To say that there is unrest in the world is certainly an understatement. Right at the location where our chanting party was to set camp for two hours was a demonstration by people of Tunisia. The nation’s flag of a red background, bearing in its centre a white disk with a red star, was waving in the air. Here in Montreal, Tunisians are expressing their dissatisfaction with their political leader, so you can imagine how much greater disturbance exists in the homeland.
Our chanting party decided to relocate to the La Baie department store, where devotees have been for years, dispersing mantra vibration. Five minutes into our kirtan and another protest group appeared, holding multiple flags from Ukraine, the simple but bold yellow and blue bars. Like the Tunisian protest, megaphones and speakers were utilized in outcry over the way. Theirs was a procession, moving along Rue Sainte-Catherine, where we were situated in a fairly lively kirtan.
Our chanting was sandwiched between an amplified jazz musician group to our left and to our right, Evangelical messages were projected from their speakers, spreading the Good Word of Jesus. The merging of all these sights and sounds made for a barrage of communication, mostly of dismay.
What to do?
People will always have something to say, either of a disgruntled nature or of optimistic solutions. We will always be noise-makers. One thing is for certain, our chanting of mantras drew the most smiles.
Source: http://thewalkingmonk.blogspot.com/2022/03/saturday-march-26-2022.html
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