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