Sunday, February 2nd, 2014

Montreal, Quebec

Ride to Quebec

The ride to Montreal is a six hour chakra like line, eastbound from Toronto.  With driver, Vrindavan, a loyal bhakti practitioner for many years from Toronto, I could only dream of walking.  When getting closer to Montreal, a mere approximate 100 KM away, I could see some of the parallel roads that I traversed on foot in 2012. 

My visit to Montreal was an encouraging one.  We took a peak, well, a little more than a peak, at the soon to open Bhakti Centre at 3485 Saint Laurent.  Presentations will be done in the French medium.  It will be a learning and cultural centre, but the highlight will be the art of bhakti (devotion).  The location is ideal being that Saint Laurent is a hip street.  The one room and one storey building with toilet attached is set slightly off the street which creates a kind of more private situation.  The place is cozy; it will be facilitated by a recently retired school teacher, Nara Narayan.  May he succeed. 

I just have to mention the pretzels that I met with the people behind them.  They are these colossal swirly pieces that really taste more like bagels.  I just can’t resist describing them, soft, tasty portions of rusty looking goodness.  The baker is Radha Krishna, who always comes up with something creative. 

At the ISKCON Centre, I met with individuals, which involves some counseling and hearing reports of progress made on devotional frontiers.  I had the honour to lead kirtan, then deliver a message based on the Gita, chapter 3, which reads, “Whatever a great person does, the world is inclined to follow.”  I asked the community up front, “Who’s a leader in this room?”  And the answer came back as, “We all are.” 

“Correct,” I said. “As soon as you’ve reached adulthood, you have reached the realm of responsibility, and the impressionable young ones under you will mirror what you do.  Be the example.”

It was a brief visit to Montreal, and I was destined to depart early the next day.  When you are a senior visiting monk, you are in hot demand.  I managed to slip away and go for a two kilometre walk, only to return for a much wanted all around massage, compliments of Jambhavan, an expert gripping therapist who realigned my machinery.  Thanks, Jambhavan.

May the Source be with you!

2 KM