It just so happened
Toronto, Ontario
Apurva is set on the harvest of lambsquarters now each day that we trek along in the morning. It was not the deliberate reason for going out, but if by chance we stumble upon the plant then he gets excited.
Later this afternoon three of our young men from the youth van tour got enthusiastic to conduct a chanting party in the posh Yorkville and University area. I guess they were trying to harvest souls. (Remember Jesus' statement about becoming fishers of men?)
It just so happened that when the party of chanters reached St George Street there was a filming of the TV episode "Warehouse 13" going on. One of the crew members, perhaps the director, came forward and began to express disapproval of the sound. Then a tall security fellow came and was about to begin talking to the party to stop.
To the rescue came Rick Hobson (also known as Rsi, student of Prabhupada) who happened to be there, hearing the chanting and the agitated crew. Rsi and wife, Karen, live in an apartment on St George Street. It's their neighbourhood. Rsi came up to the crew including the security and stood there explaining that the chanting party had a right to be there and walk there like anyone else. This heightened the agitation somewhat.
The three boys ambled along playing their music and singing as they were allowed to move with the supervision of Rsi happily being there.
A final note: Please forgive, TV crew, the temporary noise made. To quote Mahatma Gandhi, "forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
10 KM
B L O G S P O T
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Monday, July 29th, 2013
Some Kilometres
Montreal, Quebec
I managed to cover some kilometres on the streets in Montreal's east end. I love Montreal. It's just that the east-end is what it is, for instance at some of the street corners a woman will stand there with tight clothes on, or with clothes almost on, and when you walk by, as Ivan and I did, they tend to give you a strange look. It's a look of disapproval. They just can't relate to the devotional attire, it seems.
Our temple is located in this part of town and that's what lands me in this neighbourhood when it comes to walking. St. Catherine's Street has recently received a face-lift, yet the character of the people stays the same. It is an interesting phenomena to find this Crumpy Joe syndrome in all major cities I trek through.
The weather can be great. The sun can be shining and at the same time somethings eating away inside humans. The sun doesn't shine inside. It appears that the mind can become so agitated with hankerings and lamentations that no peace can wedge its way in.
What are we to think and feel for others?
One time a personal assistant to our guru, Srila Prabhupada made a remark, "Sometimes I feel bad for others."
His response was, "Only sometimes?"
Regarding the disturbed mind, here's an informative passage from the book Bhagavatam, 'The brahmana said, "These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life. Failing to conquer this irrepressible enemy, the mind, whose urges are intolerable and who torments the heart, many people are completely bewildered and create useless quarrel with others. Thus they conclude that other people are either their friends, their enemies or parties indifferent to them."' (Bhag 11.23.48)
10 KM
Montreal, Quebec
I managed to cover some kilometres on the streets in Montreal's east end. I love Montreal. It's just that the east-end is what it is, for instance at some of the street corners a woman will stand there with tight clothes on, or with clothes almost on, and when you walk by, as Ivan and I did, they tend to give you a strange look. It's a look of disapproval. They just can't relate to the devotional attire, it seems.
Our temple is located in this part of town and that's what lands me in this neighbourhood when it comes to walking. St. Catherine's Street has recently received a face-lift, yet the character of the people stays the same. It is an interesting phenomena to find this Crumpy Joe syndrome in all major cities I trek through.
The weather can be great. The sun can be shining and at the same time somethings eating away inside humans. The sun doesn't shine inside. It appears that the mind can become so agitated with hankerings and lamentations that no peace can wedge its way in.
What are we to think and feel for others?
One time a personal assistant to our guru, Srila Prabhupada made a remark, "Sometimes I feel bad for others."
His response was, "Only sometimes?"
Regarding the disturbed mind, here's an informative passage from the book Bhagavatam, 'The brahmana said, "These people are not the cause of my happiness and distress. Neither are the demigods, my own body, the planets, my past work, or time. Rather, it is the mind alone that causes happiness and distress and perpetuates the rotation of material life. Failing to conquer this irrepressible enemy, the mind, whose urges are intolerable and who torments the heart, many people are completely bewildered and create useless quarrel with others. Thus they conclude that other people are either their friends, their enemies or parties indifferent to them."' (Bhag 11.23.48)
10 KM
Monday, 29 July 2013
Sunday, July 28th, 2013
The Look At The Week
Ottawa/Montreal
We received our first serious rain this week, but the downpour didn’t really come until our last member of the group completed the course on the zip lining activity at Gatineau Park in Quebec. This activity was also scheduled as our last outdoor event before putting a cap on our trip.
