Friday, June 3rd, 2016

Friday, June 3^rd, 2016

Morenci, Michigan

"Monk Takes Steps to Slow Down, Appreciate Nature"

People responded today to the Blade Newspaper Article on the front page, photo by Amy E. Voigt, and scripted by John Victor. 

Subtitle, "Brother Swami Is Walking From New York To San Francisco"

"Wearing an orange monk's garb and a worn out pair of sandals, Bhaktimarga Swami strode into Toledo on Thursday morning for a stop on his cross-country trek from New York to San Francisco. 

Brother Swami, also known as The Walking Monk, is in the second phase of his trip across the United States which he is completing over two summers.  The Hare Krishna monk is using the journey to promote a more active and more sustainable lifestyle, as well as honour the legacy of his former teacher.

'Let's get our feet back on the ground and our heads out of the clouds,' Brother Swami said.  'Let's do the things we're meant to do.'

According to a news release of the event, Brother Swami's walks serve to highlight a car-free, care-free lifestyle, with a stronger spiritual base grounded in meditation. 

Brother Swami stopped outside the Toledo Museum of Art on Thursday afternoon for a quick lunch of vegetable wraps prepared by one of his two assistants.  He sat in the shade for about an hour, and rested before heading toward Chicago later that day.

The monk has walked across his native Canada four times in addition to trips across Ireland, Guyana, Israel, Mauritius, Trinidad, and the Fiji Islands.  The journey is his first across the United States. 

Over the course of his trip, Brother Swami has walked about 20 miles per day, a distance he completes in 7 to 8 hours.  The trick, he said, is to start early in the morning as to avoid the summer heat.  Swimming is also, 'a must', and The Walking Monk has taken to Lake Erie several times to cool off. 

Brother Swami said his long treks are part of a monastic tradition dating back for centuries, but he noted that all religions recognize taking some time for introspection.  Ultimately, he said, the walks allow him to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature, whose miracles can only be experienced by walking. 

'It allows you to see things from a close up perspective,' he said.  'You end up feeling like a kid in a candy shop.' "

May the Source be with you!

21 miles

Thursday, June 2nd, 2016

Thursday, June 2^nd, 2016 

Toledo, Ohio

On Brint and Monroe Streets

"Can yah teach me how ta fat?" he asked.  He meant 'fight'.  There's an assumption that if you're a monk, you're automatically a martial artist. 

"I'll teach you how to avoid fighting.  I teach Bhakti Yoga, the lifestyle of gentleness.  When you need to defend yourself, first apply wisdom.  If that fails, then weapons."

The popcorn that the young man was munching on didn't all make it into his mouth as he listened to me half attentively.  I believe he was happy to have met me, as I was with him.  Also, his friend, a muscular guy with a huge smile, was cool.  He was the one that should be the fighter. 

Soon after I met these young chaps, I tackled Monroe Street, and then finally met up with Gopal and Uttama.  We took our first serious break for the day, and parked our vehicle next to some welcoming and shady greenery, and I left my door open on the passenger side in order to benefit from the breeziness.  I was sitting on the seat when a robin was came flying.  He hit the window pane of the open door.  He must have thought it was regular space and air.  The impact that he experienced by hitting the window knocked him out unconscious.  He came landing with a thud and then fell one inch from my feet.  He was struggling, you could see.  Within one minute his eyelids closed.  He was gone.  We chanted for him, wishing him a safe journey to his next destination.  Bless his soul. 

It was our first day using the Toyota van, lent to us by Renee of the Cleveland area.  Bless her soul.  People are helping so much with lodging, food, water, gas for the van, and encouragement.  I also received an email from a senior monastic godbrother, Jayadvaita Swami. 

"Well, you're doing the healthiest thing in the world and making a valuable spiritual contribution by your example.  Happy walking, and happy chanting."

May the Source be with you!

