Tuesday, December 4th, 2018

Havana, Cuba

Through the Arts

Our apartment is relatively close to the ocean and to the Malecon.  From the ocean's edge, the sky is clear, revealing a very clean sliver for the moon. The pole star is above. Interesting!  Yesterday's sky showed the star to be below the moon. Indeed there is much to see above us.

Just ninety miles north of us is Key West, Florida, but we can't see that.  Our senses are imperfect, so limited.  We can only perceive to the best of our ability.  This inability to perceive well is so evident while walking the streets of Havana.  Sidewalks are quite broken up.  You must watch every step.

Jiva Goswami Das from Miami popped in today. He caught the tail-end of our presentation at "Vivarta Teatro."  We had parting words for those we won't see for a whole year. Jiva and I trekked to our apartment and on the way bumped into tourists, two young couples from Punjab, India.  I asked how they liked Cuba and the one spokesperson simply said, "It's much like India: lots of chaos but a happy chaos."

I met another young tourist from India, from Chennai near the President Hotel, where everyone goes for WiFi connections. Again, this guy confirmed how he liked the country.

After having taught kirtan standards, music lessons, and dance expressions to our friends of Krishna in Cuba, Ananda, Prana and I concluded that through the arts a great potential lives in Cuba for a change in consciousness.

May the Source be with you!

6 km

Monday, December 3rd, 2018

Havana, Cuba

More Good Stuff

Fishermen find this spot along the Malecon sea wall, to make their catch.  They know that the predawn time is perfect for sending the line and hook into the sea.  For Ananda and I, we find it ideal at this hour for walking and putting out our hook, the mantra.  We could not fathom eating fish now.  I left such consumption behind a half a century ago when dropping in to the fish ‘n chips eatery in downtown Chatham, the town where I was born.

At 10:00 a.m.,  we conducted a standard sadhana, a spiritual workout at Chaitanya Priya's home.  At 3:00 p.m., we ventured off to Cobija  Teatro to talk on "The Nature of the Soul," according to the Vedas. Kirtan took up half of our precious time in the Cultural district.  The room was quite plain.  "No money," said the director, a very animated sixty-eight-year-old woman.

I asked our musicians to sit in the centre of the stage, and the balance of us circle danced around.  "This is the way it should be," I thought.  "When synchronized with music, song and choreography, it becomes engaging, attractive and a happy experience."

The place is a hang-out for young artists.  It's the kind of location we would like to be present at.  The energy just thrives here.

On any off-time while in Cuba, I relish moments reading the book Chaitanya Bhagavat.  This becomes fresh material for a new story, a new drama. Of course, it will involve walking and wandering mendicants, some who are real angels and some who are absolute pains in the butt.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Sunday, December 2nd, 2018

Havana, Cuba

They Are Warm

At 5:20 a.m., I trekked to the Maleson, the sea wall at the north shore in Havana.  I headed east.  There, sitting on the sea wall, was Ekanath, a young Cuban I had given diksha, initiation, to about five years ago.

"I can't believe.  I was praying (chanting) to God and my guru shows up."  It was mystical for the two of us.  We made the best of the encounter.  "I couldn't sleep last night." he said. "I decided to come here, by the ocean to chant."

"Fine.  Let's walk."  So we did and then sang the song to honour the guru.  It was time to now prepare for the wedding of George and Elizabeth.  The venue was near the ocean in the midst of shady mango and avocado trees.  Bananas were nearby and the devotee property of 2.6 acres has plentiful cacti to border the lot.

The marriage was wonderful.  Ananda did a masterful job as priest.  I spoke from 8.14 of the Gita.  The place was so wild.  We extended our stay to a good six hours.

The newlyweds found out about Krishna Consciousness through the book fair of last year where Bhaktivedanta Book Trust had publications on display.  One thing led to another and before you know it, we had married them.  They now read and chant daily.  They are moving along nicely in spiritual life.