We popped into the Ottawa ISKCON Centre for a meal and then kirtan before the 2 hour drive to Montreal, this was our destination to present our youth fest. I asked Philippe to orchestrate a rehearsal, a drum demo and then a kirtan while I gave a talk to the congregation on the simplicity of bhakti, devotion. I was so proud of the group’s presentation, it almost brought me to tears.
Here are some of the evaluations by the participants of KCAT (Krishna Canadian Adventure Tour) after completing a week of travel and devotion:
Emily (20):
“Living together in a van is a way to get to know somebody quickly.”
Attreya (13):
“I love the zip line place, also all the kirtan we had.”
Radhika (14):
“I learned how to be more patient.”
Philippe (22):
“Relished the association and every single fun-filled day.”
Ganga (14):
“We learned so much, like for example how to be together as a group. I really want to do it again.”
Aravinda (15):
“This tour was personal, thank you Kapil, thank you Maharaja.”
Devala (19):
“It kept my mind engaged. I think it would be nice to contribute in some way to the management of the tour.”
Hiten (12):
“After having this awesome time, it will not be my last one.”
Rsab (18):
“This trip helped me increase my japa (chanting on meditation beads) and gave me an exciting week of doing outdoor activities which I greatly enjoyed.”
Kapil (27, driver and organizer):
“Being in a smaller van it was easier to pack and drive. I noticed that everyone enjoyed all the activities and were able to bond amongst each other.”
10 KM
Ottawa/Montreal
We received our first serious rain this week, but the downpour didn’t really come until our last member of the group completed the course on the zip lining activity at Gatineau Park in Quebec. This activity was also scheduled as our last outdoor event before putting a cap on our trip.
We popped into the Ottawa ISKCON Centre for a meal and then kirtan before the 2 hour drive to Montreal, this was our destination to present our youth fest. I asked Philippe to orchestrate a rehearsal, a drum demo and then a kirtan while I gave a talk to the congregation on the simplicity of bhakti, devotion. I was so proud of the group’s presentation, it almost brought me to tears.
Here are some of the evaluations by the participants of KCAT (Krishna Canadian Adventure Tour) after completing a week of travel and devotion:
Emily (20):
“Living together in a van is a way to get to know somebody quickly.”
Attreya (13):
“I love the zip line place, also all the kirtan we had.”
Radhika (14):
“I learned how to be more patient.”
Philippe (22):
“Relished the association and every single fun-filled day.”
Ganga (14):
“We learned so much, like for example how to be together as a group. I really want to do it again.”
Aravinda (15):
“This tour was personal, thank you Kapil, thank you Maharaja.”
Devala (19):
“It kept my mind engaged. I think it would be nice to contribute in some way to the management of the tour.”
Hiten (12):
“After having this awesome time, it will not be my last one.”
Rsab (18):
“This trip helped me increase my japa (chanting on meditation beads) and gave me an exciting week of doing outdoor activities which I greatly enjoyed.”
Kapil (27, driver and organizer):
“Being in a smaller van it was easier to pack and drive. I noticed that everyone enjoyed all the activities and were able to bond amongst each other.”
10 KM
Saturday, July 27th, 2013
Kale Conquers
Colborne, Ontario
Kale – a miracle food full of nutrients and enzymes, took second position after Krishna today. Our KCAT group had the pleasure of visiting Adrian Quinn and family in Colborne. He is an entrepreneur who has capitalized on this green vegetable as a marketable and spiritualized edible. He built up a factory and went real organic on this hearty veg. He grows it right there on his land, harvests it, and takes the product to the dehydrator after dipping it in a sauce of cashew and sunflower seeds, then consecrates it and finally packages it before it hits the shelves in the health food stores. He now has a growing number of employees from the local area to see that all is executed. He also loves talking about this family business and how the endeavour is a step towards making the world a better place one kale chip at a time.
I felt that this stop on our trip would provide an educational dimension to our group’s collective experience. Adrian, also known as Arjuna, took a risk at this new venture, and the dream flowered into reality. Like any project, in order for success to play into it, there must be a dream and then there must be a team. Adrian is a firm believer in God’s mercy. For him, that is the final factor and also the original factor in achieving a result of substance.
