Thursday 25 September 2008

Friday, September 19th, 2008

Fri. Sept 19/08 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I volunteered yet another day in the kitchen preparing two veggie dishes (one curried, another steamed), then rice, dahl (lentil soup), halva a dessert, and salad done for the noon time slot. All done in quantity for about 40 people. As I was completing this satisfactory task one of the resident monks asked me to come and speak to a guest.

Standing outside the kitchen was a Mr. Dan Mc Grady who came to our temple (formerly a church). Expressing that 50 years ago he got married in this very same building. He was not surprised to see it had changed. As his head moved about to look at the surroundings he hit a sweet moment of sentiment. “Everything changes. Nothing remains the same. That’s the way the world is. You have to move on isn’t it”.

I told him I couldn’t agree more with his profound message while he was both nostalgic and philosophical. “ I wish you the best Mr. Mc Grady”.

After savoring the meal I organized a chanting party set for Queen’s Park where our guru, Srila Prabhupada had walked mornings in 1976. That place can also strike up a nostalgic nerve. Students of the University of Toronto use the park as a thruway to their classrooms. They are unaware of some of the “greatness” that strolled under these bushy trees over the course of time simply because they are absorbed in their academic responsibilities. Some took notice of our chanting and broke into smiles and bursts of joy.

6 Km

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