Wednesday, September 28th, 2016

Wednesday, September 28^th, 2016

Whitehorse, Yukon

Hello Yukon!

It’s not often that I’m greeted by a party of people who beat the drum and chant at an airport.  Here in Whitehorse, with a population of 25,000, a swami is a rarity.  I must also mention that my host, Ananda, is an animated personality and very amicable.  He led the chant and the drumming.

After a long flight from Toronto and a stop-over at Vancouver, I was glad to meet this crew of greeters and to have my feet on the ground.  Furthermore, to take in great air.  According to this group, Whitehorse is the most pollution-free city in the world, so Guinness says.

“I believe you,” I said to Ananda, to which he added, “And it has the best water.”

The Yukon River runs through the town.  Ananda calls the river “Yamuna” after the sacred waters in India, the river which also is the place where Krishna enjoyed his childhood pastimes.

I was also greeted with a subji (veggies) mixed with golden Yukon potatoes known as world-renowned.  Yes!  Delicious!

It had been a long day, with no sleep the night before, and also included a visit to one of our Toronto congregants dying from breast cancer in the hospital.  For Meena, whom I may not see again, I chanted by her bedside with her brother Mukesh and his wife Jayamala.  That was before the flight.  I was exhausted.  Ananda addressed it with a massage.  Thanks to him I’ll be in competent shape for the next day of devotional life, a life that is people-interactive and most rewarding.

May the Source be with you!

0 km

Tuesday, September 27th, 2016

Tuesday, September 27^th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Introducing Santosh

Santosh, twenty-three, is a young student of history who just came to Canada.  He’s here for a three month stay at the ashram while attending classes at York University.  He is from Surinam and has never ever been in a metropolis before.

When someone new comes to the city, my way of giving them the keys to the city is by introducing him/her to the streets and trails.

Thus far he is liking the city and I wish him well in his studies.  His stature is tall, but he carries a humble disposition.  He has the facial, pious look of a demigod and is most helpful.  I’ve engaged him in multiple tasks that are of a more physical nature.  In fact, I would say he’s a rare kind who does everything with a healthy attitude.

I realize it’s important to not overlook him with everything that needs doing.  That would be a burn-out program.  A recipe for disaster.  A new person can be very vulnerable, and when people who have services in the temple ashram require help, as in “Can you help me lift this, or carry that, fetch this, fetch that?” such assistance can really stack up.

I guess one of the reasons for my showing Santosh the better walkways is so that when he needs his time off and privacy, he can then know where to go.  His taking a break will be legit.

If you are reading this entry Santosh, please keep in mind the importance of balanced out-put.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Monday, September 26th, 2016

Monday, September 26^th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

C.H. Came

Chaitanya Hari is staying at the InterContinental Hotel on Front Street and is here on business.  He works with Telus and is based in Vancouver.  He is a young, promising, business person and his prospects for spiritual advancement also look good.  I’ve known him since he was a kid.

I took him south on Yonge Street and then over to Front to his hotel, where he was to retire for the evening before he started business training, and ideas and strategic planning during the next day.

Being from Vancouver, he noted some differences between that city and the current one he’s in.  Each place does have its own character and personality.  But every place you go to, reveals a similarity—people are driven.  People are motivated to forge ahead on some level of progress.  Even the homeless are motivated to survive.

Both Chaitanya and I witnessed some people, a few, lying down over the vents where heat rises from the underground traffic.  Other more driven men in suits walk with a speed of expectation.  In general, there is ambition.  That is natural.

It is also natural to look at, or at least ponder, the metaphysical, and consider transcending over the physical world and the freaks of nature.  That term, “freaks of nature,” was used by our guru, Srila Prabhupada, to reflect or express the turbulent nature of existence itself.

It’s beneficial to balance our physical and spiritual needs.  Do not suppress either.

May the Source be with you!

9 km

Sunday, September 25th, 2016

Sunday, September 25^th, 2016

Burlington, Ontario

The Bend at The Lake

Jagannatha Misra and I took a stroll along the northwest bend of Lake Ontario.  We have been there before, and again and again.  It’s in his very neighbourhood.  The trail, which is edged along the lake, also takes you past the historic Joseph Brant home.

