Thursday 15 December 2011

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

A Get Together

Burnaby, British Columbia

A simple six kilometer trek North of Royal Oak from Marine Drive took Nirguna, his fiancee Annique, and I to the residence of Chaitanya Chandra, Manoharini and their three boys. We were greeted at their door by the music they played.

Manoharini was bellowing out on bag pipes to the tune "Amazing Grace". And gracious they were. You just have to see their semi-detached apartment interior. The colours, images, lights and moods throw you into a world of the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Frankly, wherever I am invited, the hospitality is also from another sphere but this added feature of mood setting steals the show from venues of drab, everyday furniture and fixtures.

Some newcomers to Krishna Consciousness and solid veterans of Bhakti filled up the space when we sat to an interactive discussion on verses 22-25 from the Gita. Here they are from Chapter 14.

Bhagavan said, "O son of Pandu, he who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present or long for them when they disappear; who is unwavering and undisturbed through all these reactions of material qualities, remaining neutral and transcendental, knowing that the modes alone are active; who is situated in the self and regards alike happiness and distress; who looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is equal towards the desirable and the undesirable; who is steady, situated equally well in praise and blame, honour and dishonour; who treats alike both friend and enemy; and who has renounced all material activities--such a person is said to have transcended the modes of nature."

6 Km

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