Wednesday, January 20th, 2016

Wednesday, January 20^th, 2016
Miami, Florida

Leaving Miami

I gave one last class in Miami for this trip, and from Canto 7 of text Bhagavatam we were discussing the response of a tyrant, Hiranyakashipu, regarding his son’s strong commitment to Vishnu. He was furious, and held his boy’s teachers, Shanta and Amarka, responsible for the perceived deviation. The teachers themselves could not comprehend how the enemy infiltrated into mind of Prahlad, the son. It became a mystery for them.

To analyze the situation, those who embrace the bodily concept of life and take to the lifestyle of lording it over the world, such as in the case of the tyrant Hiranya, there will always be defensiveness. Any different perspective on life will be viewed as a threat. If you don’t succumb to the dictator’s wishes, then you are clearly labeled as the enemy.

Hiranya epitomizes the false ego. Such persons always meet their doom. Bad karma definitely came his way. Hence, the message from the Bhagavatam is: Watch out for that false ego, which is a major hurdle on the spiritual path.

So now that we are talking about paths, I could not manage, time-wise, to hit a trail today because of air travel.

I’ve left the land of Florida, where 800 humans move to every day, and I left the Everglades, where pythons- unmanageable pests- are released every year by irresponsible owners.

I guess you could call them enemies of the environment. Yes, in this day and age, destroyers of our eco-enviros are the true sinners. How dare they upset the balance that nature provides! But I guess you could say we are all guilty of that.

As our plane ascends into the air, I look down at the roadway systems and the automobiles; the concrete jungle. Yes, we are all guilty; we are the enemy.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Tuesday, January 19th, 2016

Tuesday, January 19^th, 2016
Miami, Florida

Gator Glade

I learned a lot from visiting the Everglades National Park. I didn’t know that the male mosquito pollinates the local orchid. I was unaware that there is a water plant in the glades that consumes mosquito larvae. That makes it a carnivorous entity. I also didn’t know that at mating time, the bull alligator physically poses himself in a curved position, makes a call to lure the female, and when they meet, he pulls her down with her testing him to see if he succeeds at keeping her down, then she accepts the romance. Otherwise, she leaves with the attitude, ‘see you later, alligator’.

Yes, the walk and the ride by tram were both educational. Experience also confirmed for me after seeing, hearing, and some interaction with birds and animals (no, we didn’t get too close to the gators), that the creatures of the wild are easier to deal with than humans.

Back at the Miami Iskcon Centre, I saw a good side of humans, which was one of cooperation and enthusiasm. Basically, I was facilitating a group of Krishna followers in organizing sankirtan in three categories – food, book, and mantra distribution. This approach to devotional life is generally a morale booster. Everyone went home feeling fulfilled, renewed and hopeful at the prospect of increasing their devotional output.

My final adventure of the day was an encounter with the police. I was walking in the dark in a residential neighborhood near my host’s home when a police cab pulled over. The officer coming out asked what I was doing. I explained.

“I got a couple of calls, people here don’t see too many monks in orange robes.”

I explained, “I’m visiting, I’m from Canada.” I gave him my card.

Two more police cars came over after they received the report. The police just came over to say they wanted to see the walking monk. They were congenial, kind, although in the beginning of the urgent calls they received, it was likely a response to terroristic paranoia.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

 

Monday, January 18th, 2016

Monday, January 18^th, 2016
Miami, Florida

From the Park to Carlos

Tropical Park is a new place for my feet. I’ve never been here before. Being Martin Luther King Day, a good number of people took the day off and chose this location for walking their dog or engaging in a family picnic.

Funny though, many people are sporting coats. Odd for Floridians, unless they perceive that temperatures are low. Being a Canuck, I personally love the weather. To be frank, though, I wouldn’t dip into the ponds nearby. It’s still not warm enough.

Speaking of warmth, I met Carlos for a second time. He runs a health shop with a café. Fully vegetarian and fully fun, this facility is an attractive place that drew a few of us devotees, since we were dealing with an unplanned lunch. Why I say it’s attractive here is because of the incredible human skills that Carlos demonstrates. He and his team of employees (all male) really know how to please their customers. A hard worker, an incredible gifted man with jokes, Carlos has got it down.

