Monday, June 30th, 2008

Mon. June 30/08 - Moundsville, West Virginia, USA

Balabhadra, his wife, Chaya and daughter Laksmi run ISCOWP Internation Society for Cow Protection with a primary focus on ox training. They did an excellent job at telling our youth group about the pros of life based on agriculture and cow/bull protection. We mingled with the ox who were content at grass chewing. Balabhadra showed us the instrument for castrating the bulls, a two minute rather painless procedure.

Gopinatha, one of our 16 year old boys who was raised in Vrndavan, India, captured hot urine in his hand as it came pouring out of the cow. Daring as he was he proceeded to drink the fluid cupped in his right hand which had some of us in hysteria. This action of his should be of no surprise to those of us who have faith in the healing power of what comes from a bull and cow.

My impatience towards being able to find time to do some countryside walking got the better of me. I decided to tackle the gravel road leading to the Ridge Road despite signs of oncoming heavy rain. I became drenched and cordially refused rides along the way. I was intent to walk and to visit Bahulaban, a location of a house formerly converted into a temple whose dieties since then were re-located. The building is abandoned yet stands to remind us of some rich history of a unique spiritual development in North America and the world druing the sixties and seventies.

In better condition is the cabin near the house. In the summer of '73 I was assigned, while a novice, to be a personal servant of a monk, Subhal Swami. No one explained to me what exactly that meant or how to go about it. I felt that he was a bit cold in disposition. Anyways, I was not sure exactly where I should station myself for the night while assisting him. So I discovered a mattress under the cabin and lie there for the night's sleep. When I awoke in the morning I realized it was a mattress owned by others. To my surprise I found myself surrounded by four dogs who graciously allowed me their shared space.

The visit to Bahalaban struck emotional moments for me. It was near the cabin in the summer of '74 that I recieved a rite of passage from our guru, Srila Prabhupada - the brahminical initiation.

6 km