Tuesday, November 1st, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

  

Sweetness at Bloor

  

There could not be better weather for walking at 59° Fahrenheit (my phone indicates).  Bloor Street is my walkabout route—vibrant with people.  Enlightened?  Who am I to judge?  Pedestrians are moving.  Many of them are students, but in general it’s a mix of ages, genders, vocations and ethnicities.  All spirits, though.

The fact they are in motion indicates existence of a life-force; a power-house of unending energy moving from one body to another.

Are they happy people?  I see mostly grave faces.  I hanker for more smiles.  I better implement that myself.  Yes, it works.  And, adding a slight nod supports it.

I did maximize an exchange with two Tibetan Buddhists who were two out of the many pedestrians.  For the most part, Buddhism is a branch or off-shoot of the Vedic/Hindu lifestyle which tends to be benign.

From afar, we sent the smile, and we approached each other, followed by a pranam (palms together).  Then with limited language exchange (they knew so little English and I know no Tibetan parlance) we spoke, but it was “How are you?”  “Do you live here?”  “Yes!”  “And you?”  “Good day!”  “Very nice to meet you!”

And I said, “God bless!  Hare Krishna!”

“Oh!  Krishna, yes!”

That’s all.  No need to challenge or use any form of jarring each other.  Just sweetness prevailed.

My condolences to friends and family of Garga Muni of Miami.  He was a student of mine and an astrologer saint.

Condolences also to the Geldas who lost their dear sister also today.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Monday, October 31st, 2016

Burlington, Ontario

Tests and Testing

  

While in India recently, a number of us monks went for blood tests—a medical check-up compliments of the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai.  I don’t know about the results of the other ten or so renunciates—that is private and personal—but, my diagnostics via the Mumbai testing, as well as the additional testing done today in Burlington—which confirms the same—reads that my blood count is good.

“That is attributed to your activeness—your walking,” said Dr. Kishore Singh.  My mechanics are not perfect, however.  I’m not Bhagavan (God).  There needs to be regulations on diet to address triglyceride levels.  More fibre food and fewer carbs will help.  And most likely, there’s a need to cut down on quantities.

Check-ups for maturing people are essential if endurance is to mean anything.  At 64, as in my case, you try to avoid gambling in the food department.  You have to know your limits and continue to work on adjustments as the years pass by.

Prescriptions, or sense control like this, are very conducive for everyone and especially for those of the renounced order.

So today, or rather tonight, at the colourful Govardhan-puja festival, which has much to do with chanting, discussion, displays, good cheer, fun and finally food, I was tested.  You have all this rich edible material called a feast, where eyes enlarge at the mere sight of the preps, but stomach only stretches so far.  Well, I stuck to a veg prep and went for fruit, not of a highly acidic content.

I believe I championed the situation, by the grace of Krishna.  I then went for a walk.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Sunday, October 30th, 2016

Toronto, Ontario

Before the Event 

In preparation for the Diwali New Year program, I put on my Kyboot shoes and headed for the ravine.  I took three people with me—Ananda Vrindavana from Argentina, Santosh from Surinam and another Vrindavan from Toronto.

How is a mere walk a form of preparation?  Well, I’ll be dealing with the crowd that comes.

#1.  The walking (in the ravine) allows a needed down-time.  #2.  I need that breath of fresh air before the building fills up with stuffiness.  #3.  The walking improves my lung power as I’ll be giving the talk, leading a song and narrating a soliloquy in a play, “Maricha’s Deliberation.”  #4.  The walk opens up channels of communication as there are other walkers to connect with.

On this last point, the four of us were in the ravine on the trail and we were dressed in devotional attire.  Two women were coming our way and so to break the ice, I greeted them with a remark, “No, we’re not on Halloween!”  So that encouraged a chuckle from them.

The other means of communication was to mention to other walkers how adorable their dogs are.  Where attention goes, energy flows.  Honourable mention of someone’s pet starts good relations.

The four of us completed our hour-long venture.  I, and they, were now ready to take on the crowd for Diwali.  Hundreds came; many of them first-timers.  It was a lively fest.  Happy souls were floating about in the spirit of devotional practice.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Saturday, October 29th, 2016

Brampton, Ontario

A Meaningful Meet

  

Rahul and Gunjan, along with their two daughters, are a new family who are getting more serious about higher consciousness.  They have made  a positive commitment to chant the maha-mantra with the aid of their meditation beads, negate food consumption of non-veg, and embrace the good company of bhakti-yoga practitioners.  They’ve made these transitions all for self-improvement.

“They, along with our group, do go out and have a game of baseball,” said their mentor, Rajasuya.

I don’t see that as a problem, I thought.  Outdoor pastimes like that are very complementary to devotional activities.

Rahul and Gunjan had invited friends, along with myself and young monk, Santosh, to their home for the real indoor dynamic—a prasadam meal.

“For a change from Indian fare, there is Italian extravaganza.” Raja had indicated.  I believe he suggested the menu.  When bellies bulged, we went for living-room kirtan chanting—in which Hiten indulged, lovingly, on the mrdunga drum—followed by a distribution to the families, of the latest issue of the “Padayatra” newsletter, a glossy periodical which highlights world-wide activities on the philosophy of foot travel with a spiritual intent.

A picture of myself, walking though Pennsylvania landscape, made it to the front cover with the caption, “The legs were made for walking and the mouth for speaking about the Absolute.  What a perfect combination.” Quote from The Walking Monk.  I also read some excerpts from the publication.

Upon returning from the Brampton house event, I took to one of Toronto’s ravines for trekking, in order to not be a hypocrite and also to address belly bulge.  It was just me and the squirrels.  They were their usual squirrelly selves, rustling through the fall leaves and tarzaning the trees.

I stuck to my trail.

May the Source be with you!

5 km