It was my epiphany that it’s kind and caring personnel like this who win hearts. It is this kind of person that can have success anywhere, even when it comes to running a spiritual centre like a temple. I could see Carlos’s employees enjoying their work, that’s what makes a successful enterprise, when there’s leadership that enthuses everyone.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Sunday, January 17th, 2016

Sunday, January 17^th, 2016
Miami, Florida

With My Friends

In Houston I had paced back and forth in Abhay and Sukriti’s backyard. They were my hosts and I was thrilled to have access to a car free zone. The grass and ground, a little uneven in spots, was just ideal for pacing, and I liked the ambience for what I could see through the nighttime darkness. Bordering the suburban property is a pear tree – also papaya, pomegranate, peach, banana, and some other trees that I just couldn’t identify, lined the property. I saw them as my friends, with their leaves tossing in the night wind. They were doing what they were supposed to be doing and I felt I was doing what I was obliged to do, walking and chanting. It is their dharma to produce fruit (at least I could see the pomegranates forming on their parent tree), and it is my dharma to be doing something spiritual. Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, once wrote, “Humanity begins when Inquiring is awakened in the mind.” Well, I’ve been on my quest, it was 44 years ago that I began my quest, and I somehow or other landed with those interesting Hare Krishnas. No regrets.

I flew to Miami and met my host, Lee, a lawyer in South Miami. I then attended the Iskcon Miami Sunday Open House, on the corner of Virginia and Day in Coconut Grove. What a marvelous event it was. This is a great community that has been somewhat struggling in certain ways.

My visit was to encourage.

May the Source be with you!

9 km

Saturday, January 16th, 2016

Saturday, January 16^th, 2016
Houston, Texas

Sweet 16?

I look at the date and the number 16 comes up twice. 16 strikes a common chord when we were asked to fill an assessment form on how meetings were conducted in the last few days. In my assessment I calculated that it’s a 16 hour day (much too much) which includes sadhana, the spiritual regiments of the day. This morning sadhana, from 4 AM to 9 AM, can be rigorous when you consider the battle that is to be taken in fighting off temptations, distractions, and mental offenses, requiring several additional hours to labour through. Then you have hours of presentations which requires hearing attentiveness in a sit down format.

We did have the joy of interactive team building ventures which require a bit of moving about from one end of the room to the next. For the most part, all is held in one room. Cumulatively, it gets nauseous doing little physical work for five days in a row.

Perhaps I sound like I’m complaining. A good monk would not stoop so low. Okay, so I’m a bad monk, but I’d like to suggest some change. In the five days here we covered too much territory, so much so that in the end, very little stays in the head. If topics discussed are more thematic and we deal with less issues, that might be a better option.

And you know, you can’t help talking to friends between meetings. That means meetings between meetings.

Dear God, what a good walk can do to balance all the table and chair discussions, and the information overload. I look forward to tomorrow when the meetings are over.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

 

Friday, January 15th, 2016

Friday, January 15^th, 2016
Houston, Texas

Survival Mindset

It was a breeze walking along the edge of 34^th Street. At the early hour of 2:20 AM there is no car in site. I had begun walking with my daily prescribed japa meditation, and as I hit the pavement, there was tranquility. Save and except for two cats who were either mating, fighting, or both, all was tranquil. Out from the alleyway, emerged a white cat that dashed past me like a bullet and vanished into the dark obscurities of the night, while a black cat followed slowly along in the same direction.

There were stray dogs as well, meeting and then dispersing, perhaps only to repeat the same routine again. I did not stay hot on their trail in order to find out details of their goings on.

In the plenary meeting held later in the afternoon, our presenter, Officer Daniel of the Houston Law Enforcement, spoke about active shooters. This was a presentation of a different kind. Being that we live in a terroristic and gun happy world, more and more awareness and education is being delivered on how to prepare for a trigger happy megalomaniac. It was shocking to hear from Officer Daniel that you’re safer to hang out at a bar at night than to be in a school as a student or a worshipper at church.

We viewed a dramatization of a gunman entering a corporate building during business hours, how he succeeded at killing some office workers while others smartly escaped. The mantra in the mind for responding to an active shooter is, “Run, Hide, Fight”. This is called the survival mindset.

I do believe that our group listening became more educated in this department of defense. I couldn’t help thinking how we have all become a part of a cat and dog civilization.

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Thursday, January 14th, 2016

Thursday, January 14^th, 2016
Houston, Texas

A Walker Is Born

I received a call from Arjuna Abhimanyu, an American follower of Krishna from Clermont, Florida. He quite excitedly expressed his desire to do a walk from Orland to Gainesville. His purpose? He wants to raise awareness and funds for a new Krishna temple in the Orlando area. This is undoubtedly a worthy cause. What he didn’t say, at least in the beginning, is that he’s up for an adventure. For sure, he’ll have fun with this walk which will transcend fatigue, blisters, aches and pains.