Thank you, Adrian, for taking us to the field and showing us your crop of wonder – Kale
4 KM
Colborne, Ontario
Kale – a miracle food full of nutrients and enzymes, took second position after Krishna today. Our KCAT group had the pleasure of visiting Adrian Quinn and family in Colborne. He is an entrepreneur who has capitalized on this green vegetable as a marketable and spiritualized edible. He built up a factory and went real organic on this hearty veg. He grows it right there on his land, harvests it, and takes the product to the dehydrator after dipping it in a sauce of cashew and sunflower seeds, then consecrates it and finally packages it before it hits the shelves in the health food stores. He now has a growing number of employees from the local area to see that all is executed. He also loves talking about this family business and how the endeavour is a step towards making the world a better place one kale chip at a time.
I felt that this stop on our trip would provide an educational dimension to our group’s collective experience. Adrian, also known as Arjuna, took a risk at this new venture, and the dream flowered into reality. Like any project, in order for success to play into it, there must be a dream and then there must be a team. Adrian is a firm believer in God’s mercy. For him, that is the final factor and also the original factor in achieving a result of substance.
Thank you, Adrian, for taking us to the field and showing us your crop of wonder – Kale
4 KM
Sunday, 28 July 2013
Friday, July 26th, 2013
Shaping, Achieving
Wiarton, Ontario
It has been quite some time since seeing Cypress Lake and the Grotto along the east coast line of the Bruce Peninsula. These are natural treasures to hike to and indulge in. They have become popular places for the folks from the city. The word is out that the coast line at the Bruce Trail is a true getaway.
We have come up with a name for our youth van tour and it is called KCAT, an acronym for the Krishna Canadian Adventure Tour. While the younger members like the shallow lake of Cypress with its warm water, and where they really can’t get enough of it, the entire group did however take full advantage of the deeper pristine invigorating waters at the Grotto. For me, the dip is like a reincarnation to a higher species. Still, I got a charge out of seeing species in the hundreds tackle the rugged terrain of jagged to smooth rounded rocks while circumventing the ancient cedars. I admit my browse at the Gita was intercepted by the cautious trekkers who got to take a break from boring city sidewalks.
Philippe was showing chords on his acoustic guitar as Priyam was listening and following on hi harmonium. As foot passersby were charmed by the music and adjoining lessons, they also got to hear the soft melodic maha mantra emanating from Philippe’s lips.
On one rock shelf someone accidentally had left their camera behind. It was interesting to view people’s curiosity at the sight of the lost item, and yet, draw no notion towards “finders keepers, losers weepers”. They walked right by knowing it belongs to someone. Our KCAT group members have become comfortably like a family. The sharing spirit contagiously is taking on a great shape. Even last evening our coordinators for the day, the Hannah family, staged a mantra rock concert. At that time, Philippe graciously slipped in with his mic’ed harmonium. Devala and Aravind also put their instruments, mrdanga drums to the live sound of the band Rajasi, and the fusion was phenomenal.
We are achieving what we set out to do, building up friendship and confidence amongst the youth in a Krishna Conscious environment. To spur on this spirit the group spontaneously executed their own creative rock sculptures of deities and balanced configurations. Creative it was.
14 KM
Wiarton, Ontario
It has been quite some time since seeing Cypress Lake and the Grotto along the east coast line of the Bruce Peninsula. These are natural treasures to hike to and indulge in. They have become popular places for the folks from the city. The word is out that the coast line at the Bruce Trail is a true getaway.
We have come up with a name for our youth van tour and it is called KCAT, an acronym for the Krishna Canadian Adventure Tour. While the younger members like the shallow lake of Cypress with its warm water, and where they really can’t get enough of it, the entire group did however take full advantage of the deeper pristine invigorating waters at the Grotto. For me, the dip is like a reincarnation to a higher species. Still, I got a charge out of seeing species in the hundreds tackle the rugged terrain of jagged to smooth rounded rocks while circumventing the ancient cedars. I admit my browse at the Gita was intercepted by the cautious trekkers who got to take a break from boring city sidewalks.
Philippe was showing chords on his acoustic guitar as Priyam was listening and following on hi harmonium. As foot passersby were charmed by the music and adjoining lessons, they also got to hear the soft melodic maha mantra emanating from Philippe’s lips.