19 miles

Wednesday, June 1st, 2016

Wednesday, June 1^st, 2016

Grosse Point, Michigan

Vehicle Switch

While on a patient wait for our navigator/assistant, Gopal, to switch vehicles for the next stretch of our walk, a television interview was arranged for me.  Robert Taylor, host of ‘Out of the Ordinary,’ with MWTV, and co-host, Pamela, wanted to know about the passion for trekking across the US.  Our mics were hooked up with cameras in place.  The sun acted as natural light.  We were seated on wooden stools with back support, looking much as if they were directors' chairs.  One of the camera men brought an umbrella to shoo away red-winged black birds, they tend to make their shrilling sound.  We were seated in the back yard, on the grassy edge along glorious Lake Sinclair. 

The questions were, "Give us a little background of yourself."  "How did you enter into monkism?"  "Why the walk across America?"

The grass below us was present, the sun was strong, but tolerable.  I felt like I was actually on the road.  The answers to the questions went along these lines:

"The idea behind doing extensive walking is to make a strong green statement, and also about stepping more into the zone of reality.  20th century humans (now 21st) have had their feet off the ground too long (about 2 feet, actually, when you're in a moving car).  And perhaps, with the head too much in the clouds, if not in the sand.  It's time to hug our feet on the ground again, and grasp reality in the form of getting back to good old values, such as God, work, play, family, community, and ultimate freedom.  Let's clear away the cobwebs from the mind.  There are spiritual solutions to material problems.  Walking and meditating can combat our ills."

May the Source be with you!

3 miles

Tuesday, May 31st, 2016

Tuesday, May 31^st, 2016

Sterling Heights, Michigan

Doing What Needs Doing

The land is flat in Michigan, much as it is in Ohio.  Somehow it's conducive to my skeletal structure.  So walking has been good.  Even though I'm on my two day break from marathon trekking, I'm still picking hours to be out of doors for reading, writing, and some administrative phone calls.  It's about giving me a balance.  I've been working in the back yard of the residence of Vivasvan, my support person of last fall's walk through the northeast of the US.   But I see this more sedentary service as a kind of a continuity to walking, primarily because I'm doing it outside. 

The little bit of walking that I am covering in Michigan allows me to connect with the birds.  They seem to be saying, "You got some food for me?"  Mosquitoes are also making a visit.  The evening hours were spent with members of Harmony Collective in Ypsilanti, a facility run by Deva Madhava, who is a jewel of a Vaishnava.  What a community, family feel this place is.

Amongst the guests were Sean, who takes just-released prisoners and integrates them into society again.  There was also Father Joseph, who leads a parish in the Greek Orthodox Church. The latter is a vegetarian and chants on mala (beads) every day.  He chants the Hare Krishna mantra.  He carries himself well in the pastoral mode. 

Attendees had a few moments to share in the great words of Sri Krishna.  Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8, Text 9, wherein we found a great definition of the Divine, and a great directive:

'One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature.'

May the Source be with you!

3 miles

Monday, May 30th, 2016

Monday, May 30^th, 2016

Toledo, Ohio

Good in the End

There are a host of theories as to the origin of the term, 'holy Toledo'.  Like the phrases, 'holy moley', 'holy tamoles', 'holy cow', they are just sayings, and I suppose they are irrelevant.  I must say that my first encounter with the city of Toledo on this walk after leaving the Maumee State Park area was blessed indeed. 

God knows I'm on a holy pilgrimage, in America, and India with its rich history of spiritualism, or Spain with a famous trail like the Camino, can't claim exclusive rights on what's holy or sacred. 

Gopal, my navigator assistant on this trip, parked the van demarcating the final step for the day.  It was comfortably parked under the shade of a tree in front of someone's home located just inside the border of Toledo's east end.  It was Uttama, Arjuna, and I, who did the last leg of the day's walk together.  Gathered at this spot, the proprietor of the home got curious.  It was the home of Sharon King, a sandy coloured lady, and my guess, a baby boomer, who came out and did the holy thing of offering water. 

