Sunday, 17 July 2022

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Montreal, Quebec

With a Book On the Way

On the second day of the Chariot Fest we had more joy. As always one of the main features is people. Why are festivals put on in the first place? In order for people to have a leisurely time. Just for gaining a balance in life some recreation is required. In the context of Krishna Consciousness chanting, dancing, having some good prasadam and philosophising are tension relievers.

Another area of activity that offers comfort is what our dear Srila Prabhupada gave us; books to read and encouraging his students to write on their realizations. I brought with me a copy of Blazing Sadhus or Never Trust a Holy Man Who Can’t Dance: by Achyutananda Das, as I knew the weekend drive to and from Montreal/Toronto eats up a good twelve hours plus.

The driver of our four-car-caravan vehicle was Brhat Mrdanga who heard about the book and encouraged me to read aloud whenever I could on the journey and back. Well, he was having the greatest laugh and so was I. not all Vaishnava literature is so rigid and stiff. In particular, this one highlights the authors journey to bhakti, devotion, when he stumbled upon Swamiji (Prabhupada) on the lower east side of New York.

If I could quote from the outside cover, “Do you know what just happened in there? Do you know what he just did? He gave me the answers to the most cosmic, theological, universal, eternal questions ever asked! And like it was just matter-of-fact! Then he thanks me for asking! I gotta tell people about this.”

May the Source be with you!


 

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