Mauritius, Good Bye
Bon Acceuil, Mauritius
I was pleasantly surprised. For a last trip by car to the
temple from the town Flacq, Kala and I came upon a white
attired japa performer on the road.
Kala stopped to offer the walker with japa meditation
beads in hands a lift to his destination to the temple.
The walker who had been one of our regulars on the road
for the past four days refused the ride preferring to walk
his whole distance. It appears he got hooked on the
program.
Kala remarked that this would not normally happen; that
the padayatra, the on foot festival, had impact. In fact
some of the men in the community vowed to me that they
would begin a japa walk club. The question came up twice
yesterday at two different venues where I gave a Krishna
Conscious talk, “when are you coming back (to Mauritius)
Maharaja?”
And my answer was, “When you build up your club
membership”. Mauritians are a reserved type of people and
there was no sudden “hurray!” It just seems that they will
react by doing. And after a brief attendance of morning
sadhana, a dozen or so attendees followed me as I trekked
down Vrndavan Road. The Mauritius Walk was officially
over. I had completed one more country to add to the list
but these folks, including two women, who came for an
extra 3 kilometers just may continue after I’m gone.
There is something to be relished from this walking and
meditating.
As part of the talk yesterday I asked the crowd from a
health point of view, “Are there problems with diabetes in
the community?) Answer was “Oui (yes)!”
“How about high cholesterol?”
“Oui!”
“How about heart related diseases?”
“Oui”
Does anyone have their spare tire in the wrong place?”
(Laughter) “Oui!”
We parted and I took my ride to Plaisance Airport
physically prepared to leave Mauritius, psychologically
less so. I’ll miss these walking gentle souls, the sugar
cane lined roads, the mystical moon, clouds and sky.
5KM
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