Who was he?  Joseph Brant was actually a Mohawk Chief who became the leader of the Six Nations.  He was also a Christian.  He fastened a policy onto his people saying “unity and concord among themselves.”

The year that the Olympic Summer Games came through with the mighty torch, Jagannath and I were there at North Shore and Lake Shore when we accidentally bumped into the runner, not physically, but we met at the same intersection.

At the same time as the run, one of our couples from the Toronto community was giving birth to their first child at the Joseph Brant Hospital.  It was at this hospital that I was admitted after a serious foot infection, a result from getting punctured by a dead catfish on a beach in Guyana.  I was on my Guyanese cross-nation walk when this occurred.

These are memories of this trail.  It runs right up the sandy beach where you are likely to find the occasional beachcomber.  The air from the lake is invigorating—at least the many geese think so.

Walking in an area like this, with memories and history woven into it, makes it special apart from nature’s blast of invigoration.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Saturday, September 24th, 2016

Saturday, September 24^th, 2016

Markham, Ontario

Burning Food

Jai Sri is a meek and simple kind of guy.  He’s a monk residing in our ashram in Toronto.  It was his birthday today.

“What’s your age?”  I asked him.

“It’s probably 70,” he said jokingly.

That makes him the seniour-most person living on our premises.  Oh, and then there’s God Himself who outdoes us all in longevity.  In the deity form presiding in our temple, we have Krishna who stands in the three-fold bending form, with the ceremonious flute in hand.

Back to Jai Sri.  He became the reason for the ice cream cake served and honoured at the home of Ramananda Ray in Markham.  It’s rare to see the few residing monks all getting time off to gather together.  Pizza was also on the menu.

Oh yes, it was offered to become prasadam.  The Jews have their kosher, the Muslims their halal, the Christians have their communion.  The Krishna-ites have their prasadam, sanctified food.

It was time to walk off the prasadam, to burn calories and karma.

Karuna Sindhu and I took to Danforth Avenue, not only to walk, but also to visit another congregant for more food.  Holy Moses! (Excuse me.) Holy Krishna!  When does the eating end?!

The walking is indeed a justification for dealing with food at times.  Adventure too.  One fellow saw us and took his head-phones out just to tell us, “You guys, there’s a UFO circling the CN Tower.  You’ve got to see it, man.”

May the Source be with you!

Friday, September 23rd, 2016

Friday, September 23^rd, 2016

Kitchener, Ontario

Cremation Within Creation

Rush we did, in our monk van, to Kitchener, for a funeral and cremation.  Brihat was our driver, and on board was Nick, Gordon, Keith and myself.  Gangotri, an 86 year-old, caring kind of devotee, was the deceased person we attempted to revere and respect in the best way possible, in a send-off to a new realm.

To put it in more simple terms, those of us family and friends participated in the last rites for Gangotri’s soul’s journey to a better place.  The event went smoothly. As usual, soft chanting is what truly makes the program—any program—sweet.  It created an atmosphere of comfort, and kept feelings of separation subdued.  The Pillay family was pleased.

As a monk who has a considerably large base of congregations across Canada, participation in events including last rites, weddings, birthdays and samskaras (purificatory rites of passage) is a willing obligation to fulfill.

Bear in mind that there should also be time set aside for some trekking.  Along with the boys, after the cremation and a meal, we ventured off to a trail along the Grand River near Conestoga College.  What a change of terrain this area is, compared to the north, where I was one week ago.  Here, it’s a softer wilderness where apparently native folks, at least the Mohawk, flourished in the 1800’s.  They had the river—which was the source of all their needs—food, travel, water, etc.  The Creator looked kindly upon them.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Thursday, September 22nd, 2016

Thursday, September 22^nd, 2016

Castleton, Ontario

Real Men

It is my final day with the crew of men working at the farm.  Before we pulled in the last of what we could—tomatoes, Long Island Cheese Squash, beans and basil—yanking out dead bushes and branches, we had a good walk through pretty Campbellford.  There was the Trent Canal, the river portion with gorge and plentiful cedars along the path.  Our promenade also included going over a suspension bridge and through the downtown itself.

