His appearance may have gotten your attention. The man in the faded orange robe walking through downtown Ottawa Wednesday hopes his message does too. Hare Krishna monk Bhaktimarga Swami is walking from New York to San Francisco to tell people along the way to take some time out for peace and introspection.
Swami says life is so busy for people these days, they’ve forgotten the ways of their ancestors. He says people need to connect with the spiritual side.
Swami says the walk with nature along the Illinois and Michigan Canal has been wonderful, even though it has been very hot at times this week. Thunderstorms gave him a different challenge Wednesday. It’s harder work to walk on a soggy trail, so he got a few blisters. But he used a pair of dry socks to wipe off some space on a bench at Allen Park for himself and this news writer to tell of the experience.
Swami is walking 20 miles per day. So it may take him until next year to get to San Francisco. Since his message is about patience, that won’t bother him. And he’s walked across Canada, the country he was born in, four times. So he knows what to expect mentally and physically.
In other walks, Swami has crossed Ireland, Guyana, Israel, and Trinidad. His nickname, The Walking Monk, is on his business cards. Besides his marathon walks, Swami teaches a form of yoga and directs plays that tell stories from ancient India.
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