Wednesday, October 7th, 2015

Wednesday, October 7^th, 2015
Berwick, Pennsylvania

By The Farms

It is easier to make the gradual climb up a slope of a hill than to descend. We humans just don’t have a good brake system built within us. Coming down just isn’t so easy. Other walkers and runners say the same thing.

Perhaps we can take this as an analogy on life. We might think that the way down is a breeze, that it’s the easiest mode of travel. Yet, it’s the challenges in life that give strength and tough skin, so to speak. Perhaps the balance of both makes sense. Different muscles get activated on both the ascending and declining ordeals. Let’s consider these physical blessings happening in these two ways. Enjoy those hills, as we are in Pennsylvania.

Tre’von and I found the hills to be splendid when daylight became present. It’s farmland now. There’s corn and soya fields and there’s animals. We even saw the first sign of Amish communities. Eventually, we made it to a small city, Burwick, and then on to Highway 11, a dreaded stretch of passionate motorists.

Amongst friends we made were two ladies from ‘The Standard Speaker’ newspaper who caught up with us at the local Mexican taqueria place. There the proprietor became an instant amigo with us in exchange for the veggie plate he gave us. We presented to him Iskcon’s official simple cookbook, ‘Higher Taste’. He was grateful.

Perhaps the lightest part of the day for me was receiving a call from an acquaintance struggling with drugs but who now, after the 12-step process, is doing much better. I would say that at all costs one should stay away from harmful drugs as stimulatingly promising as they may be. Too many people’s lives are destroyed by such intake and that holds true for alcohol as well. To those items — stay away! Stay away!

 

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 km

 

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Tuesday, October 6th, 2015

Tuesday, October 6^th, 2015
Freeland, Pennsylvania

More of the Same Greatness

Our walking began where we finished the day before, at a beer store. There was pretty much a repeat of the previous day in the sense that the early hours brought some attention from motorists. This time some heavily accented New Yorkers pulled over to wish well my pilgrim message. Frankly, that’s what pilgrimage is meant to do – try to make a statement towards slowing down.

Our host for the three nights, Rupa Vilas, did even more than he’s already done, which included rising early enough to fix our small team with some breakfast. Then, he provided us with provisions galore. In addition, he gave himself. Nearing the end of my day’s quota for walking, he drove quite a distance to catch the last mile with me on foot as a walking companion.

The day reached 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Perfect. A walker’s paradise and as everything moderately cooled down, Vivasvan drove Tre’von and I to a monastic retreat for the night. It is known as an Ishan retreat. It’s a residence for nuns and priests. This group enjoys the chanting of Hare Krishna while they concentrate their life and focus on Jesus. There’s a willingness on their part to see beyond the walls of religious institution in order to reach the more profound state of God consciousness. Though Jesus remains for them the principal person of honor, Mary Magdalene, his wife, is revered as their female divinity.

This gracious group fed us after exchanging words and giving us a tour of a gorgeous facility used for worship. Devotional mingling and as mentioned, residential stay.

How kind they are.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 km

 

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Monday, October 5th, 2015

Monday, October 5^th, 2015
Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania

A Lot of Care

Samantha cared. She, like so many rushers (people in rush hour), was going at the usual crazy speed down the 904 Highway at Mount Pocono when she managed to pull out of the wave of cars. Seeing the opportunity to do a horseshoe move (or in regular driver’s parlance, a u-turn) she turned and, facing the opposite direction, landed herself on the shoulder of the road. There, birthday boy Tre’von and I, who am also sharing the same anniversary, were walking. I actually turned 63 today.

Samantha rolled down the window as we got close. It was obvious she wanted to speak.

“Do you want a ride?” she asked.

“Thank you but we’re on our way to Butler, Pennsylvania, and then to New York City. This is a walk on behalf of our guru, the founder of the Hare Krishna Movement. 50 years ago, he came to America.”

“That’s great! No ride then? Can I offer a donation?”

“Sure.”