As the five of us walked, we chanted on our beads.  We were at first rather chatty, but in the last hour we all got serious.  What a great gang!  I’m so fortunate to have their company.  Each one of them has been very real.  Even as they wait for the breakfast porridge to be set by the table, one by one they take one of the nine month old twin girls, Fil and Sukayanti’s daughters, on their lap, to comfort and play with them.

To me, these guys were being real men, having wholesome topical exchanges, working hard in the out-of-doors, enjoying meals, and discussing Krishna Consciousness.  I feel we are living the Bhagavatam; living what the ancient texts talk about.

Another farm was visited by us.  Jai Chaitanya and Rasa, along with their four kids, secured a farm of sixty acres in Castleton two years ago.  After the work at Fil’s farm, and a scrumptious meal at Jai’s, the boys agreed to two hours of moving and piling bales of hay.

The reward was going wild on the concord grapes from vines that have been there for generations.  Secondly, there was the relishing of a final swim at Little Lake to get clean and relieve the prickly sensation from the hay.  No one complained about the day.

They were real men.

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Wednesday, September 21st, 2016

Wednesday, September 21^st, 2016

Picton, Ontario

Good-bye Gangotri

Summer has come to a close, officially and also in the reality sense.  Temperatures are lowering more to the teen category (in Celsius) actually leaving a favourable climate for trekking.

Gordon and I left The Doors Guesthouse for the Trans Canada Trail, now, as we understand it, known as The Great Trail, of which we tackled four kilometres before we made a turn for the highway.

At this location, an osprey nest is situated atop a twenty-five foot (or so) post and platform, a second one we have noticed on this jaunt.

I received a call informing me that two hours before, at 4 a.m., our dear Gangotri passed away.  Born in South Africa, and now a resident of Canada (in truth we are not sure) she led a very pious life.  Gentle, peaceful, full of shanti, she is leaving behind a family, also of outstanding qualities.

We are confident that her departure is merely an entry into a larger family and a home well lit.

Param dharma is the term used in the text Bhagavad-gita, to describe the immortal world where personal cravings are done with.  Desire of an excessive nature is what apparently brings us here into the world of duality.  When our interests are redirected to the divine source, and excessiveness or selfishness is dropped, then we gain a once-and-for-all stable situation.

Our group of morning walkers and farm enthusiasts took that trip to Picton, an hour away, to visit and morally back-up new farmers from the city.  They are Dhyana Chandra and Graham, identical twins.  We scouted their fifty acres, received a tour of their house and a gracious tray of prasadam, blessed food.

May the Source be with you!

8 km

Tuesday, September 20th, 2016

Tuesday, September 20^th, 2016

Hastings, Ontario

At the Civic Centre

Hastings has a civic centre which is located on the top of a hill at Albert and Hwy 45.  Being situated on the lower level of the library makes it a central place people know about.  This became the venue for our presentation, “Tales from Trails.”  With this presentation, I basically took the attendees—over fifty in number—for a walk across the country, mentally.

Attendees were attentive.  What a marvelous group of mature people they were.  Should I expect anything else?  We are looking at thoughtful, mindful folks.

Skye was the real hero for the event, in my opinion.  She secured the venue, called friends to come, did additional promotion and was the brains behind the set up.  She’s a networker, practical and conscientious.

Fil came with his produce, for sale and for talking about.  “Beyond Organic” is his slogan.  He met people also in his field, among them organic farmers, bakers, and professionals. Down to earth people indeed.

Tony, from the Norwood Holistic Centre, arrived and began the kirtan, which engaged people in singing and clapping.

Kirtan (the person) brought her home-made wraps as refreshments, enjoyed by all.

The line of credits to a successful program goes on.  Perhaps the most curious of questions that arose was, “What type of shoes do you use for the long-haul walking?”