"I saw a bunch of yogis in front of my house and I thought they might need something."  A conversation began and Sharon admitted to being a TM'er, so we got to talking about The Beatles, Bhakit Yoga, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Bhaktivedanta Swami, etc.  I pulled out a small publication of 'Chant and Be Happy' from the van.  It's essentially a book on the power of chanting, and in it are dialogues of John, Yoko, and George, learning from our guru. 

I consider our exchange with Sharon to be most holy.  "Let me know what you think of the book after the read," I said. 

"I will," she said, with a grateful smile on her face.  Today is Memorial Day.  Many folks I saw today are having a steak and drinking.  Sadly, there seems to be little done to honour war veterans. 

One more item that sticks out in my mind regarding today was a most unholy remark coming from a countryside home owner, when I took a moment to pause, a break, just outside his home. 

"What the F____ are you doing here!?" asked the loud voice, to which I didn't respond.  I moved on.  In retrospect, I'm happy to have ended the day with preciousness, with Sharon. 

May the Source be with you!

19 miles

Sunday, May 29th, 2016

Sunday, May 29^th, 2016

Ottawa Natural Wildlife Reserve, Ohio

Do You Speak English?

Uttama and I were trekking, rather enjoying a coolness after a fresh rainfall, which tends to draw out frogs galore.  They are sensitive to the sound of our footsteps, and so their defense is: if you're not in the creek's water, then you will have to get in, "splash!"

We have been moving through a wetlands area.  Lots of life apart from the frogs.  We also came upon an atomic energy plant.  For hours we were curious as to what this massive vat with smoke billowing out of it was - as we approached it.  Then signage told all.

Around a bend on Highway 2 we met a motorist who wanted to share but was unwilling to accept an exchange of words.

"Do you speak English?" asked the man with an accent.

"Yes." 

He held up mini-versions of the New Testament.

"I already have a copy, thank you!  We share a lot of the same values and principles.  It's best to concentrate on similarities."

"No, but the difference is important.  Jesus said there's only one way."

"That's enough, thank you.  I hope you will enjoy the wall you have built up for yourself."

He continued to make a case for exclusiveness and made a remark about the inferiority of our ancient text 'Bhagavad-gita.'

"God bless you!" I said, and Uttama and I made our way west to stretch our trail.

May the Source be with you!

18 miles

Saturday, May 28th, 2016

Saturday, May 28^th, 2016

Port Clinton, Ohio

Crash of Glass

There was a crash of glass just ahead of us to break the silence, and even more than that - a human voice coming from an angry woman shouted, "And don't come back!"

With that emerged a man of good build, an Afro-American, as was she, telling by the voice.  The door had slammed at this early hour of 4:30 am.  The oncoming man noticed us and so I took the lead in conversing with him.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's alright!"

"We're walking to San Francisco!" and so a friendship began.  "Don't let that, whatever was going on back there, bother you!" I suggested.

"No, I won't, but I tell yah I've never met a monk before.  You've made my day!"  And he then ventured off happily to work, or so he said he was doing.

Another precious moment came when Uttamananda and I met a security person, Bonnie, outside a factory of sorts.  She sent a message after our exchange via email.

"Good morning to the Walking Monk.  I met you while on duty this morning."

May the Source be with you!

18 miles

Friday, May 27th, 2016

Friday, May 27^th, 2016

Sandusky, Ohio

23 miles

Along the shale cliffs of the Erie shore, Jay Terrelli found fossils of a 'terrible fish' around 1867.  It was some time ago, in the millions of years that the Dunkleosteus fish, with shearing jaws, was the dominant predator, appearing in sizes much larger than the Great White Shark.

There is great wonder in this area of the great lakes such as the 'Dunklie' fish of yore, but now, at 5 am, the police were also in great wonder.  "Who are these people (three of us - two in robes) taking to the road at this un-godly hour?"

So we explained to the two officers and they were impressed; being who they are they must most certainly have a last word, "Please just walk on the side of the road against the traffic."  They were nice about it.

