A Mother Passes Away
Upstate New York
An extensive car ride restricted my walking. We’re headed for West Virginia. It’s always an issue at customs. North Americans are not accustomed to producing passports at the border line between the U.S. and Canada but recently it has become a reality. Legislation changed that for good. One thing we have learned, perhaps the hard way (from our youthful endeavours) is to always go on the principle of truth. Just tell the truth. “We are going on a spiritual retreat to West Virginia. We will return on Sunday afternoon.” Everything was cool with the customs man asking us questions.
Once we arrived (myself and our little theatre troupe for performing ‘Lonely People’) and settled in we took to rehearsing a skit in one of New Vrindavan’s lodge rooms when a young monk burst into the room. He announced, “One of the cows is leaving her body. Come to the barn!” So we did. There we saw a group of passionate cow lovers chanting by her side. Some of the cow keepers (men) moved her massive body to a dry area with hay laden over the cold floor.
The poor thing had been suffering from some viral problem within the intestines. There she was lying panting away. Emotions prevailed. It did look to me like she had some hours ahead of her. At approximately 11 pm she passed away with loving kindness all around her in the presence of the maha mantra. Her passing was auspicious in all respects. She had given of her service to the world. This once healthy Holstein donated large sums of her good organic milk. Her service will continue into the next life in some form. Her future is likely not to be grim.
The cow, one of the Vedas’ seven mothers moved on.
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