Answer, kyboots, Swiss technology and Italian-made.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Monday, September 19th, 2016

Monday, September 19^th, 2016

Hastings, Ontario

Beans and Things

Brhat and Nick took to tomato harvest.  Keith and Gordon went at rewinding the water-line and hose system, and I got at the bean gathering.  As I was about to start picking, Gordon told a joke.

“You know why you can never keep a secret on the farm?”

“No, I don’t know.”

“Because the corn has ears, the potatoes have eyes and the beanstalk.”

“Very funny, Gordon.  On that note, I’ll start gathering the beans.”

There is a fervent push now to get crops in.  Everything is a race against time, before the first frost hits.

In regard to frost, I encouraged Gordon to try the wild grapes as we were trekking the Trans Canada Trail before gardening.  He took a clump and put them in his mouth.  Generally after the first frost, the grapes are sweet, but even at this stage, before the light freeze, those grapes were nice—tart but nice.

After the laborious morning of farm-related tasks, lunch was to aspire for.  Succulent it was.  Then, most deserving, came the swim.  I remember a limestone quarry in the area with pristine water.  Our crew’s eyes widened, at the discovery, and soon their bodies wettened.

While outdoor farm-life goes on, there is a constant contemplation over people I know.  Gangotri is a devotee who is in her old age, dying.  Another friend, Yamala, has a dad who was in a serious auto accident.  Prayers and thoughts are being sent.

May the Source be with you!

7 km

Sunday, September 18th, 2016

Sunday, September 18^th, 2016

Hastings, Ontario

Gordon hails from Red Lake, Ontario where eagles galore, are there, out to soar.  He stays in a tiny cabin in the wilderness near Wawa.  He’s a real drifter, but does his drifting via bicycle.  He caught onto the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), but lost it somewhere along the way.  This does indeed happen.  My last trip across Canada took me through Oxford, Nova Scotia on the TCT.  Suddenly, it just came to an end.  I looked for confirmation on this and indeed locals told me the same.  So where do you pick up this trail then, which is supposed to go from coast to coast?

No answer!

So, I’m lost.  And that’s the reality of the TCT.  It lacks good signage.  Next year, it will be called The Great Trail, I’m told.  Many sections of trails will be linked to form and finalize it, in preparation for Canada’s 150^th birthday.

Let’s see what The Walking Monk makes of it.  I still have the youthful passion to explore.  I want to know what hidden secrets lie along this and other paths.  Each new route brings an essential treasure, which is Krishna in nature’s form.

Some people are enthralled by what new arrivals are on display and up on sale at the shopping mall.  For me, the adventure lies in the trail, the forest and the field.  There is no match or comparison in this regard.

May the Source be with you!

12 km

Saturday, September 17th, 2016

Saturday, September 17^th, 2016

Hastings, Ontario

Chill at the Farm

Back I am into farmland and the countryside, and with two extra men—Gordon and Keith.  That makes five of us—Brihat, Nick, Gordon, Keith and myself.  We are here for a final week to assist in harvest, barn clean-up, yard clean-up, canning goods and whatever else necessity dictates.  We leave the dictating to the Supreme, while we, His servants, are the instruments.

Fil and Sukayanti are the proprietors of Govardhan Farms, on Friendly Acres Road, where we converged with a host of other folks, mostly from the city, for an Open House.  “Open Barn” would be the more appropriate nomenclature.  All attendees were made aware of operations on the farm—this included Suzanne Atkinson, journalist for the weekly publication “Ontario Farmer.”  She found it unique to learn Fil and Sukayanti’s approach to agriculture, which includes a sanctuary for cows, bulls (and cats I imagine), in addition to cultivating good quality, organic food, or what Fil refers to as “Beyond Organic.”  Generally, Suzanne reports on cash crops/cattle raising dynamics.  This is different for her.

The visit to Govardhan Farms is always full of educational and physical workout opportunities, time to bond with people, animals, and the earth.  Chilling-out is also a component.  Young Nimai is 3.  He loves the barn and the hay.  Lemonade with mint and cookies—home-made—gave it that down-home feel.  Just after lunch, we had a look at YouTube on New Walkers Popadums.

May the Source be with you!

4 km