It will take five or six days to accomplish this at 20 miles per day.

“Are you up for the 20 per day without any training or preparedness?” I asked him. He said he was going to try it. He also asked about the best kind of shoes to wear, and what time of the day is the best time to start the daily trek.

I told him my preferred footwear these days are ‘Keen’, a sandal with a good fit and traction, and ‘Oofos’, a lighter, snug version of Crocs. The best time to start a run or a walk is before sunrise, if possible. It seems the body gets the chance to acclimatize within the first leg of the day’s walk. Also, we should consider that early morning is the prime time for concentration.

Arjun plans to stay with people he knows along the way. He is inviting co-walkers.

Good luck! God bless! Om tat sat to you, Arjuna A., the hero.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

 

Wednesday, January 13th, 2016

Wednesday, January 13^th, 2016
Houston, Texas

Love/Fear

The verse which I spoke on today for the morning class, from Canto 9 of Srimad Bhagavatam, goes like this:

“The attraction between man and woman, or male and female, always exists everywhere, making everyone always fearful. Such feelings are present even among the controllers like Brahma and Shiva, and is a cause of fear for them, what to speak of others who are attached to household life in this material world.”

I was just intrigued how scripture delivers many elements to do with human psychology. In this particular context when we contemplate the pastimes of the great Ram and consort, Sita, their deep, profound love for each other carried an aspect of fear. It appears that the fear factor is present in divine love affairs just as much as we find it on the mundane platform. Such is the case for the love pangs felt by Brahma, the god of creation, and Shiva, the god of destruction.

Fear arises from many directions. There’s the fear that certain personnel will not approve of the loving relationship. There’s also the fear that whatever bondage is established in a loving rapture, may at one point be broken. And also there’s some anxiety that lingers between two persons involved in the relationship, that in the future they may hurt one another.

In the case of mundane love, there’s always some anguish. On the highest plane, such as the divine love between Ram and Sita, tension was encountered when they were separated. A simple conclusion here is that where there is love, there is also fear.

May the Source be with you!

2 km

Tuesday, January 12th, 2016

Tuesday, January 12^th, 2016
Houston, Texas

Mediocre

It’s always a mediocre day if I don’t get the chance to interact with pedestrians. What are the chances of this happening in a city that’s very car dependant? Fortunately, I did meet some walkers, brief encounters they were.

By greeting someone on the move or on foot, I believe it to be a human thing to do.

What else makes a being human?

To address this, I like what our guru, Srila Prabhupada, had to say in this regard:

“Out of so many human beings who are suffering, there are few who are actually inquiring about their position, as to what they are, why they are put into this awkward position, and so on. Unless one is awakened to his position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesn’t want suffering, but rather wants to make a solution to all suffering, then one is not to be considered a perfect human being. Humanity begins where this sort of inquiring is awakened in one’s mind.”

From the above statements it can be appreciated that there are different views on humans. There are likely multiple ways to define any one object. But from the spiritual perspective, we can contemplate what a human being ought to be.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

 

Monday, January 11th, 2016

Monday, January 11^th, 2016
Houston, Texas

That Which Is Not

I had arrived in this southern Texas city to attend sangha with god-brothers and sisters. We will discuss dreams and issues (hopefully, that will require no tissues). For the afternoon, it’s downtime. The venue for our pow-wow, so to speak, will be located in a community centre, and across from a courtyard is a majestic temple, newly constructed, but fabulously retaining the features and integrity of a south Indian masterpiece of devotion. It’s not my first time here, but at this point, I’m seeing it all structurally complete. A banner affixed to the gate that borders this spiritual fortress reads, “Coming Soon – Govinda’s – A Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant”. So that is the only thing remaining to be completed by the temple’s side.

In my downtime I certainly engage my legs by walking the neighborhood. At sit down time I read an inspiring piece from the Gita’s intro, and here it is:

“Our very existence is in the atmosphere of non-existence. Actually, we are not meant to be threatened by non-existence. Our existence is eternal, but somehow or other, we are put into asat. Asat refers to that which does not exist. “

That is inspiring because it is put into a penetrating and succinct format. Thank you, author and guru, Srila Prabhupada.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

 

Sunday, January 10th, 2016

Sunday, January 10^th, 2016
St. John’s, Newfoundland

Mike Got Me On The Mic

Mike got me on the radio airwaves today. An interview by him on CHMR at the university had all to do with ‘What does it mean to be a monk; to be in the renounced order?’ And ‘What is this maha-mantra that The Beatles used to sing?’ Our conversation went on for a good 20 minutes, and it ended with us singing ‘Hare Krishna’. So, it was Mike, his girlfriend, Laura, my assistant, Rikin, and I, who all chanted Hare Krishna as part of the broadcast.

