It's rare!
Dubai, UAE
The monk Maha Mantra and I had an inkling that the journey to Durban, South Africa, would have its bumps, literally “bumps”, with the four hour cab ride to the Calcutta airport, then a three hour wait, followed by a six hour flight to Dubai, a ten hour wait there and then an eight hour flight to Durban. Trying to nap on a cold tiled floor in Dubai Airport is a kind of a “bump” yet heaven at the same time because you can recline.
The smooth cruise between the travel trials are things like reading Radha’s book, “Mission” on the topic of pioneering Krishna Conscientiousness in South Africa and meeting someone who is thoroughly curious.
I had just come out of the toilet cubicle when a young man was standing there in the queue. Surely he was surprised to see a saffron clad bloke coming out. I gave him a subtle nod. He reciprocated. We both went about our own ways. Minutes later he came by the waiting lounge for flight 775 Emirates when he introduced himself.
He looked like an artist, hair somewhat contemporarily disheveled. He introduced himself as from Pakistan and expressed a keen interest in Buddhism.
“How long have you been in this?” he asked with the biggest smile.
“For forty years exactly this month and even on this day”.
Perhaps this wowed the fellow whom I also had to correct on my actual adopted heritage.
“I’m actually a Krishna monk, it’s not actually Buddhist but we share the same language, books and some aspects of philosophy."
This fellow was so lit up. He also introduced Maha Mantra and I to his sister. The exchange was warm and made the day.
While enroute to Durban I made attempted sleep, read my book, and also treat myself to the showing of the recommended “Life of PI”. It is a clean feature film with reference to vegetarianism, Krishna, Vishnu, Ganesh and to God over and over again.
It is one piece that a monk can set his eye on and not be disturbed. It’s rare.
2 KM
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