Friday 23 December 2011

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Fast Car, Tough World

Toronto, Ontario

This car just went out of control. At 3:45 AM I felt a thud. A female driver headed west on Dupont, crossed the street, went up the curb and into the park behind our temple. She zipped but 2 feet from our Prabhupada maple tree and went crashing against a mature tree, sending the car up in smoke and flames. It became a spectacle for those up at that hour. The woman survived as ambulance came to take the injured driver. The fire brigade put out the fire in no time. City TV came to report and police did their report. By 5:15 all was done, and the plot of land, the scene of the accident, right next to our building, was cleared of any mishap. The efficiency in dealing with the accident is commendable but the major point of reality here is the closeness of death. I could have been walking right there when the car sped along tearing up the grassy terrain and leaving a scar on the tree. The vehicle could also have struck our building leaving damage had it veered towards our temple.

The precariousness of life is interesting when you hear that a Utah truck driver who won a $380 000 Lamborghini in a convenience store contest crashed the sports car six hours after he got it. He now plans to sell the 640 horsepower convertible because he cannot afford the insurance taxes.

Tough world! It's a reality that's confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita. "Dukhalayam asasavatam" are two Sanskrit words meaning 'misery' and 'temporary'. Hence, the predawn episode is a mere reminder.

I'm off to Cuba until late December when I return on the 27th. Hare Krishna!

8 Km

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