Friday, October 30th, 2009

A Great Friday Night

Toronto, Ontario

After a lenghty practice at our new drama production, "Lonely People", I took a breather catching the good air and the wind. Passing by homes in front I reflected on the verse from the Gita "...of purifiers I am the wind." It was past the mid-night mark but that doesn't stop nocturnal life in the city. Then the day affairs and communications came to mind. I was informed by one of our Temple actresses, Karen (spiritual name Kalpa Vriksha), that one of our temple actors, Ellesh Parunjanwala, had hit the big times. Ellesh, star of the top rating reality TV show in Mumbai, Rakhi Ka Svayamvar, came to me last November en route to the airport for India. "Maharaj, I came for your blessings," he said. "It's a TV/movie project I'm going for. It's real exciting." From that point on he shot up stardom overnight. The ratings for the TV show bypassed the popular "Ramayana" and "Mahabharat" TV series of the 90's and even tapped the cricket game between India and Pakistan.

I felt a little proud of our boy who grew up with our community and then in his youth partook in numnerous devotional plays with my direction. He has become the most popular TV celeb and I guess that's God's mercy. I have little concern about him being caught up and consumed by star stigma. He's always been a boy of integrity and morality. Anyways I'm happy for him and will pray that he will not lose his sense of dharma duty.

Most amazing about this evening's brief stroll is when walking past an indoor/outdoor bar which was ultra boisterous (mainly laughter). Silence struck as the drinkers saw my robes. Several of the chaps with beer in hand gave a nod of respect.

But to top that when the garbage truck came up one block up from the bar to a large oriental shop, one of the trash collectors in orange uniform caught glimpse of me while wheeling a bin to the truck, dropped his garbage and held hands together in pranams. He closed his eyes in reverence and stood still for a few seconds and then proceeded with his work as I did mine - walking.

To the public I am a NO NAME brand of monk. I am certainly not Ellesh. But you can say that respect goes to the tradition that I'm representing and that is very gratifying.

6 Km