HOPPING TO PLACES

Saturday, May 9th, 2026

Somerset, New Jersey

I’m enjoying the trek around Sparta Lake once again, but some people who live in this private lake community are not paying much attention to what they have. A road from up the hill connects to the laneway around the lake. Out from that uphill road emerges a black car (the make I don’t know) with a large dent on the side. The windows were closed but I could hear the loud rap music. It was hard to see the driver for the smoke inside, but I could sure smell the weed seeping through. It was strong. My point is the man from this neat neighbourhood just couldn’t appreciate the natural haven he’s in.

I began to reflect on my good fortune. I don’t need to hang out with such individuals. My lucky streak has me associating with pious people much of the time. Haripad and I left for a new community developing in Somerset which is predominantly a South Indian group in their facility - a house functioning as a temple. There at a short time after 9 am we conducted another one of those havan ceremonies. Under the direction of the priest, Padmodar, a couple were initiated. Karunakar received the name Kartikeya. And his good wife, Mythily, accepted her new Sanskrit name - Mitravinda. They are so sweet.

From here my driver was Virat Rupa, my walking partner through Guyana, who drove me to the next destination, a temple in Edison. I chose to read some of my poems and intermittently speak from the Bhagavad-gita the 5th chapter regarding aloofness from the world.

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU

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