Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Markham, Ontario

The Danforth Walk


Heading east with Durjoy, a young Bangladeshi, we promenaded over to Danforth Avenue to reach the very lively section, Greek Town, you walk over the Don Valley Bridge, at least that’s what people call it.  Here too, I recall a tragedy of someone throwing himself, this time off the bridge, down to the valley’s base.  The young reserved chap used to visit our temple to inform us of vegetarian events going on.  I would say he gave up his life about 30 years ago, yet the memory of it lingers.  I pray his soul is rightly situated. 

I tend not to forget these incidents.  It would be a mental labyrinth of a journey to make, if possible, to venture to and try to understand the dissatisfaction one must feel before giving up one’s life. 

‘Suicide’ is something referred to by the teachers in our line of spiritual discipline.  Sometimes dubbed as ‘spiritual suicide’, the acharyas, or teachers, speak of about some renunciants who are inclined towards the soul’s merging into an absolute oneness.  Hence, losing one’s individuality.  The other part of this equation is to speak of the Divine in terms of mere energy or light.  It is an attempt to depersonalize God, to dishonor or discredit, and reduce the Absolute to an unfeeling being.  In our Vaishnava tradition of Krishna Consciousness, we very much believe in the personality of the soul and the personality of God. 

At the final destination, which I made this evening in Markham by cheating a little bit going 40 km via a car, a group of people had a sit down to a chant.  This chant was an offering to a personal God that listens, speaks, touches, tastes, and has feelings inside.  To Damodara (Krishna), we offered small diyas (flames) to God as a child, to God as one who has loving relationships with all, and especially to those who approach Him with bhakti, devotion. 

May the Source be with you!

6 KM