Thursday, 8 September 2016

Friday, September 2nd, 2016

Friday, September 2nd, 2016
Montreal, Quebec

The Joy of Devotion

What a venue!  What a catch!  What a blessing!

The managers of ISKCON Montreal had secured a section of Complex Desjardins, a large shopping mall  in the downtown, connected on the lower floor by the prestigious Place Des Arts.  There, in the centre of the complex, were thousands of commuters, corporate passers-by, and shoppers, who could all catch a glimpse—if not a browse or a sit-down—of the show and displays, smartly presented under the theme “Journey to the Heart of India.”

The seating could hold two hundred at capacity.  Displays were on topics such as Mantra-Yoga, Eco Village, Reincarnation and more.  Books on display—pertaining to these subjects—were sold as well.  All were neatly presented.  One of the co-ordinators of the mall, perhaps a type of maître d’, saw to the arrangements.  This meticulous woman, with an eye for the aesthetic, came around at set-up time to see to proper presentation, whether it meant selecting a chic table cloth with which to drape over a display table, lining up chairs displaced, or arranging for a dolly to be removed from the area.  Details!  Details!

In other words, she was determined to go to great lengths to be sophisticated.  And she succeeded.

The stage performances were superb—classical vina with tabla, drum sessions, Bharat-Natyam dance and excellent kirtan—as well as speakers extolling the glories of bhakti-yoga, which is at the heart of Vedic culture rooted in India.  Audiences turned over constantly in the ten-hour period of the presentations.

I was impressed.  Good show!  Good hearts!  The applause was the benchmark of its success.

May the Source be with you!

7 km



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