Friday 30 December 2022

Tuesday, December 13, 2022.

Port Coquitlan, British Columbia

Cool/Warm

It gets fairly interesting when the boiler breaks down and you sit in a frigid space. I’m talking about our temple hall in Burnaby, where I’m staying. In sacred places like Vrindavan, India, you just don’t have central heating, therefore a pilgrim will naturally feel a chill. As pilgrims do at these times of year, they wrap themselves in coats, scarves, mits, and chauddars (shawls). It’s the norm to bundle up in the winter.

What compensates for the chill in the air is chanting and reciting the Bhagavatam. To get the most out of the book is to act as a facilitator – open up with the verse of the day by reciting it in Sanskrit, then explore the transliteration of each word, read the purport, establish a theme to speak on, then finally allow others to engage in the discussion. This is where the real warmth comes in. We are bundled together to discuss what’s really important in life. In Burnaby, I find the community participates well in Bhagavatam discussions. At least it makes my day.

A good chunk of this afternoon was spent doing reading work; the making of an audio version of the book The Saffron Path. I’ve done recordings before in studios. They sometimes are below comfort, temperature-wise. Sometimes I find them a trite stuffy and hot. In one sense it doesn’t matter. The absorption in the subject matter is what counts. The subject is Krishna.

May the Source be with you!

4 km


 

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