Scarborough, Ontario
Om Purnam
Omprakash is eighty-six and is a prominent member of the community in ISKCON Scarborough, located at 3500 McNicoll Avenue #3. Whenever I visit this centre, this gentleman stands out by having something pertinent to say. Today he took the step forward to have diksha. At one of the finest sacred fires I’ve experienced, Omprakash sat and received the Sanskrit name Om Purnam (Das). Congratulations!
Dikshameans initiation but actually this rite of passage (for seniors or youth alike) is more or less a confirmation. With this ceremony, vows are made—vows which express commitment to abstain from eating meat, gambling and intoxication. The last or fourth one, is the abstinence of promiscuous sex. Now when it came to Om’s uttering of it, it came out more like a mutter, and everyone had a good laugh. Considering Om’s age and all, this particular appetite for sex is not much of an issue.
From Scarborough’s program, I moved to Toronto to 243 Avenue Road, for the Sunday gathering. It was a lively kirtan and everyone enjoyed themselves. Nakula had come over to visit from St. John, New Brunswick, during the holidays, where he and partner, Sarah, conduct weekly bhakti programs. I’m so proud of them.
Nakula and I took a hike from the city’s Greek town to our temple address, to talk about everything under the sun (or more like “under the street lights”). It was good.
May the Source be with you!
5 km
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