Enjoying your Prema
Vaughan, Ontario
Walking territory was the grounds of the country’s largest university, Toronto’s downtown U of T campus.
A group of youth, brahmacaris and I observed the stop light at an intersection. Lit up was the upraised palm of the right hand. In the Vedic culture of India this is a symbol of a blessing coming from a superior. Usually divinities in the form of deities stand with the right hand palm extended for a benediction and often show a smear of red kunkum powder over that palm.
In any event, the image of the red stop image for a pedestrian took on a different meaning for us. When you really think about that STOP HAND, it is indeed a blessing for those who honour it.
My afternoon was time well spent, sitting as director to the drama “The Eighth Boy” in preparation for ‘The Festival of Inspiration’. It’s a great crew and my main choreographer, Nitai Priya, recommended using Michael Jackson’s foot stepping from ‘Thriller’ for our demon scene. So I said, “Yes, it should work.”
To put the demons within out of their misery, our head traveling monk, brahmacari Jaya Kesava, two more men and I headed for a gathering of the Prasher family, a very outgoing Punjabi group. The family has opened a massive room for puja, worship and bhajan, devotional song. We were invited to speak, sing and enjoy their great food.
The highlight of the day was speaking to a curious chap at the benediction hand.
“You guys are monks?”
“Yes, we are,” I said
“What do you believe?” he asked as he lit up his smokey cigarette.
In so many words I explained that our objective is Prema, love of the supreme. For some reason he held that word in his head. As he gestured to leave us he said, “Well, enjoy your prema!”
7 Km
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