The summer heat is on.  It's Memorial Day weekend.  Passions are at a peak with traffic.  Streams of bikers make a presence as they - the bikers - rev up their engines and bomb away.

Some motorists take notice.  I receive the occasional honk.

What becomes relieving is the scent of the honey suckles that are thrown out into the air in as much as the wild mustard plants.  Unfortunately we cannot reciprocate and toss some fragrance back to them.

Our hosts Mike and Paurnamasi, from Cleveland, have been looking after our food and lodging needs.

The basketball play-offs are on and it is between two teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors.  Even within the devotee community, everyone is rooting for their own team. For myself, more subtly, I would like to see the Canadian team win!

May the Source be with you!

23 miles

Thursday, May 26th, 2016

Thursday, May 26^th, 2016

Vermillion, Ohio

People on the Way

It is Route #6 that becomes the trail for the day.  To join me, is Uttamananda from Bangladesh, who lived in our ashram in Toronto for five years.  He's with our little party as an assistant.  He became a walking companion for the day,  from Avon Lake to Vermillion, a distance of 20 miles.  Not bad for a first day.

Who did we meet along the way?

First of all, we met the lake, the big one, Lake Erie, several times.  It has a square mileage of (I asked Google and it answered) 25,744 square kilometres.

When we gained access to it, it became a resting spot, especially at the end of the trek, when we took a dive and swim at Vermillion.

We met people as well, among them pedestrians and motorists.  Our motorist who gave directions also gave a spankin' new hundred dollar bill - a donation.  We didn't ask, he just let his heart speak.

A woman offered to take us to our destination.  I told her, "We're going to San Francisco."  She blushed, but also gave some fruit- as she had just bought groceries.

In Lorain, the town, we met a pedestrian with her small dog.  She is a puritan Catholic who loves hearing and reciting the old mass in Latin.  She declared a damnation on the all-pervading drug culture but she was keenly curious about Krishna Consciousness.

"I want to be educated," she said.

She was happy to know we denounce intoxication but don't condemn those who try to kick the habit.  On our list of interactions was also a young man pushing his young daughter in a baby stroller.

"I'm an atheist but I respect what others believe in.  My mother-in-law, who's Christian says I'm going to hell for my conviction."

It sounds like he's living with the issue.  Tolerance is one of the greatest virtues.

May the Source be with you!

20 miles

Wednesday, May 25th, 2016

Wednesday, May 25^th, 2016

Cleveland, Ohio

Walking Monk Makes a Stop in the City

This article appeared in 'The Vindicator' on Saturday, May 14^th, 2016.  The title above is as it appeared and the text is by Bruce Watson of Youngstown.

Sitting underneath a tree by the main library near the corner of Wick and Rayen avenues, a man known simply as 'The Walking Monk' enjoyed a quiet Friday afternoon.  Arriving for the first time in the city on his pilgrimage across the US.  His only supplies: a cellphone he rarely uses, prayer beads, a watch, some business cards and the bright orange robes and sandals he wears while he traverses the land.  Bhaktimarga Swami, 63, is a Hare Krishna monk who started his pilgrimage just three days ago when he began in Butler, PA.  He plans to walk entirely on foot to San Francisco, walking 20 miles a day.  He left no timetable for his arrival on the West Coast.  The monk arrived in Youngstown on Thursday night and had the opinion that people are easier to talk to in the city, finding them vocal and approachable. 

"I'm here to encourage people more toward introspective walking," he said.  "Just to get out of the car, give it a break, experience more of the car-free, care-free lifestyles.  Take a little down-time for yourself and make a prayer for it."

The walk is to celebrate Bhaktimarga's guru or teacher, Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a spiritual teacher and founder of the Hare Krishna Movement in 1965 in New York City as well as a new form of yoga called Bhakti Yoga.

According to religious facts.com, Hare Krishna is the popular name for the International Society of Krishna Consciousness.  It is based on Hinduism. 

