Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

It All Began At the Campus

Gainesville, Florida

The fellow sitting next to me on U.S. Airways had to compliment us (meaning Hare Krishna monks). When he heard that Gainesville was my final destination for the day, he said, “In the early nineties you guys fed me every day while at university. The meals were great; the price was right - $1 per meal.” He mentioned to me that he is on his 150th flight for this year. I joked with him if he's targeting 200 flights for 2010. I asked him about the novel he was reading.

“Is the book 'Vicious Circle' about the wheel of birth and death?”

“It's my escapist reading. It's actually all about exorcism,” he said. He also alluded to needing to be in a world outside of his own. It was priceless what he had said. The real truth about living in this mundane world came right out his mouth. Trying to escape or exploring another world apart from our own are natural inclination. That's why fantasy is so popular. That's why people attempt to alter their state of consciousness. That's why some people in a more virtuous fashion seek spirituality.

I'm not sure that my flying friend has taken a path for spiritual growth but I would say that his spiritual journey began because of the fact that he ate meals of wonderful food we call Krishna prasadam. This is food surcharged with spiritual energy.

The Krishna Lunch program has been running for years (over 3 decades) at the University of Florida campus permitting a Friends of Lord Krishna culture to evolve.

For the Late afternoon Jagannatha Puri Dham, whose marriage I attended in Denver earlier this year, took me to trek around the campus. He brought me to the place where the monks of the early Krishna days - monks like Visnujana and Garga Mun i- had begun the mission here in North Florida. He also pointed out the grassy area where our guru, Srila Prabhupada, gave a talk to young students, seekers of the truth.

“To this day people remember Srila Prabhupada. They come to us to tell us,” said Jagannatha.
My final message is an appeal to readers for prayers in honour of a dear Godsister, Yamuna who is not doing very well with her health.

5KM