Monday, April 14, 2008

Monday, April 14, 2008 - Toronto, Ontario
I had flown in from Thunder and asked my pick-up driver, monk Devadatta, to leave me walking a distance to the Toronto ashram for at least part of the way via Cedarvale Park Ravine. The day was clear and sunny. Woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, robins and squirrels were as busy as humans outside this green region. I had meditated on the good hearts that I worked with for the past weeks on the production "The Age of Kali" which was a huge success. The Yoga-fest at Thunder Bay was reported in the main paper "The Chronicle Journal" with front page coverage, a huge photo, as well as plenty of written content on page 3 with more photos. A CBC moderator, Mary Jean Courmier, hosted the show which was organized by our Dr. Jani. These were Tai Chi demonstrations and yogic postures presented.
Our troupe of actors did excellent and climaxed the show. In the lobby after the show, spectators were asking about the drama's philosophical content such as "How does Anger have it's place when one pursues the path of peace?" "Obviously in your play Anger doesn't die but is transformed, so how is that?" and "What is Illusions role after agreeing to serve God's will?" I was thrilled to hear that the drama provoked thought and wasn't just a platform for entertainment.
I decided to continue walking to meet with Devamrita Swami, a New York born monk, who travels the world speaking about Krishna Consciousness. He is in Toronto for ten days and is fully booked at venues for speaking engagements.
It is always a pleasure passing time in discussion with Devamrita Swami who shares similar views with me on strategies for challenging the kingdom of maya, the world of gross materialism.
8 kms