At Viki's
Brampton, Ontario
The basement room was L shaped. People sat cross-legged with their backs embracing the walls. A gap was left in the middle. I stepped in to take my post: a chair alongside my godbrother Subha Vilas who was seated. I was relatively early and immediately recognized the need to play director, in other words, how to adjust the placement of people in the space. You want to maximize the use of space in the best way possible. I asked early comers to move to the front of the L shaped space towards a makeshift shrine with Krishna deities adorning it. "Let's try some slide-yoga and move forward," I suggested.
It was Viki's first crack at hosting people at his home for kirtan chanting, a philosophical presentation and then an all-out delicious prasadam meal. This type of gathering, a satsang, is a common event for Saturday night in the Vaisnava community. No need to check out the pub or go to the movies. The culture is such that you socialize but you keep everything clean and wholesome. Everything is there at a satsang. The food is there for the tongue and belly. The kirtan is there for the ears and which may move the rest of the body. The philosophy and talks on morality is there for the brain. That about covers it all as far as stimulation is concerned - and a need for social intercourse.
It's also a perfect arrangement for a rainy evening when walking a stretch appears less attractive.
Viki's program went well. People remained attentive. I may have noticed one yawn from the crowd. What we experienced was a saturation of Krishna Consciousness. It was a safe haven for sure. During the drive back to the ashram, I contemplated on the good fortune of five of our monks who left Toronto for Vancouver for more of the same consciousness-raising activities.
5 KM
No comments:
Post a Comment