Toronto, Ontario
40 ❤Steps to Healthy
Sent my way to make my heart smile was the following article, filed under “restore your faith, walk more drive less.”
“Bhaktimarga Swami (otherwise known as ‘the walking monk’) is a Canadian man who so far has walked around 20,000 miles during treks across Canada, Guyana, Israel, Mauritius, Ireland, Fiji and Trinidad. Wearing out four pairs of Crocs on each walk, he walks for around 8 hours a day, always facing the traffic, and making friends along the way. Now in his 60s, he covers around 30km daily, and says the main danger is coyotes rather than humans (though he has been propositioned a few times by female drivers). He chants as he walks (especially at night) to let the animals know he is coming!
The Walking Monk belongs to a religion called Hare Krishna. This is a branch of the Hindu religion, started by Sri Chaitanya of Bengal back in the 16th century. He believed that chanting the names of God was so powerful, that monks should chant in the street to benefit all. The Walking Monk does indeed chant for several hours a day, as he goes walkabout.
Hare Krishna monks always bless their vegetarian food, as they believe that your emotions are infused into the food. So a lentil stew, made by an angry monk, is as bad as a meat pie!
He has also had his brushes with the law. Some people have reported the Walking Monk on his travels, believing with his orange robes, that he is an escaped convict. And one person even reported him as a ‘moving traffic cone!’ If you are wondering why Buddhist and Hare Krishna monks wear orange robes, it’s a tradition that dates back hundreds of years, simply because saffron dye was readily available in Southeast Asia (Tibetan monks tend to wear maroon robes).
Why he walks:
To inspire a greener way of life, to promote pilgrimage & connection to the Divine through nature, to honour our teachers…and to make lots of friends!”
Thank you, author!
May the Source be with you!
5 km
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