Friday, January 31st, 2014

Scarborough, Ontario

Three Monks from Montreal

Three monks from Montreal came.  They did not trek all the way to Toronto, but embarked on the usual Mega Bus.  This is a double-decker conveyance that you can see from miles away with its loud volume yellow and blue colours.  But let’s not get carried away by the means of transport, it’s the cargo that’s important.

On board was Tirtha Pavana, a Siberian born tall, thin, intense looking monastic turned family, but still a brahmin all the same, despite the change of colour from saffron to white.  He explained to me that he decided to do less travel and to get situated in a more grounded way.  I didn’t ask him, for lack of time, about a chosen life partner, but what I can say about him is that he’s very effective with people and has this incredible bravado about meeting with pedestrians, stopping them with his intense stare and then convincing them that spiritual life is worth looking at.

The other two monks from Montreal are Hayagriva and Frederic.  Let’s begin with Hayagriva.  He was born in Quebec, has a social worker’s background, was once a monk with the Swami Narayan organization, and is now the bhakta program in-charge at ISKCON Montreal.  He is studious, he is outgoing, and has a bubbly personality.  He’s as warm as a fresh baked baguette and is a real people person. 

Frederic is a newcomer, also an enthusiastic Quebecois.  He’s here along with the other two to have a little break or change before the long stretch of commitment at ISKCON Montreal where they will be acting as priestly substitutes while regular pujaris (priests) make pilgrimage to India.  I don’t know Frederic so well, but it looks like he’s a good candidate for liberation. 

India is a great place for pilgrimage.  I dream that one day Canada will have a reputation as such.  Currently, the whole world sees Canada as a safe and fair land that offers opportunity.  The spiritual component is sorely missing, however. 

Anyway, let’s see if the three monks from Montreal can change that.

For an evening engagement I slipped away about 20 KM via car (as passenger) towards Montreal to our Scarborough ISKCON Centre.  I was the teacher this evening on the topic of God’s impartiality, with source 9.29 from the Bhagavad Gita.  God’s disposition is like this:  equal, open to everyone, and offers a fair opportunity, and He responds more to those who respond to Him.  An apparent contradiction?  I don’t think so. 

May the Source be with you!

9 KM