On one rock shelf someone accidentally had left their camera behind. It was interesting to view people’s curiosity at the sight of the lost item, and yet, draw no notion towards “finders keepers, losers weepers”. They walked right by knowing it belongs to someone. Our KCAT group members have become comfortably like a family. The sharing spirit contagiously is taking on a great shape. Even last evening our coordinators for the day, the Hannah family, staged a mantra rock concert. At that time, Philippe graciously slipped in with his mic’ed harmonium. Devala and Aravind also put their instruments, mrdanga drums to the live sound of the band Rajasi, and the fusion was phenomenal.
We are achieving what we set out to do, building up friendship and confidence amongst the youth in a Krishna Conscious environment. To spur on this spirit the group spontaneously executed their own creative rock sculptures of deities and balanced configurations. Creative it was.
14 KM
Thursday, July 25th, 2013
No Cars?
Sauble Beach, Ontario
One of our prized monks in Canada, Karuna Sindhu, spends half his year in India, and half in the land of maple trees. He was kind enough to send me an article which he thought would give with my way of thinking.
Meet the one city in America where cars have been banned since 1898
By: Stephen Messenger thetreehugger.com on July 18, 2013, 3:26 p.m.
Mackinac Island, where cars have been banned since 1898.
When early automobiles first arrived on the scene in the late 19th century,
few people could have imagined that they would one day take over the world. In fact, some towns found the noise and exhaust from these novelty
'horseless carriages' so off-putting that early cars were actually outlawed
in some places.
In time, of course, restrictions were lifted and the car soon became
ubiquitous across the country -- but there is still one place in the United
States that has yet to change its mind. Meet Mackinac Island, where cars
have been banned since 1898.
Located just offshore of mainland Michigan, in Lake Huron, Mackinac
Island and its namesake city have long been a favorite spot for a relaxing
getaway. So, when automobiles first began to arrive, loudly sputtering along
the island's once-quiet roadways, startling horses and spitting out smoke, it quickly became apparent to locals that this new invention was not for them.
One resident at the time was quoted as calling cars "mechanical monsters" --
clearly not a glowing review.
Wikipedia/CC BY 2.0
Naturally, in 1898, the Mackinac village council moved to outlaw the
automobile before the monsters had a chance to take over:
Resolved: That the running of horseless carriages be prohibited within the limits of the village of Mackinac." — Mackinac Island Village Council,
July 6, 1898
Such legislation might seem quaint and old-timey, but in Mackinac, it has
yet to be repealed. So what is life like in a place where one of the most
impactful inventions in history has been outlawed? Well, it's quite nice,
actually.
Although the small island is home to only around 500 people, in the summer, that number swells to 15,000 during tourism season; aside from a couple of emergency vehicles, there's nary a car to be seen. Transportation on Mackinac is limited to walking, horse-drawn carriages, and bicycling -- a pleasant departure from the car-centric society that exists beyond its
borders.
"The air is cleaner and injuries are fewer," writes Jeff Potter, who
published an article about Mackinac. "Island residents are healthier due to
the exercise. There’s a cherished egalitarianism: everyone gets around the same way. They also save a tremendous amount of money that would normally go to commuting by cars."
10 KM
Sauble Beach, Ontario
One of our prized monks in Canada, Karuna Sindhu, spends half his year in India, and half in the land of maple trees. He was kind enough to send me an article which he thought would give with my way of thinking.
Meet the one city in America where cars have been banned since 1898
By: Stephen Messenger thetreehugger.com on July 18, 2013, 3:26 p.m.
Mackinac Island, where cars have been banned since 1898.
When early automobiles first arrived on the scene in the late 19th century,
few people could have imagined that they would one day take over the world. In fact, some towns found the noise and exhaust from these novelty
'horseless carriages' so off-putting that early cars were actually outlawed
in some places.
In time, of course, restrictions were lifted and the car soon became
ubiquitous across the country -- but there is still one place in the United
States that has yet to change its mind. Meet Mackinac Island, where cars
have been banned since 1898.
Located just offshore of mainland Michigan, in Lake Huron, Mackinac
Island and its namesake city have long been a favorite spot for a relaxing
getaway. So, when automobiles first began to arrive, loudly sputtering along
the island's once-quiet roadways, startling horses and spitting out smoke, it quickly became apparent to locals that this new invention was not for them.
One resident at the time was quoted as calling cars "mechanical monsters" --
clearly not a glowing review.