So she did and with a smile on her face and a mantra card in her hand she wished us well and then drove off, caught in the madness of the car rage.

Shortly thereafter, the ‘Pocono Record’ newspaper responded to our message for our happy story. There was one call that came to us and then a second for an interview as well as a photographer who came for a photo shoot at Tobyhanna Lake. Hence, you have the makings of an article to come. As the day passed by, I saw birthday blessings showering on Tre’von. Rupa Vilas, our host, presented him with a watch. Vivasvan presented him with a card of personal good wishes and a CD of devotional chants. My contribution or birthday gift is continual lessons on pronouncing new mantras that I hope he will abide in for the rest of his life.

May the Source be with you!

21 miles / 33 km

 

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Sunday, October 4th, 2015

Sunday, October 4^th, 2015
Birchwood Lakes, Pennsylvania

The Moon’s Crest

The moon’s crest was above and, as twilight snuck in, a gorgeous world opened up to us on Snowhill Road. It was a realm of rain-cleared air, serenity, and colors of all kinds. The sky was a blue blue, not tainted by urban air in anyway. Trees, some tall and some small, graced each side of the pavement, blessing us with shade and shielding us from wind. And you can capture with your eyes, as I did, fleeting deer, squirrels, porcupines, and wild turkeys. There was also a migration of these intensely orange salamanders.

I was with Vivasvan, my support guy, when we noticed a tiny one an inch and a half in length making his way across the road. I wanted to come down to his humble level in an attempt to stroke him gently on his back. I poised myself for this but heard a car coming. I rose and saw it was actually a van hauling a residential vehicle. It came closer and I feared for the young crawling fellow’s life. We could do nothing. The wheels of the van missed him but the wheels of the trailer did not. I looked in horror at his head getting crushed…. Ohhhhh!

Harsh is nature. Fragile is the self. Relentless are the machines. Callous is man. Helpless is the individual.

Those were our emotions or reactions over the mini drama. However, we had to carry on walking. The day was warm in terms of what the coming hours offered but I was also a trite disappointed over the motorists' indifference. Not one person stopped to talk. Experience tells that that will change tomorrow. Let’s see.

We were thrilled to be hosted in the home of Rupa Vilas, AKA Richard Mason, who was a major mentor for me when I decided to go the way of the monk back in ’73 at the Toronto ashram. I’m indebted to him deeply.

 

May the Source be with you!

23 miles / 37 km

 

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Saturday, October 3rd, 2015

Saturday, October 3^rd, 2015
Delaware State Park, Pennsylvania

Never Seen Such a Group

A constant rain fell upon us for a four hour hike within hilly Pennsylvania before the drive to today’s destination at Old Forge. The occasion was the opening of a yoga studio situated in an old renovated railway station. A cargo train still goes by on a daily basis. The station’s interior itself is smartly done up to accommodate the spiritually enhanced. Father Bill, who frequented Iskcon’s Laguna Beach center years ago, is teaching yoga in the premises along with other persons who conduct presentations on meditation, yoga, and prayer. Father Bill embraces Christian liberalism. He asked that I speak on a topic that would cover the concept of bhakti, devotion, and how it is a form of yoga that entails a relationship with God. He also asked that I express the nature of God as Radha and Krishna, the Divine Female and Male. I did as he asked, along with expressing the superior or essential element of yoga and that it is not just a physical exercise - ultimately it involves a profound love for the Supreme.

Kirtan (chanting) was the most important component of the presentation and ended up being an inclusive exercise. For everyone, that experience probably topped the joy of eating prasadam which was so kindly provided by devotees who prepared and delivered the outstanding feast from Iskcon Philadelphia.

I can say with full honesty that I have never seen a group of such gracious, smiling, and appreciative people in an American setting. I felt, along with team players Vivasvan and Tre’von, that we were not in a physical place or even at a train station. We were transported to another realm primarily because everyone approached and engaged in kirtan in a surrendered mood. It was a thrill to see a nun in full regalia, that is, in the traditional nun’s habit chanting and dancing in our circle.

