Crane, Guyana
We tucked in our dhotis (lower robe) to almost half-mast. An overnight tropical storm made muddy, the Saturday morning market place. The farmer’s market is the weekly outing for the monks in the area. A mirdanga drum, coupled with a djembe and hand cymbals were our tools. Marketers, vendors and us monks were somewhat not well prepared at first, but we became adaptable to the wet conditions eventually. Planks were being placed over puddles while husks of corn were set in mud spots offering some relative dryness. At least we were contented at least the kirtan party.
The over cast weather with its surprise gusts of rain is a treat over the scalding heat that is common in Guyana. A trek on Guyana’s main road, another on a side road and fairly a hard pace back and forth in my designated room, constituted all that the feet did today.
We got our memory working also. I took the devotees on one of those verse memorization sessions. The group found it a little tough to tackle 6.42 from the Gita which detail the positive destiny of a Yogi who continues his spiritual path by taking birth in a family of transcendentalists after not attaining full enlightenment. In other words, there are concessions for those who cannot reach the goal of freedom before passing from this world.
Because it was Saturday those who live in a devotional setting feel the justification behind making the evening festive to rival chutney shows and what have you.
I read from “Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead”,the book, to an eager group at the temple in Crane. For these types of reading you can’t avoid putting a bit of your own personality in your delivery. We had a real great devotional time.
6 Km
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