Sun. Sept. 21/08 - Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
It was 4am. I was chanting on my beads while turning the corner at Bay and Bloor, Toronto, when a black dude, Andres, stopped me with his voice. “Hey, can you stop for a minute? I saw you with these robes and I thought How can I let this wisdom pass me by.”
“I’m not a scholar or even very wise but I do represent a tradition.”
“Isn’t it restricting to conform to one type of clothes, one type of routine and one type of thought pattern? Isn’t there a danger of losing individuality and the prospect of free thinking?”
I explained that even though we belong to an order of discipline we are encouraged to be independently thoughtful. “I’m a monk and perhaps a creative one and I’ve been encouraged to express my individual creativity while conveying the universal messages of truth.
Our dialogue went on. It ended with increased understanding. I continue to wear my saffron and he his favorite color, black. And we can be friends.
The day time was occupied with teachers and students of yoga in the outdoors near the world famous falls, and on one of the countries oldest sustained walking trails, The Bruce Trail. At a Grotto-type rock formation we spoke about the fundamentals of bhakti yoga. A picnic was held at the monument of Laura Secord who was known for warning the British that the Americans were coming (1812). A kirtan, a lively song and dance drum jam finalized the gathering at a Gupta Ashram.
The yoga folks are receptive to the message of Bhakti (devotion) as they are folks who have for the most part filtered through lots of experiences in life. They are generally thoughtful men and women.
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