Wikipedia/CC BY 2.0
Naturally, in 1898, the Mackinac village council moved to outlaw the
automobile before the monsters had a chance to take over:
Resolved: That the running of horseless carriages be prohibited within the limits of the village of Mackinac." — Mackinac Island Village Council,
July 6, 1898
Such legislation might seem quaint and old-timey, but in Mackinac, it has
yet to be repealed. So what is life like in a place where one of the most
impactful inventions in history has been outlawed? Well, it's quite nice,
actually.
Although the small island is home to only around 500 people, in the summer, that number swells to 15,000 during tourism season; aside from a couple of emergency vehicles, there's nary a car to be seen. Transportation on Mackinac is limited to walking, horse-drawn carriages, and bicycling -- a pleasant departure from the car-centric society that exists beyond its
borders.
"The air is cleaner and injuries are fewer," writes Jeff Potter, who
published an article about Mackinac. "Island residents are healthier due to
the exercise. There’s a cherished egalitarianism: everyone gets around the same way. They also save a tremendous amount of money that would normally go to commuting by cars."
10 KM
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Wednesday, July 24th, 2013
The Other Side
Guelph, Ontario
Here’s an email message from a friend visiting India and he details his time of testing, a life and death encounter with nature, who can be sometimes harsh.
“June 16th, 2013 at 7 PM we were in our hotel visiting and ready to start a 14km Kedarnath Yatra (pilgrimage) when we head a roaring sound. A broken ice glacier sent a 40 foot length of water gushing down into the Mandakhini River. The force of the water split the dirt/stone mountain, wiping away 50 – 60 houses in one hour. We saw the collapse of a four storey building. All the building in Gauri Kund, started to shake, including our hotel. It became unsafe to stay in the hotel.
We abandoned the hotel around 2:30 AM on June 17th in rain and darkness, heading into the mountain top to a safe place. We were trapped in this cut off area for five nights and six days without food and with limited water. We walked so much in the mountains and the jungle until we reached the Tibet border but could not escape. We saw so many dead bodies all over. It was a really sad and frightening time. And finally my wife, Surinder, was rescued by a military chopper. I was rescued by the army with rope and chain tied to my chest. Army soldiers saved my life. We came back to Canada safely on June 25th.
Laj Prasher”
I read this message to our mini bus youth group just to bring all of us to the reality platform. Some of the youth are catching on to the walking program as we enjoy a trek on the Bruce Trail at Rattlesnake Point. Canoeing on the Speed River in the city of Guelph was also seen as an enjoyable experience. All were having fun, yet I felt compelled to bring a moment of sobriety to the situation. A reminder as to the other side of nature.
13 KM
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013
Viewing/Contemplating
Cambridge, Ontario
Sign reads, “Trespassers will be eaten”. That sounds menacing, if not dangerous, but may the truth be told here at the entrance of the African Lion Safari.
Our group made the morning outing in anticipation to meet just a fraction of what the Vedas conclude as the world’s 8,400,000 species of life. The “safari” is a drive through (with windows closed of course). First you view free roaming animals such as llamas, then lions, then monkeys who tend to take a free ride on your vehicle’s hood. There’s more, elephants take their bath in front of a crowd, that’s something we humans would have no tolerance towards.
We spent the afternoon walking on a stretch of the Bruce Trail, the country’s oldest foot path, and refreshed ourselves at Sherwin Falls. A good physical experience.
Dear to the hearts of everyone is the kirtan sessions that we have before we set out, and what we end up with as we wind down before eyelids shut at night at the home of our hosts Aindra and Prema Gaurangi for some of that chanting and a reading on the life of Krishna. That was really special as we took it to an engaging interactive level.
For me, personally, a deep contemplation on the morning’s lesson lingered inside of me. The fourth canto of the series Bhagavatam spoke about enemies during warfare and how at the end of the day there would be a mutual friendly come together before resuming ultimate combat to the death the next morning. This burying-the-hatchet at nightfall was always an extraordinary concept for me, such is what we also read about in the Kurukshetra war. This program appears somewhat a balanced approach as far as war craft is concerned. It’s interesting, very interesting.
10 KM
Cambridge, Ontario
Sign reads, “Trespassers will be eaten”. That sounds menacing, if not dangerous, but may the truth be told here at the entrance of the African Lion Safari.
