Monday, August 19th, 2013

His Work

Vancouver, British Columbia

Before a flight, I love to walk. I took to some of the streets in San Jose alongside the commuter train. It was early- too early for any pedestrians. Only a cat was a stir. And then another one. Hunting could be good. Cats don’t herd but these two seemed to be on the prowl together.

Then a flight to Denver before Vancouver, would be my wing travel for today. A young seminarian boarded. Here he was all in black except for the exposed white collar. He sat right behind me. I was curious.

“Where are you stationed?”

“Minnesota. I’m a seminary there but on my way to Virginia.”

“I’m rather surprised. You don’t see many young men joining the mission these days. Am I right about that?”

“Where I’m learning, the seminary is growing.”

I felt compelled to congratulate him. “Well it’s great to see young guys like yourself doing God’s work. God bless!”

“God bless!”

We had parted ways.

In Vancouver I was picked up by Hadai Pandit, a Swiss-born devotee, excited about his Brahminical initiation. A fire ceremony for the occasion was set up outdoors off of Marine Drive at the ISKCON Center. This is the second initiation one formally takes. The first one ushers a candidate into the order of Krishna Consciousness. The second one welcomes one to the privilege of the more intense work for God.

For the ritual I decided to balance the modest event, held on the grass, by speaking from 4.35 of the Gita. At initiation #1 you capture the essence of 4.34 wherein you take lessons and guidance from the guru and render personal service to the guru. The following verse sends the message that you assimilate the philosophy. It’s a kind of maturation.

As the verse indicates, “Now that you’ve absorbed the message, understand that all things are in Him and that they are His.” This ends my detour from the southern Prairie Highway. I’m itchin’ to get my feet back on the road.- Highway 18.

6 KM