Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

How Would You Feel?

Venables Valley, British Columbia.

Manu is a generous kind-hearted man who heads up the Hare Krishna food
for life program in the Vancouver area. It is a vegetarian and prasadam food distribution outfit that benefits recipients nutritionally and spiritually. He volunteered to take me and three
other monks, Tirtha Pavana, Mahamantra and Bhakta Nick to the farm community of Saranagati.
Once arrived Nick and I trudged through the muddy road (just to get in
some walking). Then to avoid the mess we took to a more pastorial
terrain carefully avoiding the cow plops.

One of the residents of the village, Yamala Arjuna, recently forwarded
to me a poem regarding cows. When you see cow dung you automatically
think of cows and bulls. The poem is cute; the message is profound.

Here it is:

How would you feel if a cow ate you?
Caught you and bopped you,
And chopped you in two,
Fried you or boiled you or put you in stew,
With carrots, potatoes and an onion or two?
So someone at dinner when you're starting to chew,
Put down your stake and ponder this through,
How would you feel if a cow ate you?

(author unknown to me)

At Yoginath's place we had a divine vegan dinner. Then came a gathering
of residents to sit down and read from the text "Chaitanya Charitamrita" about devotion to life, to Krishna, and to the
protection of principles.

6 KM