Sunday, August 28th, 2016
Scarborough/Bancroft, Ontario
After
After a long absence from taking a step in the ISKCON
Scarborough Centre on McNicoll, I had the deep pleasure to share company with
this community of devotees. Gracious as
they are, they went out of their way to make a great meal, even when it’s not
so easy to drum up preps for an Ekadasi day (every fort-night you have to fast
from grains). However, they came up with
a feast.
The managers running this small unit, tucked away in a
plaza, were apologetic. “We’re sorry for
the small turn-out. There’s a big
wedding going on which most everyone was
obliged to attend.” Still, it was
pleasing to see a fairly full house, where people came to listen to my talk
based on Chapter 8, Verse 15 from the Bhagavad-gita. The phrase that stands out in this verse is
“this world is temporary and is full of miseries.” It may seem like a negative remark coming
from the words of Sri Krishna, but truth must be told. He encourages us to move on to better places.
The plain unit which people refer to as their “temple”
was now the place for me to take leave.
Daivata from Bancroft, a veteran Hare Krishna, who joined the culture in
’72 in Vancouver, had come to fetch me for a drive north and a visit to his
rustic home and 16 acres of wilderness.
If readers haven’t picked up by now, I’m a monk, a
rolling stone that moves and collects no moss.
Here outside the town of Bancroft is a slice of Vaikuntha (heaven) where
what you consider “wild” is the norm. A
bear, a wild turkey, a wolf and a loon are occasional visitors to any side of
the home. Nothing to worry about.
“You can come and stay here when you want to be on a
writing retreat and when Vishvadika, my wife, is in India for six months.” Naturally I’m welcomed by this countryside
couple any time, but to address what could be a lonely period, in the winter,
for my devotee-friend, I believe I’ll take up the offer.
May the Source be with you!
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