In general people are great in Cuba.  They are warm.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Saturday, December 1st, 2018

Havana, Cuba

A Day at Lessons

It is yearly that I get to do a presentation at the Episcopal division of the university.  I've gotten to know professors both active and with emeritus status, although their names sometimes escape me.  The department head came by to listen.  He approved. I was asked to speak on the relevance of the Gita.  For most students, it was introductory.  I highlighted two forms of mantra meditation mentioned in the Gita—japa and kirtan.  I asked all to stand and to move with the sound of Ananda's drum and the sound of the mantra.  I can say honestly that the students and teachers were ‘lit’!

The second opportunity for playing the teacher's role was once again, in the tunnel, the "Vivarta Teatro."  In a unified effort, Prana, Ananda and I gave lessons, practically, in harmonium, drum and kartals respectively.  We divided the tunnel space in three and carried on in teaching these essentials.  Followers in Cuba have little access to training so it was very gratifying to see some progress made in this department.

Daily I make it a point to walk, and in the last two days it involved reaching our destinations by way of legs and feet while carrying our instruments.  Walking to an area where supposedly you get wifi proved unsuccessful as far as getting connected and caught up with correspondence. Such is Cuba.  While this may be a downside, optimism comes from the people themselves.  You sit on a park bench and they come to you.  One man, Eduardo Martinas, was trying to understand what I eat.  With sign language—since my Spanish is weak—I described a pineapple.  He finally got it.  We had a good laugh.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Friday, November 30th, 2018

Havana, Cuba

In the Bigger City

A small brigade of us trudged along from Havana's concrete jungle centre to the university district, and then through the areas of embassies and colonial homes owned by millionaires of the past.  There, the three of us took to a rented room by a genuine Madelaine.

We were a curious lot.  Ananda was playing his dafli drum.  We all were chanting and carrying our luggage, in addition to instruments such as a massive box with contents, and the djembe, resembling something like a small refrigerator in its package.

Sidewalks are uneven, in disrepair.  We were better off to just walk the street itself which is somewhat doable in these residential areas.

Today's program was held at the Vivarta Teatro, basically a tunnel under a major thoroughfare.  It's lit up, and fortunately, three fans were plugged in for air circulation.  I began the seminar for kirtan standards which included practical application.  Indeed people were moving to the sound of drum and mantra. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq54LsNAZy7/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=x0vban773sky

This time around many followers of bhakti-yoga came to our location from various parts of Cuba, including Matanzas, Rodas, Santa Clara and Cienfuegos instead of us travelling to those destinations.  We held a meeting and are slowly getting organized for sharing this higher consciousness that our guru, Prabhupada, taught us.

Despite the sometimes rough conditions and lack of efficiency the simplicity of life patterns in Cuba does have its advantages. There is a slower and more loving mode of life.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Thursday, November 29th, 2018

Varadero, Cuba

Back In Cuba

It's a three hour flight from Toronto and then you land in Cuba, Varadero to be exact.  A bus takes you from the airport to Memories Resort where one of the world's ‘Top Ten Beaches’ is to be experienced.  I'm with another monk, Prana Gauranga from Montreal, and an expert drummer, Ananda, now from Toronto.

While on the bus, Ananda picked up his daflidrum and started to strike it in rhythm. It aroused the passengers like anything. Hola Cuba!

We checked into our room and headed for sunshine, sand and ocean.  To get our five kilometres in for the day, the beach provided the almost perfect foot-path.  I say almost perfect because in time, knees or something or other, are going to feel some irregularity.

Prana was working on our Cuban connections, acquaintances who have set up our itinerary during our stay on the island.  Most of our time will be spent in Havana, conducting classes and workshops on the science of bhakti or devotion.

Before resting for the night, the three of us moved about in the lobby making friends.  With not an ounce of shyness, Ananda proceeded to play on his massive djembe by seating himself next to the pianist who was on her numbers of "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head," and Lennon's "Imagine."  Well imagine that—blending in your African drum with a piano rendering.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Wednesday, November 28th, 2018

Toronto, Ontario

East On Danforth

There was good prana in the air, that is it was ‘very alive’ as I breezed through with a confident step.  The particular area where you catch a nice wind, or rather it catches you, is on the Danforth Bridge over the Don Valley.  There, you are way on top, above a river, train tracks, a foot-path, many shrubs and scattered trees as well as a massive lake beyond it—Lake Ontario.

