Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

Vancouver, British Columbia

Thrilled


I was thrilled that the chap sharing the quarters with me at the Burnaby temple was enthusiastic to take the lead in the kirtan culture on behalf of our guru in the city of his residence, Victoria.    As a musically inclined person, Adhosha Darshi, by name, volunteered to take up this responsibility and embrace the project.  He seems the perfect fit.

And Victoria, being what it is, is a gorgeous town with a populace that is open and eager for such kirtan.  It needs to be said that chanting already has a foothold in this capital city of British Columbia.  I don’t think that it would be a speculation to say that Krishna monks pioneered the ancient practice here in the late sixties.  I am a product of someone who met chanting monks in the summer of ’72 right on the street in downtown Victoria.

At that time I was walking (when I wasn’t I) near Beacon Hill Park with my bro, Jerry, and friend, Rob, when we were met by a group of shaven-headed, robed monks.  Years have passed and there isn’t a permanent presence for chanting by our members in Victoria.

Somehow I felt that today’s the day that blessing came our way in the form of a great life-long monk, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati.  This happens to be his day as we remember him on the anniversary of his departure in the twenties.  It was his urgings that compelled his student, our guru, Srila Prabhupada, to come to the U.S. in ’65 to initiate the chanting movement in the west.

Now, I feel, that by his blessing of kirtan by one of our men, Adhosha, will take hold in Victoria on Vancouver Island.  As Shakespeare wrote, “If music be the food of love, play on.”  And so , if chanting be the fuel of Absolute love, then do indeed play on.

May the Source be with you!

5 KM