Not bad for a music station to do that.

I was also slotted in for a talk and a kirtan at the Hindu temple where a good number of people came a second time around. The western crowd swelled the place, and I guess it surprised the Hindu community, who were actually delighted. I really felt I was on Cloud 9, the questions people asked were tantalizing.

A woman asked, “We are trying through bhakti to not be selfish, but what can you say about taking care of our own spiritual life first, is that not selfish?”

A young man asked, “How do you know when you get to the point of karma yoga, acting without attachment?”

To the woman I confirmed that charity does begin in the home, “Get strong first, and then help others.”

To the man I suggested that spiritual advancement is not a solitary endeavour, we need guidance, we need a mentor who can monitor – a guru.

Amongst the wonderful people that came, I also conversed, during prasadam, with a woman who lived as a nun for 6 years in a convent. She admitted it wasn’t the happiest of times for her.

I reflected back to a question Mike asked over the mic about my lifestyle as a monk. “I’ve enjoyed every minute of my 43 years thus far. I don’t expect that to change.”

May the Source be with you!

6 km

 

Saturday, January 9th, 2016

Saturday, January 9^th, 2016
St. John’s Newfoundland

Transporting

We had just finished our pilgrimage trek for the day at Quidi Vidi Village. Next to the small brewery, where we finished, was a tiny fishing warehouse, and as we waited for our pickup ride the door opened and out pops two heads, one of them belonging to a Jack James. It was his 68^th birthday, he spontaneously invited our pilgrim party into his domain.

“Come in! Come in!”

Jack noticed my robes, so I clarified, “I’m a monk.”

“Oh, you’re a monk. Have a beer.”

“I don’t take,” I said with a smile.

“Well, we’ve got fish on the fry, and a moose in the pot.”

“I’m vegetarian, and so is the moose.” (Laughter)

Jack’s room was filled with drinking buddies, men and women. They kept us out of the cold, and so we were grateful. Conversation didn’t get spiritual, but we did get into a music mood. I was handed a funny hat to wear, and then a makeshift music stick with a shoe at the base, shakers attached at the middle, and a metal bowl for striking at the top. We chanted the maha mantra, and we did it in honor of the birthday boy.

This was surreal! Priceless.

Now, the real party of the day was held at the local Hindu temple on Penny Lane Road. 90 people from the yoga community showed up. I spoke for a long time about the crowning glory of yoga, which is bhakti, the yoga of the heart. When it came to kirtan time with this group, and the dancing to follow, we were transported to another realm.

I will, however, revert back to the earlier part of the day to mention the transfer of the self to the gorgeous realm of nature. During our walk, our group of trekkers were stunned by the beauty of the red dogberries on trees, and the equally intense green of spruce, blondeness of grass set against the whiteness of snow. It would not be a fabrication to say that we were seeing God through nature.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Friday, January 8th, 2016

Friday, January 8^th, 2016
St. John's, Newfoundland

Rocking/Walking

Sheeshan and I took to walking along the harbour's edge but just to get there you have a series of tight switch-backing to do, via residential streets. St. John's is a rocky place and its protected harbour is nestled in that rock.

If someone were to ask me, "Does the place rock?" I would answer with a forthcoming "yes," because of its friendly folks. Although the early people waiting at bus stops find our morning presence a fascination, no one hesitates to say "Good Morning!"

At the very crest of the rock dynamic of St. John's is the museum called "The Rooms." It was there, later in the morning, when I met in a casual cue, some of the attendees of last night's function. Amongst them was Terrance, who is serious about chanting on his beads. Toby is a yoga instructor whom I suggested to keep his guidance for men only. Since the world of yoga in the West has become largely a women's domain why not give the guys a break. And Heather I met last June. ‘Interested in making life simple’ is a motto she wishes to live by. "Why not?" I say.

