Toronto, Ontario
Peerism
As I mentioned in the talk, “A Day In The Life Of A Monk” the other day at York U, perhaps one of the most important elements, if not thee most for the mainstay of a monastic is peer association. It is the camaraderie in its shared vision and feeling that provides the highest encouragement.
I know for myself, the gelling of the like minded is a special bond. For instance, if I meet someone whose done the same or similar feat such as a daring long trek, I am spontaneously excited. You can spend hours with such a person merely because you’ve taken a familiar track. It’s the small experiences on the road that become magnified, in the course of dialogue, that means so much.
I feel the same connection with god-brothers/sisters whom I devotionally grew up with. I remember the ashram on Henry Street in New York when a small contingent of our brahmacharis would come to visit from Canada. We shared in the good life of the early rising, the cool shower, the robes of a Vaishnava, the meeting and chanting in the brisk morning, the classes on bhakti, and the missionary endeavours.
I recall seeing Vishnu Gada, a tall young monk, who was staunchly engaged in the kitchen at pot washing and cooking. Seeing him again in Philadelphia this past weekend brought back those memories of fineness. As I was about to leave to return to Canada, Vishnu Gada, as a matter of factly, handed me a gorgeous book (like those that you rest on a coffee table) entitled, “Govardhana: The Hill That Fulfills All Desires” by Bhakti Chaitanya Swami, another god-brother. Full of photos and clarity through captions and text, this book is a gem. It outlines details of this popular hill that pilgrims know so well in Northern India. I’ve done the walk around the hill myself, even as of this past February, to the duration of four hours.
Friends do give and receive gifts to and from each other. On top of that, they exchange powerful words of comfort. It’s a boost.
May the Source be with you!
7 KM
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