 

May the Source be with you!

10 miles / 16 km

 

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Friday, October 2nd, 2015

Friday, October 2^nd, 2015
Matamoras, Pennsylvania

A Cool Mayor

Monks in our order are allowed to vote but I would not, even if I would be an American citizen. If I WERE to vote, I would cast my vote on November 3^rd for Judith L. Kennedy. She is the mayor of Newburgh in New York State and with her term coming to an end and the election campaign going on, she has the chance to be re-elected. The reason why I would have put a check to her name had I the opportunity, is because she stands for moral values. I spent an hour talking to her over dinner at Newburgh’s vegetarian restaurant, Nimai’s Bliss Kitchen. Judith and I dialogued over many topics concerning the way our society is. She let me know of a recent shooting of eight people in a college in Oregon. God, I didn’t know. I haven’t been following the news lately although I got interviewed by Mark of the Sentinel Newspaper today. With Judith, we spoke of rampant drug use, the world of Reaganomics, commercialism, and being in deep debt. We spoke of America and the world at large being like the Roman Empire, a civilization that fell into decline with the cause coming from within.

She was totally right on with her assessment and that there’s need for change. She came, along with others, to the restaurant not just for a meal but also to hear from The Walking Monk, so I delivered 'Tales From Trails', and to do something that can shake up a troubled world, so we did kirtan. We chanted and danced up a storm, including Judith. She’s totally cool. After a long day trudging through drizzle, tracking back for dinner, and after stepping into a new state, Pennsylvania, it was worth coming to the event.

I expressed to the group how our guru, Srila Prabhupada, came to the West 50 years ago with a message and part of that message was about redefining what we call ‘partying’. His definition, having a good time with kirtan and acknowledging the Source. Judith actually mentioned to me that she uses the word Source quite a lot. Anyways, I hope to see her stay in her mayoral seat for another term.

 

May the Source be with you!

Port Jervis, Milford, Matamoras

19 miles / 31 km

 

 

Thursday, October 1st, 2015

Thursday, October 1^st, 2015
Montgomery, New York

Walk or Drive But Move

The temperature has dropped to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s still fine and the weather is not severely austere. Yesterday, rain and drizzle came periodically and whether accompanied by umbrella, plastic poncho or not, constant walking provides warmth. In looking at the bright side of things, the rain of yesterday and the coolness of today provides a transition of texture and colour to the vegetation and foliage all around. Hence, the awesomeness of autumn begins to show its usual splendor.

By 1:30 PM I had completed my targeted 20 miles. That was done to make room for a drive to Schenectedy, a historic city in New York State. There we conducted a sangha, a devotional gathering with the Guyanese community. Sabrina was our host. With children all the way to seniors in the group, the mild challenge is to keep everyone perked up and attentive. Any presentation should inspire. For me, before attempting such a task, an internal mindfulness of prayer, as brief as it may be certainly helps in the endeavour.

I spoke from 9.29 of the Bhagavad Gita and explored the fairness of God. We read through the purport of our guru, Srila Prabhupada, by the way of charades. That’s always a winning approach for the kids.

Kirtan (chanting) and blessed food known as prasad finished off a great evening before the long drive back to our rendezvous in Newburgh. When choosing whether to be a passenger in a van or walking on the road, I prefer the latter. However, it’s always good to be in that vehicle to maximize time in the company of my team players, Vivasvan and Tre’von. Incidentally, Tre’von is completing a good amount of mantra meditation on his beads. It’s day number two of accomplishing 16 revolutions on the beads.

 

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 km

Wednesday, September 30th, 2015

Wednesday, September 30^th, 2015
Montgomery, New York

"Don’t Jump, It’s Not Worth It!"

