Friday 2 October 2015

Saturday, September 26th, 2015

Saturday, September 26th, 2015
Burlington, Connecticut

Cultivation

It is almost alarming to see the intensity of traffic this early Saturday morning on secondary roads, not freeways. Who are these people? Where are they going at 6 AM and with such speed and intensity of purpose? On a Saturday? You can’t help asking these questions.

Karuna and I spent most of the journey, now west of Hartford, on Highway 4 through Farmington and then beyond Burlington. At one time, for about 2 miles, we encountered relief from the callous traffic by way of a trail frequented by runners, walkers, and cyclists. Thank God.

Occasionally, a motorist on the busy road honks his horn. You can tell when it’s a happy honk as distinct from a ‘watch it man’ type of warning. It’s rare to find nasty travelers as long as you walk responsibly. I still find it astounding to see the lack of ample space for alternative travelers like walkers. It appears that all is laid out to the advantage of the automobile.

What does compensate for the more or less little interaction with motorists is the time I spent with newcomer, Tre’von. I find him exceptional, devotionally a rare bird. I spent the evening with him after his work hours in what our guru used to call, ‘cultivation’. This is a word Srila Prabhupada used to use to describe someone’s preparation in devotion.

When I was a boy growing up in a farming district, the term cultivation was used to mean ploughing or turning the soil by way of machinery. I believe it’s an appropriate word as Tre’von is really having a turnover in life. My support person, Vivasvan, is also helping him learn the ways of bhakti, devotion. I can see Tre’von’s head spinning around in a most positive way. I explained to him, “Just look at it this way”, as cars are whipping by, “we are not these bodies but spirits. The body perishes. Our souls go on. We can get over our identity crisis by concentrating on the point, 'I am spirit'".

Tre’von liked that.

Regards to Madhava and Vishali for accommodation.

 
May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 kilometres

 

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