The Second Day
Dallas, Texas
The second day of our "Jagannatha Story" drama presentation and the follow up success had me wound up to the point that rest was tough. I chose to walk on the same old trail towards White Rock Lake, that body of water whose edge was walked by our guru, Srila Prabhupada, in the mid-seventies.
Naturally, the route becomes a pilgrimage site for me. I felt safe being here even at the midnight hours. There was no one else in sight. I had no inhibition about chanting at a volume more than usual. That stirred up some dogs at properties lined at the edge of the trail, arousing their barking.
I got to thinking about the watch dog nature in all of us. For those of us on the disciplinary path of monastic rigors such as abstaining from meat, fish, eggs, drugs, drinking, gambling, sex, it means you have you watch dog on the alert. "Abstinence" is a way of saying "NO" to the things that weaken us physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. It is a safeguard.
The above mentioned happy strictures are what Srila Prabhupada gave us to ensure that at least some members of society can be hard-core on "principles." Honouring these principles is a source of inspiration for the general public.
As I completed my mid-night hour trek, I was finally led to wind down feeling a general satisfaction to have the chanting as my life-line and principles to hold that life-line in place. Restfulness finally nabbed me.
But, up at 3am I went, to ready and catch a flight for home. Good-bye Texas.
7 Km
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