Sunday 25 March 2018

Wednesday, March 21st, 2018

Hilo, Hawaii

Taking Shelter

If I wasn’t a monk involved in a culture of mantras, I would likely have ended up doing rain-gazing.  It is Day #3 on The Big Island and there is a consistent discharge of water from the sky.  Practically no break.  Time, however, and commitment, allowed for some walking near the oceanside.  Gurudas and I heard the news that one fellow today had been collecting a shelled creature.  A wave pulled him in and he was found four miles from the shoreline, dead.

That’s how powerful the waves were today.  Gurudas and I observed their might.  There was lots of water and more water, and so we kept our distance.

Whoever invented the umbrella…may they be blessed.  Apparently Chinese, Roman, Egyptian, and Indian citizens, as well as royalty, have made use of the umbrella, since as early as the 4th century B.C.  Our book, the Bhagavatam, tells of one avatar, a young brahman boy by the name of Vamana, who sported an umbrella, centuries ago.  It was not used to shield the rain, but the sun.

Anyway, we benefited from the large mushrooms—our term for umbrella.  A good portion of today was spent sheltered in our rustic, cedar, resort house called, “Heaven’s Doors.”  In the comfort and protection of that home, Gurudas set me up to broadcast the morning Bhagavatam class via cyberspace.  Devotees of bhakti-yoga were tuned in from various other islands.

Today we took shelter of buildings, umbrellas and books.  By the way, you might check out SHELTER, from the hardcore punk-rock music scene.

May the Source be with you!

5 km


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