Saturday, April 22nd, 2023
Ste. Etienne-de-Bolton, Quebec
Nature is doing some renovation on the city of Montreal. On April 6th, a major freeze hit the town and although the trees in particular looked magical, the weight of collective hard water (ice) caused devastation when sizeable branches just snapped off. In my walk today to the botanical garden off of Pie IX Boulevard, my companion, Emille, pointed out all the piles of tree debris. It’s all over the place. Spring buds are coming out and that is redeeming, while blossoms from certain les arbres are boasting beauty.
Most of my time today was spent an hour and a half away at the Kriya Yoga Centre in rural Ste. Etienne-de-Bolton, an area of scenic beauty. Mountains are nearby, and with the higher elevation in this hamlet, the chill is prevalent as compared to Montreal’s 20 degrees Celsius.
So, what then happened inside the retreat centre?
Baddar, one of our active members from the city, organized a three-day kirtan, my reason for coming to the event by train, in addition to giving classes at the ISKCON temple in Montreal.
Enthusiastic chanters from Quebec and Ontario converged to do what REAL party goers engage in. No computers were allowed in the room, and you’d rarely see a device of any kind. Everyone there was focused on mantra and dance. It was so ecstatic. The people were sweet. We were in a spot so far away from danger, of falling branches. At least one person died after being hit by a falling branch in the city.
We will all perish by some means. The safest way to go is to have one’s lips moving to the mantra. That’s why I chant whenever I’m taking a stroll, just in case something comes to take my life away, whether it be a branch, a lighting bold, a fast car, etc. I prepare myself.
MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!
4 km