The class today was mine to move and shake a heart and brain. If I was able to do that with just a pinch or an inch of effectiveness then I consider it at least a minor success.
The topic of this morning was about the monk, Kapila. Born of outstanding parents, Kardama and Devahuti, he was an obvious product of pureness. In the book Bhagavatam he is put in the category of Mahajan, being one of twelve trail-blazing bhakti masters. He was a teacher of sankhya philosophy which delves into details o
Mitch from Orangeville came by to join us on the prearranged walk to the Brickworks and beyond. Usually, I can pack in some japa on beads; chanting during these urban pilgrimages, which are actually located in ravines. However, today was just talking all the while. The topic of Tattva, philosophical truths, according to the devotional perspective and practical realities were what occupied our time. It was sweet. We even cited a beaver lodge.
Now, I am the first to admit that I am a trite bit be
Our superstar Brahmachari (monk), Brhat Mrdunga, and I, along with my musical devotee friends, Mahadeva and Aunapurna, set off in the westerly direction towards Montreal. But first we plan to take a small detour at Marysville, off the 401, to visit a country farm project run by Dhyana Chandra and David, who both had some experience in ashram life. The property of forty-five acres has a house, a barn, garden and an acreage of mostly red cedar. Before our trek through this new kind of forest, whi
I decided to have some downtime through walking, considering that, at the end of it, there would be a kind of party with a number of people. So, I set foot at 1 pm, headed for a ravine, which took me through some fall colors in the northwest direction. I met a man, perhaps in his early eighties. We actually chatted at a park bench for a while. So I was adjusting my seat and taking off my socks; it was too warm, when he told me the distance he was going, to the U of T, I was inspired. That is a
This was a very inspiring day, one where we were commemorating the birth anniversary of one of our outstanding teachers in the bhakti lineage, Madhavacharya. He was a great scholar who challenged the philosophy of Mayavada with his doctrine on dvaita, personalism. He was born in 1238 and passed away in 1317.
It was perfect to be outside in the joy of the day as we had scheduled a visit to the spectacular Scarborough Bluffs. Our Bhakti Academy trainees and I took a brisk walk by the shores of m
It was hard to believe when the cake came out. I was visiting my sister Pauline in North York, as did two other sisters, Connie and Rose-Ann (I also have two brothers who live a distance away), and presented before me was a one-level, vegan cake with the number seventy pressed into the top.
What was shocking to me was not the delicious flavor that the desert was, rather it was the number indicating seven decades of experience in this body. Yes, in this lifetime I have gone through “stuff” but
My first class for today was held in Stouffville, a new and upcoming urban sprawl place. Along with it comes young families who are adherent to the culture of the Vedas. In the quaint lobby of a relatively current plaza unit is pinned on the wall’s bulletin board an invitation to talk about “The Nine Goddesses.” I thought that was a Vedic concept for sure. “Nine Mothers” is what some of us call it.
Inside the main presentation room, which comfortably sits around fifty folks, the intensely pain
There were two of them – twins – just babies, Ronik and Ronok at six months are at an age where they receive their first grains in the form of kheer, a rice pudding, which signifies that they are entering a period of growth. This sweet ceremony where a brahman or priest feeds the first spoonful is a samskara, or sacrament, and is called anna prasanna. I was the priest.
One of them, held in parent’s hands, didn’t take too well but the other relished it like anything. When it came to their choice
It was today, with umbrella in hand, that I walked to my old spiritual stomping grounds, or, to put it in another phrase, my spiritual birthplace. 187 Gerrard St. is the actual location, currently a house and formerly a temple, where my spiritual training took place. That was back in the spring of 1973, almost a half a century ago. I almost shed a tear looking at the place when actual raindrops fell from the sky.
It is only a few doors down on Gerrard, which is the home of Praharana, my godsist
I get concerned these days about travel and the time it takes to get somewhere by a vehicle. It can take so long with so many more people and so many more cars.