Two more gatherings occurred. One was a meeting with volunteer staff of the ‘East Coast Trail,’ one of National Geographic's ten best adventure destination in the world. Jan and I plan on making a portion of it a pilgrimage experience in October, with enthusiastic trekkers. It's in the early planning stage. The second group to meet was the ‘Indian Youth Association’ at Memorial University, and other friends from June's visit. I'm so happy to see follow-up people from before. Either as a pilgrim, or as a novel Swami in Newfoundland, I find it a good sign that people here are either initially drawn or remember us to the point of connecting again. People here rock on the rocks.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

 

Thursday, January 7th, 2016

Thursday, January 7^th, 2016
St. John's, Newfoundland

The Newfie Chill

By the courtesy of our dear friend Jan Peters, I got settled in at one of those charming wood framed homes on Battery Rd. Overlooking the St. John's Harbour. Just after stepping into the cozy space with Jan and Sheeshan, a recently arrived Krishna devotee from Mauritius, I realized that I'm in Newfoundland now. It's like another planet, an actual huge island within the Atlantic all by itself.

"I have to slow down and simply chill because that's the spirit here. It's like old times," I thought. A visitor came who's going through life's challenges and I basically listened to what he needed to say.

It was the evening engagement at Memorial University where it was a Q & A session on the topic "The Walking Monk: ABCs of life as a Swami." Questions ranged from monastic life and walking, to meditation. The audience of close to 60 people had mild to provocative questions but one question got us laughing,

"Do you ever get grumpy?" Now Jan has known me for twenty years, so I deferred the question to her. "I've never seen it," she says. In all frankness I do at times feel grumpy but I masquerade it with a smile. I learned from my Dad and my guru that upbeat-ness is the way to be.

Basically I thrust the audience's attention to a Vedic sutra- message- such as "I am not this body, but a soul."

That message is powerful

May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Wednesday, January 6th, 2016

Wednesday, January 6^th, 2016
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Breathing Space

The title of this entry says it all. We went to the ‘Breathing Space Yoga and Wellness Centre’ today where we did just that. On the ground floor of this new condo building you enter a spacious room with air a little stifling. Lights low and neutral colours for walls, decor is nil except for the bust of Buddha. We made ourselves home here for three hours.

Set-up means to lay out a table with Prabhupada's books for sale, chairs put out in the back, and typical yoga mats placed in the front to face a chair (for me) and more mats for the mrdanga (drum) player Chaitanya, harmonium played by Mukunda and karatalas chimed in by Etienne.

People trickled in and at the start of the presentation I began speaking from a chair, about the power of chanting. I didn't say much. I moved rapidly towards the mantras. Boy did they ever chant.

The key to realizing this is by choosing a simple melody. What also added to the success of the evening was the dance. This is where breathing came into play. It is obvious that some folks are out of step but it is those people that work harder than to those who pick it up so naturally.

Once again, we keep everything simple, even the steps. Those with highlander blood understand the value of dance whether they are a pro or a con when it comes to keeping in time. I would say the muscles used for smiling expanded as the minutes wore on, especially when it came to free-style by each and all, when they have their moment on the dance floor. This is the crescendo of the night before mingling with each other.

Feedback on all of this was super super positive. "The Breathing Space" on Cobourg Rd. was filled with bhakti as much as it was breath.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

 

Tuesday, January 5th, 2016

Tuesday, January 5^th, 2016
Fredericton, New Brunswick

By a Hydro Pole

Verinder and I drove by a hydro pole. He pointed out that perched on top there's an eagle's nest, but I questioned whether it belong to an osprey. Whatever the bird of prey may be, it is good to know that such creatures can survive in an industrial world that imposes and encroaches on a territory that should be shared.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't contemplate how it would be good to go back to the basics, to a simpler and not necessarily primitive way of existence.

People coming together to partake in music and song is a basic practice known and executed by the ancients since time immemorial. At the ‘Enrichment and Counselling Service’ on Queen St., we came for a second visit, this time to speak about, and join in on the power of mantra meditation. Back in June I spoke of the glories of walking. On this day the presentation was about its companion--the mantra.

We only had an hour and it was remarkable how some local office people took their lunch break off to join in. I asked for feedback in one word responses and the messages were: "connected", "united", "present", "happy", and “peaceful". Some folks came into town from quite the ways to participate in the chanting.

Wouldn't it be nice if all lunch hours were like this?

A second round of chanting took place at the Norfolk Motel. Prabhir Sarkar, the proprietor, invited us to honour his mom's recent passing. It was more of a Hindu crowd that came to acknowledge the grace of chanting for the sending off of a dear soul to a greater world, where all is organic and untouched by the industrial component… where the eagles and osprey fly.

