Tuesday, January 13th, 2015

Longdonville, Trinidad

Family Feel


We were just a stone’s throw, or so it seemed, from Venezuela.  At this unique inlet on the Trinidadian coast, at a former Marine Corps submarine base, our small group did relieve ourselves of outdoor humidity with a good swim.  It becomes an annual procedure in Trinidad at this community to go for a bonding at the beach, at least when I visit.  This entails not only a fun swim, but a super veggie picnic and kirtan.  Only thing is the last of the three part program got cut short due to a soaker of a day.  A planned walk up the hill was also curtailed because the rain came down relentlessly. 

We were not the only ones to enjoy a community gathering.  A few dudes were neatly perched on rock and under trees smoking joints.  One of the fellows from the group had just come out of the water when I asked him, “How’s the water?” 

“Great!”

“How’s the weed?” 

“That’s good too,” as he cracked up at my question.

My questions were merely icebreakers, a way to begin friendship.  Most time was spent in the bonding with brothers, two monks in particular.  One is American born, Guru Prasad Swami, the other is Agni Dev, famed singer of bhajan music.  Agni Dev’s final evolution to monkhood began not so long ago.  He’s been running a successful vegetarian restaurant business for years on America’s west coast.  He figured it was time to retire.  With loving consent from his wife, in a committed marriage for many years, Agni Dev decided to go back to his native Trinidad and jump back into full time devotional life.  You would call him a Vanaprasthi, referring to the stage just prior to the full on renounced order of life. 

The minutes I had with these two brothers under a drenchy grass hut’s leaky roof, and with these people of piety, was precious. 

Placing value on good term relationship was the theme of the talks I delivered both in the morning and in the evening.  The sense of ‘belonging’ and the family spirit cannot be emphasized enough for the true human experience. 

May the Source be with you!

3 KM