Friday, June 26, 2020

Toronto, Ontario

 

Arjuna Said/ Krishna Said 

 

We often consider that we are nowhere near perfect. But are there some, or even one person who is flawless?

 

I was looking at a rendition of The Gita by Ranchor Prime, a student of our guru, Prabhupada, and what follows is how he delivers a message based on some verses from Chapter 14. He offers to say, according to the Gita’s teacher, Krishna, what are the symptoms of one who is flawless:

 

21. Arjuna said:

What are the signs and behaviour of one who has risen above the three qualities (goodness, passion, ignorance)?  How does one transcend these three?

 

22. The Blessed Lord said:

One who is not averse to illumination, hard work or delusion when they are present, nor desires them when they are absent….

 

23. Who is detached, undisturbed by the different qualities, firm in the knowledge that the qualities alone are active….

 

24.  Who is centred on the self, equal to happiness or distress, to earth, stone, or gold, to the desirable or the undesirable, to praise or blame….

 

25.  Who is unaffected by honour or dishonour, neutral among friends and enemies, who gives up all selfish endeavours—such a person, Arjuna, is said to have transcended the qualities of nature.

 

The above is good stuff!

 

May the Source be with you!

0 km

 

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Rosedale, Toronto

 

Short for Krishna

 

I had crossed the bridge over the ravine, carrying my meditation beads in my left hand while fingering each bead. A local person on his bicycle noticed them. He stopped and asked, “Is that a rosary?” 

 

Now, this occurred shortly after I passed by a home with several people gathered on an extensive veranda who had also noticed my dangling strand of 108 beads. They seemed to be a bit ‘tipsy.’ I guess they were all friends—drinking buddies. They got kind of excited by my appearance. They approved. At least three or four held up their drinks, whether in a glass or a bottle, making a ‘toast’ gesture. In any event, I returned a wave with my free hand and carried on.

 

Going back to the cyclist, I answered his question. “These are japa beads. They are used as a method for mantra meditation—for chanting. There is also something called bhajan, which involves a small group of people chanting, but accompanied by instruments that create beautiful music. Finally we have something called kirtan, which is an even more inclusive form of chanting. This can take the shape of many people on their feet swaying to the music. There are choices. For me I take time out in the evening and chant on my japa beads, which is a kind of communication with the Supreme.  I walk at the same time and I love it.”

 

The cyclist told me his name.

 

“Chris!”

 

“Oh, short for Krishna.”

 

He laughed. So did I.

 

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Bloor West, Toronto

 

The Way Krishna Lived

 

Well, the fancy bars and dining rooms are open for business again. It’s as if nothing had ever happened to startle clients from Covid 19. The same laughing and giggling goes on as before and the sounds of liquor bottles and glass containers—no less than champagne glassware—are making their music. So, there’s more going on than just line-ups happening outside bubble tea joints. Anyways, it all took me by surprise to see the streets such as Avenue Road, Soto and Bloor in a shape of vibrancy again, as I paced along in a mode of passion. I was definitely plodding along.

 

“Hey, monk!” Shouted a young cyclist across the street. At medium speed he was showing off the twirling of his closed umbrella. Impressive it was. It added to the street’s liveliness. I reached the park at Christie Pitts to meet Vishal and talk to him about what’s going on in his mind.

 

“The male cows!” he said.

 

“You mean the bulls?” I asked, needing to confirm. He knows I was raised on a hobby farm. We had cows on our farm, however, bulls were rare unless born from a cow that received artificial insemination. Basically our conversation went the way of cruelty toward bulls, and the bovine in general—the slaughter industry.

 

So Vishal and I are planning to visit a farm north of the city to see what another Vishal is doing with his Gir cows from India. In truth, we were two city boys talking about a better life in the countryside; something like the way Krishna lived as a cow-herder.

 

May the source be with you!

6 km