May the source be with you!

7 km

Monday, January 4th, 2016

Monday, January 4^th, 2016
Fredericton, New Brunswick

Getting Warm

We had worked up a sweat at the upstairs art gallery next to the shop, ‘Radical Edge’. Wade and a group of Krishna guys from Montreal backed me in a presentation on the power of chanting. The greatest partner to chanting, of course, is dancing, and that’s what warmed up the group, consisting of us and some local people.

I would liken our style of dance to something that is quite folk-ish. It involves swaying to the left, and swaying to the right, then moving forward and back, and then turning around. When everyone keeps synchronized, then oneness is achieved. All the while that our bodies were in motion, the mantra is as well.

Hridaya Chaitanya did great at rhythms on the mridanga, and Etienne was on karatalas, hand cymbals. The rest of us only had to worry about the mouth moving along only with the body.

What a great warm up it was to start a year’s beginning.

But that was not all, Verinder, my host in Fredericton and I, braved the cold Arctic air that set in. We decided to trek home despite the 26 degree below Celsius with wind-chill factor after getting our warm up session. When I suggested to do the walk, he came on with a spontaneous, “Yes!” He told me he goes to the gym twice a week. I was trying to convince him that to trek every day, as a program, is far superior. To his delight, the trek built up heat inside his parka. I guess it was a revelation to him to know that you can be warm in the cold. Just dress warm, be warm, and think warm.

May the Source be with you!

10 km

Sunday, January 3rd, 2015

Sunday, January 3^rd, 2015
Brampton, Ontario

Cooperate

If there could ever be a New Year’s resolution that resonates universally, I would say it could be to step-up on cooperation. Cooperation appears to be a high symptom of love.

Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, had remarked that love is demonstrated by the ability to work as a team.

In other words, cooperate.

Some quotes I like on the topic are:

“Even freckles would form a nice tan if they could ever get together.” – Anonymous

“You cannot clap with one hand alone.” – John Taylor Wood

“Cooperation is a higher moral principle than competition.” – Bryant McGill

“Cooperation is willing collaboration by free individuals in a collective effort that creates more value than it spends.” – James Raymond Lucas

“Cooperation is an evolved type of relationship paired with initial egocentric forms.” – Jacques Montangero and Daniel Maurice Naville.

“Two heads are better than one.” – Polish Proverb

“Only when all contribute their firewood can they build up strong fire.” – Chinese Proverb

One thing I would like to add, when the heart and the feet cooperate, then you call that walking.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

 

Saturday, January 2nd, 2016

Saturday, January 2^nd, 2016
Mississauga, Ontario

Verbing My Way Through

Walking was an actual pacing in the temple this morning.
Singing was about Krishna and his various forms.
Speaking entailed describing His shark-shaped earrings.
Greeting involved a return of two pilgrims from India.
Sleeping was napping before being taken to a home program.
Eating took the form of Chinese-style food. Yum!
Speaking at this home covered the topic of the name Vasudeva.
Being driven meant napping for lack of sleep last night.
Attending an engagement involved blessing a he and a she.
Eating again meant refusing lots of goodies, a monk’s pride.
Being driven to the temple involved speaking about the environment.
E-mailing was addressing a cancer discovered by monk Gunagrahi.
Chanting for his well-being gives reassurance to him.
Sleeping with no hope meant picking up a pen.
Writing to add to a new script was a creative outlet.
Answering the phone at 1AM came from Andrew and Dakota.
Answering their questions gave me a boost.
Delving into another day is quite exciting.
Getting surprises and adventure is to die for.
Having no regrets about this life because it’s a privilege.

May the Source be with you!

4 km

Friday, January 1st, 2016

Friday, January 1^st, 2016
Toronto, Ontario

Mandala

Mandala and I did trek along Danforth Ave, through Greektown, then onto the bridge overlooking the Don River, and finally retail and residential areas. It’s new territory for him, a native of Norwood, Ontario, population of 1200.

Now in a city of 6 million, it’s quite a leap for him as it was for me when I first moved into town in 1973. I actually come from a farm. As a 20 year-old I had that antsy feel, an itch to be in the larger metropolis, a place for greater opportunity. What an opportunity it was! In ’72 I made my first visit to a temple of sorts, a three storey rented house in the Cabbage town district, where Irish settlers came to start a new life in the 1800’s after a potato famine.

