The staunch yogi, Shiva, was also wooed by this avatar.

Additional stories of gender adjustment appear in the epic, The Mahabharat, when in the thirteenth year of the Pandava's exile, Arjuna, the warrior friend of Krishna, became a eunuch who taught dance. We also read about Ambha, the princess, who became an effeminate male warrior by the name of Shikandi, and who ultimately posed as grandsire Bhisma's arch enemy in a role of vengeance.

The question I sometimes get asked is, "In your movement do you accept people of different orientations?" This is mostly referring to same-sex individuals. The answer is that all persons are welcome to participate in devotional activities. Emphasis goes to encouraging acts of devotion and reducing acts of sensuality. May we be reminded that we are not these bodies. We are spirits.

The discussion was brief enough, while clarifying our stance on people of various natures. Ananda and I then went on a journey, on foot, to explore newer trails, one of which was a branch of "The Great Trail," that runs right across the country. We also delighted in the wildlife tracks we discovered on the snow-laden forest floor. One small creature, it must have been a mole or a mouse, left mini prints and then tunnelled his way through the snow, leaving a furrow and then a tunnel. Sweet!

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Sunday, December 23rd, 2018
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Thunder Bay, Ontario

Get Over It!

He finally gets it. Ananda, who's from Maharastra, India, and accustomed to a hot climate, came to terms with a reality. Bravely he accepted my offer. It's a short trek to the Vedic Centre, a mere six to seven kilometres from Prem's home. It was the night before that he decided: "I'll go with you even though it's cold." On top of that he has a bit of a limp which manifests after a short trek; the result of a past accident.

Well, Ananda crossed over a threshold, a barrier. "Like last night at the Marina Park I was hesitant, because of the cold, but then ten minutes into the walk (with a bay breeze off Lake Superior coming at us) I liked it. I didn't want to go inside."

I always say, first of all, that it's purely psychological, this apprehension people have about walking, and then secondly, they are hesitant to do so in more extreme hot or cold weather conditions. We are quite adaptable as humans. You just have to dress for the occasion and become a hero.

Ananda and I trekked the light powdery snowfall of the morning. We began in the dark but the snow itself, for the most part, lit the way along the creek. We conducted a morning sanga,and then again in the evening. No walking to the Vedic Centre that second time.

In attendance were Angie and also Rich from Los Angeles. They are good musicians and have some ties with the Sivananda society. In came a slew of sharp students from Gujarat. Both Ananda and I took advantage of chanting, drumming and exquisite dance. We had a blast.

In any event, I wish all people would adopt the attitude of Ananda as mentioned above.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Saturday, December 22nd, 2018
→ The Walking Monk

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Meet Pete

It was such a pleasure to meet Peter, along with the few others who came to hear our discussion from the book Bhagavatam. Angie came with her daughter, Sarena. Satyam, a student at Lakehead University, sat listening with rapt attention. We also had our local pujari(priest) by the name of Balvan Krishna, and host, Prem, there.

Peter is originally from Winnipeg and moved to the area to go to Lakehead in 1986, deciding then to stay with his wife, way out in the bush. They come into town to the Farmer's Market to display and sell their artwork. Today, Peter came by to see if any small icons or pictures of Shiva were for sale in the Vedic Cultural Centre, and he happened to notice us in the middle of our discussion.

We were speaking about the episode where a mother-to-be, Uttara, approached that master of mystics, Sri Krishna, out of a sense of urgency. She sensed a fiery but subtle brahmastrahad been hurled at her child in the womb. She cried out for help, "Pahipahimahayogin..." and Krishna came to the rescue leaving the male heir, Pariksit, in a protected condition.

Peter goes to India often, loves the place, and has picked up some of the customs. "Namaste!" he addressed, and followed with a host of questions, both cultural and philosophical. Just before departing, the tall goatee-bearded fella asked something unusual for a westerner. He said, "Swamiji, can I touch your feet?" as a way to receive some blessings.

I was apprehensive in the beginning, but then I felt perhaps I could connect him in some way to the pilgrimage culture, a topic we had discussed. These feet have walked over thousands and thousands of kilometres as a pilgrim's duty.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Preaching program in Izhevsk, the capital city of western…
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Preaching program in Izhevsk, the capital city of western Russia’s Udmurt Republic (Album of photos)
Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: Every year over the Xmas time we visit the city of Izhevsk in Russia. There is a wonderful group of devotees there, and among other things, they are extremely expert in dance and drama. While we were there, every evening we had a full program, with kirtan, a class, and usually two dramas, with nice dances.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/yXftgw

Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

And Be Happy!!