Miami, Florida
Trying
to See
I was booked in for a room at the Hampton
Inn, where I rested and awoke for the 4:30 a.m. arati, or the first service of the day. A short walk with Murari Gupta, a surgeon,
took me to the ISKCON Centre on Virginia Street.
There was a small attendance—seven of
us. We engaged in chanting the praises
to our version of the Creator, Krishna.
The class I gave then was from the Bhagavatam, Canto Seven, wherein sage Narada expresses his appreciation for the
saintly boy, Prahlada. You might say
that this was a glorification of a godly soul.
Murari Gupta then drove me to the airport
for a flight to Gainesville. I sat at
the gate for my departure and was trying to conjure a continuity of the theme ‘praise’. At the departure lounge, I saw no deity of
Krishna, could not hear His name—outside of my soft japa chanting—and I also could not perceive a saint from amongst
the crowd. I did see, however, two nuns
in the distance, down the corridor.
I also saw scantily clad ladies and some
body building men, busting with muscle.
I saw gangster clothes and one fellow proudly walking with a skeleton
frame imprinted on his coat. Where is a
saint to be found, what to speak of God?
How could I perceive divinity?
Those who were officials working at the
departure gate were warm, friendly and keeping order. In them, I started to see some element of
holiness. I was pacified at this.
I took one last stroll after I arrived in
Gainesville.
May the Source be with you!
8 km
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