Friday 16 March 2018

Monday, March 12th, 2018

Miami, Florida

Trying to See

I was booked in for a room at the Hampton Inn, where I rested and awoke for the 4:30 a.m. arati, or the first service of the day.  A short walk with Murari Gupta, a surgeon, took me to the ISKCON Centre on Virginia Street.

There was a small attendance—seven of us.  We engaged in chanting the praises to our version of the Creator, Krishna.

The class I gave then was from the Bhagavatam, Canto Seven, wherein sage Narada expresses his appreciation for the saintly boy, Prahlada.  You might say that this was a glorification of a godly soul.

Murari Gupta then drove me to the airport for a flight to Gainesville.  I sat at the gate for my departure and was trying to conjure a continuity of the theme ‘praise’.  At the departure lounge, I saw no deity of Krishna, could not hear His name—outside of my soft japa chanting—and I also could not perceive a saint from amongst the crowd.  I did see, however, two nuns in the distance, down the corridor.

I also saw scantily clad ladies and some body building men, busting with muscle.  I saw gangster clothes and one fellow proudly walking with a skeleton frame imprinted on his coat.  Where is a saint to be found, what to speak of God?  How could I perceive divinity?

Those who were officials working at the departure gate were warm, friendly and keeping order.  In them, I started to see some element of holiness.  I was pacified at this.

I took one last stroll after I arrived in Gainesville.

May the Source be with you!

8 km

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