Mandala’s got Irish blood in him. Everyone knows the Irish are known for a fist and a beer, as well as the church and charm. With a name like Mcallister, it’s a giveaway. His first name Mandala is Sanskrit, a name given by his parents- first generation Krishna devotees in Canada. I remember Mandala was in diapers when I stopped into the house while on my first walk across country walk in ’96.

He’s a nice guy, always eager to serve with a great attitude. He’s liked by all. He’s experiencing temple/ashram life for the first time. He’s a natural. He will be accompanying me to India in February for a second time. It’s a second time because he’s a good person to have around, as much as it is to have a decent walking comrade and assistant.

Sorry Mandala, if it sounds like over-praise but complimenting someone is an integral part of the culture.

May the Source always be with you!

5 km

 

Thursday, December 31st, 2015

Thursday, December 31^st, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

New Year

New Year’s is what it is, a hopeful time. Spirits are high. I guess the word “spirits” is ambiguous.
In front of Old City Hall we did converge and had ready, the two marching drums reserved for this yearly event. We were poised to beat them and all other folks were prepped to sing the song “Hare Krishna.” At 11:45pm we began the uproarious sound when people were drawn into the kirtan. What a happy new year!

A second highlight for me was receiving a poem that landed on my desk by a person who been struggling mentally with his life.

A Prayer to All

Seized with fear,
I can hardly write,
If God Himself wills,
Let me live and learn right,

All the world’s calamities,
Come probably from me,
But I don’t know anything about them,
Until I hear from people on T.V.

Please, everyone spare my life,
And let me chant God’s Name.
Bow to His feet and learn to serve,
Have mercy, I’ll follow His reign.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Wednesday, December 30th, 2015

Wednesday, December 30^th, 2015
Ypsilanti, Michigan

The Killing Machine

The book “Lessons from the Wild” by Shayamal Vallabhjee, dedicated to my dear god brother and monk Bhakti Caru Swami, changes a person’s way of looking at animals. In the read I took particular interest in the honey badger known as a killing machine that has earned the title “most fearless animals in the world”. Ruthless in battle, despite the size of it’s the opponent (lions, tigers, bears and wolves rarely attack the ferocious badger) this guy apparently can teach us that although the road ahead may not be an easy one, a positive attitude is everything. Fearless he is. It is a quality listed in the divine category. According to Sri Krishna’s teachings “Fearlessness has much to do with attitude- our mental approach to the task at hand” says the author.

I also like the reference from Allen H. Nueharth, who is quoted saying “I quit feeling afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn’t fall down”.

Apparently badgers are found in North America. I recall meeting up with one in B.C., not a honey badger but an American badger. He did meet his opponent alright. It wasn’t me. It was a car. I have a clear recollection of the image from my walk in ’96. I have understood that aggressiveness is a trait of the badger and I guess you can compare it to the boldness we must apply to duty and irregular tasks. I spoke about the honey badger to a group in Farmington, just to make the point about yogis being fearless during their asanas (sitting postures) in the jungle. When a small group of us ventured to the university at Anna Arbor today I admit to being touched by fear since our purpose was chanting. What will people think in the prestigious school? We were five minutes into the chant. Joy took over and I felt there was nothing to worry about.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Tuesday, December 29th, 2015

Tuesday, December 29^th, 2015
Windsor, Ontario

Trains Rate

I like the train system as a mode of transportation. It doesn’t exceed walking, but it’s up there in my ratings. From Union Station in Toronto the Via Rail set sail for destination Windsor, which is an end of the line train track destination.

Indeed the journey which is less than four hours takes you to the most southern tip of Canada for at some points you look north to see sections of the US in Detroit, strange as it seems.

The train station in Windsor is spanking new. I guess the old building was demolished or recycled for other purposes. I was greeted by a friendly crew that was armed with a drum and karatalas (hand cymbals), all being played together. There was Deva-Madhava and Vivasvan, my support person for the recent walk through Northeastern USA.

The recent snow deluge here had all melted and drained away. Walking was conducive and there was time to kill before a planned house blessing at someone’s new home. So the small group of us took to the well laid out trail along the Detroit River. The river, which is usually of a fine blue tint, appeared rather greyish from all the meltdown.

Our trek was laced and graced with talks about everything from Krishna’s service to political opinions. All were concerned for what to do about a crazy world. An hour and a half passed by, and we had practically reached the Ambassador Bridge when we realized we were running late. We then rushed to the home of our hosts for kirtan chanting, prasadam eating, and exchanges of fine words.