Once I arrived at Danforth Avenue, it became a pedestrian vibrancy.  With schools around, you have students, teenagers, who are a bit into their own world. As I approached Pape Avenue, a thin middle-aged male came up to me at a juncture while I was waiting for green to light up.

"What order do you belong to?" he asked after seeing an obvious robe.

"Hare Krishna,"I said. "You're familiar?"

"Yes!"

"Our guru arrived in '65 to introduce a much older tradition with roots from India."

"Yes, I've read the Gita by your guru.  It's an amazing dialogue."

I concurred.  "It's so relevant.  We all hit low points, as Arjuna did.  Then Krishna delivers the eloquent pep-talk which can apply to all of us even today."

My new friend, Mario, seemed to be on the same page with me.  He wanted to keep in touch, which is a good sign.  Had I been in civies (civilian clothes) we would not have been able to meet, most likely.

It was a good walk.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Tuesday, November 27th, 2018

Toronto, Ontario

The Topic of Food on the Walk

Dog sitters, walkers and runners were the folks whom Ananda and I met along the way through the ravine.  All of our encounters with them were sweet, though a brief acknowledgement of each other’s presence became our experience.

Ananda and I were also talking about sweet and sour things and what Ayurveda has to say about various foods, exercise and overall good health.  His friend, Keshavanand, claims that drinking lots of water as is prescribed in the west, is not good.  He says you get your fluids from the food you eat.  He also claims sour things are not to be consumed at night.  Basically, you shouldn't eat late at night.  Anywhere from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. is actually time for sleeping.  Of all exercises, walking is the best.  Running is shunned and is not good for the knees.  He doesn’t recommend certain foods such as eggplant as it produces too much heat inside.  In general, food should be cooked.  He says ghee is most favourable, not much, and olive oil is discouraged, while sesame and peanut are preferred.  Of course, GMO'd food is to be avoided and one should go for organic.  Canned food—not good.  Yogurt is to be kept in the fridge or in a clay pot in the evening, while consumption during the day is advantageous.

If you have a sweet tooth, jaggery is recommended, and the processed white sugar is taboo.  There was more that we discussed.  What I have personally discovered over the years is that your body is its own guru and tells you of comfort or discomfort through the stomach.

May the Source be with you!

5 km

Editor’s Note: Always consult with your medical practitioner or advisor when considering dietary or major  lifestyle changes. And do your research. As Bhaktimarga Swami suggests, only yourbody can tell you what is best for you. 

Monday, November 26, 2018

Toronto, Ontario

You’re In

Wet is the way to describe the day.  I didn’t step outside but inside I did.  Lots of service, planning and then rhyming. Here’s what I wrote about the day.

You’re In 

         

Dull time did pass—no break

Something that seemed hard to shake

When out the window there was gloom

A day of utter drizzle doom

Not even a steamy herbal tea cup

Could pull the entire spirit up

For a grey veil did suspend there

Endorsing a world that’s so unfair

Observe the world, it’s most mundane

It can drive one to be insane

If and only if you allow it to

Push one to the shades of blue

You may look at life as so much grief

Or may look at life—what relief!

It’s all in how you come to view

Let others needs pull on you

There is service that’s so much at hand

Then the world’s not puny, only grand

Simply conjure up the joy within.

Explore, evoke, then you’re in.

                      ©Bhaktimarga Swami

May the Source be with you!

3 km

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Brampton/Toronto

Sending a Message for Giving

Once again, an audience of a devotional kind was grateful for a bhakti drama.  In a less formal way of speaking, “Many Moms Many Dads” came off as a crowd pleaser and I’m indebted to those who volunteered as actors and technical personnel for the presentation in Brampton.