Our group made the morning outing in anticipation to meet just a fraction of what the Vedas conclude as the world’s 8,400,000 species of life. The “safari” is a drive through (with windows closed of course). First you view free roaming animals such as llamas, then lions, then monkeys who tend to take a free ride on your vehicle’s hood. There’s more, elephants take their bath in front of a crowd, that’s something we humans would have no tolerance towards.
We spent the afternoon walking on a stretch of the Bruce Trail, the country’s oldest foot path, and refreshed ourselves at Sherwin Falls. A good physical experience.
Dear to the hearts of everyone is the kirtan sessions that we have before we set out, and what we end up with as we wind down before eyelids shut at night at the home of our hosts Aindra and Prema Gaurangi for some of that chanting and a reading on the life of Krishna. That was really special as we took it to an engaging interactive level.
For me, personally, a deep contemplation on the morning’s lesson lingered inside of me. The fourth canto of the series Bhagavatam spoke about enemies during warfare and how at the end of the day there would be a mutual friendly come together before resuming ultimate combat to the death the next morning. This burying-the-hatchet at nightfall was always an extraordinary concept for me, such is what we also read about in the Kurukshetra war. This program appears somewhat a balanced approach as far as war craft is concerned. It’s interesting, very interesting.
10 KM
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Monday, July 22nd, 2013
The Not Yet Named Summer Tour
Hamilton, Ontario
Our short little bhakti road show in the prairies had been completed and we had flown back to Toronto on the previous day. Now, a second tour began, but this time it’s the replacement of the annual youth bus tour that I’ve been on for the last several summers. Kapil, a young bank employee from Alberta came to be chauffer and coordinator to a 12 seater van for a fun tour through Ontario and Quebec. We filled the seats with what I consider to be future leaders for our spiritual mission. I’ll be there for a week as well as Kapil whom we refer to affectionately as Captain Kapil or Cap Kap for short.
My time with Cap Kap and passengers is an investment for the future. Let these young folks have a good experience, fun and discipline mixed together in a spiritual environment. We have two boys from Florida, three girls from Montreal and four boys from Ontario. This is an opportunity for a younger set to get to know a monk more, and me them.
We took to a speed boat along with Korean tourists in the Niagara River through class 5 waves. We took to viewing the falls in full admiration of them. We finally finished with a rich meal at the home of Giri Jadhava, a dear friend who was my captain for travelling on the sankirtan mission in the early 70s. We all cooled down in a swimming pool and he and I reminisced about our days on the road including an amiable encounter with the legendary Vishnujan Swami, a pioneer amongst Krishna monks when we stopped in Baltimore, that was sweet.
Our crew is musical and so we have already begun to take full advantage of their gifted natures by encouraging kirtan, a panacea for the age.
Let there be mantra power that endures throughout the generations.
5 KM
Hamilton, Ontario
Our short little bhakti road show in the prairies had been completed and we had flown back to Toronto on the previous day. Now, a second tour began, but this time it’s the replacement of the annual youth bus tour that I’ve been on for the last several summers. Kapil, a young bank employee from Alberta came to be chauffer and coordinator to a 12 seater van for a fun tour through Ontario and Quebec. We filled the seats with what I consider to be future leaders for our spiritual mission. I’ll be there for a week as well as Kapil whom we refer to affectionately as Captain Kapil or Cap Kap for short.
My time with Cap Kap and passengers is an investment for the future. Let these young folks have a good experience, fun and discipline mixed together in a spiritual environment. We have two boys from Florida, three girls from Montreal and four boys from Ontario. This is an opportunity for a younger set to get to know a monk more, and me them.
We took to a speed boat along with Korean tourists in the Niagara River through class 5 waves. We took to viewing the falls in full admiration of them. We finally finished with a rich meal at the home of Giri Jadhava, a dear friend who was my captain for travelling on the sankirtan mission in the early 70s. We all cooled down in a swimming pool and he and I reminisced about our days on the road including an amiable encounter with the legendary Vishnujan Swami, a pioneer amongst Krishna monks when we stopped in Baltimore, that was sweet.
Our crew is musical and so we have already begun to take full advantage of their gifted natures by encouraging kirtan, a panacea for the age.
Let there be mantra power that endures throughout the generations.
5 KM
Sunday, July 21st, 2013
Light in the Night
Calgary, Alberta
Sleep was not going to be an easy task last evening. It became a blessing in disguise. I pulled myself off the mattress and ambled my way outside at the east end of Calgary when I opened my eyes to a marvelous display of the northern lights – explosions of light energy flashing about against the sky’s backdrop. It’s nature’s exhibitions like this that puts one in awe, and perhaps even reverence towards the Maker or Creator.
