Friday, October 26th, 2018

Toronto, Ontario

The Swami in Montreal

I love reading about our guru in the early days of the mission.  Author, Mukunda Goswami, tells of the time in Montreal on an August day in 1968:

“The swami was staying in an apartment building a few blocks from the temple. That afternoon, I decided to walk past the building; I knew the swami would want to see us eventually, so I thought at least one of us should know where it was. It was a hot, claustrophobic afternoon in Montreal, suffocating and without a breath of wind. I was tired and slightly headachy from the flight. Usually I loved the heat, but today it wasn’t helping my fatigued condition. As I trudged down the street, I saw a knot of people outside a building, and as I got closer, I saw they were devotees. Well, that had to be the swami’s building, I thought, and turned to walk back to the temple. I looked back at the group and, on second thought, decided to go and see what they were doing loitering around on the sidewalk. 

There were four devotees, I saw as I approached, and in the center sat the swami perched on a chair on the sidewalk, soaking in the sunlight. I looked up at the building: no verandas, and this facade was facing south. This was obviously the place the swami came to get his daily sunshine. 

“So, we can practice Krishna consciousness in any condition of life,” the swami was saying. I sat down on the pavement next to one of the Canadian devotees and tried to look inconspicuous. This extemporaneous outdoor class was a bonus I hadn’t counted on.

“Whether one is rich or poor, anyone can practice Krishna consciousness and perfect one’s life.”

May the Source be with you!

0 km