The drive to Niagara Falls from Toronto used to be one and a half hour — max. These days it’s a frustrating extra hour. There and back is almost a whole, or at least a chunk of, your day. But we were lucky, maybe smart. It’s all in the time of day you leave and time of return that can determine a good or bad trip. Our return was a mere
It was in two thousand fifteen
That Sally was happy to be seen
By those who admired her
At New Vrindavan it did occur
Known to be the special agent
The one so absolutely patient
In signing the fateful papers
For Swamiji to reach those skyscrapers
To New York all the way from Bharat
To tell us what we had forgot
I sat with her for an hour or so
When her pleasant words began to flow
When she put her name to submit
"I didn't think much would come of it
His picture looked quite intimidating"
But si
To commemorate the anniversary of the docking of our guru (Prabhupada) on American soil, I delivered a class, basically a reading of this event at Boston harbor in September, 1965. A group from the Harmony collective came to hear of this milestone. Seven years ago, I began my US walk at the pier and I followed, as best as possible, the old Lincoln Highway leading me to San Francisco. The theme of the track was “Walking for our Teachers.” For me, it was just a token of gratitude. Thank you Prabh
Kaustubha and I were ambling along at Lake Erie’s edge in Lakewood Park when one of the many, shall I say, “worshipers” of the water and sun noticed my garb. “Oh! Monk! Yeah! I agree!” As he gives me a fist pump. Perhaps to say “worshiper” was a trait bit over the top, but in reality, people from this neighborhood and the greater Cleveland area come to the spot where massive and smooth concrete blocks have been placed as if stairways for giants; some kind of grandstand for viewing the sun setti
This morning a handful of Columbus congregants and I took to trekking along the Ohio River on Riverside. What was to be more of a chanting walk ended up being more of a chatting walk. The conversation hovered around the direct versus indirect sending of the message of the Gita to the world. The trail along the river, with fresh air and blue skies, made for that clear head experience and so I offered my opinion; that we need both.
Boat rowing was going on up and down the current of the Ohio as w
It was a drizzle of a morning but that was no roadblock for some enthusiasts to circum-ambulate the lake at New Vrindavan. There has been no conversation during the strolls around the lake, named Rada Kunda. When our mantra sessions were completed at today’s half-point, I had several devotees from various locations say that it was the first time they ever walked with a swami and just chanted those mantras. It is my hope at least some of them would return to their respective places and form japa
I spent the bulk of the day in the residence of Chandra and Kalpana with their son Gertik (it’s his birthday), 14, and daughter Dashika, 11. They live in a place called Dublin, a bedroom community to Columbus.
Ohio state university at 60,000 students has one of the largest student populations in the US. Chandra was kind to take me to several park trails. The area is just perfectly manicured with grass. The entire neighborhood, in fact, with ponds, fountains and trees, leaves one in awe of this
The air was still and most comfortable as twelve of us were inside our Toronto ashram, when two chubby raccoons were milling around looking for food. By the time we got outside, loading our vehicle with weekend backpacks, destined for West Virginia, we saw a coyote racing down our street. He was on a similar program as the chubby ones – where is the food?
Generally, you find hungry gatherers and hunters busy in the dark but our purpose in being up so early, 4:45 am, was for yoga and a journey,
The smaller communities we have established in recent years are all doing well in terms of governance, attendance and participation. Financially things are also doing all right. Even during the pandemic, none of our places of education and spiritual wellness suffered in a major way. At least not in “Zone One” of North America, which I am responsible for. This is, by the way, the krpa of God — mercy from the Universe.
Two such centres were on my visiting list today – Scarborough and Milton. Scar
Kushal Mehra is host to a regular podcast from India who found out about me as a Canadian monastic and marathon walker. It was this morning that he arranged for a recording on the Charvaka Project.
Our guru, Prabhupada, used to bring to our attention a person by the name of Charvaka Muni, whos philosophy propounded that you beg, borrow or steal ghee and enjoy life. Ghee, clarified butter, was a symbol of wealth, so the message was to be the mundane enjoyer. Nothing else matters too much. There’
There was the cry of a loon, which enthused Krsnadas and I to walk to its source, Sand Lake. Once we reached there, the loon was hard to spot. We did witness an osprey with deliberate determination to get breakfast. It sailed in the air, then dove like a dart for a catch. Looks like it caught something in its beak. Its speed restricted us from picking up all the details.
I did spot a group of sandhill cranes in flight at noon. That was majestic. Too bad it rains quite a lot. Sudevi tells us tha