I had trekked along on a bike trail that looped when I spotted this wonder by nature. The trail ended up at a retail strip area where I came upon a nightclub which pulsated some rave music. Through a window I could see young folks gyrating to the gutsy thump of the music as the lights flashed with diverse colours meant to heighten the ecstasy of it all.
Little did the dancers know that something much more exciting was happening from above. When I actually passed by the main door of the club, a crowd was ‘hanging out’ on the street level mildly intoxicated. They could also not see the wondrous display from heaven. For them the center of life was encircled around the nightclub. At night time street lights naturally blur or obscure what is in the sky, and that includes the northern lights which I understand is a play of the sun’s rays within an electromagnetic field in the ether.
Hey, the club dancers were really missing something and I guess in a way I felt for them. What seemed to be more important to them is finding themselves within some conjugal relationship. Okay, so be it. Meanwhile, my connection with nature’s light show and its source became more than a beautiful momentary reality, it’s something to be appreciated.
10 KM
Calgary, Alberta
Sleep was not going to be an easy task last evening. It became a blessing in disguise. I pulled myself off the mattress and ambled my way outside at the east end of Calgary when I opened my eyes to a marvelous display of the northern lights – explosions of light energy flashing about against the sky’s backdrop. It’s nature’s exhibitions like this that puts one in awe, and perhaps even reverence towards the Maker or Creator.
I had trekked along on a bike trail that looped when I spotted this wonder by nature. The trail ended up at a retail strip area where I came upon a nightclub which pulsated some rave music. Through a window I could see young folks gyrating to the gutsy thump of the music as the lights flashed with diverse colours meant to heighten the ecstasy of it all.
Little did the dancers know that something much more exciting was happening from above. When I actually passed by the main door of the club, a crowd was ‘hanging out’ on the street level mildly intoxicated. They could also not see the wondrous display from heaven. For them the center of life was encircled around the nightclub. At night time street lights naturally blur or obscure what is in the sky, and that includes the northern lights which I understand is a play of the sun’s rays within an electromagnetic field in the ether.
Hey, the club dancers were really missing something and I guess in a way I felt for them. What seemed to be more important to them is finding themselves within some conjugal relationship. Okay, so be it. Meanwhile, my connection with nature’s light show and its source became more than a beautiful momentary reality, it’s something to be appreciated.
10 KM
Monday, 22 July 2013
Saturday, July 20th, 2013
Last Day On The Blitz
Calgary, Alberta
I went to bed by 10:30 PM the previous night. Before sleeping I offered a prayer to Krishna, “Please wake me up at 2 AM,” and that’s what happened.
I fit in a measly 3 km before we took to highways 7 and then 9 en route to Calgary. Our blitz through the prairies with our road show is on fire. We are moving. By 4 AM, we had, as planned, set the keys in the ignition for an 8 hour drive to Calgary’s Festival of Chariots. We made it just in the nick of time. The route was 8th Ave. This year’s procession was featured with a flat bed arrangement upon which sat our kirtan chanting group. This device worked wonders. It allowed our chanting group to conserve its energy instead of trying to play an instrument, sing and walk all at the same time, trying to keep at a steady clip.
Bhakti yogis love chanting. They’ll do it in a crowd or even when it’s relatively quiet like the downtown of Calgary today which has very little presence of pedestrians, at least on a weekend. All went well.
We put a tail end spin to the evening with more chanting at the house deck of host Radha Madhava. We also took some minutes with a talking stick method (a pink pen) to reveal our minds about the prairie blitz amongst our performers. One person, Philippe, expressed his realization that the culture our guru created is one that whoever we meet, that was devotional, open up their doors so graciously so that we could rest and eat. He mentioned that we were made to feel totally at home.
I think it’s a significant point. For many people their house is their home and it’s not really a home for others unless they invite you. As long as you see yourself as the steward to your place of residence then naturally you’ve captured the hospitality mood.
6 KM
Calgary, Alberta
I went to bed by 10:30 PM the previous night. Before sleeping I offered a prayer to Krishna, “Please wake me up at 2 AM,” and that’s what happened.