Rain permeated through the sky and through the previous night. It persisted through the morning. Off I went to a later than usual start at which time the drops did let up. Only then did I step out of the van. When I did so, five fawns spun out from the forest next to me. But guess who also emerged at that time? It was Tre’von, who slept overnight with Vivasvan and I and is now an official member of our team. He emerged from the van and, like a real trooper, took to the whole 20 miles of walking for the day.

We had a thrill walking on the bridge that suspended over the Hudson River. It took us exactly a half hour to walk it. That made it four revolutions on our meditation beads. We stopped somewhere at the middle of the bridge just to enjoy the view of the vista. When a motorist saw us while driving, he yelled out, “Don’t jump, it’s not worth it!” It gave us a good laugh. A construction worker on the bridge also noticed us. He was a big burly guy and upon seeing us he stopped his work and offered us a pranam ( a traditional palms together Vedic greeting).

We were treated royally at the Nimai Bliss kitchen to a tasty vegetarian Gujarati meal. I was impressed with the food and with Jimmy, one of the patrons of the place. Who is Jimmy anyway? He’s a garage owner across the street from the restaurant. He calls himself the All-American Boy but has taken a fancy to Krishna Consciousness. It comes at a good period in his life. At age 75, he is just looking to a new track in life. He is reading the books of our guru, whom I am walking for.

Once again, my guru’s name is Srila Prabhupada and he came to America 50 years ago. He started an explosion in consciousness-raising. To me, a walk in his honor is very justified.

We walked Newburgh, Little Britain, Plain View, Rock Tavern and Montgomery.

 

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 kilometres

 

Tuesday, September 29th, 2015

Tuesday, September 29th, 2015
Beacon, New York

Meeting a Runner

Vivasvan and I took a picnic break near Sylvan Lake. A runner came up to us, "I saw you in Connecticut. I am curious about what you are all about." The runner identified himself cordially along with his profession, "I am a retired professor. My interest now is UFOs." He mentioned he was writing a book about the positive experiences people have when they encounter beings from other spheres.

I offered to say that our Vedic literatures are replete with information about other places and planets of evolved life. The person was really nice and seeking knowledge. "I have got this left brain that wants to know. I think scientifically - why are these beings coming to us? Apparently all people who contact them have a good experience. They transform and they become somewhat enlightened."

I suggested that perhaps we don't need to over-analyze the situation but instead come to the point of loving, giving, and serving. There is always a problem with avoiding this natural obligation. I remember saying to him that our constitutional position is to serve. We are spirits and we are prone to bhakti (love) unconditionally.

Vivasvan and I left our new-made friend with some smaller BBT books (not to burden him too much - he's running) and a strand of japa meditation beads. He was most grateful to have a copy of the book Beyond Birth & Death.

Adios.

I also met Jessica who was one of the people who offered a ride today. To Jessica I gave a, "Thanks but no thanks. I am walking." She told me of her friends who used to live in the Krishna Brooklyn Temple and how they all learned how to cook. Now, our evening was spent back in Farmington to hear my godbrother monk speak. Niranjan Swami, who is from Boston, spoke about bhakti (unconditional love). The prasadam (food) was bangin' good.

It was a great day. I spent the last 2 hours walking with Murali, a friend who lives in the area. It was a great pleasure to know that he spent the time to drive and look for me. Once found, he parked the car and we walked. I walked through Fishkill, Hopewell, Beekman, and New Milford.

 

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 km

 

Monday, September 28th, 2015

Monday, September 28th, 2015
Uniondale, New York

Everything's Going Nuts

With an early start and it being dark we could not see the thick branches jutting out from the trees. So, when backing up, our rear window bashed and broke into millions of pieces. Something had to be done to replace the vehicle's back which was also damaged.

The forecast called for rain, even for a storm, so Vivasvan got working on the damaged rear-end right away.

Another mechanical issue is my knees. They don't seem to care for the initial steps taken in the morning with the up-and-down nature of the Appalachian trail. Eventually though, the machinery (my body) takes to it fine.

