Saturday, May 25th, 2013

Attitudes

Cleveland, Ohio

I managed to put in a meagre kilometre of steps before heading off to the U.S. and eventually to Cleveland. We got drilled at customs and then got more than mildly chastised by an officer for parking in an area prohibited as we waited for our second car. Okay, that was our fault, a gingerly approach of correcting could be effective.

Our destination was Camp George Forbes, a retreat outside Cleveland which is frequented by inner city kids who get a taste of the out-door world and outdoor activities, camp fires and so on. Our devotional drama troupe was accommodated in a rustic cabin as were other attendees, mostly of Afro-American and India-American background.

The event was called, "Uniting Srila Prabhupada's Family" and is in honour of a spiritual peer who passed away in 2005 from cancer - Bhakti Tirtha Swami. He was an outstanding monk who was very self-austere and so very kind to everyone else.

We arrived at a time where a panel discussion was held covering the topic of gratitude. On the panel included Radhanatha Swami, Bhakti Caru Swami, Bhakti Vasudeva Swami, Malati, others, and your humble servant. With this group we were extolling the glories of such a special person, Bhakti Tirtha Swami, who is very much missed by all who knew him.

More festivities involved a kirtan chanting session led by members from Ghana, Africa. Then, on with the show and the drama, "Gita Concise." Never before had I, nor any of our troupe, experienced such appreciation.

The attitude of gratitude was very strong. It was something I won't forget.

To quote Bhakti Tirtha Swami in addressing his master Srila Prabhupada, "When I try to calculate all that you've done for me, I am bursting with gratitude...I thank you for arranging my rescue!"

6 KM