I fit in a measly 3 km before we took to highways 7 and then 9 en route to Calgary. Our blitz through the prairies with our road show is on fire. We are moving. By 4 AM, we had, as planned, set the keys in the ignition for an 8 hour drive to Calgary’s Festival of Chariots. We made it just in the nick of time. The route was 8th Ave. This year’s procession was featured with a flat bed arrangement upon which sat our kirtan chanting group. This device worked wonders. It allowed our chanting group to conserve its energy instead of trying to play an instrument, sing and walk all at the same time, trying to keep at a steady clip.
Bhakti yogis love chanting. They’ll do it in a crowd or even when it’s relatively quiet like the downtown of Calgary today which has very little presence of pedestrians, at least on a weekend. All went well.
We put a tail end spin to the evening with more chanting at the house deck of host Radha Madhava. We also took some minutes with a talking stick method (a pink pen) to reveal our minds about the prairie blitz amongst our performers. One person, Philippe, expressed his realization that the culture our guru created is one that whoever we meet, that was devotional, open up their doors so graciously so that we could rest and eat. He mentioned that we were made to feel totally at home.
I think it’s a significant point. For many people their house is their home and it’s not really a home for others unless they invite you. As long as you see yourself as the steward to your place of residence then naturally you’ve captured the hospitality mood.
6 KM
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Friday, July 19th, 2013
On Broadway?
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
I took to walking the scenic route near the university grounds in Regina around Lake Wascana before the ride to Saskatoon to Regina. Quite pleasant.
What is even more pleasant is spending the time with our travelling team, what a great bunch of guys. Here we are, an actual travelling road show, going from city to city doing our gigs. Each member is self driven. The mood is “We are part of a mission. We like that our guru, Srila Prabhupada, is pleased with our efforts.” Time is tight. Distances of travel are lengthy. Each new venue has its own glory and challenges. We do foul up sometimes. A mrdanga drum got lost in the previous place, oops! The person playing Krishna’s role has no pants to wear, they also got left behind. These are minor screw ups, believe it or not, they will be rectified. Upon hitting such surprises we are a group that becomes concerned and then innovates a change and solution. Our technical sound guy at Broadway Theatre is Jack, a lovely fellow, an old hippie with beard and all (that’s Broadway in Saskatoon by the way).
It’s day number 2 with my emcee duty. I’m rather liking it. It was a proud moment for me to introduce Chief of Police for Saskatoon, Clive Weighill, to the stage for a message. That took care of our ksatriya (warrior) guest. Then I called on Father David from the Holy Family Church to represent the local brahmin sector, a loveable person he is.
I hope they don’t mind me saying this but, by the ending of the show at kirtan time, officer Weighill along with his wife danced up something wonderful along with the rest of the audience. Father David also took in the dance moves in the narrow space between the stage and the seating. Jack also swirled around on his feet joining the crowd. The event could not have been much better participatory wise. I thank the Great Power under the prairie sky for the occasion of a topmost celebration.
7 KM
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
I took to walking the scenic route near the university grounds in Regina around Lake Wascana before the ride to Saskatoon to Regina. Quite pleasant.
What is even more pleasant is spending the time with our travelling team, what a great bunch of guys. Here we are, an actual travelling road show, going from city to city doing our gigs. Each member is self driven. The mood is “We are part of a mission. We like that our guru, Srila Prabhupada, is pleased with our efforts.” Time is tight. Distances of travel are lengthy. Each new venue has its own glory and challenges. We do foul up sometimes. A mrdanga drum got lost in the previous place, oops! The person playing Krishna’s role has no pants to wear, they also got left behind. These are minor screw ups, believe it or not, they will be rectified. Upon hitting such surprises we are a group that becomes concerned and then innovates a change and solution. Our technical sound guy at Broadway Theatre is Jack, a lovely fellow, an old hippie with beard and all (that’s Broadway in Saskatoon by the way).
It’s day number 2 with my emcee duty. I’m rather liking it. It was a proud moment for me to introduce Chief of Police for Saskatoon, Clive Weighill, to the stage for a message. That took care of our ksatriya (warrior) guest. Then I called on Father David from the Holy Family Church to represent the local brahmin sector, a loveable person he is.
I hope they don’t mind me saying this but, by the ending of the show at kirtan time, officer Weighill along with his wife danced up something wonderful along with the rest of the audience. Father David also took in the dance moves in the narrow space between the stage and the seating. Jack also swirled around on his feet joining the crowd. The event could not have been much better participatory wise. I thank the Great Power under the prairie sky for the occasion of a topmost celebration.
7 KM
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