Sunday, September 21st, 2014

Brampton/Toronto

No Stickler


My doctor friend and student, Vikas Pandit (AKA Jagannatha Mishra and I) had trekked the night before along Lake Ontario.  To me, it’s a haunting place with some currents of obnoxious smells from the local Stelco plant.  The wind blew warmly and strongly against our bodies.  Trees danced, but to the exclusion of their legs.  Waves of water lapped against the sandy edge of the beach.  It was eerie in a nice kind of way, and the sensation encouraged a long awaited 6 hour straight sleep to follow – a rarity. 

Jagannatha drove me to the ISKCON Brampton Centre this morning where kirtan, philosophy and food occupied mid day.  Then I was driven to Toronto for a second delivery of words.  This time, readings from “Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint”.  I had chosen passages that would illustrate in what I’d call ‘mind blowers’.  For those amongst the community who have become familiar with some of our rigid practices regarding eating habits, such as no chocolate, no onion stricture, I read about the loopholes, or flexibilities, that our guru implemented.  He was obviously teaching the lesson that while it is good to exercise self-discipline, one must bear in mind that time, place, and circumstance have their utility.  From the book, here’s what one person, Kaushalya, recalls in this regard:

“A lady had prepared a huge and delicious vegetarian feast for us, but there were onions throughout the vegetables.  One of the men leaned over to Prabhuapda and whispered, ‘Prabhupada, there are onions in the vegetables,’ Prabhupada looked over at him angrily and said, ‘Quiet, eat, it doesn’t matter, just eat.’  He didn’t want to offend her.  Being an appreciative guest was more of a concern to him than the fact that there were onions in the vegetables.  He ate it and complimented her on her cooking.
 
“Another time we were served chocolate, and we all thought, ‘Oh, we’re not supposed to eat chocolate because it’s got caffeine in it.’  Prabhupada said, ‘Eat it.’  He was casual in some ways and strict in other ways.  I think his principle was he didn’t want to offend our hosts by being a stickler for the rules and regulations.  It was a great example.”
 
May the Source be with you!

3 KM