Friday, 4 November 2022

Monday, October 31, 2022

Christie Pits, Toronto

The Actual Key

It’s good to be gone. It’s good to be home. In truth all places are home because wherever you make yourself comfortable in devotional service that is home. That’s easy to say because I move about mainly in a free world. What if I were stuck in a place of war like Ukraine, or in a region where there is little tolerance of our belief? What if I resided in a country of poverty, hard to get a proper meal? In such places my sadhana could easily suffer.

The actual key to a constant bhakti practice that is likely less to shake up our endeavours is through good sangha, association. The success of our devotional activities depends on this. It is critical in the beginning stages, as well as in our developing stages and to the end.

Personally, I would not have survived if it wasn’t for five monks (brahmacharis) who took interest in my devotional life when I was an art student. And up to the present I have my amigos whom I keep in touch with.

I ventured off for a much-needed walk in a drizzly, warm evening blessed by the residents of my living quarters. I passed by people dressed in costume while on their Halloween trick-or-treat ventures. To some pedestrians I’m sure I was mistaken for being part of the masquerade. After a trek I came back being blessed again by that incredible ongoing presence of devotees. It was late – 10:30pm – but I felt sheltered when just one of those honey-roasted saints was there to greet me upon my return.

May the Source be with you!

6km


 

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