The Hare Krishnas worship the Hindu god Krishna as the one Supreme God.  Their goal is "Krishna Consciousness" and their central practice is chanting the Hare Krishna mantra for which they are named.

Growing up Catholic in Ontario Canada, Bhaktimarga said he became interested in older civilizations and cultures and found his teacher through meeting monks in Toronto in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

"When I was Christian, I used to wonder, 'What does it mean: Our Father which are in heaven, hallowed be thy name?" he said.  "And when I became a Krishna monk I said 'Oh there's the name, Hare Krishna.'"

He's been a monk for more than 30 years, traveling and spreading the message of inner peace, spirituality and the teachings he learned from his guru.

As he makes his way across the country, Bhaktimarga says he survives on the kindness of strangers for food, shelter, and hospitality.

In the 20 years he has performed his pilgrimages, he said he's rarely met dangerous people but he recalls some close-encounters with bears.

The nomadic monk also is accompanied by his assistant, Gopala Keller, 32, a follower of Hare Krishna from West Virginia who travels ahead of Bhaktimarga to ensure he's appropriately accommodated and protected, making preparations for his arrival into towns and cities.

After Youngstown, the monk plans to go in the direction of Cleveland and further west afterward.

May the Source be with you!

0 miles

Tuesday, May 24th, 2016

Tuesday, May 24^th, 2016

Toronto, Canada

Happiness and Ourselves

This is my last full day in Canada, on a break-of-sorts, before I depart for America to reconvene the US Walk.  It does get exciting knowing I'll be on the road again.  It's when I'm on that road, that I'm the happiest and when I get the best rest.  Yes, I had to say that insomnia hit again - now that I'm not in full regimen.  I'm sure if a survey is done, you will find a good amount of people are not happy due to many reasons, one of them being economics- or lack of it.  But many folks are unhappy with too much wealth, too!

I did do some research about happiness.  It was interesting to find some stats about happiness.  For instance, an article from a UK paper, 'The Huffington Post,' maintained by author, Kathyrn Snowdon, found that religious people from all different faiths are happier than those who have 'no religion.'  Of all the faiths in the UK, Hindus are the happiest, scoring well above the average and just under the demographic of people who consider themselves to be 'in very good health' according to data compiled by the Office for National Statistics.

Christians of all denominations were the second happiest, followed by Sikhs and Buddhists.

In a TED Talk with Matt Killingsworth, it was revealed that if you want to be happier then you 'stay in the moment.'

Gallup had interviewed more than a million Americans since 2008, enough to map out happiness.  And no surprise; on a state-wide level, Hawaii heads the top ten.  But this isn't about good weather, because Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska, and Colorado are next.  No southern state made the list.

Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, never conducted a survey on the topic of happiness, but he had proved that those who gave up bad habits and took to chanting became quite satisfied.

"Chant and be happy!" he used to say.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Monday, May 23rd, 2016

Monday, May 23^rd, 2016

Caledon, Ontario

More Farming

"People usually consider walking on water or on thin air a miracle.  But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.  Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child - our own two eyes.  All is a miracle."

-Thich Nhat Hanh 

The above quote was shared by Bob Soltys, photographer and writer, whom I met at John's Diner at Lakewood just west of Cleveland.  We went on and on extolling the glories of moving feet through time and space.

It was today that I had the good fortune to visit a sixty hectare farm recently purchased by a family from our community.  There, we had kirtan and had a look at the place - walking the fields, checking out the farmhouse, and barns.  Vishal, proprietor of the place, said "our family is going off the grid with this place.  We will incorporate solar panels, have our own water, plant fruit trees and gardens, along with bringing in a breed of cows from India."

I offered my congratulations for the move the family made.  They are going in the direction of 'simple living and high thinking.'

What attracted me to this place in the Caledon area, north of Toronto, was the fact that the Trans Canada Trail runs right at the edge of the property, apart from all the other dazzling features of the farm.  The place is clean and it's green.

May the Source be with you!

5 km