Monday 26 November 2012

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

The Joy of the Gita

Laval, Quebec

A young couple, Damodara and Radha, had invited me for a small gathering at their home. We lit candles to honour the gracious month of Kartik. The circular motion of each flame (clockwise) is the standard way of honouring the deities. We also enjoyed light food and light conversation (never do the opposite, heavy carbs mixed with heavy subject matter wreaks havoc, prepare for tummy troubles).

Upon returning to the ashram, Jambhavan, a well built Russian master of massage, was waiting for me to attend to a serious mustard oil job on my machinery. All was good – the visit to D and R’s and J’s great grip. Despite the wonderful hospitality and the relaxed treatment, with body and mind at ease, sleep was not to be that evening. The creative juices were stirring up inside which compelled me to put pen to paper to script a first draft on a Gita synopsis. Inspiration I guess you would call it.

All this occurred the evening before. I plied through this morning’s sadhana and then squeezed in some sleep prior to noon (not a yogi’s preferred program), be that as it may.

The balance of the day which included a stroll through Le Jardin Botanique, was haunting because of the incomplete job on the Gita’s script. By evening however, satisfaction seeped into the recesses of the heart when reflecting on 18.74 of the Gita. To those who listened to my delivery on this text, I believe their hearts warmed up as well just on the strength of the verse itself. In the text, Sanjaya, secretary to the blind King, Drhitirastra, declares that he is exhilarated at what is perhaps the most famous dialogue of all times, a conversation between Krishna and Arjun. This exhilaration brought him to the point where roma-harshanam, his hair was standing on end. There was contagion in Sanjay’s words (verse 74). We all felt a kind of ecstasy. With the anniversary of the Gita’s being spoken a month away on December 23rd, it gives good reason to give attention to these words and to share it.

9 KM




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