Saturday, 2 May 2020

Wednesday, April 29, 2020


Ramsden Park, Toronto

Death All Around


I met one of our neighbours with a mask and pet dog to accompany her just before entering the park.  She recognized me and expressed gratitude at our temple’s participation at the 7:30 pm noise-making in support of medical workers combating the virus.

“I wish we could get all the neighbours to partake,” I said.  “What do we do to get it to that point?”

The woman, blondish and short-ish, spoke through her mask.  “I am emailing most of them.  I don’t have all their addresses.  What’s yours?”

I volunteered to get my email card as it’s just too difficult to remember.  Bhaktimargaswami@gmail.com is just a little irregular.

“Just put it on my porch,” she suggested honoring the standard distancing discipline.

“Okay!”

As I entered the park I thought more about loss of life.  One of our members, 92, contracted covid–19 two weeks ago.  He was not doing too bad for his age until the invisible demon came along.  He passed away two days ago without his family being there due to restrictions for safety.  Quite sad, really.

Another member, Nimai Chandra, about to turn 90, died recently.  He served in our local temple ashram for several years as a brahman priest.  I won’t be able to go to the funeral.  Although the virus didn’t take his life and although a handful of family members will be attending, the risk for my going is too high.

The great Vedic king Yudhisthira delivered that enlightened message, “Everyone sees death all around but I don’t think I will die.  This is the greatest wonder.”

May the Source be with you!
5km

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