Sunday, June 9th, 2013

Gandhi and the Name

Winnipeg, Manitoba

I set out when I thought all were in slumber. I checked out the Assinaboine River in the downtown residential area of Winnipeg. I wasn't very surprised to see its level very high, due to excessive rain this year. The foot path is flooded.

It's early morning for me, but late for party goers.

"Holy ______ Gandhi!" shouted one of them as they saw me on the other side of the bridge while I was doing my rounds, chanting on my beads. They, the partygoers, were at their last liquor stumbling steps for the day.

But sober were the folks at the Durga temple, my first speaking venue for the day. Daruka and I sang "Guruvastakam" in praise of the guru in traditional morning melody. I then spoke from the Gita and its conclusive verse, 18.66 in regards to surrendering to the source. I received questions galore. And so it rendered a rich morning of deeper than normal depths. The goddess Durga was overlooking me with a smiling glance.

A final talk was at the ISKCON Centre on Chestnut Street. From chapter 7 we were discussing the perspective of God's presence in water, in sunshine and moonshine, in sacred sound and in the skills and talent that we are all endowed with.

Our small place was packed with people. The prasadam (blessed food) was from another world - totally divine. To match was our collective kirtan. We were drunk on the sounds of Krishna's name.

A final note about Gandhi; he chanted the name of Ram when he was assassinated. He received bullets from a man who was out of control, but he, Gandhi, knew enough to say a sacred thing at death.

5 KM