Sunday, June 16th, 2019

Hamilton / Mississauga

Devil’s Punch Bowl

Two men fairly fresh from India, two from Canada (actual monks), and a young Ukrainian, hit the Bruce Trail trudging through mud.  The two Indians were enthralled.  “Green, that’s all that can be seen!” reflected one, who also added, “This is very, very, very nice!”  That was Venkat, from Andhra Pradesh.

The second one, Audarya, responded by sharing.  He held up his phone, filmed as he was walking through the green forest and shared a few steps with his wife and mother in India.  

Then there was Alexander from Ukraine.  He’s a pro at trekking the Bruce.  The terrain is not much different here from where he comes from.  

Finally there is Karuna and myself, both Canucks (slang for Canadians), who are passionate about this service, if you will.  Yes, we are doing ourselves a favour physically, and me, mentally.  On a daily basis, I deal with people stuff. It can be draining.  I keep my head above water by doing this walking. The people stuff or taking care of human-community needs has been going on for forty-five years.  The fact that I use walking poles proves my age.

It is Karuna, who is half my age, who is the helpful navigator of all our trips and has a love for this.  

So, we are all guys.  Happy Father’s day!  By birth we are meant to provide and protect Mother Nature.  This was my message to a group of bhakti-yogis in a studio rented space in Mississauga—a group called GEL (Gita Ethics Learning)—after the walk.  Whether you father kids or not, guys have a big responsibility to fulfil always.  By the way, we finished walking at the Devil’s Punch Bowl.  

May the Source be with you!

8 km