Getting Back
Toronto, Ontario
I did have a number of co-passengers who were curious while on flight from
Brussels to Toronto. "Did you go to India on a retreat?" asked a nice
Canadian woman.
"I went to India to give part of a retreat," I said, referring to the
workshops that were facilitated and staging a drama.
"Are you a preacher?" asked a young South East Asian woman. "I
just came from Vrndavan at the Krpala centre. I danced as a gopi in a Krishna
pastime while there," she continued.
Another man wanted to know if I was Bhaktimarga Swami.
"Yes, I am."
"I'm Ram Varma. I knew you in the seventies." We got to speaking.
Wow! How great!
A young porter at the airport was interested in my business. I told him my
baggage was oversized and fragile so he got my business, but he also got
a piece of my monastic lifestyle. He was inquisitive. As a Canadian born Polish
young chap, he had this fascination, perhaps stemming from his Catholic upbringing.
Modern day Catholics are less resisting, I've found. Gone are the tyrannical
days of holier than thou attitude, at least in a North American context.
Michael was the fellow's name and he was indeed helpful, kind and courteous.
All you need after being on such a long trip is some pleasant remarks and
gestures. And certainly with co-passengers there must be mutual attention given
where possible, no matter how tired you are. To be pleasant is the mark of a
gentleman and so certainly it must be the mark of a spiritualist.
0 Km
No comments:
Post a Comment