Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Guru Walking

Toronto, Ontario

One of the most beautiful aspects of the character of our guru, Srila Prabhupada, was his ability to move through the mess of Kali Yuga. Kali Yuga refers to the age in which we live – a time of deception – or as he always put it, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. He came in ’65 to see something extraordinary. Coming from a conservative Victorian influenced background, his first impression of a free-spiritual hippidom so prevalent at New York’s lower east side and Haight Ashbury in San Francisco was practically astounding to him.

He accepted radical youth who carried the air of cynicism towards the establishment but who shed the badgering tendency upon accepting the disciples of Srila Prabhupada. At least a good number of them took a good shot at it. Prabhupada taught us optimism, positive thinking in the face of a crazy world. If there was fault he would overlook it. See the good (refers to Krishna’s view on the Putana Demoness). This is a universally accepted virtue. It’s the mark of a saint.

Ironically for all the work he did, which was mammoth-like, he took great risks and for the open-door policy (everyone is eligible and given a chance) he was criticized by his peers. But he held his head high and moved forward speaking of positive Krishna Consciousness. He was always positive and upbeat.

I have a strong impression of seeing him because I was with him in Atlanta in ’75. A small band of us monks were walking with him in a local park. The morning was bitter-cold but he moved along oblivious to it. I won’t forget his walking with his head high and a humble heart.

He taught us to avoid criticism and the tendency to find fault, which is a feature of Kali Yuga. It is not the mark of a saint. He taught glorification and not horrification. I will continue to see him walking, in the cold, with a humble heart.

6 Km