Nitai Rama and I prepared ourselves for an early flight to St. John's on the far off east coast of Canada. In case I would not be able to fit in time for a hike I said, "I'll take a brahmacari with me who knows the way to the airport and we'll start walking." "Please pick us up when you see our robed selves," I requested.
The entire monastic Halifax crew, four in all - and I, then headed to the airport by way of a borrowed car.
The passenger next to me on the flight, a man of about 45, told me of his three-year term with a group of Trappist monks in Rogersville, New Brunswick. He was the maintenance man onsite and had a great time with the lively monks. In his strong Maritime accent he described the happy but rigid lifestyle. No mirrors were allowed. If you were caught swearing you're out. You take off your shirt in front of the monks and you're out. The only leniency he saw was when a 35 year old person came to join and was allowed at times to wear sneakers and shoot basketball. That was off time.
On time meant prayer and gardening and tending to the fields and animals. Keeping bee hives and marketing the honey harvest was another preoccupation. "The numbers were waning," said my friend in reference to resident monks. "A bunch of monasteries out east here are being turned into hotels and bars," he informed. That was painful to hear.
I know that our young monks in Halifax will age like everyone else. Some or all of them may get married in the future. Our Vedic system permits such a thing. I hope that our ashram will not become irrelevant in the future and will honor the flexibility required to hold an interest for the public.
In the afternoon Nitai and I spoke with faculty from Memorial University. Prof. Pat Dold was seeing a trend, such as on her last trip to India she witnessed her staunch and orthodox Hindu Sanskrit guru go out to take up jogging. Her point was that physical workout or even sport has its place for the religiously strict.
In any event, our meeting went well. In the planning stages for the study term in September it was proposed that I, a Swami, direct a play as a recreational/educational experience for their theology students. So the plan is for me to mix with and associate with students of Religious Studies by directing them in the drama "The Gita". The faculty was excited about students learning the foundational message of the Gita. I'm in ecstasy about the arrangement. The visit to St. John's was already very productive even though we just got off the plane and made
our way to the University.
Walking today was pathetic.
2.5 km
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