DOVETAIL
TORONTO, ONTARIO
It was not an ordinary day at the temple. There were several international guests with us and included in the list a musician with a golden voice. Strumming his guitar was Atmaram, a Spanish devotee, who travels the globe doing the yoga circuit. What was arranged was a mini concert for Atmaram in the peaceful atmosphere of the temple. Although traditional mantras and bhajans were sung the more European contemporary stringed guitar was the instrument used to create tempo and rhythm as support to tamboura, sitar or vina. Such fusion of east and west can be most palatable to the ear.
Dovetailing is the word used by our guru, Srila Prabhupada, to describe the utilization of skills, talent, ability, wit, resources, etc. in the service of God. Wherever your strengths lie there is this golden opportunity to use them as an offering – a service.
For the Sunday open house program this principle of dovetailing was well channeled not only by Atmaram but also Keshav Sharma whose youthful enthusiasm and personal communication skills are applied as the mc of the event. Devotees who are inclined to perform pulled off a great drama. And it’s not for me to judge but if something is amiss in the program for instance our guest speaker was late, late, late and hence I volunteered to do the spontaneous thing standing in for him. Somehow I respond to spontaneity well and so I find myself in such circumstances. Perhaps that’s a skill and a way of dovetailing.
After our drama presentation of “The Witness” our actors were so pumped up with excitement that the only way of calming down was walking and so a spriteful walk became the method to escort one of our female brahmacarinis to the bus station for the midnight run back to Montreal. I got a chance, like so many, to dovetail a strong propensity in me – walking – once again.
10 Km
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