Pelee Island, Ontario
To the Water
I was walking in Yorkville. The day had turned. It was dark, but not for the night people in Yorkville, those in the fancy bars and those on the street. One man froze in his tracks when he saw me.
“I’ve been to Tibet,” he said. I must have reminded him of the place, where monks are around every corner, although Buddhist.
“I’m from Canada, a Hare Krishna, and my tradition hails from India.”
He noticed my japameditation beads in my right hand.
“Can I get those beads? I know they’re very powerful.” He offered me a $500 donation to our monastery if he could have the beads. Just then the car parked next to us set off its car alarm. “See I told you they’re powerful.”
However, I did not concede. With smiles we parted.
I managed some sleep upon my return to the ashram, attended the first half of the temple morning program, and then went off for our annual Pelee Island retreat. Cleveland, Detroit, Brampton, Toronto, and Windsor reps were there.
A small group of us walked on the west sideroad. We met Morris, a music teacher from Owen Sound. He defied any notion we had of snooty islanders. So hospitable. We went to his home, and with a larger group of us came onto his dock to get acquainted. He remembered reading some literature from our guru, Prabhupada.
Getting everyone in for a splash in Lake Erie took time. You should have seen all these middle-aged men, reluctant to indulge in the water in the beginning, and unwilling to get out once wet.
May the Source be with you!
6 km
No comments:
Post a Comment