Weather wise, it was a gloomy day, but gloominess did not reflect on what was held in our hearts.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

 

Monday, December 28th, 2015

Monday, December 28th, 2015
Brampton, Ontario

I Question

Sometimes I question if members of bhakti-yoga can be serious about their practice, because at times I see a bit of frivolity. Sometimes emotions and feelings prevail over sobriety. This may hold true for a practitioner like myself. I may take the process of devotion lightly and cater to a more selfish level of output from the psychological center of myself. But, it is at such times that I attempt to search for strength from within.

Speaking less so of my own experience, it was my group of actors from the community, some experienced in the acting field, and some not- who I anticipated would be fairly casual during our rehearsal the day before for the drama ‘Krishna Is’. We had this schedule slotted out from 8 AM to 1 PM. The end result was that our cast of 20 or so members, of primarily a younger generation, worked so sincerely. I felt like I was working at a movie set where all participants are on a high payroll and are all serious.

On the contrary, here we were, not at a studio, but in our sizable temple room, where everyone had come on a voluntary basis. I would say real bhakti shone through.

I give much credit to Raj who stepped forward to manage the actors and the techies, and as an end result, we whipped together a phenomenal show held at the Lester B. Pearson Theatre in Brampton as part of a larger program, Bhakti Mela. This event also featured great kirtan leader, Gaura Vani, from DC, and from New York, Ananta on drums, and from Florida, Kanya Kumari, who danced out classical moves of bharat natyam. The modest size hall of 400+ seats reached full capacity despite the ugly snow/sleet storm outside.

I was proud of the crew, the chanters, the dancers, and dramatists. Thanks to the organizer, Savyasachin, whom I sometimes refer to as ‘Savy’, and company, for a successful cultural presentation. Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, would be pleased.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Sunday, December 27th, 2015

Sunday, December 27^th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Oil Texan

There has been a great hype in and around the temple, and that has much to do with what we call the Prabhupada Book Marathon. Devotees all over the world consider the month of December to be THEE month for pressing forward with distribution of books on Krishna Consciousness.

Last evening I just missed the book distribution crew at Yonge and Dundas as they dismantled early, being that it was such a long day for them. At 6 AM they started interacting with the public on Boxing Day. I had walked to the destination point only to find I was late .

While I was there I met Joel, who could easily identify myself within the crowd. Ironically, I couldn’t recognize him. Joel was geared up in cowboy attire and all done up in black. He looked like an oil Texan. He is one of those street actors who stand statuesque for some change. I’ve seen him in the past as Spiderman and multiple other heroes.

“This is my livelihood, I can’t hold down a job,” he said. I admit though, that he is good at what he does. He is a crowd pleaser. He told me he has shelves full of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust material because he’s met so many Hare Krishnas over the years. When friends come over to his place, they get convinced that he’s a Krishna man. Of all of his getups, I doubt that he has one where he will be dressed as a Krishna monk. Come to think of it, I don’t even know what Joel really looks like because he’s always in garb and covered in paint in so many incarnations. He’s definitely found his niche, he’s an entertainer. He’s got his dharma down, but like all of us, he could add a little dash of spirituality in the day.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

 

Saturday, December 26th, 2015

Saturday, December 26^th, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Recalling This Relatable Neighbor

One neighbor, just down the street on Roxborough, is a known artist; he sketches portraits. I didn’t know about his skill until more recently. I’ve seen him for years walking his dog. My seeing and greeting him has been happening for so many years that the current dog he has is not the dog of the past. Both my neighbor and I have outlived them.

On our last bumping into each other, he had been curious to know where I had been doing my extreme walking lately.

“Pennsylvania, part of New England, and New York,” I said.

“You know, I should do a portrait sketch of you,” he offered.

“Sure, if you have the time.”

Well today, Wayne Terry, the artist, brought the portrait over. He did a splendid job. I mentioned to him that I get embarrassed to see myself; that I’m not a fan of looking at myself. He remarked that most people don’t.

Anyways, he was really nice about it and left. I offered for him to enjoy lunch with me someday at Govinda’s, located in the ashram.

Wayne is terribly good natured about everything. He reminds me of what neighbors are all about. You share the same karma with them in terms of territory, interaction, and encouraging each other. ‘Love thy neighbor as much as thyself’ comes to mind. Not all neighbors are nice, but you still need to love them somehow. But Wayne is not like that.

May the Source be with you!

5 km