In Toronto, I gave a class from the Gita highlighting the importance of sharing or giving this wisdom to those who are not so acquainted with it.  

Sanjay was the secretary of a blind king, but he had the vision to see the benefits of disseminating this knowledge. Quoting Sanjay, who was in ecstasy personally at receiving the wisdom, he said, “So wonderful is that message that my hair is standing on end.”

For the month of December, devout followers of Krishna bhakti will engage in a book distribution marathon because it is a benevolent thing to do.  December is also the month when the Gitawas spoken, so it’s a nice way to celebrate.

After my deliveries in both dramatized and orator fashion, I set myself up for a walk where I could really appreciate the textures and intense colours of the season. Some people make the most of it, décor-wise.  At least my eyes were getting a kick out of what I was seeing and feeling in the nighttime stroll, although it wasn’t so extreme as to get my hair “standing on end.”

Yorkville, where I strode for an hour or more, is an ideal place for this kind of sensory satisfaction.  I came back to the ashram and had a great sleep by divine mercy.

May the Source be with you!

5km

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Brampton, Ontario

Not Bull-dozed

I crossed a parking lot in a Brampton plaza to get to Billy’s car.  I mentioned to passenger Kamala and Premaroni that I wasn’t so proud of not reaching my usual quota of the day.  What can be done?  Sometimes it works out that way.  I was busy with another one of those dramas.  Once again, and for the last time this year, we will stage “Many Mothers Many Fathers.”  

These dramas are morale boosters.  They are a way of bull-dozing maya (illusion).  Groucho Marx one time defined a bull-dozer as “a tranquilizer for a bull.” Ha ha!

Maya, indeed, must be tackled, otherwise the illusions and temptations of the world will tackle you.  

I was lucky to get some help from the local Brampton community pulling things together for the drama.  Since returning from Argentina, I had been trying to conscript assistance for acting and technical back-up.  I needed some extras as queens and jesters.  All were rather silent in response to my appeals.  I began losing hope.  Then the flood of phone calls came in at the eleventh hour; truly at around 11:00 o’clock.  It was quite mystical, actually.  So practice went on!  The extras and prime actors were happy.

When I returned back to the ashram, I pulled out some old photos of dramas past.  One picture is of myself as the personification of Dharma, the righteous, as represented by the bull.  The bull was not tranquilized.

May the Source be with you!

0km

Friday, November 23, 2018

Toronto, Ontario

A Parcel Arrived

A parcel arrived from Montreal, a bunch of newspaper articles from the U.S.  My dear friend, Gokulananda Prabhu, forwarded them from one of my support monks who accompanied me last year.  I slid the first article out of the parcel, one from the Grand Island Independent. Did it bring back memories!

Only a year and a half ago, in the state of Nebraska, on a cold Monday, I had walked with strain on this overpass.  The wind was fierce up there.  It was outside the city of Grand Island, the birth place of actor Henry Fonda, if I’m not mistaken.  The journalist from The Independent honked, waved and indicated he’d see me at the end of the overpass, in a place for safe parking on the road’s shoulder.

The interview went great.  I changed my mind about the town.  There was a mix of good and bad vibes to it.  Hayagriva and Marshall, my support monks, remember it well for being a stinky place.  In the centre of town is perhaps one of the largest slaughterhouses in the country. The smell of death-blood can occupy your nostrils for twenty miles in any direction.  It depends on the way the wind blows, I guess.

The time I reached the town, employees were just changing work-shifts; employees from all over the world, and of all different races: blacks, whites, Mexicans etc.  I recall female drivers pulling up to pick up their husbands who had just come out of the facility, a tall grey, massive fortress-type of structure.  I also recall meeting a cyclist, a wanderer type headed for Pennsylvania.  

I ended the walk on that cold, grey day, at a cemetery.  Though there was darkness in a pervasive way, the news article from Grand Falls was generous, informative.  It was kind to a Krishna monk.

May the Source be with you!

5 km