Sunday, December 23, 2007

Sun. Dec.23/07 - Vancouver, British Columbia
The startling news of the unjust death of a good father of two boys, husband, jeweler and soccer coach to hundreds of young men left me with an uncomfortable rest. The bight of unease drew me to walking again at a time prior to the 4:30 am temple program. I found myself entangled in the blackberry bushes, thick and thorny at Byrne Creek in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver. I had trailed the sidewalk from the temple to a hardwood tree path and then into prickly entanglement. This was of course deliberate.
When bereavement hits me or confusion of some sort it compels me to do just that -throw myself into a maize of nature’s circumstance. I then must labour hard to seek a new path or create one until I reach a clearness. My lips move with the maha-mantra throughout this ordeal. When I finally work my way out of the labyrinth I end up in a great consolation of hope, some resolve and mental peace. It is always a great relief to touch the initial major trail again.
In the morning sadhana at the temple I sat on the vyasa-asan, the seat for the sermon. I spoke on the subject of the the Yadu dynasty and the struggle they endured. In the evening I sat on that same vyasa-asan and offered a word to the congregation about cutting through life’s hurdles and clearing the forest of confusion.
7kms.