Early Evening on Saturday
Toronto, Ontario
Acharya is the bespeckled and bright faced family man from the Ukraine who spent several years in Israel before settling down in Canada. He frequents the temple. I had seen him in the distance coming in my direction walking towards our temple ashram. He was in regular civilian clothes and I couldn’t recognize him at first, yet I saw that very distinctive mark that here is a Vaishnava as he came closer. In the right hand was a glove like pouch that bobbed up and down as he was striding. I believe only Michael Jackson used to sport a glove on one hand, a glove that glittered. I’m not going to bother researching to find out which hand it was.
This bead bag, a sling with pouch that holds the contents of meditation beads is a signature trademark. As I came to make out who the guy was I invited him to retrace his steps. I was merely suggesting that he doesn’t go to the ashram right away but detour and take a hike with me.
“You have your prescribed amount of beads to finger on and I’m out here to catch some air and do some extra chanting on my beads.”
We agreed to no talking for a good hour or so while trekking through a residential area. Midway through Acharya and I felt a cool spring drizzle grace the surface of our faces. Unphased, he wanted to continue my proposed route with me despite my offer to heed a shortcut. No shelter would be there in case of a downpour. We just took the chance.
Our meditation on sound was not broken, except for some practical interjection like, “Let’s go,” when we were at an intersection somewhere to find the traffic thin enough to cross the street.
Being Saturday, early evening, a busy magnet for anticipation was the liquor store we passed by. Not for us, of course. I had to comment, “Acharya, don’t you feel fortunate that we have been spared such urges as drinking?” Peering through the window while pacing we could see shelf after shelf of bottled fire water. Acharya couldn’t agree more. We credit our guru, Srila Prabhupada, for the great favour in giving us a higher taste. We continued our trek and chanted softly on our beads, feeling full appreciation. Hare Krishna.
7 KM
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