Trees are shedding their fruit. What I mean to say is that nuts are falling all over the place - walnuts and acorns especially. The squirrels are in glee. You hear the sound of a thud when a nut hits the pavement but only after several snap sounds which arise from contacting twigs and leaves during its descent. I am lucky to not be struck by one of these guys yet.

We have crossed another border at Bull Bridge. We are now in New York State. It's funny but I guess each state has its own personality. Suddenly, I felt an increased openness in the people of New York whereas in Massachusetts and Connecticut people were somewhat reserved. Finally we're in a place where we get noticed. This is a good thing of course. In fact, when some people see me, the way they express themselves is as if they're going nuts. They stop and talk and they find that the walk is awesome. Even the police came by after receiving a report of a guy in orange sleeping on the side of the road. The one officer said, "You know, prisoners are in orange jump-suits and sometimes they escape."

On a more serious note, I spoke to a friend (a rather well-known athlete) on my cell and being familiar with our guru, Srila Prabhupada, I asked him, "Now it has been 50 years since our guru came to the West...what kind of assessment, reflection, or vision do you feel we should have?"

"Appreciate and never think that because I am a devotee (spiritualist) that all things should be happening for me. Do not feel entitled. Be grateful."

May the Source be with you!

20 miles/ 32 km

Sunday, September 27th, 2015

Sunday, September 27^th, 2015
New Preston, Connecticut

Mark Twain’s ‘Turf’

When I walked through Hartford with Tre’von, we went past the home of author Harriet Stowe who published the bestseller, ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’. She was an abolitionist and wrote about the slave escapees in the 1800’s. I was born near Uncle Tom’s cabin so it struck my interest.

Also, to my amazement, situated next to her home was the house of writer and humorist Mark Twain (1835 - 1910). It is a real stately house. I can’t help but deliver some of his best quotes:

“Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.”

“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”

“I don’t like to commit myself about Heaven and Hell. You see, I have friends in both places.”

“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.”

“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing, it was here first.”

“Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform.”

“All generalizations are false, including this one.”

“Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.”

“Anger is an acid that can do more harm than the vessel in which it is stored to anything on which it is poured.”

 

May the Source be with you!

18 miles/29 km

 

Saturday, September 26th, 2015

Saturday, September 26^th, 2015
Burlington, Connecticut

Cultivation

It is almost alarming to see the intensity of traffic this early Saturday morning on secondary roads, not freeways. Who are these people? Where are they going at 6 AM and with such speed and intensity of purpose? On a Saturday? You can’t help asking these questions.

Karuna and I spent most of the journey, now west of Hartford, on Highway 4 through Farmington and then beyond Burlington. At one time, for about 2 miles, we encountered relief from the callous traffic by way of a trail frequented by runners, walkers, and cyclists. Thank God.

Occasionally, a motorist on the busy road honks his horn. You can tell when it’s a happy honk as distinct from a ‘watch it man’ type of warning. It’s rare to find nasty travelers as long as you walk responsibly. I still find it astounding to see the lack of ample space for alternative travelers like walkers. It appears that all is laid out to the advantage of the automobile.

What does compensate for the more or less little interaction with motorists is the time I spent with newcomer, Tre’von. I find him exceptional, devotionally a rare bird. I spent the evening with him after his work hours in what our guru used to call, ‘cultivation’. This is a word Srila Prabhupada used to use to describe someone’s preparation in devotion.

When I was a boy growing up in a farming district, the term cultivation was used to mean ploughing or turning the soil by way of machinery. I believe it’s an appropriate word as Tre’von is really having a turnover in life. My support person, Vivasvan, is also helping him learn the ways of bhakti, devotion. I can see Tre’von’s head spinning around in a most positive way. I explained to him, “Just look at it this way”, as cars are whipping by, “we are not these bodies but spirits. The body perishes. Our souls go on. We can get over our identity crisis by concentrating on the point, 'I am spirit'".

Tre’von liked that.

Regards to Madhava and Vishali for accommodation.

 

May the Source be with you!

20 miles / 32 kilometres