Thursday 23 May 2019

Thursday, May 16th, 2019

Picton, Ontario

Toward the Water

Connor and I got some footsteps in before a rather grand event in the Toronto temple. Two of our young men, brothers and sons of my personal doctor, Jagannatha Misra, received their upanayanam, their sacred thread.  It is a common rite of passage for Kashmiri brahman families.

The most important element of the very detailed program was the kirtan, the chanting that went on.  That is always the case.

Our gracious visitor from Brazil, Kalakanta, who has been most helpful and inspirational to those with farming initiatives, decided to opt out of an excursion today. He became understandably exhausted, and needed a day of rest.

I proceeded on with set plans to go east and visit Dyanachandra and Graham in Picton. I was honoured to plant an apple tree, or rather, to assist in planting one in their front yard orchard. Planting bushes and trees is always an auspicious thing to do, by any cultural standards, what to speak of Vedic ways.

These two twins treated my companions, a retired Gujarati couple, Radha Gopinatha and Yasomati, and Connor and myself, to their homemade black-bean veggie burgers. Good job done.

Finally we drove off to the town of Gananoque, population 5200, to rest at The Gananoque Inn, a place where past Canadian Prime Ministers have rested their weary bodies while travelling.  It is a beaut of a place.  As a construction worker on-site at a new condo project put it (as we were on a brief waterfront trek), "How are you boys doing on this lovely day in paradise?" 

We looked from the water-docks over the St. Lawrence and had to agree with him.

May the Source be with you!
4 km

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