Atmaram is a spirit soul in a Spanish body who knows how to pick at the guitar strings, singing the praises of the Divine Mother and Divine Father. “Radha Madhava” is the name of the bhajan (devotional song). He’s had some throat challenges since his arrival here in Canada, otherwise, his voice is like that of a Gandharva (angel).
I was asked to deliver the morning class today and I said, “Under one condition – that Atmarama sings the invocational song, ‘Radha Madhava’.” Atmarama was leaving us for Montreal within a couple of hours, so I thought that we should give him the honour.
Mission accomplished. He sang, he took a bus. I gave the class. The music and message set the tone for the day, a day of service, cleaning, planning, reaching out.
This reaching out also entailed hitting Yonge Street and returning on Bay. Anytime I’m in the saffron robes, it, no doubt, gets attention. One chap spotted me in the night when temperatures are tolerable.
“Hare Krishna. I sometimes come to your temple early. You may remember me. I will be returning home to the UAE for a business opportunity.”
I did wish him the best before parting. He has a whole life to live. I’m just retired, in a sense, if that is the way to describe a monk’s agenda. Actually, I’m as busy as ever. And that is what I asked a friend the other day, about retiring. He said, “If you stop activity, you stop. I’m not stopping.” The tone of the day was “Sing a song to God and keep busy.”
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